Remote control to operate computer system

• US 9,436,219 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiTL LLC (TRI Ventures, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LiTL LLC (TRI Ventures, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Aaron, Havoc Pennington, Robert Sanford, Chuang, John, Bambacus, Chris, Eliason, Eben, Moody, Chris, Bilien, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chatly, Amit
• Application Number:
  US12/910,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a remote control comprising a housing comprising a first and second housing portion, wherein the first housing portion is coupled to the second housing portion and is configurable in at least two positions, a touchpad, a keypad, a processor configured to receive control signals from the touch pad and the keypad, and an RF transmitter configured to transmit signals from the processor to the computer system, wherein, in a first configuration of the remote control, the first housing portion is configured to be manipulated to a first position and the remote control is configured to operate in a first mode of operation, and wherein, in a second configuration of the remote control, the first housing portion is configured to be manipulated to a second position, and wherein the remote control is configured to operate in a second mode of operation.

Claims

1. A remote control for operating a remote computer system providing a user interface to a television display, the remote control comprising:

a housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion, wherein the first housing portion is coupled to the second housing portion and is configurable in at least two positions in relation to the second housing portion;

a touchpad coupled to the first housing portion;

a keypad coupled to the second housing portion;

a processor located within the housing and operatively coupled to both the touchpad and the keypad, the processor being configured to receive control signals from the touch pad and the keypad; and

an RF transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit signals from the processor to the remote computer system, wherein the remote computer system is coupled to the television display and wherein the remote control controls an input mode to the user interface displayed on the television display;

a mechanical flag coupled to the first housing portion, the second housing portion and the processor, wherein the mechanical flag is configured to send a configuration signal to the processor indicating whether the remote control is in a passive or an active configuration and wherein the processor is configured to encode the configuration signal in an RF message including status information relating to the remote control and wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit the configuration signal to the remote computer system;

wherein, in the passive configuration of the remote control, the second housing portion is configured to be manipulated to a first position in relation to the first housing portion and the touchpad coupled to the first housing portion is configured to provide a first set of touchpad control signals to the processor responsive to the second housing portion being manipulated to the first position in relation to the first housing portion, the first set of control signals being configured to operate a streamlined mode of content of the remote computer system displayed on the television display and further configured to operate the remote computer system to automatically scroll, absent the use of a cursor on the user interface, through selectable options provided by the user interface displayed on the television display in response to a user swiping a finger across the touchpad;

wherein, in the active configuration of the remote control, the second housing portion is configured to be manipulated to a second position in relation to the first housing portion and the touchpad coupled to the first housing portion is configured to provide a second set of touchpad control signals to the processor responsive to the second housing portion being manipulated to the second position in relation to the first housing portion, the second set of control signals being configured to operate a full mode of content of the remote computer system displayed on the television display and further configured to operate the remote computer system to manipulate the cursor provided by the user interface displayed on the television display in response to the user swiping the finger across the touchpad; and

wherein the first set of control signals is different than the second set of control signals; and

wherein either the first set of control signals or the second set of control signals is encoded by the processor in the RF message and wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit the RF message including either the first set of control signals or the second set of control signals to the remote computer system to control the input mode to the user interface displayed on the television display.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the first housing portion is slideably coupled to the second housing portion, wherein, in the passive configuration, the first housing portion is configured to be slid to the first position in relation to the second housing portion, and wherein, in the active configuration, the first housing portion is configured to be slid to the second position in relation to the second housing portion.

3. The remote control of claim 2, wherein in the passive configuration, the first housing portion is configured to be slid to the first position so as to limit access to the keypad.

4. The remote control of claim 2, wherein in the active configuration, the first housing portion is configured to be slid to the second position so as to provide access to the keypad and the touchpad.

5. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the touchpad includes a depressible switch.

6. The remote control of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor coupled to the processor, wherein the motion sensor is configured to provide motion signals to the processor indicating any movement of the remote control, and wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit the motion signals to the remote computer system.

7. The remote control of claim 6, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

8. The remote control of claim 1, further comprising a microphone coupled to the processor, wherein the microphone is configured to receive external audio signals and to provide the external audio signals to the processor, and wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit the external audio signals to the remote computer system.

9. The remote control of claim 1, further comprising:

a power module coupled to the processor;

wherein the power module is configured to provide power to the processor;

wherein the power module is configured to provide a power signal lo the processor indicating an amount of available power remaining stored in the power module; and

wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit the power signal to the remote computer system.

10. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the keypad includes at least one dedicated button, wherein the at least one dedicated button is configured to send a dedicated signal to the processor, the dedicated signal being configured to automatically initiate a predefined function of the remote computer system, and wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit the dedicated signal to the remote computer system.

11. A remote control for operating a remote computer system providing a user interface to a television display;

the remote control comprising a housing;

a touchpad coupled to the housing;

a keypad coupled to the housing;

a processor within the housing coupled to the touchpad and the keypad and configured to receive control signals from the touch pad and the keypad;

an RF transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit control signals from the processor to the remote computer system, wherein the remote computer system is coupled to the television display and wherein the remote control controls an input mode to the user interface displayed on the television display; and

a mechanical flag coupled to the first housing portion, the second housing portion and the processor, wherein the mechanical flag is configured to send a configuration signal to the processor indicating whether the remote control is in a passive or an active configuration and wherein the processor is configured to encode the configuration signal in an RF message including status information relating to the remote control and wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit the configuration signal to the remote computer system;

means for manipulating the remote control into a plurality of configurations, the current configuration of the remote control determining an operational mode of the remote control,

wherein, in the passive configuration of the remote control, the keypad is configured to be manipulated to a first position in relation to the touchpad and the touchpad is configured to provide a first set of touch pad control signals to the processor responsive to the keypad being manipulated to the first portion in relation to the touchpad, the first set of control signals configured to operate a streamlined mode of content of remote the computer system displayed on the television display and further configured to operate the remote computer system to automatically scroll, absent the use of a cursor on the user interface displayed on the television, through selectable options provided by the user interface in response to a user swiping a finger across the touchpad;

wherein the active configuration of the remote control, the keypad is configured to be manipulated to a second position in relation to the touchpad and the touchpad is configured to provide a second set of touchpad control signals to the processor responsive to the keypad being manipulated to the second position in relation to the touchpad, the second set of control signals configured to operate a full mode of content of the remote computer system displayed on the television display and further configured to operate the remote computer system to manipulate the cursor provided by the user interface in response to the user swiping a finger across the touchpad;

wherein the first set of control signals is different than the second set of control signals; and

wherein either the first set of control signals or the second set of control signals is encoded by the processor in the RF message and wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit the RF message including either the first set of control signals or the second set of control signals to the remote computer system to control the input mode to the user interface displayed on the television display.