Remote control operation using a wireless home entertainment hub

• US 9,185,741 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Porto Vinci Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Igoe, Patrick T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tilahun, Alazar
• Application Number:
  US11/760,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,077 Days
• Field of Search: 725/141, 725/153, 725 80- 81, 725/82, 725/83, 725/133, 348/734
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/08 by combining tones G10H1/14, G10H1/16 take precedence; chord G10H1/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• 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 21/43637 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 21/440209 for formatting on an optical medium, e.g. DVD
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A remote control that switches assignment of actuators from operations of a currently active source device to operations of an automatically detected active source device is disclosed. The remote control may receive a selection to change a parameter of the active source device based on activation of the actuators on the remote control. The active source device may present content and may be registered with the wireless home entertainment hub. The registration may prevent the active source device from association and communication with a different wireless home entertainment hub.

Claims

1. A method performed by a remote control, the method comprising:

receiving, by the remote control from a wireless home entertainment hub, an instruction to switch assignment of actuators from operations of a currently active source device to operations of an active first source device for presentation of audio or video, wherein activation of the first source device is automatically detected by the wireless home entertainment hub;

receiving by the remote control, a selection to change a parameter of the active first source device based on activating the actuators on the remote control;

transmitting, by the remote control, an indication of the activated actuators;

wherein the active first source device is registered with the wireless home entertainment hub; and

wherein the registration prevents the active first source device from registering with a different wireless home entertainment hub.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control from the wireless home entertainment hub, another instruction to a different assignment for the actuators corresponding to operations of a second source device; and

wherein the different assignment based on an activation of the second source device and the different assignment is not stored on memory of the remote control prior to receiving the another instruction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is wirelessly transmitted to the active first source device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is wirelessly transmitted to the wireless home entertainment hub.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control is a mobile phone configurable to communicate with the wireless home entertainment hub and one or more devices in a home entertainment system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the registration allows exchange of data between the active first source device and the wireless home entertainment hub; and

the registration facilitates direct transfer of data between the active first source device and other device registered with the wireless home entertainment hub.

7. A method preformed by a wireless home entertainment hub, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the wireless home entertainment hub, a registration of a first source device, wherein the registration prevents the first source device from registering with a different wireless home entertainment hub;

detecting, automatically by the wireless home entertainment hub, an activation of the first source device to provide audio or video;

sending, by the wireless home entertainment hub to a remote control based on the detection, an instruction to switch assignment of actuators of the remote control from operations of a currently active source device to operations of the active first source device;

receiving, by the wireless home entertainment hub from the remote control, a selection corresponding to activation of the actuators of the remote control to change a parameter of the active first source device; and

transmitting, by the wireless home entertainment hub to the active first source device, and indication of the activated actuators.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting a different assignment for the actuators of the remote control based on detecting an activation of a second source device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the activation of the second source device includes receiving a selection to present program content from the second source device in a home entertainment system.

10. A method of claim 7, wherein a state of the active first source device includes one of a low power mode or a full power mode.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the remote control is one of a mobile phone or personal digital assistant configurable to communicate with the wireless home entertainment hub and a plurality or source devices.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the registration allows exchange of data between the active first source device and the wireless home entertainment hub; and

the registration facilitates direct transfer of data.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

sending, by the wireless home entertainment hub to at least one sink device that is registered, an instruction to directly receive content from the active first source device.

14. A remote control characterized in that:

a transceiver is configured to receive, from a wireless home entertainment hub, an instruction to switch assignment of actuators from operations of a currently active source device to operations of an active first source device for presentation of audio or video, wherein activation of the first source device is automatically detected by the wireless home entertainment hub;

the transceiver is further configured to receive a selection to change a parameter of the active first source device based on activation of the actuators on the remote control;

the transceiver is configured to transmit an indication of the activated actuators;

wherein the active first source device is registered with the wireless home entertainment hub; and

wherein the registration prevents the active first source device from registering with a different wireless home entertainment hub.

15. The remote control of claim 14, further comprising:

the transceiver is further configured to receive, from the wireless home entertainment hub, another instruction to a different assignment for the actuators corresponding to operations of a second source device; and

wherein the different assignment is based on an activation of the second source device and the different assignment is not stored on memory of the remote control prior to reception of the another instruction.

16. The remote control of claim 14, wherein the indication is wirelessly transmitted to the active first source device.

17. The remote control of claim 14, wherein the indication is wirelessly transmitted to the wireless home entertainment hub.

18. The remote control of claim 14, wherein the remote control is a mobile phone configurable to communicate with the wireless home entertainment hub and one or more devices in a home entertainment system.

19. The remote control of claim 14 further comprising:

the registration allows exchange of data between the active first source device and the wireless home entertainment hub; and

the registration facilitates direct transfer of data between the active first source device and other devices registered with the wireless home entertainment hub.