Automatic change of association of a remote control device with an electronic device

• US 8,344,859 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William, Hale, Nathan Alexander, Mickelsen, Jeremy, Innes, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRAVARI, PETER CYRUS
• Application Number:
  US12/493,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.22, 340/12.23, 340/12.28, 340/5.71, 340/5.72, 340/10.5, 348/734, 341/176
• US Class Current: 340/12.28
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control

Abstract

A method of changing an association of a remote control device from a first electronic device to a second electronic device is presented. In the method, a command for an electronic device is generated and transmitted by the remote control device. At this point, the remote control device is associated with the first electronic device to control the first electronic device, and the remote control device is not associated with the second electronic device. If an acknowledgment of the command is not received, a request to associate the remote control device with another electronic device is transmitted. A reply to the request is then received from the second electronic device. In response to the reply, the remote control device is disassociated from the first electronic device and associated with the second electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of changing an association of a remote control device from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, the method comprising:

at the remote control device associated with the first electronic device, generating and transmitting a command, wherein the command is configured to control the first device and includes information indicative of the association between the remote control and the first electronic device; and

wherein the remote control device is not associated with the second electronic device;

at the remote control device, awaiting an acknowledgment of the command;

at the remote control device, transmitting a request to associate the remote control device with the second electronic device if the acknowledgment is not received;

at the remote control device, receiving a reply to the request to associate from the second electronic device, wherein the reply identifies the second device; and

at the remote control device, disassociating the remote control device from the first electronic device, and associating the remote control device with the second electronic device, in response to the reply.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the remote control device, receiving a user input to transmit the command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the command is generated and transmitted in response to an event occurring within the remote control device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the remote control device, retransmitting the command if the acknowledgment is not received.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

retransmitting the command if the acknowledgment is not received comprises retransmitting the command multiple times if the acknowledgment is not received.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the request to associate the remote control device with another electronic device is appended to the retransmitted command.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the request comprises a first address for the remote control device; and

the reply comprises a second address for the remote control device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first address comprises a media access control address for the remote control device; and

the second address is shorter than the first address.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

at the remote control device, storing the second address;

at the remote control device, transmitting a second command to the second electronic device, wherein the second command comprises the second address; and

at the remote control device, receiving an acknowledgment of the second command from the second electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the remote control device, while the remote control device is associated with the first electronic device, receiving a prior user input prior to the first user input to transmit a prior command;

at the remote control device, generating and transmitting the prior command, wherein an acknowledgment of a most recent command transmitted prior to the prior command was not received;

at the remote control, transmitting the request to associate the remote control device with another electronic device in conjunction with the transmission of the prior command;

at the remote control device, receiving an acknowledgment of the prior command from the first electronic device;

at the remote control device, receiving a second prior user input after the prior user input to transmit a second prior command; and

at the remote control device, generating and transmitting the second prior command, wherein the request to associate the remote control device with another electronic device is not transmitted in conjunction with the second prior command.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the command is transmitted as a first radio frequency signal; and

the reply is received as a second radio frequency signal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the remote control device, transmitting an acknowledgment of the reply to the second electronic device.

13. A computer-readable tangible storage medium having encoded thereon instructions executable by a processor of a remote control device to perform a method of changing an association of the remote control device from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, the method comprising:

at the remote control device associated with the first electronic device, generating and transmitting a command, wherein the command is configured to control the first device and includes information indicative of the association between the remote control and the first electronic device, and wherein the remote control device is not associated with the second electronic device;

awaiting an acknowledgment of the command;

transmitting a request to associate the remote control device with the second electronic device if the acknowledgment is not received;

receiving a reply to the request to associate from the second electronic device, wherein the reply identifies the second device;

and disassociating the remote control device from the first electronic device, and associating the remote control device with the second electronic device, in response to the reply.

14. A remote control device, comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input;

control circuitry configured to generate commands in response to the user input;

a transmitter configured to transmit the commands; and

a receiver configured to receive replies to the commands;

wherein, when the remote control device is associated with a first electronic device to control the first electronic device, and when the remote control device is not associated with a second electronic device, the control circuitry is further configured to;

generate and transmit a first command using the transmitter, wherein the command is configured to control the first device and includes information indicative of the association between the remote control and the first device;

await an acknowledgment of the first command via the receiver;

if the acknowledgment is not received, transmit using the transmitter a request to associate the remote control device with the second electronic device;

receive via the receiver a reply to the request to associate from the second electronic device, wherein the reply identifies the second device; and

disassociate the remote control device from the first electronic device, and associate the remote control device with the second electronic device, in response to the reply.

15. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein:

the control circuitry is configured to receive a first user input by way of the user interface to transmit the first command by way of the transmitter.

16. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein:

the control circuitry is configured to retransmit the first command by way of the transmitter if the acknowledgment is not received.

17. The remote control device of claim 16, wherein:

the control circuitry is configured to append the request to the retransmitted command before retransmitting the command and transmitting the request by way of the transmitter.

18. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein:

the request comprises a first address for the remote control device; and

the reply comprises a second address for the remote control device.

19. The remote control device of claim 18, wherein:

the remote control device further comprises data storage; and

the control circuitry is configured to;

store the second address in the data storage to associate the remote control device with the second electronic device;

transmit a second command to the second electronic device by way of the transmitter, wherein the second command comprises the second address; and

receive an acknowledgment of the second command from the second electronic device by way of the receiver.

20. The remote control device of claim 19, wherein:

the control circuitry is configured to delete or overwrite a previous address for the remote control device from the data storage to disassociate the remote control device from the first electronic device.