Apparatus and method for setting macro of remote control

• US 7,525,473 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Hee-min, Chu, Chang-nam
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Albert K
• Application Number:
  US11/030,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 341/173, 341/176, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 715/765, 715/744, 700/65, 348/734
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways

Abstract

An apparatus and method for easily setting a macro of a programmable remote control using a PC. The apparatus setting a macro of a remote control including: an input unit, inputting data or commands; a display unit displaying the data input by the user and/or data that is able to be selected by the user; a data transceiver receiving data from the remote control and transmitting data to the remote control; a memory storing device names assigned by the user and a data file of device function control commands received from the remote control via the data transceiver; and a controller displaying on the display unit a list of the device names and the commands included in the data file stored in the memory and setting a command selected from the command list as a macro command corresponding to a macro name.

Claims

1. An apparatus setting a macro for at least one remote control, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit, used by a user to input data;

a data transceiver communicating with the at least one remote control for setting the macro for the at least one remote control;

a memory storing names of devices to be controlled by the at least one remote control and a data file received from the at least one remote controls via the data transceiver, the data file including a device name and at least one command used in a device having the device name;

a controller, upon a macro name being input, retrieving device names from corresponding one or more data files stored in the memory, displaying, from the one or more data files, a list of the device names and a list of associated commands corresponding to device names selected from the list of device names, setting at least one command selected from the list of associated commands as a macro command corresponding to the macro name, and transmitting the macro command and the macro name to at least one remote control corresponding to a device having a selected device name via the data transceiver; and

a display unit displaying the list of the device names and the list of associated commands,

wherein the at least one remote controls includes at least one of a programmable remote controls and a remote control.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein if a quantity of the devices is two or more, the controller receives data files each including a plurality of command controlling functions of each device in device units via the data transceiver and displays the plurality of command controlling functions included in the data files on the display unit while simultaneously storing the plurality of command controlling functions for each device in the memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein when one of the data files including the plurality of command controlling functions of a selected one of the devices is received, the controller further displays the device names on the display unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller determines whether to write the macro name and the macro command in the remote control regardless of whether the macro name and macro command are stored in the remote control or write the macro name and the macro command in the remote control only if a same macro name and a same macro command are not stored in the remote control.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller displays the set macro commands on the display unit, and if the user requires editing of the macro command list, the controller implements an editing function for the macro commands at a position selected by a user from among the macro commands.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the editing function for the macro commands includes inserting a new macro command, deleting one of the macro commands, and setting a delay function.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein if other remote controls are allocated to units of devices, and if the plurality of devices are controlled by the programmable remote control, the controller receives data files including the plurality of command from the remote control allocated to each device and transmits the macro command and macro name to the programmable remote control.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, if the remote controls are allocated to units of devices, and if the plurality of devices are controlled by the programmable remote control, the controller makes the programmable remote control learn by transmitting a data file stored in the memory to the programmable remote control.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one command includes text names that are recognized by a user, and the controller displays the command list using the text names.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller synchronously transmits the macro command and the macro name to the remote control via the data transceiver.

11. A method of setting a macro of at least one remote control, the method comprising:

receiving a data file from the at least one remote control, wherein the data file includes a device name and at least one command used in a device having the device name;

storing the received data file;

retrieving device names from corresponding one or more data files stored in the memory;

displaying a list of the device names and a list of associated commands, corresponding to device names selected from the list of device names, upon a macro name being input;

setting at least one command selected from the list of associated commands, as a macro command corresponding to the macro name; and

transmitting the macro command and the macro name to a remote control corresponding to a device having a selected device name via the data transceiver,

wherein the at least one remote control includes at least one of a programmable remote control and a remote control.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, if a number of devices is two or more, the receiving of the data file comprises:

receiving data files each including the plurality of commands controlling functions of each of the devices.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting the macro command and the macro name to the programmable remote control when a number of devices that are assigned by the user is two or more.

14. A method of setting a macro controlling a plurality of devices for a programmable remote control using a computer, the method comprising:

receiving in the computer data files each including a corresponding plurality of commands to control each device from a corresponding remote control of each device and each device name of the plurality of devices;

storing each received data file in the computer;

displaying a list of the device names and a list of associated commands by retrieving corresponding one or more data files stored in the computer corresponding to device names selected from the list of the device names on a graphical user interface, when a macro name is input;

setting at least one command selected from the list of associated commands, as a macro command corresponding to the macro name in the programmable remote control; and

transferring the macro name and the macro command to the programmable remote control.

15. A computer readable magnetic storage medium or optical recording medium encoded with a program to execute a method of setting a macro for at least one remote control using a PC, the method comprising:

receiving a data file from the at least one remote control, wherein the data file includes a device name and at least one command used in a device having the device name;

storing the received one or more data files;

displaying a list of the device names and a list of associated commands retrieved from the one or more stored data files corresponding to device names selected based on the list of the device names, when a macro name is input;

setting at least one command selected based on the list of associated commands, as a macro command corresponding to the macro name; and

transmitting the macro command and the macro name to a remote control corresponding to a device having the selected device name via the data transceiver,

wherein the at least one remote control includes at least one of a programmable remote control and a remote control.

16. A system comprising:

a programmable remote control;

a data transceiver, in order to set a macro for one or more remote controls, to receive data files including a plurality of commands from the one or more remote controls and to transmit a macro command, including one or more commands of the received commands and a macro name corresponding to the macro command, to the programmable remote control; and

a controller retrieving device names from corresponding one or more data files stored in a memory, and displaying, from the one or more data files, a list of the device names and a list of associated commands corresponding to device names selected form the list of device names,

wherein the data files further include each device name of devices controlled by the one or more remote controls.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a memory storing the data files.

18. A method comprising:

receiving data files including a plurality of commands and device names associated with the commands from one or more remote controls;

storing the received data files;

creating a list of device names from the stored data files;

selecting device names from the list of device names;

displaying the selected device names and a list created from the stored data files, of associated commands corresponding to the selected device names;

creating a macro command; and

transmitting the macro command, including one or more commands of the plurality of commands, and a macro name corresponding to the macro command to a programmable remote control.