Universal parallel television remote control

• US 9,277,156 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): STONE, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US11/290,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,744 Days
• Field of Search: 340/15, 725111-114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/027 Remotely controlled remote control systems in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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

Abstract

A portable control unit that interacts with a variety of types of media equipment. The control unit searches for media equipment (including media players) located within an area and retrieves user interaction information corresponding to discovered media players. The control unit can be instructed to control any of the discovered media players. The control unit uses the retrieved user interaction information to adapt. The control unit may periodically, or when relocated, look for new media players in its neighborhood. The control unit interacts with multiple multimedia sources that supply video and/or audio to the media players. The control unit may have a screen on which it displays a video in addition to controlling selection and presentation of a video and/or an audio in any one of the discovered media players. The control unit maintains an updateable media guide that provides a list of multimedia elements available for viewing and/or listening.

Claims

1. A control unit that is portable, the control unit comprising:

a user interface;

a communication interface that is operable to communicatively couple to at least one of a plurality of servers through the Internet; and

processing circuitry that is operable to, at least;

determine an amount of change in geographic location of the control unit;

determine to configure the control unit based, at least in part, on a comparison between the determined amount of change in geographic location

and a threshold amount of change in geographic location;

and in response to determining to configure the control unit;

retrieve, from the at least one of the plurality of servers via the communication interface, a configuration corresponding to an identifier that identifies a media equipment to be controlled by the control unit; and

configure the control unit, using the retrieved configuration, to control the media equipment;

wherein the user interface of the configured control unit is operable to control the media equipment.

2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is operable to, prior to retrieving the configuration from the at least one of the plurality of servers, receive the identifier from the media equipment.

3. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the user interface is operable to receive an input that comprises the identifier.

4. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to utilize the user interface to present a plurality of identifiers to a user of the control unit, and the user interface is operable to receive the identifier via user selection of one of the presented plurality of identifiers.

6. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to configure the control unit by, at least in part, using the retrieved configuration to map functionalities of the media equipment to the user interface of the control unit.

7. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the media equipment comprises media playing equipment.

8. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the media equipment comprises a set top box.

9. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the media equipment comprises a television.

10. The control unit of claim 1, wherein:

the user interface is operable to receive an input from a user of the control unit indicating the threshold amount of change in location that will trigger configuration of the control unit.

11. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) circuitry that operates to determine the location of the control unit.

12. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to, in response to determining to configure the control unit, search for media equipment in a geographical area.

13. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to control a plurality of different media equipment at a plurality of different respective premises.

14. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to retrieve the configuration by, at least in part, operating to attempt to retrieve the configuration from a plurality of different servers of a communication network.

15. The control unit of claim 1, comprising a look-up table cross-listing manufacturers and respective communication network addresses.

16. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to interface with a remote media source through a communication network to determine a communication protocol to be used for communication between the control unit and the remote media source.

17. The control unit of claim 2, wherein the identifier received from the media equipment comprises a communication network address of a server from which the configuration is to be retrieved.

5. A control unit comprising:

a user interface;

a communication interface; and

processing circuitry that is operable to, at least;

retrieve a plurality of identifiers via the communication interface by, at least in part, searching for media equipment coupled to a local area network, the plurality of identifiers corresponding to a plurality of respective different media equipments;

retrieve a plurality of respective configurations corresponding to the plurality of identifiers; and

store the plurality of respective configurations in a memory, at least one of the plurality of configurations to be used to control corresponding media equipment from the plurality of different media equipments, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to search for media equipment situated in proximity to the control unit at regular intervals of time;

wherein the regular intervals of time are user-defined.