Delay fixing for command codes in a remote control system

• US 8,508,401 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Patel, Sneha, Connolly, Mark, Postnikoff, Tate, Echevers, Omar, Galbraith, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US12/872,773
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.22, 340/12.5, 341/176, 341/178, 455/150.1, 455/151.4
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204

Abstract

A remote control method for adjusting the temporal length between first and second command codes for an activity includes transmitting the first command code and transmitting the second command code after a first temporal length to an appliance. The method includes determining whether the appliance executed the second command code including: i) if the remote control receives an input that the appliance executed the second command code, the first temporal length is stored in memory and used for subsequently requests for the activity, or if the remote control receives an input that the appliance did not execute the second command code, the first temporal length is lengthened to a second temporal length. Until the first temporal length is not lengthened to the second temporal length, the remote control repeats the transmitting steps, and the determining step where the first temporal length for the second transmitting step is substituted with the second temporal length.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether command code errors have occurred, the method comprising:

receiving an input for directing a device to transmit a first command code and a second command code to a first appliance and a second appliance, respectively;

transmitting the first command code from the device;

transmitting the second command code from the device after a first temporal length from the transmission of the first command code;

determining whether the second command code was executed by the second appliance, wherein the determining step includes;

if the device receives an input that the second appliance did not execute the second command code, storing in memory an indicator that the second appliance did not execute the second command code, and retransmitting the second command code;

repeating by the device the receiving step, the first mentioned transmitting step, the second mentioned transmitting step, and the determining step, until the determining steps stores the indicator in memory a predetermined number of times; and

determining by the device that the temporal length should be lengthened for the second appliance to execute the second command code if the indicator is stored in memory the predetermined number of times.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step includes determining by the device whether the second command code was executed by the second appliance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step includes:

displaying a question on a display of the device regarding whether the second appliance executed the second command code; and

if the device receives an input that the second appliance executed the second command code, ending the method.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of times is five.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input to start a help process, and wherein the help process executes the determining step.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the input is received on the device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the input is received on a display in communication with the device from a user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the device includes the display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second command code is a power on command code.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a hand-held remote control.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a blaster configured to communicate with a remote control.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the blaster is configured to run an application or a service.

25. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting from the device to a remote server the first temporal length stored in memory.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising transmitting from the remote server the first temporal length to another device configured to control a set of appliances.

13. A method for adjusting the temporal length between a first command code and a second command code, the method comprising:

transmitting the first command code from a device to an appliance;

transmitting the second command code from the device to the appliance after a first temporal length from the transmission of the first command code;

determining whether the appliance executed the second command code including;

if the device receives an input that the appliance executed the second command code, storing the first temporal length in memory, wherein the device is configured to use the first temporal length for subsequently received inputs for executing the action; and

if the device receives an input that the appliance did not execute the second command code, lengthening on the device the first temporal length to a second temporal length; and

until the first temporal length is not lengthened to the second temporal length or until the second temporal length is a maximum temporal length, repeating by the device the first mentioned transmitting step, the second mentioned transmitting step, and the determining step, wherein the first temporal length for the second mentioned transmitting step is set to the second temporal length.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining step further includes displaying on the device a question whether the appliance executed a function for the second command code.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an input in response to the question that second command code did not fail;

shortening the first temporal length to a second temporal length; and

storing the second temporal length in memory for subsequent use by the device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the second command code is a power on command code for the appliance.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is a hand-held remote control.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first command code is not executable by the appliance.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining by the device that the activity ended, and thereafter the executing by the device the first transmitting step, the second transmitting step, the determining step, and the repeating step.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is a hand-held remote control.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is a blaster configured to communicate with a remote control.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the blaster is configured to run an application or a service.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the first appliance or the second appliance is a computer, and the first command code or the second command code is configured to control an application or a service operating on the computer.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of command codes is for an activity.

27. A method for adjusting the temporal length between a first command code and a second command code for an appliance, the method comprising:

transmitting the first command code from a device to an appliance;

transmitting the second command code from the device to the appliance after a first temporal length from the transmission of the first command code;

determining whether the appliance executed the second command code including;

if the device receives an input that the appliance executed the second command code, storing the first temporal length in memory, wherein the device is configured to use the first temporal length for subsequently received inputs for executing the activity, and

if the device receives an input that the appliance did not execute the second command code, lengthening on the device the first temporal length to a second temporal length; and

until the first temporal length is not lengthened to the second temporal length or until the second temporal length is a maximum temporal length, repeating by the device the first mentioned transmitting step, the second mentioned transmitting step, and the determining step, wherein the first temporal length for the second mentioned transmitting step is set to the second temporal length.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first command code is a power on command code for the appliance.

29. The method of claim 27, where in the determining step includes displaying on the device a question whether the appliance executed a function for the second command code.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving on the device an input in response to the question that second command code did not fail;

shortening by the device the first temporal length to a second temporal length; and

storing by the device the second temporal length in memory for subsequent use by the device.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining by the device that the activity ended, and thereafter the executing by the device the first transmitting step, the second transmitting step, the determining step, and the repeating step.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the device is a hand-held remote control.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the device is a blaster configured to communicate with a remote control.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the blaster is configured to run an application or a service.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the appliance is a computer, and the first command code or the second command code is configured to control an application or a service operating on the computer.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the set of command codes is for an activity.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising transmitting from the device to a remote server the first temporal length stored in memory.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising transmitting from the remote server the first temporal length to another device configured to control a set of appliances.

50. The control device system of claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to control the transmitter to transmit the first temporal length stored in memory to a remote server.

51. The control device system of claim 50, wherein the remote server is configure to transmit the first temporal length to another control device system.

39. A control device system for controlling an appliance and determining a temporal length between the transmission of a first command code and a second command code so that the appliance may execute the second command code, the control device system comprising:

a processor configured to execute a set of computer code instructions;

a memory configured to store the set of computer code instructions, a set of command codes for controlling the appliances, and a temporal length value for the temporal length between the transmission of a first command code and a second command code to the appliance;

an input configured to receive an instruction to transmit the first command code and the second command code to the appliance; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the first command code and the second command code to the appliance,

wherein the processor is configured execute the computer code instruction to;

direct the transmitter to transmit the first command code from a device to an appliance;

direct the transmitter to transmit the second command code from the device to the appliance after a first temporal length from the transmission of the first command code;

determine whether the appliance executed the second command code including;

if the device receives an input that the appliance executed the second command code, storing the first temporal length in memory, wherein the device is configured to use the first temporal length for subsequently received inputs for executing the action; and

if the device receives an input that the appliance did not execute the second command code, lengthening on the device the first temporal length to a second temporal length; and

until the first temporal length is not lengthened to the second temporal length or until the second temporal length is a maximum temporal length, repeating by the processor the first mentioned direction step, the second mentioned directing step, and the determining step, wherein for repeated executions of the first mentioned direction step, the second mentioned directing step, and the determining step, the first temporal length for the second mentioned transmitting step is set to the second temporal length.

40. The control device system of claim 39, wherein the control device system is a blaster.

41. The control device system of claim 40, wherein the blaster is configured to run an application or a service.

42. The control device system of claim 39, wherein blaster is configured to be controlled by a remote control device and relay command codes to the appliance.

43. The control device system of claim 39, wherein the control device system is a hand-held remote control device.

44. The control device system of claim 39, wherein the appliance is a computer and the first or the second command codes are for controlling an application or service operating on the computer.

45. The control device system of claim 39, further comprising a display, wherein the processor is further configured to direct the display to display on the device a question whether the appliance executed a function for the second command code.

46. The control device system of claim 45, wherein the display is a touch screen via which the control device system is configured to receive input from a user.

47. The control device system of claim 46, wherein the display is configured to receive the input in response to the questions.

48. The control device system of claim 39, wherein the second command code is a power on command code for the appliance.

49. The control device system of claim 39, wherein the first command code is not executable by the appliance.