System and method for tracking a controller

• US 8,742,923 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• 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: Schmehl, Ian C., White, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/910,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20130258197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 540/539.13, 540/7.21, 540/870.01, 540/6.1, 540/539.19, 540/539.21, 540/539.17, 540/870.02, 540/825.49, 540/825.69, 540/825.36
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a gateway comprising a controller to transmit a first RF signal to a remote control device, wherein the first radio-frequency signal is received by a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the remote control device, receive at each of a plurality of receivers operably coupled to the gateway a second RF signal from the RFID tag of the remote control device in response to the first RF signal, determine an approximate location of the remote control device based on at least a portion of the second RF signals received by the plurality of receivers, and transmit a signal to a set-top-box, wherein the signal comprises the approximate location of the remote control device, and wherein the set-top-box displays the approximate location of the remote control device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A gateway, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

transmitting a first radio-frequency signal to a remote control device, wherein the first radio-frequency signal is received by a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the remote control device;

receiving at a plurality of receivers operably coupled to the gateway a plurality of second radio-frequency signals from the radio-frequency identification tag of the remote control device in response to transmitting the first radio-frequency signal, wherein the plurality of receivers are positioned at an area where the remote control device is expected to operate;

determining an approximate location of the remote control device based on a signal strength of the plurality of second radio-frequency signals received at the plurality of receivers;

transmitting a signal to a set-top box, wherein the signal comprises the approximate location of the remote control device, and wherein the set-top box enables a display of the approximate location of the remote control device responsive to the signal; and

providing interactive television services to the set-top box, wherein the first radio-frequency signal is transmitted by a radio-frequency identification reader associated with the gateway.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the determining of the approximate location of the remote control device is further based on a time delay between the transmitting of the first radio-frequency signal and the receiving of the plurality of the second radio frequency signals.

3. The gateway of claim 2, wherein the determining of the approximate location of the remote control device is further based on a triangulation analysis of the second radio-frequency signals received by the plurality of receivers.

4. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the display of the approximate location of the remote control device comprises a reference point on a map of an area associated with the approximate location.

5. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the interactive television services comprise one of internet protocol television, interactive satellite television, or interactive cable television.

6. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency identification tag comprises one of an active tag, a passive tag, or a semi-passive tag.

7. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the display of the approximate location of the remote control device comprises a graphical user interface that displays the approximate location of the remote control device via an electronic programming guide.

8. A set-top box, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a radio-frequency signal from a radio-frequency identification tag associated with a remote control device, wherein the radio-frequency signal is generated by the remote control device in response to a transmitting of a first signal from the set-top box;

determining a location of the remote control device to generate a determined location based on a time delay between the transmitting of the first signal and the receiving of the radio-frequency signal;

displaying the determined location of the remote control device via a graphical user interface that displays the location of the remote control device on a map of an area associated with the location of the remote control device; and

providing interactive television services, wherein the graphical user interface displays the determined location of the remote control device via an electronic programming guide.

9. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the interactive television services comprise one of internet protocol television, interactive satellite television, or interactive cable television.

10. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising receiving the radio-frequency signal from a gateway operably coupled to the set-top box.

11. The set-top box of claim 10, wherein the gateway receives the radio-frequency signal from the radio-frequency identification tag associated with the remote control device in response to the gateway being in a vicinity of the radio-frequency identification tag.

12. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the first signal is transmitted from the set-top box via a second radio frequency identification tag at the set-top box.

13. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the set-top box is operably coupled to a camera, wherein the camera takes a recording of an area associated with the determined location of the remote control device.

14. The set-top box of claim 13, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising displaying the recording of the area associated with the determined location of the remote control device.

15. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the display of the determined location of the remote control device comprises a reference point on a map of an area associated with the determined location.

16. A remote control, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a first radio-frequency signal from a gateway; and

transmitting a second radio-frequency signal to a plurality of receivers operably coupled to the gateway in response to receiving the first radio-frequency signal, wherein a first location of the remote control is determined by the gateway based on a signal strength of the second radio-frequency signal, wherein the first location is transmitted by the gateway to a set-top box operably coupled to the gateway, wherein the first location is displayed by the set-top box via a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface displays the first location of the remote control via an electronic programming guide, and wherein the first radio-frequency signal is received via a first radio-frequency identification tag.

17. The remote control of claim 16, wherein the remote control further comprises a second radio-frequency identification tag.

18. The remote control of claim 17, wherein the second radio-frequency identification tag receives the first radio-frequency signal and transmits the second radio-frequency signal to the plurality of receivers.

19. The remote control of claim 17, wherein the first location of the remote control is displayed as a reference point on a map of an area associated with the first location.

20. The remote control of claim 16, wherein the first location of the remote control is further determined by the gateway based upon a time delay between the first radio-frequency signal from the gateway and the second radio-frequency signal from the remote control.