System and method for reconfiguration of an entertainment system controlling device

• US 8,830,074 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Hayes, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US13/785,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

An entertainment device is used to notify a user of a change in an audio visual entertainment system configuration in which at least one of a plurality devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source and at least one of the plurality of devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual output destination for the entertainment device and/or to notify a user of a perceived problem in a configuration of a controlling device used to control functional operations of the audio visual entertainment system.

Claims

1. A method for using an entertainment device to notify a user of a needed reconfiguration of a controlling device used to command operations of an audio visual entertainment system in which a first device connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source is intended to be controlled by the controlling device when in a home theater operating mode of the controlling device and a second device connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual output destination for the entertainment device is intended to be controlled by the controlling device in the home theater operating mode of the controlling device, the method comprising:

receiving at the entertainment device a transmission from the controlling device having data which is indicative of the controlling device having been placed into the home theater operating mode of the controlling device;

causing the entertainment device to determine if there is a change in at least one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device; and

in response to the entertainment device determining that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device, causing the entertainment device to display via a device connected to the entertainment device as a visual output destination for the entertainment device a message that serves to notify a user that the controlling device is in need of reconfiguration to thereby change the first device that is intended to be controlled in the home theater operating mode of the controlling device and/or the second device that is intended to be controlled in the home theater operating mode of the controlling device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message comprises a user interface element selectable to place the controlling device into a mode for reconfiguring the controlling device to command a third device connected to the entertainment device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a change in one or more cables connected to the entertainment device.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a change in one or more cables connected to the entertainment device

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a change in one or more input signals being provided to the entertainment device.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a change in one or more input signals being provided to the entertainment device.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the entertainment device monitors the one or more input signals for a change in transmission bit rates to determine if there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the entertainment device monitors the one or more input signals for a change in transmission bit rates to determine if there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a new input signal at one or more inputs of the entertainment device.

10. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a new input signal at one or more inputs of the entertainment device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a change in identifications provided to the entertainment device from at least one of the first device and the second device.

12. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a change in identifications provided to the entertainment device from at least one of the first device and the second device.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a change in capabilities provided to the entertainment device from the plurality of devices connected to entertainment device.

14. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the entertainment device determines that there is a change in one of the first device and the second device being connected to the entertainment device by having the entertainment device detect a change in capabilities provided to the entertainment device from the plurality of devices connected to entertainment device.

15. A method for using an entertainment device to notify a user of a perceived problem in a configuration of a controlling device used to control functional operations of an audio visual entertainment system in which at least one of a plurality devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source and at least one of the plurality of devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual output destination for the entertainment device, the method comprising:

receiving by the entertainment device a signal from the controlling device having data indicative of a command to have one or more of the plurality of devices connected to the entertainment device perform a functional operation wherein performance of the functional operation is detectable by the entertainment device; and

in response to the entertainment device failing to detect performance of the functional operation by the one or more of the plurality of device after receipt of the signal, using the entertainment device to cause a display by at least one of the plurality of devices connected to the entertainment device as a visual output destination for the entertainment device a message that serves to notify the user of the perceived problem in the configuration of a controlling device.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the command to have one or more of the plurality of devices connected to the entertainment device perform a functional operation comprises a command to control playing of media by one or more of the plurality of devices connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the entertainment device monitors inputs of the entertainment device associated with the one or more of the plurality of devices connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source to detect performance of the functional operation.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the entertainment device monitors outputs of the entertainment device associated with the one or more of the plurality of devices connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual destination to detect performance of the functional operation.