System and method for adaptive programming of a remote control

• US 9,207,652 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Liu, Godwin, Rigley, Mark, Wheeler, Stephen, Henry, Justin M., Harris, Glen McLean
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US13/926,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/102.01, 379/102.03, 379/102.04, 379/110.01, 725/100, 725/114, 725/131.39, 340/12.03, 340/12.08, 340/815.4, 340/825.22, 340/825.37, 340/826.69, 348/734, 455/68, 323/371
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0205 not using a model or a simulator of the controlled system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for adaptively configuring a remote control includes analyzing a log of events, maintained by the remote control, which indicate how the remote control and the devices it controls are used by a user. Once the analysis is performed, the system and method can suggest alternative configurations of the remote control to the user. The range and type of alternative configurations is not particularly limited and can include changing which devices are employed for various user activities and/or how those activities are performed, the placement and hierarchy of commands in a menu tree and/or troubleshooting and set up configurations. The analysis can be performed either partially or totally within the remote control, or at, or in conjunction with, a service to which the remote control connects through a network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a user device including a touch screen, a processor and a communications module, wherein the processor is configured to present selectable commands to a user on the touchscreen based on a configuration data set stored in the user device, and to log and store user initiated events and contextual information related to user selection of the commands;

an analysis module operable to analyze the log of events and contextual information stored by the user device to identify one or more patterns of interest in the use of the user device; and

a configuration utility operable with the analysis module to at least one of create and modify a configuration data set to operate the user device in accordance with at least one identified pattern of interest.

2. The system of claim 1, where, in response to the results produced by the analysis module, the configuration utility conducts an interactive dialog with the user as to whether they would like a suggested change in the operation of the user device to be implemented and the configuration utility will only effect the change if the user responds accordingly.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the interactive dialog with the user is effected via a web page displayed to the user.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the interactive dialog with the user is effected via the touchscreen of the user device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control at least one other device, and to communicate with a device database storing identifications of devices to be controlled by the user device and command sets for those other devices.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the device database is located in the remote control.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the configuration utility and the analysis module are located in the remote control.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the configuration utility and the analysis module are located at a location to which the user device connects through a network.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the patterns of interest result from logged and stored events from a troubleshooting program previously loaded into the user device and the configuration utility is responsive to one or more identified patterns of interest to change the configuration data set of the user device to correct an identified error in a previous version of the configuration data set.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the configuration utility and the analysis module are located in the user device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data set created by the configuration utility is configured to be stored in the device database, and is configured to be available via the device database to a plurality of remote controls operated by a plurality of users.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the log is configured to be stored in the device database, and is configured to be available via the device database to a plurality of remote controls operated by a plurality of users.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the pattern of interest includes at least one of a time-based pattern, a use-based pattern, or a source-based pattern.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the amended configuration data set is configured for use by the processor to display a soft button on the touch screen, and wherein activation of the soft button causes the processor to perform a modified function in accordance with the at least one identified pattern of interest.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the soft button is for a button in a sub-menu, and the soft button is in a main menu.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes at least one of a state of the user device, a state of another device, a timestamp, a media type identifier, a media program identifier, a sub-menu indicator.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the contextual information includes at least two of a state of the user device, a state of another device, a timestamp, a media type identifier, a media program identifier, a sub-menu indicator, for a particular event.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one identified pattern of interest is used to modify an audio function associated with at least one of the selectable commands.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to suggest to the user changes regarding the selectable commands based on the analysis of the log of events and contextual information.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module is further configured to recognize the absence of a previously identified pattern of interest, and the configuration utility is further configured to at least one of create and modify a configuration data set to operate the user device in accordance with the absence of the previously identified pattern of interest.