Intelligent remote control

• US 9,137,474 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, James W., Lam, Jennifer K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US12/393,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20100218214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,392 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/27, 725/28, 725/30, 725 37- 40, 725/43, 725/44, 725/46, 725/47, 725/51, 725/52, 725/58, 725/62, 725 74- 78, 725/80, 725/81, 725/105, 725/131, 725/133, 725/135, 725/139, 725/141, 725/143, 725/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications

Abstract

A disclosed remote control, suitable for use with a set top box or other form of multimedia handling device, includes a processor, a user input device, and a display. The user input device and the display are communicatively coupled to the processor. A communication adapter is configured to place the processor in bi-directional communication with the multimedia handling device. The remote control further includes a storage medium that may include a unique identifier of the user and a user profile indicative of the user'"'"'s channel preferences and viewing permissions. The storage medium may further include software instructions to synchronize the user profile with a corresponding user profile on the multimedia handling device, receive input from the user via the user input device, the input including commands from the user to manipulate the multimedia handling device, and display output on the display screen in response to the user'"'"'s commands.

Claims

1. An intelligent remote control for use with a multimedia handling device, the intelligent remote control comprising:

a processor;

a user input device communicatively coupled to the processor via an input adapter;

a display screen communicatively coupled to the processor via a display adapter;

a speaker communicatively coupled to the processor via a sound adapter;

a communication adapter, communicatively coupled to the processor, to place the processor in bi-directional communication with a multimedia handling device via a bi-directional link comprising a cellular link between the intelligent remote control and a cellular base station; and

a storage medium including;

stored data, comprising;

a unique identifier identifying a user;

user preferences including a user language preference, a user closed captioning preference, and a user preferred format preference; and

a user profile indicative of channel preferences and viewing permissions of the user; and

instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

synchronizing the user profile and the user preferences with a corresponding user profile and corresponding user preferences on the multimedia handling device;

receiving input from the user via the user input device, the input comprising commands from the user to manipulate the multimedia handling device;

sending a user-selectable display mode instruction to the multimedia handling device, the user-selectable display mode being selected from the group consisting of display screen only, television display only, and display screen and television display, wherein display screen only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent only to the display screen on the intelligent remote control, television display only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent only to a television display connected to the multimedia handling device, and display screen and television display mode indicates that output should be sent from the multimedia handling device both directly to the display screen on the intelligent remote control and directly to the television display;

sending a user-selectable content mode instruction to the multimedia handling device, the user-selectable content mode being selected from the group consisting of display all content only and display commercial-free content only, wherein display all content only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device should include all content and display commercial-free content only indicates that output from the multimedia handling device should not include program interruptions;

providing an interactive display in accordance with the display mode instruction and the content mode instruction; and

displaying on the intelligent remote control notification messages from the multimedia handling device, wherein the notification messages include a change in content status of a multimedia program based on the multimedia handling device receiving the content mode instruction.

2. The intelligent remote control of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is a globally unique identifier, and wherein the intelligent remote control is usable with any compatible multimedia handling device.

3. The intelligent remote control of claim 1 wherein the operations include:

creating local multimedia content; and

sending the local multimedia content to the multimedia handling device.

4. The intelligent remote control of claim 1 wherein the notification messages further include forwarded caller identification messages.

5. The intelligent remote control of claim 1 wherein the notification messages include notifications of the beginning and ending of a multimedia television program.

6. The intelligent remote control of claim 1 wherein the notification messages include further emergency notifications.

7. The intelligent remote control of claim 1 wherein the operations include instructing the multimedia handling device to display an electronic programming guide on the display screen of the intelligent remote control.

8. The intelligent remote control of claim 1 wherein the bi-directional link is a secure internet connection, and wherein the user is enabled to interact with the multimedia handling device via a web browser.

9. The intelligent remote control of claim 1 wherein the storage medium includes a plurality of profiles.

10. The intelligent remote control of claim 9 wherein the plurality of profiles includes a profile selected from the group consisting of:

a default profile, the default profile being based on available features and channels;

a regular profile, the regular profile blocking potentially-objectionable content; and

an advanced profile, the advanced profile providing access to potentially-objectionable content.

11. A mobile telephone configured to perform the method of claim 1.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including stored, processor executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

processing a signal from an intelligent remote control, the signal including a unique identifier;

obtaining user preferences for language, closed captioning and preferred format;

obtaining a user profile associated with the unique identifier;

providing the user profile to the intelligent remote control over a bi-directional communication link including a cellular link between the intelligent remote control and a cellular base station;

receiving a display mode instruction from the intelligent remote control, the display mode being selected from the group consisting of display screen only, television display only, and display screen and television display, wherein display screen only mode indicates that output from a multimedia handling device is sent only to a display screen on the intelligent remote control, television display only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent only to a television display connected to the multimedia handling device, and display screen and television display mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent both directly to the display screen and directly to the television display;

receiving a content mode instruction from the intelligent remote control, the content mode being selected from the group consisting of display all content only and display commercial-free content only, wherein display all content only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device should include all content and display commercial-free content only indicates that output from the multimedia handling device should not include program interruptions;

providing an interactive display in accordance with the display mode instruction and the content mode instruction; and

providing to the intelligent remote control notification messages from the multimedia handling device, wherein the notification messages include a change in content status of a multimedia program based on the multimedia handling device receiving the content mode instruction.

13. The storage medium of claim 12 wherein the operations include receiving multimedia content from the intelligent remote control.

14. The storage medium of claim 12 wherein the notification messages include an incoming caller identification.

15. The storage medium of claim 12 wherein the notification messages include an emergency event notification.

16. The storage medium of claim 12 wherein the notification messages include a change in the status of a multimedia program.

17. An intelligent remote control for controlling a multimedia handling device, the intelligent remote control comprising:

a processor;

a communication adapter communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to place the processor in bi-directional communication with a multimedia handling device via a bi-directional link wherein the bi-directional link includes a cellular link between the intelligent remote control and a cellular base station; and

a storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

maintaining an individual profile including channel preferences and viewing permissions, the individual profile being tied to a global unique identifier;

creating local multimedia content;

sending the locally created multimedia content to the multimedia handling device and instructing the multimedia handling device to store the locally created multimedia content;

sending a user-selectable display mode instruction indicating a display mode to the multimedia handling device, the user-selectable display mode being selected from a display screen only mode, a television display only mode, and a display screen and television display mode, wherein the display screen only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent only to a display screen on the intelligent remote control, the television display only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent only to a television display connected to the multimedia handling device, and display screen and television display mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent both directly to the display screen and directly to the television display;

sending a user-selectable content mode instruction indicating a content mode to the multimedia handling device, the user-selectable content mode being selected from the group consisting of display all content only and display commercial-free content only, wherein display all content only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device should include all content and display commercial-free content only indicates that output from the multimedia handling device should not include program interruptions;

providing an interactive display in accordance with the display mode instruction and the content mode instruction; and

receiving from the multimedia handling device notification of an event, the event including a change in content status of a multimedia program based on the multimedia handling device receiving the content mode instruction.

18. The intelligent remote control of claim 17 wherein the storage medium further includes instructions executable by the processor to provide a user-selectable display mode for control functions, the display mode being selected from the group consisting of:

display screen only, television display only, and dual display.

19. A method, comprising:

processing a signal from an intelligent remote control, the signal including a unique identifier;

obtaining user preferences for language, closed captioning and preferred format;

obtaining a user profile associated with the unique identifier;

providing the user profile to the intelligent remote control over a bi-directional communication link including a cellular link between the intelligent remote control and a cellular base station;

receiving a display mode instruction from the intelligent remote control, the display mode being selected from the group consisting of display screen only, television display only, and display screen and television display, wherein display screen only mode indicates that output from a multimedia handling device is sent only to a display screen on the intelligent remote control, television display only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent only to a television display connected to the multimedia handling device, and display screen and television display mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device is sent both directly to the display screen and directly to the television display;

receiving a content mode instruction from the intelligent remote control, the content mode being selected from the group consisting of display all content only and display commercial-free content only, wherein display all content only mode indicates that output from the multimedia handling device should include all content and display commercial-free content only indicates that output from the multimedia handling device should not include program interruptions;

providing an interactive display in accordance with the display mode instruction and the content mode instruction; and

providing to the intelligent remote control notification messages from the multimedia handling device, wherein the notification messages include a change in content status of a multimedia program based on the multimedia handling device receiving the content mode instruction.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the operations include receiving multimedia content from the intelligent remote control.