Remote control of electronic devices

• US 8,238,894 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John O., Seymour, Eric Taylor, Shebanek, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/616,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455418-420, 455/550.1, 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 of remotely controlling an electronic device, comprising:

establishing communication between a telephony device and a controlled device;

receiving input from the telephony device;

mapping the input to control commands; and

executing the control commands at the controlled device, wherein a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device provides access to a desktop feature from a plurality of desktop features including at least one 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.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining audio descriptions associated with the execution of the control commands; and

providing the audio descriptions to the telephony device.

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

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

5. The method of claim 1, where mapping the input to control commands includes gathering information to determine a state of the controlled device at the telephony device.

6. The method of claim 5, where the information is an audio signal of speech descriptions.

7. The method of claim 1, where the control commands are executed to control a software user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, where the software user interface is a graphical user interface.

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

10. The method of claim 1, where the control commands include 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 for execution of an application-specific or client-specific command.

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

14. A non-transitory 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:

establishing communication between a telephony device and a controlled device;

receiving input from the telephony device;

mapping the input to control commands; and

executing the control commands at the controlled device, wherein a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device provides access to a desktop feature from a plurality of desktop features including at least one 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.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, where the input is a tone or voice command.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, where the telephony device is a telephone.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, where mapping the input to control commands includes gathering information to determine a state of the controlled device at the telephony device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the information is an audio signal of speech descriptions.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, where the control commands are executed to control a software user interface.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, where the control commands include commands for maneuvering through a hierarchical structure of user interface objects within applications associated with the controlled device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, 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.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device provides for execution of an application-specific or client-specific command.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, where a function mapped to an input provided at the telephony device initiates a text-input mode.