Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device

• US 8,997,002 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hilbrink, Marcel, Xu, Rex, Alvarado, Cesar, Arling, Paul D., Hayes, Patrick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US14/256,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20140224868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• 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 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A smart device is provided with a main remote control application that may be configured using information obtained from a QR code. The main remote control application may present images of original remote controls corresponding to devices which are controllable by the configured main remote control application. In connection with a presented image of an original remote control, the display may present icons that are representative of a subset of the buttons of the original remote control. The user interface also allows a user to select amongst the images of the original remote controls to change which appliances are to be controlled via the user interface. A pop-up remote control widget may also be provided which may be invoked without switching to the main remote control application provisioned on the smart device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processing device, perform steps comprising:

obtaining via hardware of a smart device configuration information from a QR code; and

using the configuration information obtained from the QR code to configure a main remote control application provisioned on the smart device to command functional operations of one or more controllable devices;

wherein the QR code contains information representative of a listing of broadcast channel identifiers and corresponding channel numbers usable to configure a favorite channels user interface page of the main remote control application provisioned on the smart device.

2. A non-transitory, computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processing device of a smart device, perform steps comprising:

using a configuration of a main remote control application provisioned on the smart device to create a QR code wherein the created QR code contains configuration data that is indicative of the configuration of the main remote control application provisioned on the smart device; and

displaying the QR code in a display of the smart device to thereby allow another smart device to obtain configuration data from the QR code as displayed in the display of the smart device.

3. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the QR code contains configuration data that is indicative of at least one of a brand, type, and model number of a specific controllable device.

4. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the QR code contains configuration data that is indicative of a region in which the specific controllable device is marketed.

5. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the QR code contains configuration data that is indicative of inputs and/or outputs of the specific controllable device.

6. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the QR code contains configuration data that is indicative of one or more controllable devices which are to participate in an activity macro.

7. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the QR code contains configuration data that is indicative of a listing of broadcast channel identifiers and corresponding channel numbers used in connection with a favorite channels user interface page of the main remote control application provisioned on the smart device.