Configurable controlling device and associated configuration upload and download system and method

• US 7,743,012 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Yuh, Han-Sheng, Chambers, Christopher Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Baoquoc N
• Application Number:
  US11/479,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20060288300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A configurable controlling device and associated editor program that allows a consumer to modify on a personal computer for downloading to the controlling device configuration data which is used to cause the controlling device to perform a function, such as to transmit a command to an appliance, to change the user interface page being displayed, etc. A central server facility is provided through which the managed exchange of configuration data between the editor program and remotely-located controlling devices may be performed.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving data indicative of a graphical user interface configuration of a target universal remote controlling device, comprising:

receiving at a centralized server device from a configuration editing system in communication with the centralized server device via a network an upload request for retrieving a graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device, wherein the target universal remote controlling device is identified within the upload request;

causing the centralized server device to instruct the target universal remote controlling device to upload to the centralized server device data indicative of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device in response to the target universal remote controlling device establishing contact with the centralized server device via the network at a time subsequent to the centralized server device receiving the upload request; and

receiving at the centralized server device via the network the data indicative of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device, modifying the data indicative of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device to place the data indicative of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device into a format usable by the configuration editing system, and transferring via the network the modified data indicative of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device to the configuration editing system.

2. A method for retrieving data indicative of a graphical user interface configuration of a target universal remote controlling device, comprising:

receiving at a centralized server device from a configuration editing system in communication with the centralized server device via a network an unload request for retrieving a graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device, wherein the target universal remote controlling device is identified within the upload request;

causing the centralized server device to instruct the target universal remote controlling device to upload to the centralized server device data indicative of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device in response to the target universal remote controlling device establishing contact with the centralized server device via the network at a time subsequent to the centralized server device receiving the upload request;

receiving at the centralized server device via the network the data indicative of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device and transferring via the network the data indicative of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device to the configuration editing system; and

receiving at the centralized server device from the configuration editing system via the network data indicative of an edited version of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device and storing in a database associated with the centralized server device the data indicative of the edited version of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, comprising causing the centralized server device to download via the network from the database for use in the target universal remote controlling device the data indicative of the edited version of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device in response to the target universal remote controlling device establishing contact with the centralized server device at a time subsequent to the centralized server device receiving the data indicative of the edited version of the graphical user interface configuration of the target universal remote controlling device.

4. A system for managing distribution of a controlling device configuration data, comprising:

a program for use on a first computing device to enable modification of the controlling device configuration data; and

a centralized Web server in communication with the first computing device having an associated database for storing a request received from the first computing device for causing a retrieval of the controlling device configuration data from a target controlling device for provision to the first computing device via the centralized Web server and for storing data associated with a modified controlling device configuration data provided by the first computing device resulting from use of the program with the configuration data retrieved from the target controlling device;

wherein the centralized Web server further has programming which functions to allow for identification of a target for the request and an origin of and a target for the data associated with the modified controlling device configuration data stored within the database and wherein the request and the uploaded data associated with the modified controlling device configuration data is stored in an area of the database designated for use by an originator of the modified controlling device configuration data and wherein the area of the database functions to identify the origin of data associated with the modified controlling device configuration data.