System and method for configuring the remote control functionality of a portable device

• US 9,558,654 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Hayes, Patrick H., Hatambeiki, Arsham
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US14/269,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• 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 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control

Abstract

A system and method used to configure a smart device to command functional operations of a target appliance. The smart device retrieves from a controllable appliance, such as a settop box, data indicative of a codeset identity of the target appliance wherein the codeset identity was determined during a process used to configure a conventional universal remote control to command functional operations of the target appliance and wherein the process used to configure the conventional universal remote control is performed in cooperation with the controllable appliance. A remote control application resident on the smart device then uses the data indicative of the codeset identity retrieved from the controllable appliance to also configure the smart device to command functional operations of the target appliance.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving and using an app serviced by a content service provider to view media content and is related to an appliance of a home entertainment system, comprising:

receiving, by a smart device from the appliance or an intermediate appliance, a communication having Infoframe data that functions to identify the appliance, wherein the InfoFrame data is associated with a logical address for the appliance established in the home entertainment system;

using the InfoFrame data to automatically initiate a retrieval by the smart device from a server device having an associated repository of apps, the app that is related to the appliance;

receiving by the smart device from the server device the app that is related to the appliance;

causing the received app that is related to the appliance to be installed on the smart device;

subsequently receiving by the smart device from the appliance metadata that was previously received by the appliance from the content service provider; and

using, by the app that is related to the appliance installed on the smart device, the metadata received from the appliance to cause the app that is related to the appliance to be synchronized with the appliance whereupon the app that is related to the appliance installed on the smart device is used in connection with an operation of the appliance for viewing media content.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the app that is related to the appliance installed on the smart device is used to control one or more functional operations of the appliance.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata is associated with one or more content streams originating from the content service provider to the appliance.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the app that is related to the appliance installed on the smart devices uses the metadata received from the appliance by the smart device to display the view media content as an overlay displayed in a display associated with the smart device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the smart device comprises a television and wherein the appliance comprises a set top box in communication with the television.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication having infoFrame data that functions to identify the appliance is received via a communication link established with an HDMI port of the appliance.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the communication link comprises a wireless communication link.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication having infoFrame data that functions to identify the appliance is received from the intermediate appliance in communication with the appliance.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the communication having data that functions to identify the appliance is received via a communication link established with an HDMI port of the intermediate appliance.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the communication link comprises a wireless communication link.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data that functions to identify the appliance comprises infoframe data.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the infoFrame data that functions to identify the appliance comprises Source Product Description (SPD) data.