Remote control having multiple displays for presenting multiple streams of content

• US 7,908,555 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Application Number:
  US11/142,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,114 Days
• Field of Search: 715/718, 715/716, 715/717, 345/169
• US Class Current: 715/718
• 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 21/42204 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application

Abstract

Methods, devices, and computer program products describe a remote control for consumer electronics devices. The remote control has multiple transceivers simultaneously receiving multiple streams of content, and multiple displays simultaneously presenting the streams of content. The remote control includes means for switching between multiple sources for each stream of content displayed on each display. The multiple sources may include wireless content from a wireless source, cable content from a cable service provider, satellite content from a satellite service provider, broadband content from a broadband service provider, and local content from a local source. The remote control also has a communication mode when a voice over internet protocol telephone call is received. One of the transceivers terminates its stream of content and a processor mutes an audible portion of all other streams of content, and the transceiver begins receiving the communication.

Claims

1. A hand-held remote control for remotely controlling a consumer electronics device, the hand-held remote control comprising:

a processor executing code stored in memory that causes the processor to;

simultaneously receive multiple and separate streams of video content at multiple transceivers of the hand-held remote control, the hand-held remote control remotely controlling a consumer electronics device;

simultaneously present the multiple and separate streams of video content at multiple display devices housed within an outer casing of the hand-held remote control with each display device dedicated to displaying a different one of the multiple and separate streams of video content;

control display of the multiple and separate streams of video content on the multiple display devices;

individually adjust a volume of an audible portion of each stream of video content received at the hand-held remote control;

receive an indication of an incoming communication;

display a prompt on a display device of the hand-held remote control to alert of the incoming communication;

determine that all the multiple and separate transceivers are unavailable to receive the incoming communication;

receive a user'"'"'s selection to terminate content being displayed on a display device;

terminate receipt of a stream of video content at one of the multiple transceivers that corresponds to the user'"'"'s selection to make a transceiver available to receive the incoming communication;

mute audible portions of all remaining streams of video content being received at the hand-held remote control; and

receive the incoming audible communication at the transceiver.

2. The hand-held remote control according to claim 1, further comprising means for switching between multiple sources for each stream of video content displayed on each display device.

3. The hand-held remote control according to claim 2, wherein the means for switching between the multiple sources comprises selections for any two of:

i) wireless content from a wireless source;

ii) cable content from a cable service provider;

iii) satellite content from a satellite service provider;

iv) broadband content from a broadband service provider;

v) local content from a local source; and

vi) Internet content from an Internet Service Provider.

4. The hand-held remote control according to claim 1, wherein the code further causes the processor to visually display another prompt that requests to terminate receipt of the stream of video content.

5. The hand-held remote control according to claim 1, further comprising means for audibly presenting any stream of video content, such that any stream of video content may be chosen and audibly presented.

6. The hand-held remote control according to claim 1, wherein the code further causes the process to automatically send a control signal to mute the consumer electronics device.

7. A method, comprising:

simultaneously receiving multiple and separate streams of video content at multiple transceivers of a handheld remote control, the handheld remote control remotely controlling a consumer electronics device;

simultaneously presenting the multiple and separate streams of video content at multiple display devices housed within an outer casing of the handheld remote control with each display device dedicated to displaying a different one of the multiple and separate streams of video content;

controlling display of the multiple and separate streams of video content on the multiple display devices;

individually adjusting a volume of an audible portion of each stream of video content received at the handheld remote control;

receiving an indication of an incoming communication;

displaying a prompt on a display device of the handheld remote control to alert of the incoming communication;

determining that all the multiple transceivers of a handheld remote control are unavailable to receive the incoming communication;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection to terminate content being displayed on a display device;

terminating receipt of a stream of video content at one of the multiple transceivers that corresponds to the user'"'"'s selection to make a transceiver available to receive the incoming communication;

muting audible portions of all remaining streams of video content being received at the handheld remote control; and

receiving the incoming communication at the transceiver.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising switching at the remote control between multiple sources for each stream of video content displayed on each display area.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising muting the audible when a voice over internet protocol telephone call is received at the transceiver.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising visually displaying a prompt that requests to terminate receipt of the stream of video content.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising audibly presenting any stream of video content, such that any stream of video content may be chosen and audibly presented.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising automatically causing a control signal to be sent to mute the consumer electronics device.

13. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

simultaneously receiving multiple and separate streams of video content at multiple transceivers of a handheld remote control, the handheld remote control remotely controlling a consumer electronics device;

simultaneously presenting the multiple and separate streams of video content at multiple display devices housed within an outer casing of the handheld remote control with each display device dedicated to displaying a different one of the multiple and separate streams of video content;

controlling display of the multiple and separate streams of video content on the multiple display devices;

individually adjusting a volume of an audible portion of each stream of video content received at the handheld remote control;

receiving an indication of an incoming communication;

displaying a prompt on a display device of the handheld remote control to alert of the incoming communication;

determining that all the multiple transceivers of the handheld remote control are unavailable to receive the incoming communication;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection to terminate content being displayed on a display device;

terminating receipt of a stream of video content at one of the multiple transceivers that corresponds to the user'"'"'s selection to make a transceiver available to receive the incoming communication;

muting audible portions of all remaining streams of video content being received at the handheld remote control; and

receiving the incoming audible communication at the transceiver.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising processor executable instructions for switching between multiple sources for each stream of video content displayed on each display device.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein receiving the indication of the incoming communication comprises receiving the indication of an incoming voice call.

16. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising processor executable instructions for when the indication is received, then automatically causing a control signal to be sent to mute the consumer electronics device.