System and method for activity based configuration of an entertainment system

• US 8,243,207 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Hayes, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NATNAEL, PAULOS M
• Application Number:
  US12/569,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 348/552, 348/553, 348/554, 348/705, 348/706, 348563-565, 348/569
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control

Abstract

A command value corresponding to an activity key of a controlling device is associated with a configuration of an entertainment device in which at least one of a plurality of devices is selected as an audio visual input source device for the entertainment device and at least one of the plurality of devices is selected as an audio visual output destination device for the entertainment device. When the entertainment device receives from the controlling device a signal which includes the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device, the entertainment device accesses and uses the configuration associated with the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an audio visual entertainment device in communication with a plurality of devices for an activity, comprising:

associating a command value corresponding to an activity key of a controlling device with a configuration of the entertainment device, the configuration of the entertainment device comprising at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual input source device for the entertainment device and at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual output destination device for the entertainment device;

causing the entertainment device to access and use the configuration associated with the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device in response to the entertainment device receiving from the controlling device a signal which includes the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device; and

causing the entertainment device to issue a request to the controlling device to cause the controlling device to place one or more of the audio visual input source device and the audio visual output destination device into a desired state;

wherein the controlling device further responds to the request to automatically configure itself whereupon an activation of one or more command keys of the controlling device will cause the controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more of the audio visual input source device and the audio visual output destination device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the desired state comprises a powered on state.

3. A method for configuring an audio visual entertainment device in communication with a plurality of devices for an activity, comprising:

associating a command value corresponding to an activity key of a controlling device with a configuration of the entertainment device, the configuration of the entertainment device comprising at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual input source device for the entertainment device and at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual output destination device for the entertainment device; and

causing the entertainment device to access and use the configuration associated with the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device in response to the entertainment device receiving from the controlling device a signal which includes the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device;

wherein, in response to the entertainment device receiving from the controlling device a signal which includes the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device, the entertainment device transmits to the controlling device a signal for causing the controlling device to automatically configure itself whereupon an activation of one or more command keys of the controlling device will cause the controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more of the audio visual input source device and the audio visual output destination device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, comprising displaying in a display associated with the entertainment device a graphical user interface for allowing a user to select at least one of the plurality of devices to be used in the configuration.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface presents for user selection only those of the plurality of devices that are appropriate to the activity being configured.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface allows the user to select at least one of the plurality of devices as the audio visual input source device for the entertainment device.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface allows the user to select at least one of the plurality of devices as the audio visual output destination device for the entertainment device.

8. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface is displayed in response to a configuration request received from the controlling device, the configuration request including the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device.

9. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user selection of at least one of the plurality devices to be used in the configuration comprises one or more signals received from the controlling device having data indicative of an appliance.

10. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the configuration of the entertainment device is downloaded into the entertainment device from a computing device in communication with the entertainment device.

11. The method as recited in claim 3, comprising causing the entertainment device to place a one or more of the plurality of devices not selected as the audio visual input source device and the audio visual output destination device into a desired state.

12. A method for configuring an audio visual entertainment device in communication with a plurality of devices for an activity, comprising:

associating a command value corresponding to an activity key of a controlling device with a configuration of the entertainment device, the configuration of the entertainment device comprising at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual input source device for the entertainment device and at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual output destination device for the entertainment device;

causing the entertainment device to access and use the configuration associated with the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device in response to the entertainment device receiving from the controlling device a signal which includes the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device; and

displaying in a display associated with the entertainment device a graphical user interface for allowing a user to select at least one of the plurality of devices to be used in the configuration;

wherein the user selection of at least one of the plurality devices to be used in the configuration comprises one or more signals received from the controlling device having data indicative of an appliance, wherein the one or more signals are transmitted from the controlling device to the entertainment device in response to an activation of a one or more keys of the controlling device which are associated within the controlling device to an appliance being selected for use in the configuration, and wherein the controlling device further uses the activation of the one or more keys to automatically configure itself whereupon an activation of one or more command keys of the controlling device will cause the controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more of the audio visual source device and the audio visual output destination device.

13. A method for configuring an audio visual entertainment device in communication with a plurality of devices for an activity, comprising:

associating a command value corresponding to an activity key of a controlling device with a configuration of the entertainment device, the configuration of the entertainment device comprising at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual input source device for the entertainment device and at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual output destination device for the entertainment device; and

causing the entertainment device to access and use the configuration associated with the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device in response to the entertainment device receiving from the controlling device a signal which includes the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device;

wherein the configuration of the entertainment device is downloaded into the entertainment device from a computing device in communication with the entertainment device and wherein a configuration of the controlling device in which an activation of one or more command keys of the controlling device will cause the controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more of the audio visual source device and the audio visual output destination device is downloaded into the controlling device from a computing device in communication with the controlling device.

14. A method for configuring an audio visual entertainment device in communication with a plurality of devices for an activity, comprising:

receiving at the entertainment device from a controlling device a configuration request signal, wherein the configuration request signal includes a command value corresponding to an activity key of a controlling device;

causing the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device included in the configuration request signal to be automatically associated with a configuration of the entertainment device wherein the configuration of the entertainment device comprises at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual input source device for the entertainment device and at least one of the plurality of devices being used as an audio visual output destination device for the entertainment device; and

causing the entertainment device to access and use the configuration associated with the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device in response to the entertainment device subsequently receiving from the controlling device a command signal which includes the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, comprising causing the entertainment device to display in a display associated with the entertainment device, in response to receiving the configuration request signal, a graphical user interface for allowing a user to select at least one of the plurality of devices to be used in the configuration for the entertainment device.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, comprising causing the entertainment device to download from a computing device in communication with the entertainment device, in response to receiving the configuration request signal, the configuration for the entertainment device.