Hand held remote control device having an improved user interface

• US 7,610,555 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith-Kielland, Ingvald Alain, Scott, Cheryl, Klein, Sandro David, Scott, Wayne, Louie, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Riegler; Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US11/491,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.05, 348/114, 348/734, 715/738, 715/740, 345/169, 345/168, 345/156, 345/172, 341/176, 725/40, 725/43
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/23 Remote control device with display showing data to be transmitted to the controlled apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/25 Remote control device with display
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/26 Remote control device with touch screen display
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A user interface for displaying information to a user of a universal remote control. The user interface displays to the user a list having a plurality of items each being associated with one or more devices that can be controlled using the remote control and, in response to the user selecting one of the plurality of items from the list, the remote control is caused to access at least one command code for transmission to at least one device setup within the remote control as being associated with the user selected one of the plurality of items and, simultaneously, retrieve Web content which has also been associated within the remote control to the user selected one of the plurality of items from a Web content server which retrieved Web content is displayed in a display of the remote control.

Claims

1. A method of using a remote control to provide relevant content to a user, comprising:

displaying to the user a list having a plurality of items wherein each of the plurality of items is associated with one or more devices that can be controlled using the remote control and wherein each of the plurality of items is mapped to a respective one of a plurality of Web content addresses stored within a memory of the remote control;

accepting input by which the user selects one of the plurality of items from the list; and

causing the remote control to respond to the input whereupon the remote control is caused to both access at least one command code mapped within the memory of the remote control to the user selected one of the plurality of items for transmission to at least one device setup within the remote control as being associated with the user selected one of the plurality of items and use the one of the plurality of Web content addresses mapped in the memory of the remote control to the user selected one of the plurality of items to cause a retrieval, via the Internet, of Web content which retrieved Web content is displayed in a display of the remote control.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of items within the list each corresponds to a media item.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one command code is used to tune the at least one device to access media item corresponding to the user selected one of the plurality of items.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the accessed media item corresponding to the user selected one of the plurality of items comprises a television channel.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the retrieved Web content comprises information relevant to the tuned to television channel.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the accessed media item corresponding to the user selected one of the plurality of items comprises a recorded media track.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of items within the list comprises modes each indicative of one or more devices which the remote control has been setup to control.

8. A method of using a remote control to provide relevant content to a user, comprising:

displaying to the user a user generated list of items associated with at least one of a plurality of devices to be controlled wherein each of the displayed items is mapped to a respective one of a plurality of Web content addresses stored within a memory of the remote control;

accepting input by which the user selects one of the items from the list of items; and

causing the remote control to respond to the input whereupon the remote control is caused to both transmit command codes to the device to be controlled to cause the device to be controlled to access the user selected item and use the one of the plurality of Web content addresses mapped in the memory of the remote control to the user selected item to cause a retrieval, via the Internet, of Web content which retrieved Web content is displayed in a display of the remote control.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the device to be controlled is a television and the items comprise television broadcast channels.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the device to be controlled is a recorded media playback device and the items comprise tracks.

11. A method of using a remote control to provide relevant content to a user, comprising:

displaying to the user a list of modes indicative of devices that can be controlled wherein each of the displayed modes is mapped to a respective one of a plurality of Web content addresses stored within a memory of the remote control;

accepting input by which the user selects one of the modes from the list of modes; and

causing the remote control to respond to the input whereupon the remote control is caused to both access command codes capable of controlling a device setup to correspond to the user selected mode and use the one of the plurality of Web content addresses mapped in the memory of the remote control to the user selected mode to cause a retrieval, via the Internet, of Web content which retrieved Web content is displayed in a display of the remote control.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the Web content comprises television guide listings when the user selected mode places the remote control in a mode for controlling a television.