Media return system

• US 7,821,419 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick H., Hyatt, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III; Edwin C
• Application Number:
  US12/240,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.76, 340/825.22, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 341/22, 341/176, 348/734, 398/106, 398/112
• US Class Current: 340/12.28
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A remote control stores a sequence of key strokes in memory for as long as a predetermined key of a plurality of keys of the remote control is held down. The stored sequence of key strokes may then be repeated, for example, upon release of the predetermined key or upon further activation and release of the predetermined key.

Claims

1. A remote control operable with a consumer electronic device, the remote control comprising:

a plurality of keys;

a memory for storing a sequence of key strokes;

programming operable to cause the stored sequence of key strokes to be repeated; and

programming operable to store the sequence of key strokes in the memory for as long as a predetermined key of the of keys is held down while the sequence of key strokes is being used to concurrently cause the remote control to transmit one or more commands to control one or more functional operations of an appliance.

2. The remote control according to claim 1 wherein the programming operable to cause the stored sequence of key strokes to be repeated is operable when, the predetermined key of the plurality of keys is released.

3. The remote control according to claim 1 wherein the programming operable to cause the stored sequence of key strokes to be repeated is operable upon the predetermined key of the plurality of keys being pressed and released with no intervening input of other keys of the plurality of keys.

4. The remote control according to claim 2, wherein the programming operable to cause the stored sequence of key strokes to be repeated is operable upon the predetermined key of the, plurality of keys being pressed and released with no intervening input of other keys of the plurality of keys.

5. The remote control according to claim 1 wherein the sequence of keystrokes is stored in a table in memory.

6. The remote control according to claim 1 in which the programming operable to store the Sequence of key strokes further captures and stores interkey pause timing and the programming operable to repeat the stored sequence of keystrokes further repeats the sequence of key strokes while replicating the interkey pause timings.

7. A method of operating a remote control comprising the steps of:

determining that a predetermined key of the remote control has been pressed thereby causing the remote control to enter a state where the remote control monitors activations of other keys of the remote control;

storing a sequence of key strokes in a memory of the remote control entered for as long as the predetermined key is held down while the sequence of key strokes is being used to concurrently cause the remote control to transmit one or more commands to control one or more functional operations of an appliance; and

causing the stored sequence of key strokes to be repeated.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising repeating the stored sequence of key strokes when the predetermined key is released.

9. The method according to claim 7 further comprising repeating the stored sequence of key strokes when the predetermined key, is pressed and released with no intervening input of other keys of the remote control.

10. The method according to claims 7 comprising storing the sequence of keys in a table in the memory.

11. The method according to claim 7 comprising storing interkey pause timing and replicating the interkey pause timing when repeating the sequence of key strokes.