SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR APPLIANCE CONTROL VIA A PERSONAL COMMUNICATION OR ENTERTAINMENT DEVICE

• US 20170024123A1
• Filed: 10/10/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Negron, Eric, Hayes, Patrick H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices

Abstract

A system for use in controlling operating functions of a controllable device includes a hand-held device and an intermediate device in communication with the hand-held device and the controllable device. The hand-held device is adapted to receive a gesture based input and to transmit a signal having data representative of the gesture based input. The intermediate device has programming for translating the data representative of the gesture based input in a signal received from the hand-held device into a command signal to be communicated to the controllable device wherein the command signal has a format appropriate for controlling an operating function of the controllable device that is associated with the gesture based input.

Claims

1. A method for using an intermediate device to control operating functions of a target controllable device, comprising:

in response to the intermediate device receiving a signal from a hand-held device adapted to receive a gesture based input, the signal having data representative of the gesture based input, data representative of a device type for the target controllable appliance, and data representative of a command code data set identifier, causing the intermediate device to use the data representative of the device type for the target controllable appliance and the data representative of the command code data set identifier in the signal received from the hand-held device to select a command code data set from a library of command code data sets stored in a memory of the intermediate device, use the data representative of the gesture based input in the signal received from the hand-held device to identify at least one command code in the selected command code data set, and use the identified at least one command code in the identified command code data set to create a command signal to be communicated to the target controllable device wherein the command signal has a format appropriate for controlling an operating function of the target controllable device that is associated with the gesture based input; and

causing the intermediate device to transmit to the target controllable device the created command signal.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the library of command code data sets is stored in the memory prior to the intermediate device receiving the signal from the hand-held device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the library of command code data sets is downloaded from a network server device and then stored in the memory.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hand-held device comprises a touch screen interface and the gesture based input comprises a sensed interaction with the touch screen interface.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the gesture based input comprises a sensed swiping motion on the touch screen interface.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the gesture based input comprises a sensed, plural, simultaneous touching on the touch screen interface.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the gesture based input comprises a sensed, simultaneous swiping motion and touching on the touch screen interface.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hand-held device comprises an accelerometer and the gesture based input comprises a movement of the hand-held device sensed via the accelerometer.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising causing the intermediate device to transmit to the hand-held device a status signal having data indicative of a status of the intermediate device resulting from the intermediate device receiving the signal from the hand-held device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data representative of the gesture based input comprises data indicative of an operating function type.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data representative of the gesture based input comprises data indicative of an instruction for the intermediate device to repeatedly communicate a command signal to the target controllable device.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the instruction causes the intermediate device to repeatedly communicate a volume control command signal to the target controllable device.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the instruction causes the intermediate device to repeatedly communicate a channel tuning control command signal to the target controllable device.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data representative of the gesture based input comprises data indicative of a request type for the intermediate device.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the intermediate device communicates with the target controllable device via a wireless signal transmission.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hand-held device communicates with the intermediate device via a wireless signal transmission.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operating function of the target controllable device that is associated with the gesture based input is user configurable.

18. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the target controllable device that is associated with the gesture based input is user configurable.