System and method for performing initial setup of a device via remote control

• US 8,079,050 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Lawrence, Thomas David, Russell, William C., Farrell, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Koenig, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Alfonso
• Application Number:
  US11/959,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20090165060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 725/151, 725 80- 81, 714/45, 348/725, 340/12.22, 340/12.29
• US Class Current: 725/81
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A method for configuring a device using a remote control, includes transmitting a signal from the remote control to a configuration proxy requesting configuration status of the device; waiting for a predetermined period of time for a response from the configuration proxy to the remote control; obtaining help information based on the response received at the remote control from the configuration proxy; and displaying the help information on a display.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a display device using a remote control, the method comprising steps of:

transmitting a signal to a configuration proxy requesting configuration status of the display device;

setting a timeout period for waiting for a configuration status response from the configuration proxy;

waiting for the first to occur of receiving the configuration status response from the configuration proxy or waiting for the timeout period;

determining whether the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible and the display device includes a currently viewable display unit;

obtaining help information based on the configuration status response received from the configuration proxy or lack of receiving the configuration status response prior to passage of the timeout period, wherein the obtaining step obtains the help information based on contents of the configuration status response when the determining step determined that the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible and the display device includes a currently viewable display unit, and wherein the obtaining step obtains the help information that indicates that the display device does not include a currently viewable display unit when the determining step determined that the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible but the display device does not include a currently viewable display unit; and

displaying the help information based on the contents of the configuration status response on the display unit of the display device when the determining step determined that the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible and the display device includes a currently viewable display unit, and displaying the help information that indicates that the display device does not include a currently viewable display unit on a display unit of the remote control when the determining step determined that the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible but the display device does not include a currently viewable display unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the configuration status response is not received from the configuration proxy prior to passage of the timeout period,

obtaining the help information comprises obtaining bootstrap help information for the configuration proxy;

and

displaying the help information comprises displaying the bootstrap help information for the configuration proxy on the display unit of the remote control.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is not accessible,

obtaining the help information comprises obtaining bootstrap help information for the device;

and

displaying the help information comprises displaying the bootstrap help information for the device on the display unit of the remote control.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the bootstrap information for the display device is stored in the remote control.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the bootstrap information for the display device is obtained by the remote control from a source external to the remote control.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device includes the configuration proxy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a media extender, external to the display device, includes the configuration proxy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a television.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input via a touch screen on the remote control.

10. A remote control for configuring a device, the remote control comprising:

a memory having help information for a display device stored therein;

a communication port for communication with a configuration proxy in order to obtain configuration status of the display device;

a display unit on which help information obtained from the memory based on the configuration status of the display device is displayed; and

a control unit which transmits a signal to the configuration proxy requesting configuration status of the display device, and sets a timeout period for waiting for a configuration status response from the configuration proxy, and waits for the first to occur of receiving the configuration status response from the configuration proxy or waiting for the timeout period, and determines whether the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible and the display device includes a currently viewable display unit,

wherein the control unit obtains help information based on the configuration status response received from the configuration proxy or lack of receiving the configuration status response prior to passage of the timeout period, the control unit obtaining the help information based on contents of the configuration status response when it is determined that that the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible and the display device includes a currently viewable display unit, and obtaining the help information that indicates that the display device does not include a currently viewable display unit when it is determined that the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible but the display device does not include a currently viewable display unit, and

wherein the control unit controls to display the help information based on the contents of the configuration status response on the display unit of the display device when it is determined that the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible and the display device includes a currently viewable display unit, and controls to display the help information that indicates that the display device does not include a currently viewable display unit on a display unit of the remote control when it is determined that the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the display device is accessible but the display device does not include a currently viewable display unit.

11. The remote control of claim 10, wherein the configuration proxy is included in a media extender.

12. The remote control of claim 10, wherein the configuration proxy is included in a television.

13. The remote control of claim 10, wherein the memory has help information for a plurality of display devices stored therein.

14. The remote control of claim 10, wherein the display unit is a touch screen display and user inputs are received based on a location touched by a user on the display unit on which the help information is displayed.