Two way communication using light links

• US 7,193,661 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick H., Yun, Youping (Edward), Dresti, Mauro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Trang U.
• Application Number:
  US09/967,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20050280743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 340/825.72, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Two-way communications between a video system and a control device is disclosed. The communications links comprise visible light, IR light, or a combination of visible and IR light. The communications link provide a convenient route to capture data or lock system features or various combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A media system comprising:

a video screen;

a screen generator connected to the video screen which determines a channel that is currently being displayed on the video screen and which causes the video screen to flash to convey via a predetermined serial protocol channel identification information that functions to specify the channel that was determined to be currently being displayed on the video screen; and

a remote control comprising;

a memory having a favorite channel table;

an optical receiver connected to receive the video screen flashes and convert them to an electrical signal;

a controller connected to the optical receiver for decoding the electrical signal to thereby store in the favorite channel table of the memory the channel identification information; and

programming response to actuation of a favorite channel key which retrieves from the favorite channel table of the memory the channel identification information and which uses the channel identification information to cause a transmission of a command adapted to tune an appliance to the channel corresponding to the channel identification information.

2. The media system of claim 1, wherein the video screen is operably connected to flash light and dark screens.

3. The media system of claim 1, wherein the screen generator causes the video screen to flash in response to a transmission received from the remote control.