Remote control apparatus, method and user interface system

• US 9,066,126 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Moroney, Paul, Altchek, Glenn D., Robbins, Clyde N., Srivastava, Apoorv
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US12/960,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20120140124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 340/4.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4433 Implementing client middleware, e.g. Multimedia Home Platform [MHP]

Abstract

Apparatus forming part of a home entertainment system includes an electronic device having an input accepting a signal corresponding to an externally-generated first user interface, a control module for internally-generating a signal corresponding to a second user interface, and an output for transmitting a combination of the above referenced signals for display. The control module controls an arrangement of display of the first user interface and the second user interface. The apparatus also includes a remote controller for communicating via a two-way communication link with the control module of the electronic device concerning a selection of one of the first user interface and the second user interface. The remote controller having an emitter for emitting control code signals, and the operation of the emitter is controlled by communications received by the remote controller from the control module of the electronic device. A method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of remotely controlling electronic devices that form at least a part of a multimedia presentation system, comprising:

generating, by a first electronic device having a remote controller, a first user interface for control of the first electronic device;

receiving, at a first video input of the first electronic device, an input video signal representing a second user interface generated by a second electronic device for control of the second electronic device;

generating, by the first electronic device, an output video signal that represents a combination of the first user interface and the second user interface;

transmitting, by the first electronic device at a video output of the first electronic device, the output video signal for simultaneous display of the first user interface and the second user interface on a display device;

receiving, by the first electronic device, command signals from a remote controller of the first electronic device, each command signal in a first signal format for the first electronic device;

for each command signal, determining, by the first electronic device, whether the first command signal represents an interaction with either the first user interface or the second user interface;

for each command signal determined to be representing an interaction with the first user interface, executing an operation corresponding to the command and the first user interface by the first electronic device; and

for each command signal determined to be representing an interaction with the second user interface, sending, by the first electronic device a second command signal from the first electronic device to the remote controller that causes the remote controller to emit, in response to the second command signal, a third command signal in a second signal format of the second electronic device, the second signal format being different from the first signal format.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the first electronic device to control an arrangement of display of the first user interface and the second user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first command signal represents an interaction with either the first user interface or the second user interface is based on a determination of a display location selected by the remote controller and communicated to the first electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving command signals from the remote controller and sending the second command signal from the first electronic device to the remote controller is via two-way short-range wireless communication link, and wherein the second signal is emitted via an IR or RF emitter emitting a directional wireless signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining and storing information concerning make, model and control codes for the second electronic device in the first electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electronic device is a set-top box connected to the first electronic device upstream from a connection to the display device, and wherein the set-top-box provides television multimedia content for display on the display device, the first electronic device provides Internet multimedia content for display on the display device, said first user interface corresponds to controlling operation of the first electronic device, and the second user interface corresponds to controlling operation of the second electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote controller is a mobile device selected from the group consisting of a device not dedicated for sole use as a remote controller, a cellular phone, a smart-phone, a pad computer, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a net book computer, and an electronic personal organizer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the input video signal and the output video signal comprises uncompressed high definition video and audio signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the input video signal and the output video signal comprises a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) signal.

10. A system, comprising:

a first electronic device including a processing device, an input/output subsystem including a video input and a video output, and a memory device storing instructions executable by the processing device and that upon execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising;

generating a first user interface for control of the first electronic device;

receiving, at the first video input of the first electronic device, an input video signal representing a second user interface generated by a second electronic device for control of the second electronic device;

generating an output video signal that represents a combination of the first user interface and the second user interface;

transmitting at the video output, the output video signal for simultaneous display of the first user interface and the second user interface on a display device;

receiving over the input/output subsystem command signals from a remote controller for the first electronic device, each command signal in a first signal format for the first electronic device;

for each command signal, determining, by the first electronic device, whether the first command signal represents an interaction with either the first user interface or the second user interface;

for each command signal determined to be representing an interaction with the first user interface, executing an operation corresponding to the command and the first user interface by the first electronic device; and

for each command signal determined to be representing an interaction with the second user interface, sending a second command signal from the first electronic device to the remote controller that causes the remote controller to emit, in response to the second command signal, a third command signal in a second signal format of the second electronic device, the second signal format being different from the first signal format.