System and method for programming electronic devices from a remote site
First Claim
1. A system for programming an electronic device comprising:
- means for converting information needed to program said electronic device into programming data for said electronic device, said means for converting comprising means for receiving said information needed to program said electronic device;
means for embedding the date on which the programming data has been converted into the programming data as an embedded date;
means for communicating said programming data from said means for converting information to a programming module;
means for linking said programming module to said electronic device;
means for transferring said programming data from said programming module to said electronic device through said means for linking; and
means for preventing the means for transferring from operating if the embedded date is more than a predetermined period of time previous to a present date.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided for programming home electronic devices. The system includes a computer for converting information needed to program the electronic device which is communicated from the consumer to a representative at the site of the computer into data for programming the home electronic device. The computer communicates the programming data over telephone lines to a programming module at the consumer'"'"'s location which receives the data communicated over the telephone lines from the computer. The programming module is then coupled to a home electronic device using a plug and socket, infrared link, AC line modulation or some other method of transferring data and the programming data communicated to the programming module from the computer is transferred to the home electronic device. The system is especially appropriate for data which must be programmed into a home electronic device as part of its initial setup.
-
Citations
46 Claims
-
1. A system for programming an electronic device comprising:
-
means for converting information needed to program said electronic device into programming data for said electronic device, said means for converting comprising means for receiving said information needed to program said electronic device; means for embedding the date on which the programming data has been converted into the programming data as an embedded date; means for communicating said programming data from said means for converting information to a programming module; means for linking said programming module to said electronic device; means for transferring said programming data from said programming module to said electronic device through said means for linking; and means for preventing the means for transferring from operating if the embedded date is more than a predetermined period of time previous to a present date. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A system for programming an electronic device comprising:
-
means for converting information needed to program said electronic device into programming data for said electronic device, said means for converting comprising; means for receiving said information needed to program said electronic device; and means for encrypting said programming data using an element of real time as an encryption key; means for communicating said programming data from said means for converting information to a programming module; means for linking said programming module to said electronic device; means for transferring said programming data from said programming module to said electronic device through said means for linking; and means for preventing the means for transferring from operating.
-
-
13. A system for programming a plurality of electronic devices comprising:
-
means for converting information needed to program a selected set of said electronic devices into programming data for said selected set of electronic devices, said means for converting comprising means for receiving said information needed to program said selected set of electronic devices; means for embedding the date on which the programming data has been converted into the programming data as an embedded date; means for communicating said programming data from said means for converting information to a programming module; means for separately linking said programming module to each of said selected electronic devices; means for transferring said programming data from said programming module to each of said selected electronic devices through said means for separately linking; and means for preventing the means for transferring from operating if the embedded date is more than a predetermined period of time previous to a present date. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A system for programming a plurality of electronic devices comprising:
-
means for converting information needed to program a selected set of said electronic devices into programming data for said selected set of electronic devices, said means for converting comprising; means for receiving said information needed to program said selected set of electronic devices; and means for encrypting said programming data using an element of real time as an encryption key; means for communicating said programming data from said means for converting information to a programming module; means for separately linking said programming module to each of said selected electronic devices; means for transferring said programming data from said programming module to each of said selected electronic devices through said means for separately linking; and means for preventing the means for transferring from operating.
-
-
25. The method of programming an electronic device comprising the steps of:
-
communicating information needed to program said electronic device from the location of said electronic device to a remote programming site converting said information into programming commands for said electronic device; embedding the date on which the programming data has been converted into the programming data as an embedded date; downloading said programming commands from said remote programming site to said electronic device only if the embedded date is more than a predetermined period of time before a present date. - View Dependent Claims (26)
-
-
27. The method of programming an electronic device comprising the steps of:
-
communicating information needed to program said electronic device from the location of said electronic device to a remote programming site; converting said information into programming commands for said electronic device, wherein said step of converting comprises the step of encrypting said programming commands using an element of real time as an encryption key; and downloading said programming commands from said remote programming site to said electronic device, wherein said step of downloading comprises the step of decrypting said programming commands.
-
-
28. The method of programming an electronic device comprising the steps of:
-
establishing a communication link between a consumer and a programming assistant; communicating information needed to program said electronic device from the consumer to the programming assistant; converting said information into programming commands for said electronic device; embedding the date on which the programming data has been converted into the programming commands as an embedded date; downloading said programming commands to a programming module; establishing a data linking between said programming module and said electronic device; and transferring said programming data from said programming module to said electronic device only if the embedded date is more than a predetermined period of time before a present date. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. The method of programming an electronic device comprising the steps of:
-
establishing a communication link between a consumer and a programming assistant; communicating information needed to program said electronic device from the consumer to the programming assistant; converting said information into programming commands for said electronic device, said step of converting comprising the step of encrypting said programming commands using an element of real time as an encryption key; downloading said programming commands to a programming module, said step of downloading comprising the step of decrypting said programming commands; establishing a data linking between said programming module and said electronic device; and transferring said programming data from said programming module to said electronic device.
-
-
39. An appliance programming module for programming a variety of home electronic appliances comprising:
-
means for receiving at least one set of appliance programming data with a date on which the programming data has been received being embedded within the programming data for at least one of said appliances; means for coupling said appliance programming module to one of said appliances; means for transferring said at least one set of appliance programming data to said one of said appliances; and means for preventing the means for transferring from operating if the embedded current date is more than a predetermined period of time before a present date. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
Specification