Programming a universal remote control via direct interaction

• US 8,410,970 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• 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: Van Vleck, Paul, Belz, Steven M., Edwards, Gregory, Pratt, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai M
• Application Number:
  US12/540,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20110037637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 341/176
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method and system for programming a universal remote control (URC) to operate with a remote-controlled device is disclosed. Programming codes for the remote-controlled device may be transferred from an original remote control using a programming interface. The transfer may be performed directly with the URC. The transfer may also be performed using consumer-premises equipment of a multimedia content distribution network. The URC may be configured to use at least one of the programming codes to remotely control the remote-controlled device.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a universal remote control using consumer-premises equipment of a multimedia content distribution network, comprising:

establishing a connection, between the consumer-premises equipment and an original remote control, to receive an original remote control code, wherein the connection is selected from a near-field wireless connection and a galvanic coupling;

receiving, via an original remote control interface, an original remote control code describing output generated by the original remote control for controlling a remote-controlled device; and

configuring the universal remote control to control the remote-controlled device by sending the original remote control code to the universal remote control.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the near-field wireless connection is accomplished using a radio-frequency identification device coupled to the original remote control and a radio-frequency identification receiver coupled to the consumer-premises equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the near-field wireless connection is a personal area network connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the original remote control code; and

receiving user input for assigning original remote control codes to universal remote control elements, wherein said configuring the universal remote control is based on the user input.

5. A consumer-premises equipment for use within a client configuration of a multimedia content distribution network, comprising:

a processor; and

memory media accessible to the processor, including instructions executable by the processor to;

receive first information from an original remote control identifying a remote-controlled device controllable by the original remote control;

send a request to a multimedia content distribution network server for programming codes for the identified remote-controlled device;

after sending the request, receive second information, including the programming codes; and

program a universal remote control to use at least one of the programming codes.

6. The consumer-premises equipment of claim 5, further comprising processor executable instructions to:

display the programming codes to the user in response to first user input; and

receive second user input specifying which of the programming codes to use for programming the universal remote control.

7. The consumer-premises equipment of claim 5, wherein the remote-controlled device is communicatively coupled to the consumer-premises equipment, and further comprising processor executable instructions to:

receive, from the universal remote control, a command to control the remote-controlled device, wherein the command is associated with at least one of the programming codes; and

instruct the remote-controlled device to execute the command.

8. The consumer-premises equipment of claim 5, further comprising processor executable instructions to:

display an indication that the universal remote control has been successfully programmed.

9. The consumer-premises equipment of claim 5, wherein a number of received programming codes exceeds a number of control elements available on the universal remote control, and further comprising processor executable instructions to:

display a message indicating that certain programming codes are not available on the universal remote control.

10. Computer-readable memory media, including executable instructions for configuring a universal remote control, said instructions executable to:

establish a near-field wireless connection with an original remote control for receiving a remote control code;

receive the original remote control code from the original remote control via a programming interface; and

use the original remote control code to control a remote-controlled device.

11. The memory media of claim 10, further comprising instructions executable to:

initiate a learning mode on the universal remote control in response to user input.

12. The memory media of claim 10, further comprising instructions executable to:

output an indication that the universal remote control has been configured successfully to use the original remote control code.

13. The memory media of claim 12, further comprising instructions executable to:

associate a universal remote control element with an original remote control code.

14. The memory media of claim 13, further comprising instructions executable to:

in response to detecting user input activating the universal remote control element, output the associated original remote control code to the remote-controlled device.

15. The memory media of claim 13, further comprising instructions executable to:

reconfigure a previously configured universal remote control element by configuring the universal remote control element to correspond to an original remote control code.