Network remote control

• US 8,902,924 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Poslinski, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSE, KERRI M
• Application Number:
  US13/137,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20110309964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/339, 370464-467, 348/14.05, 725/37, 725/39, 725/47, 725/48
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/94 Smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• 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 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 : Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 : the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• 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 21/4363 : Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• 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 21/4532 : 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

A network of devices with remote control includes a network interconnecting two or more networked devices and a wireless remote control unit for communicating with one or more of the networked devices. The remote control unit stores an interface for one or more of the networked devices so that the networked devices can be controlled with the remote control unit.

Claims

1. A remote control unit comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a plurality of interfaces from networked devices;

a display device configured to display user interface screens, at least one of the user interface screens being generated from a given interface of the plurality of interfaces;

a processor configured to generate a command, the given interface being used to generate the command,

wherein the command instructs an electrical device to perform or control a function, the electrical device being one of the networked devices,

wherein a network interconnects with each of the networked devices, the networked devices being end devices configured to communicate using the network, and

wherein the command is initiated from the remote control unit responsive to selection based upon the generated user interface screen and is sent through a different one of the networked devices to the electrical device.

2. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the given interface includes data for a plurality of device functions that are performable or controllable by the electrical device, the function being one of the device functions.

3. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the given interface includes data for user preference settings, the user preference settings being input into the electrical device.

4. The remote control unit according to claim 3, wherein the user preference settings are editable by a user.

5. The remote control unit according to claim 1, further comprising a memory card slot for receiving a removable memory module, the removable memory module storing the plurality of interfaces.

6. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the remote control unit is assigned a remote control unit network address that uniquely identifies the remote control unit on the network.

7. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver wirelessly communicates with the network.

8. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver communicates with the network by wire.

9. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the networked devices is individually identifiable and addressable on the network.

10. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a touch-sensitive display device, the user interface screens configured to include one or more soft buttons.

11. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein another of the plurality of interfaces is originated from another of the networked devices and is used to generate another of the user interface screens.

12. An electrical device comprising:

a network connector/transceiver configured to output an interface onto a network, the interface including a plurality of device functions;

a processor configured to execute a command to perform or control a function, the function being one of the device functions,

wherein the network connector/transceiver receives the command, the command originating from a remote control unit, the remote control unit generating the command using the interface through a remote control display that displays user interface screens, wherein the stored interface is used to generate one of the user interface screens,

wherein the electrical device is one of a plurality of networked devices interconnected by a network, the networked devices being end devices connected to the network, and

wherein the command is initiated from the remote control unit responsive to selection based upon the generated user interface screen and is received by the electrical device through a different one of the networked devices.

13. The electrical device according to claim 12, wherein the interface includes user preference settings, the user preference settings being input into the electrical device.

14. The electrical device according to claim 12, wherein the network connector/transceiver wirelessly communicates with the network.

15. The electrical device according to claim 12, wherein the network connector/transceiver communicates with the network by wire.

16. The electrical device according to claim 12, wherein each of the networked devices is individually identifiable and addressable on the network.

17. A method for controlling an electrical device, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of interfaces from networked devices;

prompting display of user interface screens, at least one of the user interface screens being generated from a given interface of the plurality of interfaces; and

generating a command using the given interface,

wherein the command instructs the electrical device to perform or control a function, the electrical device being one of the networked devices,

wherein a network interconnects with each of the networked devices, the networked devices being end devices configured to communicate using the network, and

wherein the command is initiated in response to selection based upon the generated user interface screen and is sent through a different one of the networked devices to the electrical device.

18. A remote control unit comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a plurality of interfaces from networked devices;

a display device configured to display user interface screens, at least one of the user interface screens being generated from a given interface of the plurality of interfaces;

a processor configured to generate a command, the given interface being used to generate the command,

wherein the command instructs an electrical device to perform or control a function, the electrical device being one of the networked devices,

wherein a network interconnects with each of the networked devices, the networked devices being end devices configured to communicate using the network, and

wherein the command is initiated from the remote control unit responsive to selection based upon the generated user interface screen and is sent through the network to the electrical device.

19. A method for controlling an electrical device, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of interfaces from networked devices;

prompting display of user interface screens, at least one of the user interface screens being generated from a given interface of the plurality of interfaces; and

generating a command using the given interface,

wherein the command instructs the electrical device to perform or control a function, the electrical device being one of the networked devices,

wherein a network interconnects with each of the networked devices, the networked devices being end devices configured to communicate using the network, and

wherein the command is initiated in response to selection based upon the generated user interface screen and is sent through the network to the electrical device.