Gesture-initiated remote control programming

• US 9,159,225 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• 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: Pratt, James, Sullivan, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US14/195,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.24, 340/3.1, 340/12.78, 340/5.1, 340/825.22, 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/825.24, 340/825.71, 340/539.16, 340/539.19, 340/541, 340/567, 340/12.28, 340/13.24, 340/12.5, 340/12.22, 340/12, 340/52, 340/5.2, 345/156, 345/157, 345/121, 345/123, 345/127, 345/341, 345/339, 345/159, 345/173, 345/158, 345/419, 345/176, 382/288, 382/115, 382/118, 382/181, 382/203, 348/211.1, 348/211.99, 348/734, 348/77, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

A method and system for configuring a universal remote control (URC) to control a remote-controlled device includes establishing a communication link between the URC and the remote-controlled device in response to detecting a gesture motion of the URC. Device information may be received from the remote-controlled device and used by the URC to program the URC to control the remote-controlled device. The URC may be configured to control a plurality of remote-controlled devices. The communication link may be a near field wireless communication link.

Claims

1. A universal remote control method, comprising:

wirelessly broadcasting, by a universal remote control, a device identification query, including a wireless identification message and an acknowledgement of the message received, to identify at least one available remote-controlled device, in proximity to the universal remote control, available to program the universal remote control and to control the remote-controlled device using programming codes associated with the remote-controlled device;

responsive to receiving responses to the wireless identification messages from available remote-controlled devices;

displaying, by the universal remote control, the available remote-controlled devices;

receiving user input selecting a particular remote-controlled device from the available remote-controlled devices;

responsive to sensing a particular motion, a user command, or a signal to initiate a programming mode of the universal remote control, establishing a wireless communication link with the particular remote-controlled device;

receiving, via the wireless communication link, device information from the particular remote-controlled device; and

based on the device information, programming the universal remote control to control the remote-controlled device; and

responsive to receiving no responses to the wireless identification messages from proximal remote-controlled devices during a response interval of a particular duration, determining that there are no available remote-controlled devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular motion includes a pre-defined spatial path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular motion comprises an oscillating motion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly broadcasting the query comprises wirelessly broadcasting, the query with a near field transceiver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the universal remote control, at least a portion of the device information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying device information for a plurality of remote-controlled devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the device information in the universal remote control.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device information includes programming codes enabling the universal remote control to control the remote-controlled device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the device information includes identifying information for the remote-controlled device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to user input, sending a remote control command to the remote-controlled device, the remote control command corresponding to a command executable by the remote-controlled device.

11. A universal remote control, comprising:

a processor;

a motion sensor;

a near field transceiver; and

memory media, including processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

wirelessly broadcasting a device identification query, including a wireless identification message and an acknowledgement of the message received, to identify at least one available remote-controlled device, in proximity to the universal remote control, available to program the universal remote control and to control the remote-controlled device using programming codes associated with the remote-controlled device;

determining available remote-controlled devices based on responses to the wireless identification messages received by the universal remote control;

receiving user input selecting a particular remote-controlled device for programming;

receiving device identifying information from the remote-controlled device selected;

signaling the remote-controlled device to send device programming information;

receiving, via the near field transceiver, the device programming information from the remote-controlled device;

responsive to receiving the device programming information, programming the universal remote control to control the remote-controlled device; and

responsive to receiving no responses to the wireless identification messages from proximal remote-controlled devices during a response interval of a particular duration, determining that there are no available remote-controlled devices.

12. The universal remote control of claim 11, further comprising:

a display device controlled by the processor; and

wherein the operations include;

displaying an indication of the available remote-controlled devices on a display device of the universal remote control.

13. The universal remote control of claim 11, further comprising:

a user control interface configured to receive user input; and

wherein the operations include;

selecting, for programming, an available remote-controlled device based on user input to the user control interface.

14. The universal remote control of claim 13, wherein the user control interface is a touch interface responsive to tactile user input.

15. The universal remote control of claim 13, wherein the user control interface is an audio interface responsive to user speech input.

16. The universal remote control of claim 11, wherein wirelessly broadcasting the query comprises:

wirelessly broadcasting the query via the near field transceiver.

17. The universal remote control of claim 11, wherein the near field transceiver is selected from a group consisting of:

an infrared radio-frequency (RF) wireless interface, and a near field RF wireless interface.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable memory device, including processor executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

wirelessly broadcasting a device identification query, including a wireless identification message and an acknowledgement of the message received, to identify at least one available remote-controlled device, in proximity to the universal remote control, available to program the universal remote control and to control the remote-controlled device using programming codes associated with the remote-controlled device;

identifying remote-controlled devices responding to the wireless identification messages as available remote-controlled devices;

displaying the available remote-controlled devices;

responsive to receiving input indicating a particular remote-controlled device, signaling the particular remote-controlled device to initiate programming of the universal remote control and to send programming codes to the universal remote control;

receiving the programming codes from the remote-controlled device;

programming the universal remote control to control the remote-controlled device in accordance with the programming codes; and

responsive to receiving no responses to the wireless identification messages from proximal remote-controlled devices during a response interval of a particular duration, determining that there are no available remote-controlled devices.

19. The memory device of claim 18, wherein no available remote-controlled devices are detected when no response to the query is received within a pre-determined time, and wherein the operations include:

displaying an indication of no available remote-controlled devices.