Remote control emulation methods and systems

• US 9,075,523 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Stallings, Heath, Dunnam, Daniel S., Maxfield, Nathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ell, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/971,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/740, 715/839
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a remote control emulation system directing a mobile device to display an emulation graphical user interface (“GUI”) on a display screen of the mobile device and directing the mobile device to emulate one or more user input devices by selectively positioning one or more interactive graphical depictions of one or more feature sets associated with the one or more user input devices within the emulation GUI. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

directing, by a remote control emulation system, a mobile device to display an emulation graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) on a display screen of the mobile device;

directing, by the remote control emulation system, the mobile device to emulate a first user input device associated with a media content access device by positioning an interactive graphical depiction of a feature set associated with the first user input device within the emulation GUI, the interactive graphical depiction of the feature set including a graphical depiction of a plurality of user-selectable features that are located relative to each other in a manner corresponding to an actual location of similar features on the first user input device;

selectively replacing, by the remote control emulation system, the interactive graphical depiction positioned within the emulation GUI with another interactive graphical depiction of another feature set associated with the first user input device if a first type of touch gesture is performed by a user of the mobile device, the another feature set including at least some of the plurality of user-selectable features that are included in the feature set and that are located relative to each other in the manner corresponding to the actual location of the similar features on the first user input device, wherein the at least some of the plurality of user-selectable features are positioned at a same position within the emulation GUI when the interactive graphical depiction of the feature set is positioned within the emulation GUI and when the another interactive graphical depiction of the another feature set is positioned within the emulation GUI; and

directing, by the remote control emulation system, the mobile device to dynamically switch from emulating the first user input device to emulating a second user input device associated with the media content access device if a second type of touch gesture is performed by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing the mobile device to dynamically switch from emulating the first user input device to emulating the second user input device comprises positioning a second interactive graphical depiction of a second feature set associated with the second user input device within the emulation GUI.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input device comprises a remote control device configured to control an operation of the media content access device; and

the feature set corresponds to a first zone of the remote control device; and

the another feature set corresponds to a second zone of the remote control device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the feature set and the another feature set both include a directional pad.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, the first type of touch gesture; and

selectively replacing within the emulation GUI, by the remote control emulation system in response to the detecting the first type of touch gesture, the interactive graphical depiction with the another graphical depiction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, the second type of touch gesture; and

directing, by the remote control emulation system in response to the detecting the second type of touch gesture, the mobile device to dynamically switch from emulating the first user input device to emulating the second user input device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, a user input command provided by the user by way of the interactive graphical depiction;

transmitting, by the remote control emulation system, the user input command to the media content access device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

predicting, by the remote control emulation system, a possible subsequent user input command to be provided by the user based on the user input command; and

automatically replacing, by the remote control emulation system in response to the predicting of the possible subsequent user input command, the interactive graphical depiction with a different interactive graphical depiction of a different feature set associated with the first user input device or another user input device within the emulation GUI, the different interactive graphical depiction configured to facilitate a providing of the possible subsequent user input command.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, a change in a presentation context associated with the media content access device; and

automatically replacing within the emulation GUI, by the remote control emulation system in response to the detecting of the change in the presentation context, the interactive graphical depiction with a different interactive graphical depiction of a different feature set associated with the first user input device or another user input device, the different interactive graphical depiction configured to facilitate a providing of one or more user input commands in the changed presentation context.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input device comprises a remote control device, a favorites selection device, a touchpad device, a qwerty keyboard device, or a video game controller device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user input device comprises a remote control device, a favorites selection device, a touchpad device, a qwerty keyboard device, or a video game controller device.

12. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

13. A method comprising:

directing, by a remote control emulation system, a mobile device to display an emulation graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) on a display screen of the mobile device;

directing, by the remote control emulation system, the mobile device to emulate at least one user input device associated with a media content access device by positioning a first interactive graphical depiction of a first feature set associated with the at least one user input device within the emulation GUI;

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, a first user input command provided by a user by way of the first interactive graphical depiction;

predicting, by the remote control emulation system, a possible second user input command to be provided by the user based on the first user input command;

automatically replacing within the emulation GUI, by the remote control emulation system in response to the predicting of the possible second user input command, the first interactive graphical depiction with a second interactive graphical depiction of a second feature set associated with the at least one user input device, the second interactive graphical depiction configured to facilitate a providing of the possible second user input command;

wherein the second interactive graphical depiction of the second feature set

is associated with a first user input device included in the at least one user input device and

includes a graphical depiction of a plurality of user-selectable features that are located relative to each other in a manner corresponding to an actual location of similar features on the first user input device, and wherein the method further comprises;

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, a touch gesture performed by the user while the second interactive graphical depiction is positioned within the emulation GUI; and

selectively replacing, by the remote control emulation system in response to the touch gesture, the second interactive graphical depiction positioned within the emulation GUI with another interactive graphical depiction of another feature set associated with the first user input device, the another feature set including at least some of the plurality of user-selectable features that are included in the second feature set and that are located relative to each other in the manner corresponding to the actual location of the similar features on the first user input device,

wherein the at least some of the plurality of user-selectable features are positioned at a same position within the emulation GUI when the interactive graphical depiction of the feature set is positioned within the emulation GUI and when the another interactive graphical depiction of the another feature set is positioned within the emulation GUI.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, a change in a presentation context associated with the media content access device; and

automatically replacing within the emulation GUI, by the remote control emulation system in response to the detecting of the change in the presentation context, the another interactive graphical depiction with a third interactive graphical depiction of a third feature set associated with the at least one user input device, the third interactive graphical depiction configured to facilitate a providing of one or more user input commands in the changed presentation context.

15. The method of claim 13, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

16. A method comprising:

directing, by a remote control emulation system, a mobile device to display an emulation graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) on a display screen of the mobile device;

directing, by the remote control emulation system, the mobile device to emulate at least one user input device associated with a media content access device by positioning a first interactive graphical depiction of a first feature set associated with the at least one user input device within the emulation GUI;

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, a change in a presentation context of media content being played back by the media content access device; and

automatically replacing within the emulation GUI, by the remote control emulation system in response to the detecting of the change in the presentation context, the first interactive graphical depiction with a second interactive graphical depiction of a second feature set associated with the at least one user input device, the second interactive graphical depiction configured to facilitate a providing of one or more user input commands in the changed presentation context,

wherein the second interactive graphical depiction of the second feature set

is associated with a first user input device included in the at least one user input device and

includes a graphical depiction of a plurality of user-selectable features that are located relative to each other in a manner corresponding to an actual location of similar features on the first user input device, and wherein the method further comprises;

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, a touch gesture performed by a user while the second interactive graphical depiction is positioned within the emulation GUI; and

selectively replacing, by the remote control emulation system in response to the touch gesture, the second interactive graphical depiction positioned within the emulation GUI with another interactive graphical depiction of another feature set associated with the first user input device, the another feature set including at least some of the plurality of user-selectable features that are included in the second feature set and that are located relative to each other in the manner corresponding to the actual location of the similar features on the first user input device,

wherein the at least some of the plurality of user-selectable features are positioned at a same position within the emulation GUI when the interactive graphical depiction of the feature set is positioned within the emulation GUI and when the another interactive graphical depiction of the another feature set is positioned within the emulation GUI.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting, by the remote control emulation system, a first user input command provided by the user by way of the another interactive graphical depiction;

predicting, by the remote control emulation system, a possible second user input command to be provided by the user based on the first user input command; and

automatically replacing within the emulation GUI, by the remote control emulation system in response to the predicting of the possible second user input command, the another interactive graphical depiction with a third interactive graphical depiction of a third feature set associated with the at least one user input device, the third interactive graphical depiction configured to facilitate a providing of the possible second user input command.

18. The method of claim 16, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

19. A system comprising:

at least one computing device that comprises

an emulation facility communicatively coupled to the user interface facility and that

directs the mobile device to emulate a first user input device associated with a media content access device by positioning an interactive graphical depiction of a feature set associated with the first user input device within the emulation GUI, the interactive graphical depiction of the feature set including a graphical depiction of a plurality of user-selectable features that are located relative to each other in a manner corresponding to an actual location of similar features on the first user input device,

replaces the interactive graphical depiction positioned within the emulation GUI with another interactive graphical depiction of another feature set associated with the first user input device in response to a first type of touch gesture being performed by a user of the mobile device, the another feature set including at least some of the plurality of user-selectable features that are included in the feature set and that are located relative to each other in the manner corresponding to the actual location of the similar features on the first user input device, wherein the at least some of the plurality of user-selectable features are positioned at a same position within the emulation GUI when the interactive graphical depiction of the feature set is positioned within the emulation GUI and when the another interactive graphical depiction of the another feature set is positioned within the emulation GUI, and

directs the mobile device to dynamically switch from emulating the first user input device to emulating a second user input device associated with the media content access device in response to a second type of touch gesture being performed by the user.