Remote control of electronic devices

• US 7,634,263 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Seymour, Eric, Louch, John O., Shebanek, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US11/343,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20070178891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/556.1, 455/566, 345/169
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

A controlling device (e.g., a telephony device) can remotely control various tasks associated with a controlled device (e.g., a personal computer), including the navigation of user interfaces associated with applications or an operating system associated with the controlled device. A task can be controlled at the controlled device by mapping user input received at the controlling device to control commands suitable for execution at the controlled device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an input from a telephony device;

using the input to control a software user interface associated with a controlled device, the software user interface having a plurality of user interface objects, wherein controlling the software user interface, comprises;

directionally stepping through the plurality of user interface objects displayed in the software user interface to select a user interface object of interest;

activating the user interface object of interest in the software user interface; and

producing an output associated with the activation of the user interface object of interest;

where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device initiates gathering information to determine a state of the controlled device at the telephony device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the input is a tone.

3. The method of claim 1, where the input is a voice command.

4. The method of claim 1, where the telephony device is a telephone.

5. The method of claim 1, where the software user interface is a graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, where the output includes audio signals of speech descriptions.

7. The method of claim 1, where the output produces audio feedback in the telephony device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user authentication data from the telephony device.

9. The method of claim 8, where the user authentication data identifies a custom user profile for use in manipulating the software user interface.

10. The method of claim 1, where the input generates control commands for maneuvering through a hierarchical structure of user interface objects within applications associated with the controlled device.

11. The method of claim 1, where a function mapped to an input at the telephony device provides access to user interface objects within an application associated with the controlled device.

12. The method of claim 1, where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device provides access to a desktop feature from a plurality of desktop features consisting of:

searching for files or information, navigating the desktop or other user interface, launching an application or operating system task, or selecting an item, icon or file.

13. The method of claim 1, where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device provides for execution of an application-specific or client-specific command.

14. The method of claim 1, where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device initiates a text-input mode.

15. The method of claim 1, where the information is an audio signal of speech descriptions.

16. The method of claim 1, where the state is related to the selected user interface object of interest.

17. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input from a telephony device;

using the input to control a software user interface associated with a controlled device, the software user interface having a plurality of software display objects, wherein controlling the software user interface, comprises;

directionally stepping through the plurality of software display objects in the software user interface to select a software display object of interest;

activating the software display object of interest in the software user interface; and

producing an output associated with the activation of the software display object of interest in the software user interface;

where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device initiates gathering information to determine a state of the controlled device at the telephony device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the input is a tone.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the input is a voice command.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the telephony device is a telephone.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the software user interface is a graphical user interface.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the output includes audio signals of speech descriptions.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the output produces audio feedback in the telephony device.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising receiving user authentication data from the telephony device.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, where the user authentication data identifies a custom user profile for use in manipulating the software user interface.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the input generates control commands for maneuvering through a hierarchical structure of software display objects within applications associated with the controlled device.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where a function mapped to an input at the telephony device provides access to software display objects within an application associated with the controlled device.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device provides access to a desktop feature from a plurality of desktop features consisting of:

searching for files or information, navigating the desktop or other user interface, launching an application or operating system task, or selecting an item, icon or file.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device provides for execution of an application-specific or client-specific command.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device initiates a text-input mode.