System and method for remote device pairing

• US 9,338,495 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William R., Bruhn, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US13/973,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20130340002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing pairing between a remote device and a plurality of devices including establishing a list of pairing-capable devices, the list comprising a portion of the plurality of devices, measuring a plurality of link qualities between the remote device and the pairing-capable devices, comparing, with a processor, the plurality of link qualities with one another and determining a highest link quality, selecting, by a computing device, an available pairing-capable device having the highest link quality, pairing with the selected device, and controlling a presentation device, the controlling including checking if the selected device is the associated device and where the selected device is not the associated device, relaying commands via the network to the associated device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating indirect communication with one of a plurality of set-top-boxes in a network, comprising:

transmitting, by a remote control, a request for information regarding whether each of the plurality of set-top-boxes is capable of pairing with the remote control;

receiving from the remote control, by a first set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes, the request;

transmitting to the remote control, by the first set-top box, a first reply to the request, the first reply including information indicating that the first set-top box is capable of pairing with the remote control;

in response to the remote control receiving the first reply to the request, transmitting, from the remote control, an instruction signal carrying instructions for controlling an audiovisual display, and information identifying a second set-top box of the plurality of set-top-boxes;

receiving, by the first set-top-box, from the remote control, the instruction signal carrying instructions for controlling the audiovisual display, and the information identifying the second set-top box;

relaying, by the first set-top box, the instructions for controlling the audiovisual display via the network from the first set-top box to the identified second set-top-box.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control is paired with the first set-top-box.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second set-top-box is associated with the remote control.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the remote control, by a third set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes, the request;

transmitting to the remote control, by the third set-top box, a second reply to the request, the second reply including information indicating that the third set-top box is capable of pairing with the remote control;

transmitting from the remote control to the third set-top box a first request to pair with the remote control;

receiving by the remote control, a response to the first request to pair with the remote control from the third set-top box, the response to the first request to pair with the remote control information indicating that the third set-top box declines the first request pair with the remote control;

transmitting from the remote control to the second set-top box a second request to pair with the remote control; and

receiving by the remote control, a response to the second request to pair with the remote control from the second set-top box, the response to the second request to pair with the remote control information indicating that the second set-top box accepts the second request to pair with the remote control.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the third set-top box has a highest link quality; and

determining that the second set-top box has a second highest link quality, the second highest link quality being less than the highest link quality.

4. A method for indirect control of a set-top-box, comprising:

transmitting, from a remote control, a request for information regarding whether each of the plurality of set-top-boxes is capable of pairing with the remote control;

receiving, at a first of a plurality of set-top boxes, the request from the remote control;

in response to receiving the request, transmitting by the first of the plurality of set-top boxes to the remote control information indicating that the first of the plurality of set-top boxes is capable of pairing with the remote control;

transmitting, from the remote control, an instruction signal carrying instructions for controlling an audiovisual display associated with a second of the plurality of set-top boxes;

receiving, at the first of the plurality of set top boxes, the instruction signal carrying instructions for controlling an audiovisual display associated with the second of the plurality of set-top boxes;

transmitting, from the first of the plurality of set top boxes, across a network, to the second of the plurality of set-top boxes, the instructions for controlling the audiovisual display associated with the second of the plurality of set-top boxes;

receiving, at the second of the plurality of set-top boxes, across the network, from the first of the plurality of set-top boxes, the instructions for controlling the audiovisual display associated with the second of the plurality of set-top boxes; and

controlling the audiovisual display according to the instructions received, via the network, from the first of the plurality of set-top boxes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the remote control is paired with the second set-top-box and is associated with the first set-top-box.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising measuring, by the remote control, a link quality of the first of the plurality of set-top boxes, as indicated by the first link quality indicator.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control, a second link quality indicator;

comparing, by the remote control, the second link quality indicator to the first link quality indicator; and

associating with the first of the plurality of set-top boxes in response to comparing the second link quality indicator to the first link quality indicator.

13. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving from the remote control, by a third of the plurality of set-top boxes, the request;

in response to receiving the request, transmitting by the third of the plurality of set-top boxes to the remote control information indicating that the third of the plurality of set-top boxes is capable of pairing with the remote control;

transmitting from the remote control to the third of the plurality of set-top boxes a first request to pair with the remote control;

receiving by the remote control, a response to the first request to pair with the remote control from the third of the plurality of set-top boxes, the response to the first request to pair with the remote control information indicating that the third of the plurality of set-top boxes declines the first request pair with the remote control;

transmitting from the remote control to the second of the plurality of set-top boxes a second request to pair with the remote control; and

receiving by the remote control, a response to the second request to pair with the remote control from the second of the plurality of set-top boxes, the response to the second request to pair with the remote control information indicating that the second of the plurality of set-top boxes accepts the second request to pair with the remote control.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that the third of the plurality of set-top boxes has a highest link quality; and

determining that the second of the plurality of set-top boxes has a second highest link quality, the second highest link quality being less than the highest link quality.

8. A method comprising:

connecting a plurality of set-top boxes into a network that permits them to communicate with each other;

transmitting, from a remote control outside the set-top box network, a request for information regarding whether each of the plurality of set-top boxes is capable of pairing with the remote control;

receiving the request from the remote control, by a first set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes;

transmitting a first reply to the request from the first set-top box to the remote control, the first reply including information indicating that the first set-top box is capable of pairing with the remote control;

in response to the remote control receiving the first reply to the request, transmitting, by the remote control, an instruction signal carrying instructions for controlling an audiovisual display, and information identifying a second set-top-box of the plurality of set-top-boxes;

receiving, from the remote control, by the first set-top box the instruction signal carrying the instructions for controlling the audiovisual display, and the information identifying the second set-top-box;

relaying from the first set-top box the instructions for controlling the audiovisual display via the network from the first set-top box to the identified second set-top-box.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving from the remote control, by a third set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes, the request;

transmitting to the remote control, by the third set-top box, a second reply to the request, the second reply including information indicating that the third set-top box is capable of pairing with the remote control;

transmitting from the remote control to the third set-top box a first request to pair with the remote control;

receiving by the remote control, a response to the first request to pair with the remote control from the third set-top box, the response to the first request to pair with the remote control information indicating that the third set-top box declines the first request pair with the remote control;

transmitting from the remote control to the second set-top box a second request to pair with the remote control; and

receiving by the remote control, a response to the second request to pair with the remote control from the second set-top box, the response to the second request to pair with the remote control information indicating that the second set-top box accepts the second request to pair with the remote control.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the third set-top box has a highest link quality; and

determining that the second set-top box has a second highest link quality, the second highest link quality being less than the highest link quality.