Universal remote control method and apparatus

• US 6,549,143 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: OʼDonnell, Eugene M., Bolduc, Lori Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/471,073
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.57, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.37, 340/568.1, 340/693.1, 348/563, 348/734
• US Class Current: 340/12.53
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A remote controllable device, apparatus or appliance such as a television is adapted to receive control signals from a universal remote control device addressed to a different appliance, i.e., when said appliance has not been selected, and informs the user that said appliance is not selected. Preferably the appliance displays information as to which other appliance has been selected, for example the TV could display on its screen the fact that it is receiving a remote control signal pertaining to a VCR by saying “VCR selected” when it receives a VCR control signal.

Claims

1. A universal remote control system comprising

a remotely controllable TV receiver;

and

a universal remote control transmitter having a selection key for selecting for control either said TV receiver or a different remotely controllable device and having control keys for causing a control signal to be transmitted for controlling the TV receiver or the different device;

wherein the TV receiver responds to control signals for said different device by a synthetic voice response indicating that the different device is being controlled and is not the TV receiver; and

wherein

said universal remote control transmitter is voice activated for selecting either said TV receiver or said different device.

2. System of claim 1 wherein the TV receiver indicates which of a plurality of different devices has been selected.

3. System of claim 2 wherein said plurality of different devices are each selected from the group consisting of video cassette recorders, cable boxes, audio systems, Satellite decoders, DVD players, and DBS receivers.

4. System of claim 1 wherein the TV receiver has a display and indicates which different device has been selected by displaying the identity of the selected device.

5. System of claim 1 wherein the universal remote control transmitter is programmed to transmit both a device identification code and a control code in response to a control key press.

6. An apparatus comprising

(a) a universal remote control transmitter capable of selectively controlling more than one remote controllable device, having means for selecting one device for control at a time,

(b) a first remote controllable device consisting of a TV receiver adapted to generate display information and synthetic voice information upon receipt of a signal from said transmitter at a time when said TV receiver has not been selected which indicates that said selected one device is not said TV receiver;

and

(c) said means for selecting one device for control at a time includes voice activation means in said universal remote control transmitter.

7. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first remote controllable device is adapted to recognize control signals from said transmitter which pertain to different devices and to process said signals to generate said display and synthetic voice information.

8. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first remote controllable device is adapted to recognize selected device identification signals transmitted with control signals for a different device and to process said signals to generate said display and synthetic voice information.

9. A method for indicating the operating mode of a universal remote controller comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, in a first device, a signal from a universal remote controller, said signal comprising an device identification code and a control code, said signal being responsive to either keyboard or voice control by a user of said remote controller;

(b) determining within said first device whether said device identification code conforms to said first device; and

(c) indicating to a user by display and synthetic voice generation produced by said first device that said universal remote controller is not configured to control said first device but is configured to control a further device.