Programming a universal remote control via a point-of-sale system

• US 8,570,158 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Van Vleck, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US12/541,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20110037574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated

Abstract

A method and system for programming a universal remote control (URC) to operate with a remote-controlled device is disclosed. In response to an indication of a purchase transaction for a remote-controlled device, a network identity and a device identifier may be sent to client-premises equipment (CPE). The CPE may then program the URC to control the remote-controlled device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented remote control programming method, comprising:

responsive to receiving a transaction indication indicative of a purchase transaction, originated by a user, for a remote-controlled device, programming a universal remote control, wherein the programming includes;

sending a network identity associated with the user and an identifier of the remote-controlled device to a network server having access to customer premises equipment associated with the network identity;

receiving a validation indication indicating that that the network identity of the user has been validated by a biometric security procedure;

receiving programming codes for the remote-controlled device from the network server;

providing the programming codes to the customer premises equipment; and

configuring the universal remote control to execute the programming codes to control the remote-controlled device;

wherein the configuring of the universal remote control initiates as soon as the transaction indication is received and regardless of whether the remote-controlled device and the universal remote control are in proximity to one another.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the network identity includes sending to a multimedia content distribution network server in communication with the customer premises equipment via the multimedia content distribution network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the transaction indication includes receiving the transaction indication from a cellular telephone associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase transaction is originated using a cellular telephony network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a credit card account associated with the user and a credit card issuer is used to pay for the purchase transaction and wherein the transaction indication is received from a credit card issuer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction indication is received from a retailer associated with the purchase transaction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user performs the purchase transaction via an online retailing service offered by the retailer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction indication is received from a manufacturer of the remote-controlled device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

configuring the universal remote control includes configuring the universal remote control to provide the programming codes to the remote-controlled device directly.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

configuring the universal remote control includes configuring the universal remote control to provide the programming codes to the remote-controlled device indirectly, via the customer premises equipment.

11. An application server, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium including stored, processor executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

programming a universal remote control in response to receiving a transaction indication indicative of a purchase transaction, originated by a user, for a remote-controlled device, wherein the programming includes;

sending a network identity associated with the user and an identifier of the remote-controlled device to a network server having access to customer premises equipment associated with the network identity;

receiving a validation indication indicating that that the network identity of the user has been validated by a biometric security procedure;

receiving programming codes for the remote-controlled device from the network server;

providing the programming codes to the customer premises equipment; and

configuring the universal remote control to execute the programming codes to control the remote-controlled device; and

wherein the configuring of the universal remote control initiates as soon as the transaction indication is received and regardless of whether the remote-controlled device and the universal remote control are in proximity to one another.

12. The application server of claim 11, wherein sending the network identity includes sending to a multimedia content distribution network server in communication with the customer premises equipment via the multimedia content distribution network.

13. The application server of claim 11, wherein the transaction indication is received from a point-of-sale system processing the purchase transaction.

14. The application server of claim 13, wherein the point-of-sale system is operated by a service provider of the multimedia content distribution network.

15. The application server of claim 11, wherein the operations include:

notifying the user when the universal remote control has been successfully programmed.

16. The application server of claim 11, wherein the operations include:

sending a request to a remote-controlled device database, the request including the identifier for the remote-controlled device, for programming codes associated with the remote-controlled device.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium including stored, processor executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

programming a universal remote control in response to receiving a transaction indication indicative of a purchase transaction, originated by a user, for a remote-controlled device, wherein the programming includes;

sending a network identity associated with the user and an identifier of the remote-controlled device to a network server having access to customer premises equipment associated with the network identity;

receiving a validation indication indicating that that the network identity of the user has been validated by a biometric security procedure;

receiving programming codes for the remote-controlled device from the network server; and

providing the programming codes to the customer premises equipment; and

configuring the universal remote control to execute the programming codes to control the remote-controlled device;

wherein the configuring of the universal remote control initiates as soon as the transaction indication is received and regardless of whether the remote-controlled device and the universal remote control are in proximity to one another.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein sending the network identity includes sending to a multimedia content distribution network server in communication with the customer premises equipment via the multimedia content distribution network.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the transaction indication is received from a point-of-sale system processing the purchase transaction.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the point-of-sale system is operated by a service provider of the multimedia content distribution network.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the transaction indication is received from a point-of-sale system processing the purchase transaction and wherein the point-of-sale system is operated by a service provider of the multimedia content distribution network.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations include:

notifying the user when the universal remote control has been successfully programmed.