Systems and methods for saving and restoring scenes in a multimedia system

• US 8,519,820 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cannistraro, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAMERT, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US12/202,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20100052843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: 340 31- 332, 714 411- 42, 709/226
• US Class Current: 340/3.32
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/035 : Circuits for the digital non-picture data signal, e.g. for slicing of the data signal, for regeneration of the data-clock signal, for error detection or correction of the data signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for saving and restoring scenes in a multimedia system with minimal configuration are provided. The techniques of the present invention can allow the states of the components in the multimedia system to be captured in a scene. Once the scene has been saved, the scene can be restored at a later time. A remote control system for recommending scenes by comparing states of components in the current scene with states of components in saved scenes is also provided. The remote control system can also recommend scenes based on usage patterns. Moreover, the remote control system can allow users to designate one or more saved scenes as favorite scenes.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user to save states of components comprising:

discovering a plurality of components operative to be controlled by an electronic device;

receiving, with the electronic device, a state broadcast from each component of the plurality of components, wherein the plurality of received states comprise current software and hardware settings of the plurality of components;

displaying, with the electronic device, a first option for saving a scene comprising at least one received state of the plurality of received states;

receiving, with the electronic device, a user selection of the first option;

in response to receiving the user selection of the first option, determining, with the electronic device, that a subset of the plurality of components is in the same location as the electronic device based on at least one of an internal map, the received states of the components of the subset of the plurality of components, and strength of signals broadcast from the components of the subset of the plurality of components; and

saving, with the electronic device, the received states of the components of the subset of the plurality of components as the scene.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components include devices and applications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering comprises:

receiving a plurality of identifiers based on the internet protocol addresses of the plurality of components being broadcast from one or more servers on the plurality of components; and

establishing a communications link with the plurality of components.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each component of the plurality of components, displaying, on the electronic device, a graphic image with at least one movable portion at least partially reflecting controls of that component; and

enabling the user to control the state of each component by displacing the at least one movable portion for that component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first option for saving the scene comprises:

identifying the scene with a label assigned to the scene.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with an option to delete at least one component of the subset of the plurality of components from the scene.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first option for saving the scene comprises:

allowing the user to set up the scene in which a state of at least one component of the subset of the plurality of components changes with time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the electronic device, remote control commands to change the state of at least one component of the subset of the plurality of components;

displaying, on the electronic device, a second option for re-saving the scene;

receiving a user selection of the second option; and

in response to receiving the user selection of the second option, re-saving the scene with the changed state of the at least one component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the re-saving further comprises:

replacing the previously saved scene with the re-saved scene.

10. An electronic device comprising:

memory for saving a plurality of scenes;

a display; and

a processor operative to;

identify current states of a plurality of components, wherein the combination of the current states of the plurality of components form a current scene;

determine recommended scenes by comparing the current states of the plurality of components to states of components in the plurality of scenes;

direct the display to provide a listing of the recommended scenes to a user;

receive a user selection of a recommended scene in the listing of the recommended scenes;

in response to receiving the user selection of the recommended scene, detect that the selected recommended scene is associated with a first location that is different than a second location that is associated with the current scene;

detect at least a first component of the plurality of components of the current scene that is similar to at least a second component of the selected recommended scene; and

apply a state of the at least the second component of the selected recommended scene to the at least the first component of the current scene to adjust the current state of the at least the first component of the current scene.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is operative to determine the recommended scenes by comparing genre of media playing in the current scene with genre of media playing in the plurality of scenes.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is operative to determine the recommended scenes based on usage patterns.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to receive designation from user input of at least one of the plurality of scenes as a favorite scene.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein one of the components of the plurality of components is playing back a first media, and wherein, in response to receiving the user selection of the recommended scene, the processor is further operative to:

direct the display to provide first and second options to the user, wherein the first option allows the electronic device to continue play back of the first media and the second option allows the electronic device to switch to playing back a second media from the selected recommended scene.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operative to wait for a commercial break in the first media before displaying the first and second options.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operative to:

identify the first media as a song in a playlist; and

wait for the song to end before displaying the first and second options.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine that the user selection of one of the first and second options has not been received for a pre-determined period of time; and

direct the display to remove the first and second options.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

a medium configured to store computer-readable instructions thereon; and

the computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processing device cause the processing device to perform a method, comprising;

discovering a plurality of components operative to be controlled by an electronic device;

receiving, with the electronic device, a state broadcast from each component of the plurality of components, wherein the plurality of received states comprise current software and hardware settings of the plurality of components;

displaying, with the electronic device, a first option for saving a scene comprising at least one received state of the plurality of received states;

receiving, with the electronic device, a user selection of the first option;

in response to receiving the user selection of the first option, determining, with the electronic device, that a subset of the plurality of components is in the same location as the electronic device based on at least one of an internal map, the received states of the components of the subset of the plurality of components, and strength of signals broadcast from the components of the subset of the plurality of components; and

saving, with the electronic device, the received states of the components of the subset of the plurality of components as the scene.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of components include devices and applications.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein discovering comprises:

receiving a plurality of identifiers based on the internet protocol addresses of the plurality of components being broadcast from one or more servers on the plurality of components; and

establishing a communications link with the plurality of components.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the instructions further causing the processing device to perform the steps of:

for each component of the plurality of components, displaying, on the electronic device, a graphic image with at least one movable portion at least partially reflecting controls of that component; and

enabling the user to control the state of each component by displacing the at least one movable portion for that component.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein displaying the first option for saving the scene comprises:

identifying the scene with a label assigned to the scene.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the instructions further causing the processing device to perform the steps of:

providing the user with an option to delete at least one component of the subset of the plurality of components from the scene.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein displaying the first option for saving the scene comprises:

allowing the user to set up the scene in which a state of at least one component of the subset of the plurality of components changes with time.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the instructions further causing the processing device to perform the steps of:

transmitting, from the electronic device, remote control commands to change the state of at least one component of the subset of the plurality of components;

displaying, on the electronic device, a second option for re-saving the scene;

receiving a user selection of the second option; and

in response to receiving the user selection of the second option, re-saving the scene with the changed state of the at least one component.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the re-saving further comprises:

replacing the previously saved scene with the re-saved scene.