System and method for entertainment system reconfiguration

• US 9,210,356 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William, Mauser, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bantamoi, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/330,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 725/153, 348/734, 348/552
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/43637 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

A method for reconfiguring an entertainment system to restore audio/video content to a user is presented. In the method, a request to reconfigure the entertainment system is received at a first component of the entertainment system. In response to the request, an indication of a configuration command for a second component of the entertainment system is transmitted from the first component to a remote control device. In response to receiving the indication of the configuration command at the remote control device, the configuration command is transmitted from the remote control device to the second component.

Claims

1. A method for reconfiguring an entertainment system to restore audio/video content to a user, the method comprising:

at a first component of the entertainment system, receiving a request to reconfigure the entertainment system;

in response to the request, transmitting an indication of a configuration command for a second component of the entertainment system from the first component to a remote control device;

in response to receiving the indication of the configuration command at the remote control device, transmitting the configuration command from the remote control device to the second component;

after transmitting the configuration command from the remote control device to the second component, transmitting an acknowledgment from the remote control device to the first component acknowledging transmission of the configuration command from the remote control device to the second component; and

at the first component, transmitting a second configuration command for a third component of the entertainment system from the first component to the third component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first component, transmitting an indication of another configuration command for the second component from the first component to the remote control device if the first component receives within a predetermined period of time a user response to continue reconfiguration of the entertainment system; and

in response to receiving the indication of the second configuration command at the remote control device, transmitting the other configuration command from the remote control device to the second component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first component, transmitting an indication of the second configuration command for a third component of the entertainment system from the first component to the remote control device if the first component receives within a predetermined period of time a user response to continue reconfiguration of the entertainment system; and

in response to receiving the indication of the second configuration command at the remote control device, transmitting the second configuration command from the remote control device to the third component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first component, in response to the request, executing a configuration command for the first component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of another configuration command for the second component of the entertainment system from the first component to the remote control device in response to receiving the acknowledgment at the first component from the remote control device; and

in response to receiving the indication of the other configuration command at the remote control device, transmitting the second configuration command from the remote control device to the second component.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

at the remote control device, after receiving the indication of the configuration command, ignoring user input until a predetermined period of time after transmitting the acknowledgment to the first component.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

After the transmitting the configuration command from the remote control device to the second component, transmitting the acknowledgment from the remote control device to the first component;

the transmitting the second configuration command for the third component includes transmitting an indication of the second configuration command for the third component of the entertainment system from the first component to the remote control device in response to receiving the acknowledgment at the first component from the remote control device; and

in response to receiving the indication of the second configuration command at the remote control device, transmitting the second configuration command from the remote control device to the third component.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

at the remote control device, after receiving the indication of the first configuration command, ignoring user input until a predetermined period of time after transmitting the acknowledgment to the first component.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the second configuration command for the third component of the entertainment system from the first component to the third component includes transmitting the second configuration command while circumventing the remote control device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the configuration command for the second component comprises at least one of selecting an input programming channel of the second component, selecting an output programming channel of the second component, selecting a video input of the second component, selecting a video output of the second component, selecting an audio input of the second component, selecting an audio output of the second component, selecting an audio level for the second component, and altering a power state of the second component.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first component, receiving configuration command information for the second component before receiving the request;

wherein the indication of the configuration command is based on the configuration command information.

12. A component of an entertainment system, the component comprising:

a remote control interface configured to communicate with a remote control device;

data storage configured to store configuration command information for a second component of the entertainment system; and

control logic configured to;

receive a request to reconfigure the entertainment system; and

in response to the request, transmit an indication of a first configuration command for the second component to the remote control device by way of the remote control interface, wherein the indication of the first configuration command is based on the configuration command information in the data storage; and

in response to receiving an acknowledgment from the remote control device of transmission of the first configuration command, transmitting a second configuration command for a third component of the entertainment system from the component to the third component via an indication of a the second configuration command sent to the remote control.

13. The component of claim 12, wherein:

the indication of the first configuration command comprises one of a numeric representation of the configuration command and a communication code of the configuration command.

14. The component of claim 12, wherein:

the remote control interface is configured to receive the request and transfer the request to the control logic.

15. The component of claim 12, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive the configuration command information for storing in the data storage.

16. The component of claim 12, further comprising:

a component communication interface configured to communicatively couple the component with the third component;

wherein the control logic is configured to transmit a third configuration command by way of the component communication interface to the third component.

17. The component of claim 12, further comprising:

an audio/video input interface configured to receive multiple channels of audio/video content;

a channel selector configured to select one of the multiple channels of audio/video content; and

an audio/video output interface configured to deliver the selected channel of audio/video content to an output device for presentation to a user.

18. The component of claim 17, wherein:

the audio/video input interface comprises at least one of a satellite television input interface, a cable television input interface, and a terrestrial television input interface.

19. A remote control device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive wireless communication from a first component of an entertainment system;

a transmitter configured to transmit wireless communications to the first component a second component and a third component of the entertainment system;

control logic configured to;

receive an indication of a configuration command for the second component from the first component by way of the receiver;

transfer the configuration command to the second component by way of the transmitter;

after transmitting the first configuration command from the remote control device to the second component, transmit an acknowledgment from the remote control device to the first component; and

transmit to the third component a second configuration command for the third component of the entertainment system received from the first component.

20. The remote control device of claim 19, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user request to reconfigure the entertainment system;

wherein the control logic is configured to receive the user request from the user interface and transfer the request to the first component by way of the transmitter.

21. The remote control device of claim 20, wherein:

the control logic is configured to ignore user input from the user interface from when the control logic receives the indication of the configuration command by way of the receiver until a predetermined period of time after the control logic has transferred the acknowledgment to the first component by way of the transmitter.

22. The remote control device of claim 21, wherein:

the control logic is configured to receive an indication of another configuration command during the predetermined period of time by way of the receiver, transfer the other configuration command by way of the transmitter, transfer a second acknowledgment to the first component by way of the transmitter after transferring the other configuration command, and continue to ignore the user input from the user interface until the predetermined period of time after the control logic has transferred the second acknowledgment to the first component by way of the transmitter.