Remote control unit for a programmable multimedia controller

• US 9,541,910 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savant Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Savant Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Madonna, Robert P., Noonan, Michael E., Silva, Michael C., Corsini, Peter H., Jacobson, Arthur A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US14/166,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20140143810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/013 Identifying areas in a building
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In one embodiment, a menu is semi-transparently overlaid upon a portion of a video being shown on a television coupled to a programmable multimedia controller. The menu has a plurality of selectable options and a selection cursor disposed on one of the plurality of selectable options. Input is received from a user on the remote control unit indicating a direction. In response to the input indicating the direction, the selection cursor is moved in a corresponding direction within the semi-transparently overlaid menu to bring the selection cursor to be disposed on a designated selectable option to permit selection of the designated selectable option. In response to selection of the designated selectable option, the programmable multimedia controller issues one or more control commands to a lighting system, a heating ventilation and air/conditioning (HVAC) system, and/or to an automatic shade system, to control operation of lighting, HVAC or window shades.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input from a user on a remote control unit within a structure;

determining a location of the remote control unit within the structure;

in response to the determined location of the remote control unit being more proximate to a first television located within a first room of the structure than to a second television located within a second room of the structure, automatically displaying a menuing system of a controller having a plurality of selectable options on the first television, rather than on the second television, absent any user specification of the first television; and

in response to the determined location of the remote control unit being changed to be more proximate to the second television than the first television, automatically displaying the menuing system of the controller on the second television rather than on the first television, absent any user specification of the second television,

wherein the controller is separate from the first and second televisions, and the selectable options of the menuing system of the controller include selectable options that control operation of one or more devices separate from the controller and the first and second televisions, the devices being part of an audio/video system, a lighting system, a heating ventilation and air/conditioning (HVAC) system, and/or an automatic shade system coupled to the controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the remote control unit is determined based on the remote control unit wirelessly communicating with a particular transmitter and/or receiver unit of a plurality of transmitter and/or receiver units disposed about the structure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the particular transmitter and/or receiver unit is selected based on a comparison of signal strengths associated with the plurality of transmitter/receiver units disposed about the structure.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a known location of the particular transmitter and/or receiver unit is used as the location of the remote control unit.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of transmitter and/or receiver units are Bluetooth-enabled transmitter/receiver units and the wirelessly communicating includes exchanging Bluetooth signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the remote control unit is determined based on the remote control unit being docked to a base station of a plurality of base stations disposed about the structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein actions caused by selection of ones of the plurality of selectable options in the menuing system of the controller depend on the location of the remote control unit, such that an action performed when the remote control unit is more proximate to the first television differs from an action performed when the remote control unit is more proximate to the second television.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon, the instructions when executed by one or more processors, operable to:

determine a location of the remote control unit within a structure based on signals exchanged with transmitter and/or receiver units;

in response to the determined location of the remote control unit being more proximate to a first transmitter and/or receiver unit than to a second transmitter and/or receiver unit within the structure, automatically display a menuing system of a controller having a plurality of selectable options on a first television, rather than on a second television, absent any user specification of the first television; and

in response to the determined location of the remote control unit being changed to be more proximate to the second transmitter and/or receiver unit than the first transmitter and/or receiver unit, automatically display the menuing system of the controller on the second television, rather than on the first television, absent any user specification of the second television,

wherein the controller is separate from the first and second televisions, and the selectable options of the menuing system of the controller include selectable options that control operation of one or more devices separate from the controller and the first and second televisions, the devices being part of an audio/video system, a lighting system, a heating ventilation and air/conditioning (HVAC) system, and/or an automatic shade system coupled to the controller.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein actions caused by selection of ones of the plurality of selectable options in the menuing system of the controller depend on the location of the remote control unit, such that an action performed when the remote control unit is more proximate to the first transmitter and/or receiver unit differs from an action performed when the remote control unit is more proximate to the second transmitter and/or receiver unit.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location of the remote control unit is determined based on the remote control unit wirelessly communicating with a particular transmitter and/or receiver unit of a plurality of transmitter and/or receiver units disposed about the structure.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the particular transmitter and/or receiver unit is selected based on a comparison of signal strengths associated with the plurality of transmitter/receiver units disposed about the structure.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein a known location of the particular transmitter and/or receiver unit is used as the location of the remote control unit.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of transmitter and/or receiver units are Bluetooth-enabled transmitter/receiver units and the wirelessly communicating includes exchanging Bluetooth signals.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location of the remote control unit is determined based on the remote control unit being docked to a base station of a plurality of base stations disposed about the structure.