Proxy remote control

• US 8,299,954 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, HOWARD L
• Application Number:
  US12/638,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 341/176, 340/12.22, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 348/734
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/90 Additional features
• 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 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at a proxy remote control signal receiver device, first control data from a remote control device that is associated with a first device. The first control data is prevented from being received at a remote control signal receiver associated with the first device. The first control data is associated with execution of a first action at the first device. The method includes communicating the first control data from the proxy remote control signal receiver device to a proxy controller and receiving second control data from the proxy controller. The second control data is associated with execution of a second action at the first device that is different from the first action. The second control data is communicated to the first device via the proxy remote control signal receiver device. The incoming commands may be superseded with another command set destined for the second device or ignored based on the context of the incoming commands.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a proxy remote control signal receiver device, first control data from a remote control device that is associated with a first device, wherein the first control data is prevented from being received at a remote control signal receiver associated with the first device, and wherein the first control data is associated with execution of a first action at the first device;

communicating the first control data from the proxy remote control signal receiver device to a proxy controller;

receiving, at the proxy remote control signal receiver device, second control data from the proxy controller, wherein the second control data is associated with execution of a second action at the first device,

wherein the second action is at least one of different from, or additional to, and based upon the first action; and

communicating the second control data to the first device via the proxy remote control signal receiver device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the proxy remote control signal receiver device, third control data from the proxy controller, wherein the third control data is associated with execution of a third action at a second device that is different from the first device; and

communicating the third control data to the second device via the proxy remote control signal receiver device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first device includes a set-top box device and the second device includes an external digital video recorder that is separate from the set-top box device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the second action includes recording a multimedia content item at the set-top device and the third action includes recording the multimedia content item at the external digital video recorder.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first control data includes a first infrared signal transmitted from the remote control device, and wherein the proxy remote control signal receiver device is operable to receive the first infrared signal from the remote control device and a remote control signal blocking device is operable to prevent the first infrared signal from being received at the first device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the remote control signal blocking device transmits the second control data to the remote control signal receiver associated with the first device via a second infrared signal.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proxy controller is included within the first device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proxy controller is separate from the first device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the proxy controller is included within a residential gateway.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the proxy remote control signal receiver device communicates with the residential gateway via one of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the proxy controller is accessible via a network connection.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second control data is determined based on historical data that includes a log of remote control key sequences received from the remote control device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first control data includes a first remote control key sequence and the second control data includes a second remote control key sequence that is determined based on the log of remote control key sequences.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the log of remote control key sequences indicates that the first remote control key sequence is associated with a subsequent corrected key sequence, and wherein the second remote control key sequence includes the subsequent corrected key sequence.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive first control data from a remote control device that is associated with a first device, wherein the first control data is prevented from being received at a remote control signal receiver associated with the first device, and wherein the first control data is associated with execution of a first action at the first device;

determine second control data based on the first control data, wherein the second control data is associated with execution of a second action at the first device, wherein the second action is different from the first action;

determine third control data based on the first control data, wherein the third control data is associated with execution of a third action at a second device that is different from the first device, wherein the third action is different from the first action;

communicate the second control data to the first device, wherein the second control data is executable by the first device to perform the second action at the first device; and

communicate the third control data to the second device, wherein the third control data is executable by the second device to perform the third action at the second device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first device includes a set-top box device and the second device includes an external digital video recorder that is separate from the set-top box device, and wherein the second action includes recording a multimedia content item at the set-top device and the third action includes recording the multimedia content item at the external digital video recorder.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second control data is determined based on historical data that includes a log of remote control key sequences received from the remote control device, wherein the log of remote control key sequences indicates that the first remote control key sequence is associated with a subsequent corrected key sequence, and wherein the second remote control key sequence includes the subsequent corrected key sequence.

18. A system, comprising:

a first device comprising a remote control signal receiver operable to receive control data from a remote control device;

a remote control signal blocking device that is operable to prevent first control data that is transmitted from the remote control device from being received at the remote control signal receiver of the first device, wherein the first control data is associated with execution of a first action at the first device; and

a proxy remote control signal receiver device that is operable to;

receive the first control data that is transmitted from the remote control device;

communicate the first control data to a proxy controller;

receive second control data from the proxy controller, wherein the second control data is associated with execution of a second action at the first device, wherein the second action is at least one of different from, or additional to, and based upon the first action; and

communicate the second control data to the first device via the remote control signal blocking device,

wherein the first device executes the second action in response to receiving the second control data from the remote control signal blocking device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the remote control signal blocking device includes an infrared transmitter, and wherein the second control data is communicated to the first device via an infrared transmission from the remote control signal blocking device.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a second device that is different from the first device; and

wherein the proxy remote control signal receiver device is further operable to;

receive third control data from the proxy controller, wherein the third control data is associated with execution of a third action at the second device, wherein the third action is different from the first action; and

communicate the third control data to the second device,

wherein the second device executes the third action in response to receiving the third control data.