On screen programming of universal remote control features

• US 9,055,256 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Friedlander, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): RUSHING, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US12/902,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20110085083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.13, 340/426.14, 340/4.11, 340 1222- 1226, 341/176, 348/734
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• 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 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys

Abstract

A system for remotely controlling one or more components coupled to a display or TV. Remote application software is provided on the TV for communicating a first signal between remote control and the processor via a receiver coupled to the processor, the remote application software comprises a graphical user interface for output on the, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to assign the buttons on the remote keypad first to one or more commands that operate one or more external devices coupled to the display.

Claims

1. A system for remotely controlling one or more components, comprising:

a display;

a processor coupled to the display;

remote application software executable on said processor and stored solely in memory on said display;

a remote control comprising a first wireless transmitter for communicating a first signal between the remote control and the processor;

wherein the remote control comprises a keypad comprising one or more buttons;

the one or more buttons configured to designate a unique command transmitted as the first signal; and

a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured for receiving the first signal from the remote control;

wherein the remote application software comprises a graphical user interface for output on said display;

said graphical user interface configured to allow user programming of the remote control to assign one of the one or more buttons to correspond to one or more commands;

the one or more commands configured to operate one or more external devices coupled to the display;

said graphical user interface further comprising fields for assigning a macro to a single designated button on said remote keypad; and

said macro relating to a series of functions to individually control a plurality of the one or more external components in response to a single selection of said designated button.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a second wireless transmitter coupled to the processor;

the second wireless transmitter located at said display and acting as a repeater for wirelessly transmitting a second signal comprising a command signal to control operation of the one or more external devices in response to the one or more commands of the first signal transmitted by the remote control.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a port coupled to the processor;

the port configured to allow downloading of manufacturer settings from an external network;

wherein the manufacturer settings are used to generate the one or more command signals corresponding to the one or more devices.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the display, processor, remote application software, and second wireless transmitter are components of a television.

5. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first signal is a different frequency than the second signal.

6. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first signal is an RF signal.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the second signal is repeated as an IR signal.

8. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the second signal is stored in memory coupled to the processor.

9. A universal remote control system, comprising:

a television comprising;

a display;

a processor coupled to the display;

remote application software executable on said processor and stored solely in memory on said TV;

a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured for receiving a first signal;

a remote control comprising a first wireless transmitter for communicating the first signal between the remote control and the processor;

wherein the remote control comprises a keypad comprising one or more buttons;

the one or more buttons configured to designate a unique command transmitted as the first signal;

wherein the remote application software comprises a graphical user interface for output on said display;

said graphical user interface configured to allow user programming of the remote control to assign one of the one or more buttons to correspond to one or more commands;

the one or more commands configured to operate one or more external devices coupled to the display; and

a second wireless transmitter on said TV and coupled to the processor;

the second wireless transmitter acting as a repeater for wirelessly transmitting a second signal comprising the unique command; and

the second signal being configured to control operation of the one or more external devices in response to the one or more commands transmitted by the remote control.

10. The universal control system as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a port coupled to the processor;

the port configured to allow downloading of manufacturer settings from an external network; and

wherein the manufacturer settings are used to generate the one or more command signals corresponding to the one or more devices.

11. The universal control system as recited in claim 10, wherein the first signal is an RF signal.

12. The universal control system as recited in claim 11, wherein the second signal is an IR signal.

13. The universal control system as recited in claim 9, wherein the first signal is a different frequency than the second signal.

14. The universal control system as recited in claim 9, wherein the second signal is stored in memory coupled to the processor.

15. A system for remotely controlling one or more external components, comprising:

a display;

a remote coupled to said display;

the remote comprising a keypad with individual buttons for controlling said display;

a processor coupled to the display;

memory coupled to said processor;

software stored solely in memory on said display and executable on said processor for carrying out the steps of;

providing a graphical user interface for output on said display;

designating the one or more external components coupled to the display on said graphical user interface;

retrieving manufacturer settings relating to reception of remote commands for the one or more external components and storing said-manufacturer settings in said memory;

providing fields in said graphical user interface for assigning one or more functions to said keypad, said functions comprising commands of the one or more components based on said retrieved manufacturer settings;

storing said function assignments in said memory; and

providing fields in the graphical user interface for assigning a macro to a single designated button on said remote keypad; and

said macro relating to a series of functions to individually control a plurality of the one or more external components in response to a single selection of said designated button.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a wireless receiver and transmitter coupled to the processor;

wherein the software is further configured to;

receive a first signal from the remote through the wireless receiver;

analyze the first signal to determine a specific button selection on said remote keypad;

retrieve said manufacturer settings according to said stored assignments;

generate a command signal based on the selected button and assigned manufacturer settings; and

transmit the command signal via the wireless transmitter to control the one or more external components.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the display, processor, memory, software and wireless transmitter and receiver are components of a television.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the first signal is transmitted at a different frequency from the command signal.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the first signal is an RF signal.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the command signal is an IR signal.

21. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more components comprise one or more of a:

set top box, receiver, DVD player, CD player, Blu-ray player, gaming console, and amplifier.