Systems and methods for remote control setup

• US 9,202,372 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William R., Zenthoefer, Matthew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US12/492,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

A remote control device may include: first circuitry to control a function of a first electronic device; second circuitry to be set to control a function of a second electronic device; and a setup controller to set the second circuitry to control a function of a target electronic device based on a code received from a separate device. An electronic device to be controlled by a remote control device may include: an input device to receive a signal from the remote control device; an output device to send a signal to the remote control device; and a processor coupled to the input and output devices, and configured to access a database of codes and to selectively provide codes from the database to the remote control device, the codes configured to set circuitry of the remote control device to control a function of the electronic device and/or an auxiliary electronic device.

Claims

1. A remote control device, comprising:

a wireless transmitter;

a memory;

first circuitry disposed within the remote control device configured to generate signals using the wireless transmitter to thereby wirelessly control at least one function of a first controllable electronic device upon receipt of a first user input;

second circuitry disposed within the remote control device configured to be set to generate signals using the wireless transmitter to thereby wirelessly control at least one function of an auxiliary controllable electronic device upon receipt of a second user input; and

a setup controller configured to initially obtain a digital code associated with the auxiliary controllable electronic device from the first controllable electronic device and to store the digital code associated with the auxiliary controllable electronic device in the memory, wherein the digital code is subsequently retrieved from the memory prior to receipt of the second user input to set the second circuitry to wirelessly control the auxiliary controllable electronic device, wherein the signals generated by the wireless transmitter are controlled by the second circuitry based upon the digital code associated with the auxiliary controllable electronic device that is retrieved from the memory, wherein the remote control device is configured to test the digital code initially obtained from the first controllable electronic device and, if the test of the digital code is unsuccessful, to re-query the first controllable electronic device for another digital code.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one function of the target auxiliary controllable electronic device is a single predetermined function.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the remote control device is configured to request a codeset from the first controllable electronic device when the digital code received from the first controllable electronic device allows the setup controller to set the second circuitry to wirelessly control the single predetermined function of the target auxiliary controllable electronic device, the requested codeset corresponding to the code and allowing the setup controller to set the second circuitry to wirelessly control at least a second function of the target auxiliary controllable electronic device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the remote control device is configured to continue repeatedly querying the first controllable electronic device until the digital code received from the first controllable electronic device allows the setup controller to set the second circuitry to wirelessly control at least one function of the target auxiliary controllable electronic device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the remote control device is configured to request a codeset from the first controllable electronic device when the digital code received from the first controllable electronic device allows the setup controller to set the second circuitry to wirelessly control at least one function of the target auxiliary controllable electronic, the requested codeset corresponding to the code and allowing the setup controller to set the second circuitry to wirelessly control at least a second function of the target auxiliary controllable electronic device.

6. A controllable electronic device configured to be controlled by a remote control device, the controllable electronic device comprising:

an input device configured to receive at least one wireless signal from the remote control device;

an output device configured to send at least one wireless signal to the remote control device in response to the at least one wireless signal from the remote control device; and

a processor coupled to the input device and to the output device, configured to access a database of digital codes and to selectively provide a plurality of digital codes making up only a subset of the digital codes from the database to the remote control device via the output device for storage on the remote control device, the digital codes being configured to set circuitry of the remote control device to directly generate instructions that wirelessly control at least one function of another controllable electronic device in response to subsequent user inputs received at the remote control device, to thereby allow the remote control device to sequentially test the plurality of digital codes in the subset until one of the digital codes is successful in controlling a second controlled device.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a storage device, wherein the storage device stores the database of digital codes to be accessed by the processor.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to provide a first digital code from the database in response to a first query signal from the remote control device, and is configured to provide a different digital code from the database in response to a subsequent query signal from the remote control device.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to provide a different digital code from the database in response to different instances of a query signal from the remote control device that requests a digital code.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured selectively provide the subset of the digital codes based on information regarding the another controllable electronic device.

11. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to access a database of codesets and to provide a desired codeset from the database to the remote control device via the output device, the codesets corresponding to respective digital codes and being configured to set circuitry of the remote control device to wirelessly control at least a second function of the another controllable electronic device.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a storage device, wherein the storage device stores the database of codesets to be accessed by the processor.

13. A method executable by a configurable remote control device that wirelessly controls a plurality of controllable electronic devices, the method comprising:

transmitting a first signal from the remote control device to a first one of the plurality of electronic devices using a wireless transmitter of the remote control device;

receiving a first code at the remote control device from the first controllable electronic device in response to the first signal, wherein the first code describes wireless signals compatible with a second one of the plurality of electronic devices;

testing the first code to determine if the first code is compatible with the second one of the plurality of electronic devices; and

if the test is unsuccessful, obtaining replacement codes from the first controllable electronic device; and

if the test is successful,

storing the first code in a memory of the remote control device;

subsequently retrieving the first code from the memory prior to receipt of a user input directing the remote control device to provide a command to the second one of the plurality of electronic devices; and

generating a generated signal using the wireless transmitter of the remote control device to thereby provide the command to the second one of the plurality of electronic devices, wherein the generated signal is based on the first code associated with the second electronic device that is retrieved from the memory.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a second signal from the remote control device to the first controllable electronic device if the first code received by the remote control device was unsuccessful in producing desired effects in the second electronic device;

receiving a second code at the remote control device from the first electronic device in response to the second signal, wherein the second code is configured to produce the same desired effects as the first code in different types of controlled electronic devices; and

storing the second code in the memory of the remote control.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a codeset corresponding to the second code to the remote control device from the first controllable electronic device in response to a third signal from the remote control device indicating that the second code successfully set some of the plurality of circuitry to wirelessly control at least one function of a target controllable electronic device, the codeset configured to set some of the circuitry to wirelessly control at least a second function of the target controllable electronic device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second signals from the remote control device are queries for a code, and wherein codes are iteratively communicated from a database of codes to the remote control device from the first controllable electronic device in response to subsequent queries.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the generated signal is independently generated by the remote control device in response to the user input based upon the first code.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the generated signal is independently generated by the remote control device in response to the user input based upon the first code without further communication with the first controllable electronic device.