Two-way communications between a remote control unit and one or more devices in an audio/visual environment
First Claim
1. An audio/visual system that provides for the bi-directional exchange of information, comprising:
- an audio/visual device;
a remote control unit for controlling the audio/visual device;
a first two-way communications link between the remote control unit and the audio/visual device that provides for information to be transmitted by the remote control unit and received by the audio/visual device and for information to be transmitted by the audio/visual device and received by the remote control unit;
an information-providing device capable of accessing information external to the audio/visual system; and
a second two-way communications link between the remote control unit and the information-providing device that provides for information to be transmitted by the remote control unit and received by the information-providing device and for information to be transmitted by the information-providing device and received by the remote control unit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A remote control unit in an audio/visual system has a two-way communications link with one or more audio/visual devices. The bi-directional flow of information between the remote control unit and the audio/visual device(s) provides for the creation of remote control commands that are customized based upon the characteristics of the particular A/V device being controlled by the remote control unit. The remote control unit may additionally have another two-way communications link with one or more information-providing devices, such as a personal computer capable of accessing the Internet, that can provide the remote control unit with information available outside the audio/visual environment. The bi-directional flow of information of the two-way communications links is accomplished with a two-way infra-red link or a two-way serial link.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An audio/visual system that provides for the bi-directional exchange of information, comprising:
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an audio/visual device;
a remote control unit for controlling the audio/visual device;
a first two-way communications link between the remote control unit and the audio/visual device that provides for information to be transmitted by the remote control unit and received by the audio/visual device and for information to be transmitted by the audio/visual device and received by the remote control unit;
an information-providing device capable of accessing information external to the audio/visual system; and
a second two-way communications link between the remote control unit and the information-providing device that provides for information to be transmitted by the remote control unit and received by the information-providing device and for information to be transmitted by the information-providing device and received by the remote control unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 19)
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- 9. A remote control unit capable of bi-directional exchange of information with one or more audio/visual devices in an audio/visual system and of bi-directional exchange of information with an information-providing device capable of accessing information external to the audio/visual system, wherein the remote control unit has a first port of a first two-way communications link for transmitting information to the one or more audio/visual devices, a second port of the first two-way communications link for receiving information from the one or more audio/visual devices, a first port of a second two-way communications link for transmitting information to the information-providing device, and a second port of the second two-way communications link for receiving information from the information-providing device.
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17. A method for the bi-directional exchange of information between a remote control unit and one or more audio/visual devices and between the remote control unit and an information-providing device of an audio/visual system capable of accessing information external to the audio/visual system, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a first two-way communications link between the remote control unit and the one or more audio/visual devices;
establishing a second two-way communications link between the remote control unit and the information-providing device;
transmitting information between the remote control unit and the one or more audio/visual devices over the first two-way communications link;
utilizing information transmitted by the one or more audio/visual devices over the first two-way communications link to the remote control unit to develop one or more control features of the remote control unit;
the information-providing device accessing information external to the audio/visual system;
transmitting the information accessed by the information-providing device external to the audio/visual system between the remote control unit and the information-providing device over the second two-way communications link; and
utilizing information transmitted by the information-providing device over the second two-way communications link to the remote control unit to develop the one or more control features of the remote control unit. - View Dependent Claims (18)
displaying information received by the remote control unit over the second two-way communications link from the information-providing device on a display of the remote control unit.
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Specification