Code set determination for a remote control

• US 8,878,716 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Control Signapore Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Hellemans, Lucas Griet Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US13/202,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 341/176
• 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• 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

Abstract

A method for determining the right code set to be used for controlling an appliance includes the remote control sends one or more commands using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets to the appliance. The code set to be used for controlling this appliance is determined based on at least a command sent to the appliance by a user of the remote control, in reaction to the sending of the one or more commands by the remote control.

Claims

1. A method for determining a code set to be used out of multiple code sets in a remote control having a set-up mode for controlling an appliance during a normal operation mode comprising the acts of:

sending commands by a user via the remote control in the normal operation mode using code sets of the remote control for controlling the appliance;

placing the used code sets at end of a list of the multiple code sets when the appliance does not respond to the commands and it is detected that the user starts using the remote control for a first time and only tries a limited amount of codes including the used code sets during the normal operation mode before selecting the setup mode;

sending a next command from the remote control during the normal operation mode using a next code set from the list;

analyzing reaction of the user to the sending act of the next command;

repeating sending further next commands and analyzing user reactions until determination that the appliance responds using the code set; and

determining the code set to be used for controlling the appliance based on the analyzing act.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of sending the next command comprises the remote control automatically sending a fake command using corresponding codes from a subset of the multiple code sets.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the fake command is sent intermittently using the corresponding code of a varying one of the multiple code sets.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of sending the next command comprises sending a command selected by the user using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets a different number of times than a corresponding code of at least another one of the multiple code sets.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the next command is taken out of a group of commands having an opposite command, the use of the opposite command resulting in an opposite effect at the appliance to the effect caused by the next command.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining act includes using a metadata of the code sets indicating which commands are needed or not needed for specific appliances.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

discarding code sets the remote control that do not allow control of the appliance by the remote control;

detecting whether a user takes out a batteries of the remote control; and

readmitting at least one of a most recent of the discarded code sets upon detection that the batteries have been taken out.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the act of excluding all other code sets upon detection that the batteries have been taken out.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of determining a user profile of a user of the remote control, wherein the act of determining the code set to be used for controlling the appliance is dependent on the user profile.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining act determines the code set to be used for controlling the appliance based on whether a second command subsequent to a first command repeats the first command within a time interval.

6. A method for determining a code set to be used out of multiple code sets in a remote control for controlling an appliance comprising the acts of:

sending a first command from the remote control using a corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets; and

determining the code set to be used for controlling the appliance based on a user command sent by a user of the remote control in reaction to the sending act,

wherein the first command is taken out of a group of commands having an opposite command for causing an opposite effect at the appliance to the effect caused by the first command,

wherein the sending act comprises sending the code corresponding to the first command of at least one of the multiple code sets a different number of times than a corresponding code of at least another one of the multiple code sets in response to selection by the user of the first command, and

wherein the code set to be used is determined based on a proportion of the number of times that the first command and the opposite command are selected by the user during a time interval.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform a method for determining a code set to be used out of multiple code sets in a remote control having a set-up mode for controlling an appliance during a normal operation mode comprising the acts of:

sending commands by a user via the remote control in the normal operation mode with code sets of the remote control for controlling the appliance;

placing the used code sets at end of a list of the multiple code sets when the appliance does not respond to the commands and it is detected that the user starts using the remote control for a first time and only tries a limited amount of codes including the used code sets during the normal operation mode before selecting the setup mode;

sending a next command from the remote control during the normal operation mode using a next code set from the list;

analyzing reaction of the user to the sending act of the next command;

repeating sending further next commands and analyzing user reactions until determination that the appliance responds using the code set; and

determining the code set to be used for controlling the appliance based on the analyzing act.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the determining act determines the code set to be used for controlling the appliance based on whether a second command subsequent to a first command repeats the first command within a time interval.

8. A remote control having a set-up mode and adapted for controlling an appliance during a normal operation mode by using one of multiple code sets, the remote control comprising:

a transmitter for sending commands by a user via the remote control in the normal operation mode with code sets of the remote control for controlling the appliance;

a processor for performing the acts of;

placing the used code sets at end of a list of the multiple code sets when the appliance does not respond to the commands and it is detected that the user starts using the remote control for a first time and only tries a limited amount of codes including the used code sets during the normal operation mode before selecting the setup mode;

sending a next command from the remote control during the normal operation mode using a corresponding code from the list;

analyzing reaction of the user to the sending act of the next command;

repeating sending further next commends and analyzing user reactions until determination that the appliance responds using the code set; and

determining the code set to be used for controlling the appliance based on the analyzing act.

9. The remote control according to claim 8, wherein the first command is sent by act of sending the next command comprises automatically sending a fake command using the corresponding codes from a subset of the multiple code sets.

10. The remote control according to claim 8, wherein the act of sending the next command comprises sending a command selected by a user using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets a different number of times than a corresponding code of at least another one of the multiple code sets.

18. The remote control of claim 8, wherein the determining act determines the code set to be used for controlling the appliance based on whether a second command subsequent to a first command repeats the first command within a time interval.

15. A remote control adapted for controlling an appliance by using one of multiple code sets, the remote control comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a first command using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets; and

a processor configured to determine the code set to be used for controlling the appliance based on a user command sent by a user of the remote control in reaction to the sending of the first command by the transmitter and to place used code sets at end of the list for determining the code set to be used when it is detected that the user starts using the remote control for a first time and only tries a limited amount of codes including the used code sets during normal operation before selecting a setup procedure,

wherein the first command is taken out of a group of commands having an opposite command for causing an opposite effect at the appliance to the effect caused by the first command,

wherein the transmitter is further configured to send the code corresponding to the first command of at least one of the multiple code sets a different number of times than a corresponding code of at least another one of the multiple code sets in response to selection by the user of the first command,

wherein the code set to be used is determined based on a proportion of the number of times that the first command and the opposite command are selected by the user during a time interval.