Remote control configuration using a remote control profile

• US 9,368,024 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tan, Liquan, Fletcher, Daniel R., Low, Wing Kong, Harley, Jonah A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Application Number:
  US14/079,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20150091708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 340/4.32, 340/5.82, 340/10.1, 340/12.22, 340/12.24, 340/12.26, 340/12.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface

Abstract

Utilizing remote control profile information for configuration of a remote control device. A media processing device may store a remote control profile, locally or on a server accessible via a wide area network, which may include information for configuring a remote control device to utilize one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the media processing device. The media processing device may also detect one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling one or more other electronic devices and update the remote control profile to include information for configuring a remote control device to utilize those commands. It may be determined to configure a remote control device according to the remote control profile based at least in part on proximity of the remote control device to the media processing device. The remote control device may then be configured according to the remote control profile.

Claims

1. A media processing device, comprising:

wireless communication circuitry, comprising one or more antennas configured for wireless communication;

a processing element operably coupled to the wireless communication circuitry;

wherein the wireless communication circuitry and the processing element are configured to;

detect a wireless remote control command for controlling a home entertainment device;

transmit, responsive to detection of the wireless remote control command, one or more messages to a server via a wide area network (WAN),

wherein the one or more messages include a representation of the detected wireless remote control command, and

wherein the one or more messages cause the server to perform an update of a remote control profile stored by the server, wherein the update of the remote control profile includes an addition of information to the remote control profile for configuring a remote control device to utilize the detected wireless remote control command to control the home entertainment device.

2. The media processing device of claim 1, wherein the home entertainment device comprises one or more of:

a television;

a set-top box;

a video game console;

a CD player;

a DVD player;

a Blue-ray player;

a subwoofer;

a speaker;

a stereo or surround sound receiver;

or

a computer.

3. The media processing device of claim 1,

wherein the remote control profile stored by the server is uniquely associated with the media processing device.

4. The media processing device of claim 1,

wherein the remote control profile stored by the server is uniquely associated with a user account.

5. The media processing device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication circuitry and the processing element are further configured to:

detect a remote control device in proximity to the media processing device;

receive an indication to pair the remote control device with the media processing device, wherein the indication is based at least in part on the proximity of the remote control device to the media processing device;

pair the remote control device with the media processing device in response to the indication, wherein said pairing comprises obtaining the remote control profile from the server via the WAN and configuring the remote control device to utilize one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the media processing device and to utilize the detected wireless remote control command to control the home entertainment device.

6. The media processing device of claim 5,

wherein the indication to pair the remote control device with the media processing device is based on user input indicating to pair the remote control device with a proximate media processing device and detection of the remote control device in proximity to the media processing device based on wireless signal strength of the remote control device.

7. The media processing device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication circuitry and the processing element are further configured to:

detect a remote control device in proximity to the media processing device;

provide information identifying the media processing device to the remote control device based at least in part on detecting the proximity of the remote control device to the media processing device, wherein the information identifying the media processing device is configured for use by the remote control device to access the remote control profile from the server via the WAN.

8. The media processing device of claim 1,

wherein the wireless communication circuitry and the processing element are further configured to:

detect a wireless remote control command for controlling a second home entertainment device; and

transmit, responsive to detection of the wireless remote control command for controlling the second home entertainment device, one or more additional messages to the server via the WAN,

wherein the one or more additional messages include a representation of the detected wireless remote control command for controlling the second home entertainment device, and

wherein the one or more additional messages cause the server to perform an update of the remote control profile stored by the server, wherein the update of the remote control profile includes an addition of information to the remote control profile for configuring a remote control device to utilize the detected wireless remote control command to control the second home entertainment device.

9. A method for a media processing device to configure a remote control device, the method comprising:

at the media processing device;

storing a remote control profile, wherein the remote control profile comprises information for configuring a remote control device to utilize one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the media processing device and to utilize one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling one or more additional electronic devices;

detecting a remote control device in proximity to the media processing device;

determining, based at least in part on the proximity of the remote control device to the media processing device, to configure the remote control device according to the remote control profile;

configuring the remote control device to utilize the one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the media processing device and to utilize the one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the one or more additional electronic devices based on the remote control profile.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the remote control profile is stored locally on the media processing device.

11. The method of claim 9,

wherein the remote control profile is stored by a server accessible via a wide area network (WAN).

12. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising, at the media processing device:

detecting the one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the one or more additional electronic devices,

wherein the information for configuring a remote control device to utilize the one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the one or more additional electronic devices are stored in the remote control profile based on detecting the one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the one or more additional electronic devices.

13. The method of claim 9,

wherein determining to configure the remote control device according to the remote control profile is also based on a user indication to initiate pairing of the media processing device with a proximate remote control device.

14. The method of claim 9,

wherein determining to configure the remote control device according to the remote control profile is received signal strength indicators of the remote control device exceeding a predetermined threshold.

15. A remote control device, comprising:

wireless communication circuitry, comprising one or more antennas configured for wireless communication;

a processing element operably coupled to the wireless communication circuitry;

wherein the wireless communication circuitry and the processing element are configured to;

receive an indication to pair the remote control device with a media processing device, wherein the indication is based at least in part on proximity of the remote control device to the media processing device;

receive configuration information pairing the remote control device with the media processing device in response to the indication, wherein the configuration information configures the remote control device according to a remote control profile to utilize one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling the media processing device, wherein the configuration information is received from a server via a wide area network (WAN), wherein the configuration information is stored by the server as remote control profile information associated with the media processing device.

16. The remote control device of claim 15,

wherein the configuration information further configures the remote control device according to the remote control profile to utilize one or more wireless remote control commands for controlling one or more additional electronic devices.

17. The remote control device of claim 15,

wherein the configuration information is received from the media processing device via wireless communication.

18. The remote control device of claim 15,

wherein the indication comprises physically bumping the remote control device against the media processing device.

19. The remote control device of claim 15,

wherein the indication comprises user input indicating to pair the remote control device with a proximate electronic device in combination with detection of the media processing device in proximity to the remote control device based on wireless signal strength of the media processing device.