Generic remote controller

• US 9,451,311 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Yue
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US12/973,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,101 Days
• Field of Search: 340/1.1, 340/12.1, 340/12.15, 340 1222- 1223, 340/12.3, 340/12.5, 340 1224- 133
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23363 Barcode
• 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 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57

Abstract

Techniques are provided for a handheld device, such as a smart phone, to obtain device configuration data of a controlled device via machine-readable media, such as a two-dimensional barcode. The device configuration data may be used to allow a user to select one or more features reflected in the device configuration data and supported by the controlled device. The handheld device may obtain device configuration data of multiple controlled devices and, based on the device configuration data, may allow a user to control the multiple controlled devices using the handheld device. In a related technique, a computing device obtains printer driver data of a printing device via machine-readable media. The computing device decodes information encoded in the machine-readable media in order to install a printer driver for the printing device.

Claims

1. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

analyzing, at a handheld controlling device, a first digital representation of data to determine a first device configuration data associated with a controlled device that supports a first plurality of features;

wherein the first device configuration data indicates the first plurality of features and a first plurality of control codes;

generating, based on the first device configuration data, a first plurality of user-selectable graphical elements, each of which corresponds to a different feature of the first plurality of features;

after an event, that changes a configuration or feature of the controlled device, causes the controlled device to display a second digital representation of data that is different than the first digital representation of data, scanning the second digital representation of data to determine a second device configuration data associated with the controlled device;

wherein the second device configuration data indicates a second plurality of features and a second plurality of control codes;

generating, based on the second device configuration data, a second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements, each of which corresponds to a different feature of the second plurality of features;

displaying the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements on a touch screen display of the handheld controlling device;

after generating the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements based on the second device configuration data and displaying the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements on the touch screen display of the handheld controlling device, receiving, through the touch screen display of the handheld controlling device, user input that selects a particular user-selectable graphical element of the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements;

in response to receiving the user input;

identifying, based on a particular feature that corresponds to the particular user-selectable graphical element, a particular control code of the second plurality of control codes, and

sending the particular control code from the handheld controlling device to the controlled device.

2. The one or more storage media of claim 1, wherein:

the second device configuration data comprises a plurality of mappings;

each mapping of the plurality of mappings maps a feature of the second plurality of features to a control code for the feature; and

identifying the particular control code comprises;

identifying, based on the particular feature, a particular mapping, of the plurality of mappings, that corresponds to the particular feature, and

identifying, based on the particular mapping, the particular control code for the particular feature.

3. The one or more storage media of claim 1, wherein:

the second digital representation of data comprises a two-dimensional barcode.

4. The one or more storage media of claim 3, further comprising, prior to analyzing the first digital representation of data, generating, by a camera of the handheld controlling device, a digital image of the two-dimensional barcode.

5. The one or more storage media of claim 1, wherein analyzing the first digital representation of data to determine the first device configuration data comprises identifying a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in the first digital representation of data and retrieving, from a source identified by the URL, the first device configuration data.

6. The one or more storage media of claim 1, wherein the handheld controlling device is a handheld device that includes telephony capabilities and a display for displaying graphical elements that correspond to at least a subset of the first plurality of features.

7. The one or more storage media of claim 1, wherein sending the particular control code to the controlled device comprises transmitting the particular control code via an infrared (IR) transmitter of the handheld controlling device or via an ultra high frequency (UHF) transmitter of the handheld controlling device.

8. The one or more storage media of claim 2, wherein the controlled device is a first controlled device, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, after sending the particular control code to the first controlled device:

analyzing, at the handheld controlling device, a third digital representation of data to determine third device configuration data associated with a second controlled device that supports a third plurality of features that are different than the first plurality of features;

wherein the second controlled device is different than the first controlled device;

storing, at the handheld controlling device, the third device configuration data separate from the first device configuration data;

wherein the third device configuration data indicates a second plurality of mappings;

each mapping of the second plurality of mappings maps a given feature of the third plurality of features to a control code for the given feature;

receiving, at the handheld controlling device, second user input that selects the second controlled device;

in response to receiving the second user input, generating, based on the second device configuration data, a second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements that is different in number from the first plurality of user-selectable graphical elements;

displaying the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements on the touch screen display of the handheld controlling device;

after generating the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements and displaying the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements on the touch screen display of the handheld controlling device, receiving a third user input that selects a second particular user-selectable graphical element of the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements;

in response to receiving the third user input;

identifying, based on a second feature that corresponds to the second particular user-selectable graphical element and a second mapping of the second plurality of mappings, a second control code, and

sending the second control code from the handheld controlling device to the second controlled device.

15. The one or more storage media of claim 1, wherein:

analyzing the first digital representation of data to determine the first device configuration data comprises generating the first device configuration data based on analysis of the first digital representation of data;

the first device configuration data is encoded in the first digital representation of data.

17. The one or more storage media of claim 8, wherein:

the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause displaying, on the touch screen display of the handheld controlling device, a list of user-selectable options, each of which corresponds to a different controlled device of a plurality of controlled devices that includes the first controlled device and the second controlled device;

receiving the second user input that selects the second controlled device comprises receiving, through the touch screen display, input that selects, in the list, a user-selectable option that corresponds to the second controlled device.

20. The one or more storage media storing instructions of claim 1, wherein at least one feature in the second plurality of features is not in the first plurality of features, or at least one control code in the second plurality of control codes is not in the first plurality of control codes.

9. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more storage media storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

analyzing a first digital representation of data to determine a first device configuration data associated with a controlled device that supports a first plurality of features;

wherein the first device configuration data indicates the first plurality of features and a first plurality of control codes;

generating, based on the first device configuration data, a first plurality of user-selectable graphical elements, each of which corresponds to a different feature of the first plurality of features;

after an event, that changes a configuration or feature of the controlled device, causes the controlled device to display a second digital representation of data that is different than the first digital representation of data, scanning the second digital representation of data to determine a second device configuration data associated with the controlled device;

wherein the second device configuration data indicates a second plurality of features and a second plurality of control codes;

generating, based on the second device configuration data, a second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements, each of which corresponds to a different feature of the second plurality of features;

displaying the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements on a touch screen display of the apparatus;

after generating the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements based on the second device configuration data and displaying the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements on the touch screen display, receiving, through the touch screen display of the apparatus, user input that selects a particular user-selectable graphical element of the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements;

in response to receiving the user input;

identifying, based on a particular feature that corresponds to the particular user-selectable graphical element, a particular control code of the second plurality of controls codes, and

sending the particular control code to the controlled device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the second digital representation of data comprises a two-dimensional barcode.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein analyzing the first digital representation of data to determine the first device configuration data comprises identifying a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in the first digital representation of data and retrieving, from a source identified by the URL, the first device configuration data.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a handheld device that includes telephony capabilities and a display for displaying graphical elements that correspond to at least a subset of the first plurality of features.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein sending the particular control code to the controlled device comprises transmitting the particular control code via an infrared (IR) transmitter of the apparatus or via an ultra high frequency (UHF) transmitter of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the second device configuration data comprises a plurality of mappings;

each mapping of the plurality of mappings maps a feature of the second plurality of features to a control code for the feature; and

identifying the particular control code comprises;

identifying, based on the particular feature, a particular mapping, of the plurality of mappings, that corresponds to the particular feature, and

identifying, based on the particular mapping, the particular control code for the particular feature.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

analyzing the first digital representation of data to determine the first device configuration data comprises generating the first device configuration data based on analysis of the first digital representation of data;

the first device configuration data is encoded in the first digital representation of data.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the controlled device is a first controlled device, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, after sending the particular control code to the first controlled device;

analyzing, at the apparatus, a third digital representation of data encoded in to determine a third device configuration data associated with a second controlled device that supports a third plurality of features that are different than the first plurality of features;

wherein the second controlled device is different than the first controlled device;

storing, at the apparatus, the third device configuration data separate from the first device configuration data;

wherein the third device configuration data indicates a second plurality of mappings;

each mapping of the second plurality of mappings maps a given feature of the second plurality of features to a control code for the given feature;

receiving, at the apparatus, second user input that selects the second controlled device;

in response to receiving the second user input, generating, based on the third device configuration data, a second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements that is different in number from the first plurality of user-selectable graphical elements;

displaying the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements on the touch screen display;

after generating the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements and displaying the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements on the touch screen display, receiving third input that selects a second particular user-selectable graphical element of the second plurality of user-selectable graphical elements;

in response to receiving the third input;

identifying, based on a second feature that corresponds to the second particular user-selectable graphical element and a second mapping of the plurality of mappings, a second control code, and

sending the second control code from the apparatus to the second controlled device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause displaying, on the touch screen display, a list of user-selectable options, each of which corresponds to a different controlled device of a plurality of controlled devices that includes the first controlled device and the second controlled device;

receiving the second user input that selects the second controlled device comprises receiving, through the touch screen display, input that selects, in the list, a user-selectable option that corresponds to the second controlled device.

21. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one feature in the second plurality of features is not in the first plurality of features, or at least one control code in the second plurality of control codes is not in the first plurality of control codes.

22. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

analyzing, at a handheld computing device, a digital representation of data to determine printing device configuration data associated with a printing device;

wherein the printing device configuration data indicates a plurality of features of the printing device;

generating, at the handheld computing device and based on the printing device configuration data, a command to install a printer driver associated with the printing device; and

causing the printer driver to be installed on the handheld computing device by submitting the command to a print driver storage of the handheld computing device;

wherein a print application, that is executing on the handheld computing device, retrieves, from the print driver storage, data about one or more features of the plurality of features and causes a print command to be sent to the printing device;

wherein the digital representation of data comprises a digital image displayed on a screen of the printing device;

wherein;

the digital image is a first digital image;

the plurality of features are a first plurality of features;

the printing device displays a second digital image on the screen of the printing device;

the second digital image encodes second printing device configuration data associated with the printing device;

the second printing device configuration data indicates, of the printing device, a second plurality of features that are different than the first plurality of features.

23. A handheld apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

analyzing, at the handheld apparatus, a digital representation of data to determine printing device configuration data associated with a printing device;

wherein the printing device configuration data indicates a first plurality of features of the printing device;

generating, at the handheld apparatus and based on the printing device configuration data, a command to install a printer driver associated with the printing device; and

causing the printer driver to be installed on the handheld apparatus by submitting the command to a print driver storage of the handheld apparatus;

wherein a print application, that is executing on the handheld apparatus, retrieves, from the print driver storage, data about one or more features of the first plurality of features and causes a print command to be sent to the printing device;

wherein the digital representation of data comprises a digital image displayed on a screen of the printing device;

wherein the digital representation of data is a first digital representation of data displayed on the screen of the printing device;

wherein the one or more storage media store instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause;

analyzing, at the handheld computing device, a second digital representation of data encoded to determine a second printing device configuration data associated with the printing device;

wherein the second printing device configuration data indicates, of the printing device, a second plurality of features that are different than the first plurality of features;

generating, at the handheld computing device and based on the second printing device configuration data, a second command to update the printer driver associated with the printing device; and

causing the printer driver to be updated on the handheld computing device by submitting the second command to the print driver storage of the handheld computing device.