Proxy remote control

• US 8,890,743 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, HOWARD L
• Application Number:
  US13/632,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20130053985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 341/176, 340/12.22, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 348/734
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/90 Additional features
• 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 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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

Abstract

A method includes receiving first control data at a proxy controller from a proxy remote control signal receiver device. The first control data is associated with execution of a first action at a first device. The method includes determining second control data at the proxy controller. The second control data is associated with execution of a second action at the first device. The second action is at least one of different from, or additional to, and based upon the first action. The method includes communicating the second control data to the proxy remote control signal receiver device. The proxy remote control signal receiver device is configured to communicate the second control data to the first device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first control data at a proxy controller from a proxy remote control signal receiver device, wherein the first control data is associated with execution of a first action at a first device;

determining second control data at the proxy controller, wherein the second control data is associated with execution of a second action at the first device, wherein the second action is at least one of different from, or additional to, and based upon the first action; and

communicating the second control data to the proxy remote control signal receiver device, wherein the proxy remote control signal receiver device is configured to communicate the second control data to the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control data is received at the proxy remote control signal receiver device from a remote control device associated with the first device and wherein the first control data is prevented from being received from the remote control device at a remote control signal receiver associated with the first device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein first control data is prevented from being received from the remote control device at the remote control signal receiver by a remote control signal blocking device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first control data comprises a first infrared signal transmitted from the remote control device, and wherein the proxy remote control signal receiver device is operable to receive the first infrared signal from the remote control device, and wherein a remote control signal blocking device is operable to prevent the first infrared signal from being received at the first device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second control data is communicated to the first device via the remote control blocking device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the remote control signal blocking device transmits the second control data to the remote control signal receiver associated with the first device via a second infrared signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy controller is included within the first device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy controller is separate from the first device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the proxy controller is included within a residential gateway.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the proxy remote control signal receiver device communicates with the residential gateway via one of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the proxy controller is accessible via a network connection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second control data is determined based on historical data that includes a log of remote control key sequences received from the remote control device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first control data includes a first remote control key sequence and the second control data includes a second remote control key sequence that is determined based on the log of remote control key sequences.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the log of remote control key sequences indicates that the first remote control key sequence is associated with a subsequent corrected key sequence, and wherein the second remote control key sequence includes the subsequent corrected key sequence.

15. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving first control data at a proxy controller from a proxy remote control signal receiver device, wherein the first control data is associated with execution of a first action at a first device;

determining second control data at the proxy controller, wherein the second control data is associated with execution of a second action at the first device, wherein the second action is at least one of different from, or additional to, and based upon the first action; and

communicating the second control data to the proxy remote control signal receiver device, wherein the proxy remote control signal receiver device is configured to communicate the second control data to the first device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, at the proxy controller, third control data based on the first control data, wherein the third control data is associated with execution of a third action at a second device that is different from the first device, wherein the third action is different from the first action; and

communicating the third control data to the proxy remote control signal receiver device, wherein the proxy remote control signal receiver device is configured to communicate the third control data to the second device, and wherein the third control data is executable by the second device to perform the third action at the second device.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the first device includes a set-top box device and the second device includes an external digital video recorder that is separate from the set-top box device, and wherein the second action includes recording a multimedia content item at the set-top device and the third action includes recording the multimedia content item at the external digital video recorder.

18. A system comprising:

a proxy remote control signal receiver device that is operable to;

receive first control data that is transmitted from a remote control device, wherein the first control data is associated with execution of a first action at a first device;

communicate the first control data to a proxy controller, wherein the proxy controller determines second control data associated with execution of a second action at the first device, wherein the second action is at least one of different from, or additional to, and based upon the first action;

receive the second control data from the proxy controller; and

communicate the second control data to a remote control signal blocking device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

the remote control signal blocking device that is operable to prevent the first control data that is transmitted from the remote control device from being received at a remote control signal receiver of the first device,

wherein the remote control signal blocking device communicates the second control data to the first device,

wherein the first device executes the second action in response to receiving the second control data from the remote control signal blocking device,

wherein the remote control signal blocking device includes an infrared transmitter, and

wherein the second control data is communicated to the first device via an infrared transmission from the remote control signal blocking device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises:

the remote control signal blocking device that is operable to prevent the first control data that is transmitted from the remote control device from being received at a remote control signal receiver of the first device,

wherein the remote control signal blocking device communicates the second control data to the first device,

wherein the first device executes the second action in response to receiving the second control data from the remote control signal blocking device,

wherein the remote control signal blocking device includes a radio frequency transmitter, and

wherein the second control data is communicated to the first device via a radio frequency transmission from the remote control signal blocking device.