System and method for using an universal remote control to access extended operational functions of a device

• US 7,161,524 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Kimthoa Thi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber; Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US10/401,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20040189508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 341/176, 341/23, 340/825.69, 340/5.64, 340/825.57, 340/825.72, 345/169
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

A system and method for using an universal remote control to access extended operational functions of a device. A consumer causes the universal remote control to transmit a code data value selected from the library to a target device while observing the effect of the transmitted code data value on the target device. When the target device responds in a manner desired by the consumer, the consumer may tag the code data value that caused the desired effect and assign the tagged code data value to a programmable key on the universal remote control.

Claims

1. A method for using an universal remote control to access extended operational functions of a device, comprising:

(a) accepting input into the universal remote control that serves to identify a library of code data values stored in a memory device of the universal remote control wherein the library of code data values includes both code data values for use in commanding the device to perform common operational functions and code data values for use in commanding the device to perform extended operational functions;

(b) mapping the code data values from the identified library of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform common operational functions to standard keys of the universal remote control;

(c) accepting input into the universal remote control for causing the universal remote control to transmit a signal including a code data value from the identified library of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an extended operational function; and

(d) accepting input into the universal remote control to map to a programmable key of the universal remote control the code data value from the identified library of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an extended operational function that was last transmitted by the universal remote control in step (c).

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the common operational function comprises a channel selection function.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the common operational function comprises a volume selection function.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the common operational function comprises a transport function.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises automatically transmitting in response to the user input a plurality of signals each having a different code data value from the identified library of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an extended operational function.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising skipping the transmission of a signal for those code data values from the identified library of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an extended operational function which has been previously assigned to a programmable key.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of the code data values from the identified library of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an extended operational function comprise a null value.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein a null value demarks an end of a table in which are stored the code data values.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the code data values of the identified library of code data values are maintained in a table which includes data indicative of a number of code data values in the identified library of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an extended operational function that are in the table.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the programmable key comprises an extended function key provided on the universal remote control.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitted code data value from the identified library of code data values is mapped to a standard key on the universal remote control in lieu of the code data value from the identified library of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform a common operational function that was mapped to that standard key in step (b).

12. A method for using an universal remote control to access extended operational functions of a device, comprising:

(a) accepting input into the universal remote control that serves to identify a library stored in a memory of the universal remote control, the library comprised of a plurality of code data values for use in commanding the device to perform operational functions;

(b) mapping a subset of the code data values from the identified library to a subset of a plurality of keys of the universal remote control;

(c) accepting input into the universal remote control for causing the universal remote control to transmit a signal including a code data value from the identified library for use in commanding the device to perform an operational function which is unassigned to the subset of the plurality of keys; and

(d) accepting input into the universal remote control to map to a programmable key of the universal remote control the code data value from the identified library that was last transmitted by the universal remote control in step (c).

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the identified library includes code data values for use in commanding all of the operational functions available to be performed by the device using a remote control supplied with the device.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the identified library includes code data values for use in commanding operational functions in a number that exceeds the plurality of keys of the universal remote control.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an operational function which are unassigned to the subset of the plurality of keys exceeds in number extended keys of the universal remote control.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the identified library includes code data values having a null value.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the null value demarks an end of the identified library.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the identified library comprises data indicative of a number of code data values in the identified library which are unassigned to the subset of the plurality of keys.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the programmable key comprises an extended function key provided on the universal remote control.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the transmitted code data value from the identified library is mapped to one of the subset of the plurality of keys on the universal remote control in lieu of the code data value from the identified library for use in commanding the device to perform an operational function that was mapped to that one of the subset of the plurality of keys in step (b).

21. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising automatically transmitting in response to the user input a plurality of signals each having a different code data value from the identified library for use in commanding the device to perform operational functions which are unassigned to the subset of the plurality of keys.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising skipping the transmission of a signal for those code data values from the identified library for use in commanding the device to perform an operational function which have been previously assigned to a key of the universal remote control.

23. An universal remote control, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of libraries each comprised of a plurality of code data values for use in commanding a corresponding device to perform operational functions;

a keypad comprising a plurality of keys including at least one programmable key;

a transmission circuit for use in transmitting a signal; and

programming for performing the steps of;

(a) accepting input that serves to identify one of the plurality of libraries stored in memory;

(b) mapping a subset of the code data values of the identified one of the plurality of libraries to a subset of the plurality of keys;

(c) accepting input for causing the transmission circuit to transmit a signal including a code data value from the identified one of the plurality of libraries which is unassigned to the subset of the plurality of keys; and

(d) accepting input to map to a programmable key the code data value last transmitted by the transmission circuit in step (c).

24. The universal remote control as recited in claim 23, wherein the identified library includes code data values for use in commanding all of the operational functions available to be performed by the device using a remote control supplied with the device.

25. The universal remote control as recited in claim 23, wherein the identified library includes code data values for use in commanding operational functions in a number that exceeds the plurality of keys of the universal remote control.

26. The universal remote control as recited in claim 25, wherein the code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an operational function which are unassigned to the subset of the plurality of keys exceeds in number extended keys of the universal remote control.

27. The universal remote control as recited in claim 23, wherein the identified library includes code data values having a null value.

28. The universal remote control as recited in claim 27, wherein the null value demarks an end of the identified library.

29. The universal remote control as recited in claim 23, wherein the identified library comprises data indicative of a number of code data values in the identified library which are unassigned to the subset of the plurality of keys.

30. The universal remote control as recited in claim 23, wherein the transmitted code data value is mapped to an extended function key provided on the universal remote control.

31. The universal remote control as recited in claim 23, wherein the transmitted code data value is mapped to one of the subset of the plurality of keys on the universal remote control in lieu of the code data value for use in commanding the device to perform an operational function that was mapped to that one of the subset of the plurality of keys in step (b).

32. The universal remote control as recited in claim 23, further comprising automatically transmitting in response to the user input a plurality of signals having code data values for use in commanding the device to perform operational functions which are unassigned to the subset of the plurality of keys.

33. The universal remote control as recited in claim 32, further comprising skipping the transmission of a signal for those code data values for use in commanding the device to perform an operational function which have been previously assigned to a key of the universal remote control.

34. The universal remote control as recited in claim 23, further comprising accepting input for causing data indicative of the code data value that is mapped to the programmable key to be transmitted to another universal remote control.

35. A method for using an universal remote control to access extended operational functions of a device, comprising:

accepting input into the universal remote control that serves to identify one of a plurality of libraries wherein each library is used to command a device to perform common operational functions and extended operational functions;

mapping common operational functions selected from the identified one of the plurality of libraries to standard keys of the universal remote control; and

automatically mapping extended operational functions selected from the identified one of the plurality of libraries to programmable keys of the universal remote control as a function of which extended operational functions selected from a previously identified one of the plurality of libraries were mapped to the programmable keys of the universal remote control.