Programming of a universal remote control device

• US 9,024,733 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Control Signapore Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Wouters, Johan Agnes Emiel
• Primary Examiner(s): Obiniyi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/095,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,081 Days
• Field of Search: 340/4.3, 340/4.31, 340/4.32, 340/4.37, 340/10.5, 340/12.22, 340/12.23, 340/12.24, 340/12.28, 340/12.53, 341/176, 345/158, 345/169, 348/14.04, 348/114, 348/161, 348/211.99, 348/569, 348/734, 348/E7.086, 348/E7.087, 348/E5.042, 348/FOR.188, 715/738, 715/740, 715/744
• US Class Current: 340/12.23
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

A universal remote control device (10) is programmed by determining layout properties of an existing remote control device (12) that must be replaced by the universal remote control device (10). Information identifying at least part of said layout properties is input into a selection system (14, 18). A command set for the universal remote control device (10) is selected dependent on said information. The universal remote control device (10) is programmed to implement the selected command set.

Claims

1. A method of programming a universal remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

an output of a human user interface asking a human user a series of multiple questions regarding exterior layout properties of a second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance;

an input of the human user interface receiving multiple responses from the human user to respective questions of the series of multiple questions regarding exterior layout properties of a second remote control device;

a processing circuit communicating with the input of the human user interface and receiving the multiple responses to respective questions of the series of multiple questions regarding layout properties of a second remote control device, and selecting subsequent questions of the series of multiple questions depending on a combination of previous responses of the multiple respective responses, and determining layout properties of the second remote control device depending on the combination of the previous responses;

the processor circuit determining the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined layout properties of the second remote control device when sufficient exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

the processor circuit terminating the series of multiple questions when sufficient layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

selection apparatus selecting a command set from a plurality of command sets for the universal remote control device dependent on the identification of the second remote control device for controlling the appliance; and

a programming interface programming the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set which enables the universal remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance.

2. A method of claim 1, comprising the processing circuit selecting at least part of the series of multiple questions dependent on at least one of the respective exterior layout properties identified in response to a preceding one of the questions.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the questions include a question about a shape of a cursor control of the second remote control device.

4. A method of claim 1, comprising:

storing information indicative of images representative of a plurality of different supported remote control devices;

displaying the images on a display screen;

the input of the human user interface controlled by the processor circuit receiving a selection of one of the displayed images.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the universal remote control device comprises the display screen.

6. A method of claim 4, wherein the universal remote control device comprises a memory wherein the information indicative of the images is stored.

7. A method of claim 4, wherein the display screen is separate from the universal remote control device, the universal remote control device being used to input the selection.

8. A method of programming a universal remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

a camera capturing one or more images of the exterior of a second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance;

a processing circuit applying automatic image recognition techniques to the images to determine exterior layout properties of the second remote control device;

the processor circuit determining the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined exterior layout properties of the second remote control device when sufficient exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

selection apparatus selecting a command set from a plurality of command sets for the universal remote control device dependent on the identification of the second remote control device for controlling the appliance; and

a programming interface programming the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set which enables the universal remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance.

9. A system for programming a universal remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, the system comprising:

an output of a human user interface configured to ask a human user a series of multiple questions regarding the exterior layout of a second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance;

an input of the human user interface configured to receive multiple answers from a user to respective questions of the series of multiple questions pertaining to the exterior layout of the second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance;

a processing circuit communicating with the input of the human user interface to receive the multiple answers to the respective questions in the series of multiple questions, and selecting subsequent questions of the series of multiple questions depending on a combination of multiple previous answers, and controlling the output of the human user interface to ask the subsequent questions in the series of multiple questions, and determining layout properties of the exterior layout of the second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance depending on the combination of the multiple answers;

the processing circuit determining the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined exterior layout properties of the second remote control device when a sufficient quantity of exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

the processing circuit controlling the output of the human user interface to terminate asking the series of multiple questions when a sufficient quantity of exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

selection apparatus configured to select a command set from a plurality of command sets for the universal remote control device dependent on the identification of the second remote control device for controlling the appliance; and

a programming interface configured to program the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set which enables the universal remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance.

10. A system of claim 9, wherein the processing circuit is configured to select at least part of the questions of the series of multiple questions dependent on at least one of the exterior layout properties identified in response to at least one preceding question of the series of multiple questions.

11. A system of claim 9, wherein the questions include a question about a shape of a cursor control of the existing remote control device.

12. A system of claim 9 comprising:

a memory configured to store information indicative of images representative of a plurality of different supported remote control devices; and

a display screen, the processing circuit being arranged to control the output of the human user interface to display the images on the display screen and the processing circuit being configured to control the input of the human user interface to receive a user-selection of at least one of the displayed images.

13. A system for programming a universal remote control device to remotely control an appliance, the system comprising:

a camera configured to capture one or more images of the exterior of a second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance;

a processing circuit applying automatic image recognition techniques to the images to determine exterior layout properties of the second remote control device;

the processor circuit being configured to determine an identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined exterior layout properties of the second remote control device when sufficient exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

selecting apparatus configured to select a command set for the universal remote control device dependent on the identity of the second remote control device; and

a programming interface configured to program the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set, which enables the universal remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance.

14. A method of operating an integral universal remote control device for programming the universal remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, the method comprising in the universal remote control device:

an output of a human user interface asking a human user a series of multiple questions regarding exterior layout properties of a second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance, the human user interface being integral with the universal remote control device;

an input of a human user interface receiving multiple responses from the human user to respective questions of the series of multiple questions regarding exterior layout properties of a second remote control device;

a processing circuit integral with the universal remote control device communicating with the input of the human user interface receiving the multiple responses to respective questions of the series of multiple questions regarding layout properties of the second remote control device, and selecting subsequent questions depending on a combination of previous responses of the multiple respective responses, and determining layout properties of the second remote control device depending on the combination of the previous responses;

the processor circuit determining the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined layout properties of the second remote control device when sufficient exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

the processor circuit terminating the series of multiple questions when sufficient layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

selection apparatus integral with the universal remote control device selecting a command set from a plurality of command sets for the universal remote control device dependent on the identification of the second remote control device for controlling the appliance; and

a programming interface integral with the universal remote control device automatically programming the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set which enables the universal remote control device to remotely control the appliance.

19. The method of claim 14 comprising:

a camera integral with the universal remote control device capturing one or more images of the exterior of the second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance; and

the processing circuit applying automatic image recognition techniques to the images from the camera to determine exterior layout properties of the second remote control device.

15. A method of operating an integral universal remote control device for programming the universal remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, the method comprising in the universal remote control device:

a camera integral with the universal remote control device capturing one or more images of the exterior of a second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance;

a processing circuit integral with the universal remote control device applying automatic image recognition techniques to the images to determine exterior layout properties of the second remote control device;

the processor circuit determining the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined exterior layout properties of the second remote control device when sufficient exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

selection apparatus integral with the universal remote control device selecting a command set from a plurality of command sets for the universal remote control device dependent on the identification of the second remote control device for controlling the appliance; and

a programming interface integral with the universal remote control device automatically programming the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set which enables the universal remote control device to remotely control the appliance.

16. An integral universal remote control device for programming the universal remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, the universal remote control device comprising:

an output of a human user interface to ask a human user a series of multiple questions regarding the exterior layout of a second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance, the human user interface being integral with the universal remote control device;

an input of the human user interface configured for receiving multiple answers from a user to respective questions of the series of multiple questions pertaining to the exterior layout of the second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance;

a processing circuit integral with the universal remote control device communicating with the input of the human user interface to receive the multiple answers to the respective questions in the series of multiple questions, and selecting subsequent questions of the series of multiple questions depending on a combination of multiple previous answers, and controlling the output of the human user interface to ask the subsequent questions in the series of multiple questions, and determining layout properties of the exterior layout of the second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance depending on the combination of the multiple answers;

the processing circuit determining the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined exterior layout properties of the second remote control device when a sufficient quantity of exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

the processing circuit controlling the output of the human user interface to terminate asking of the series of multiple questions when a sufficient quantity of exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device;

selection apparatus integral with the universal remote control device and configured to select a command set from a plurality of command sets for the universal remote control device dependent on the identification of the second remote control device; and

a programming interface integral with the universal remote control device configured to program the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set which enables the universal remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance.

18. The integral universal remote control device of claim 16 wherein the selection apparatus and the programming interface are part of the processor circuit.

17. An integral universal remote control device for programming the universal remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, the universal remote control device comprising:

a camera integral with the universal remote control device and configured to capture one or more images of the exterior of a second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance;

a processing circuit integral with the universal remote control device and configured to apply automatic image recognition techniques to the images from the camera to determine exterior layout properties of the second remote control device;

the processor circuit being configured to determine the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined exterior layout properties of the second remote control device when sufficient exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device; and

selection apparatus integral with the universal remote control device and configured to select a command set for the universal remote control device dependent on the identity of the second remote control device; and

a programming interface integral with the universal remote control device and configured to program the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set, which enables the universal remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance.

20. The integral universal remote control device of claim 17 comprising:

a camera integral with the universal remote control device and configured to capture one or more images of the exterior of the second remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance; and

the processing circuit being configured to apply automatic image recognition techniques to the images from the camera to determine exterior layout properties of the second remote control device.

21. A method of programming a universal remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance, the method comprising:

an input system for obtaining input regarding the exterior layout of a second remote control device, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance;

a processing circuit for determining exterior layout properties of a second remote control device depending on the input regarding the exterior layout of a second remote control device;

the processor circuit determining the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined exterior layout properties of the second remote control device when sufficient exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device; and

selection apparatus selecting a command set from a plurality of command sets for the universal remote control device dependent on the identification of the second remote control device for controlling the appliance; and

a programming interface programming the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set which enables the universal remote control device to remotely control the appliance.

22. A universal remote control device for programming for remotely controlling an appliance, the universal remote control device comprising:

an input system for obtaining input regarding the exterior layout of a second remote control device, the second remote control device being different than the universal remote control device and different than the appliance;

a processing circuit for determining exterior layout properties of the second remote control device depending on the input regarding the exterior layout of a second remote control device;

the processor circuit being configured to determine the identity of the second remote control device depending on the determined exterior layout properties of the second remote control device when sufficient exterior layout properties have been determined to identify the second remote control device; and

selection apparatus configured to select a command set for the universal remote control device dependent on the identity of the second remote control device; and

a programming interface configured to program the universal remote control device to implement the selected command set, which enables the universal remote control device for remotely controlling the appliance.