Programming a universal remote control via direct interaction

• US 8,643,477 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• 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, Belz, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghayour, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUSHING, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US12/476,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.13, 340/426.14, 340/4.11, 340 1222- 1226, 341/176, 348/734
• US Class Current: 340/12.24
• 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 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A method and system for programming a universal remote control (URC) to operate with a remote-controlled device is disclosed. A user may be instructed to operate a control element of an original remote control (ORC) of the remote-controlled device. The control element of the ORC may be operated with consumer-premises equipment of the MCDN, which receives a code associated with the control element. The code may be used to identify the remote-controlled device and obtain corresponding programming codes. The URC may be configured to use at least one of the programming codes to remotely control the remote-controlled device.

Claims

1. A remote control method, comprising:

receiving, by a multimedia handling device including a network adapter to receive multimedia content from a multimedia content distribution network server and a decoder to process multimedia content for display on a display, a request from a user to reprogram a universal remote control, wherein the request includes a device type of the remote-controlled device;

prompting the user to activate a first control element of an original remote control associated with the remote-controlled device;

receiving, by the multimedia handling device, a first code transmitted by the original remote control in response to activation of the first control element;

attempting to identify the remote-controlled device based on the first code;

responsive to identifying multiple remote-controlled devices based on the first code, repeatedly prompting the user to activate additional control elements and attempting to identify the remote-controlled device based on all codes received until the remote controlled device is identified; and

responsive to identifying the remote-controlled device based on the first code;

retrieving programming codes for the remote-controlled device; and

programming, by the multimedia handling device, the universal remote control to associate a code selected from the programming codes with a control element of the universal remote control, wherein the universal remote control transmits the code to the remote-controlled device in response to activation of the control element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein attempting to identify the remote-controlled device includes:

sending the first code to a multimedia content distribution network server; and

receiving, from the multimedia content distribution network server, information indicating identified remote-controlled devices that are responsive to the first code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote-controlled device is uniquely identified using the information received from the multimedia content distribution network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein repeatedly prompting the user and attempting to identify the remote-controlled device includes:

prompting the user to operate a second control element of the original remote control;

receiving a second code from the original remote control;

sending the second code to the multimedia content distribution network server; and

receiving, from the multimedia content distribution network server, information indicating identified remote-controlled devices that are responsive to both the first code and the second code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the programming codes for the remote-controlled device includes:

retrieving the programming codes from the multimedia content distribution network server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an identity of the remote-controlled device to the user; and

receiving a confirmation from the user acknowledging the identity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a confirmation indicating that the universal remote control has been successfully configured with a code selected from the programming codes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user includes sending an instruction to operate the original remote control with consumer-premises equipment associated with the multimedia content distribution network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a command is associated with a code selected from the programming codes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming of the universal remote control includes programming the universal remote control via a wireless communication link.

11. A multimedia handling device for use within a client configuration of a multimedia content distribution network, the multimedia handling device comprising:

a processor;

a local transceiver;

a network adapter to receive multimedia content from a network server;

a decoder to process the multimedia content received via the network;

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

receiving, by the multimedia handling device including a network adapter to receive multimedia content from a multimedia content distribution network server and a decoder to process multimedia content for display on a display, a request from a user to reprogram a universal remote control, wherein the request includes a device type of a remote-controlled device;

prompting the user to activate a first control element of an original remote control associated with the remote-controlled device;

receiving, by the multimedia handling device, a first code transmitted by the original remote control in response to activation of the first control element;

attempting to identify the remote-controlled device based on the first code;

responsive to identifying multiple remote-controlled devices based on the first code, repeatedly prompting the user to activate additional control elements and attempting to identify the remote-controlled device based on all codes received until the remote-controlled device is identified; and

responsive to identifying the remote-controlled device based on the first code;

retrieving programming codes for the remote-controlled device; and

programming, by the multimedia handling device, the universal remote control to associate a code selected from the programming codes with a control element of the universal remote control, wherein the universal remote control transmits the code to the remote-controlled device in response to activation of the control element.

12. The multimedia handling device of claim 11, wherein the operations include:

in response to sending the device type to the multimedia content distribution network server, obtain information from the multimedia content distribution network server specifying a control element of the original remote control, including the first control element.

13. The multimedia handling device of claim 11, wherein the operations include:

prompting the user to operate a second control element of the original remote control;

after the user operates the second control element, receiving a second code from the original remote control at the local transceiver; and

in response to sending a request including the first code and the second code to a multimedia content distribution network server, retrieving programming codes for the remote-controlled device.

14. The multimedia handling device of claim 13, wherein prompting the user to operate the second control element occurs responsive to receiving an indication of more than one remote-controlled device that corresponds to the first code.

15. The multimedia handling device of claim 11, wherein the operations include:

receiving, at the local transceiver from the universal remote control, a command to control the remote-controlled device; and

instructing the remote-controlled device to execute the command.

16. The multimedia handling device of claim 15, wherein the command is associated with at least one of the programming codes.

17. The multimedia handling device of claim 11, wherein prompting the user includes prompting the user to operate the original remote control with the local transceiver.

18. A computer-readable memory device, including program instructions, executable by a processor that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a multimedia handling device including a network adapter to receive multimedia content from a multimedia content distribution network server and a decoder to process multimedia content for display on a display, a request from a user to reprogram a universal remote control, wherein the request includes a device type of the remote-controlled device;

prompting the user to activate a first control element of an original remote control associated with the remote-controlled device;

receiving, by the multimedia handling device, a first code transmitted by the original remote control in response to activation of the first control element;

attempting to identify the remote-controlled device based on the first code;

responsive to identifying multiple remote-controlled devices based on the first code, repeatedly prompting the user to activate additional control elements and attempting to identify the remote-controlled device based on all codes received until the remote-controlled device is identified; and

responsive to identifying the remote-controlled device based on the first code;

retrieving programming codes for the remote-controlled device; and

programming, by the multimedia handling device, the universal remote control to associate a code selected from the programming codes with a control element of the universal remote control, wherein the universal remote control transmits the code to the remote-controlled device in response to activation of the control element.

19. The memory device of claim 18, wherein the operations include operations for:

configuring the universal remote control to operate the remote-controlled device by programming the universal remote control to use a code selected from the programming codes.

20. The memory device of claim 19, wherein the operations include operations for:

receiving, from the universal remote control, a command to control the remote-controlled device; and

instructing the remote-controlled device to execute the command;

wherein the command is associated with at least one of the programming codes.

21. The memory device of claim 18, wherein the operations for identifying the remote-controlled device using the first code further include operations for:

sending a request to the multimedia content distribution network server to identify the remote-controlled device, the request including the first code; and

in response to sending the request, receiving an identity of the remote-controlled device.

22. The memory device of claim 18, wherein the operations for identifying the remote-controlled device using the first code further include operations for:

prompting the user to operate a second control element by using the original remote control with consumer premises equipment of the multimedia content distribution network;

in response to the user operating the second control element, receiving a second code from the original remote control;

sending a request to the multimedia content distribution network server to identify the remote-controlled device, the request including the first code and the second code; and

in response to sending the request, receiving an identity of the remote-controlled device.