Internet enabled universal remote control system

• US 9,680,886 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peel Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Peel Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Arunachalam, Thirumalai, Krishnan, Balamurugan, Wu, Hong, Prock, Leslie Andrew, Muthukumarasamy, Sivasubramanian, Lock, Christopher Steven, Shetty, Avinash, Lindley, Gregory Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belani, Kishin G
• Application Number:
  US14/052,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20140143336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 709204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• 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 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/58 : in dependence upon ambient light

Abstract

A Device-Based Control System (DBCS) enables a device-agnostic and source-agnostic entertainment experience through use of an internet-enabled device (IED). The IED includes a media management application for navigating through media or entertainment content, controlling media devices according to a type of media content selected by the user, and sharing media experiences via social networks. The IED includes smartphones, tablet computers, and other internet-enabled processor-based devices. The DBCS leverages the internet access of the IED to enable search and discovery of all available media content. A content recommendation system (CRS) coupled to the media management application learns media preferences from user behavior, generates from numerous disparate media sources media choices corresponding to the media preferences, and presents the media choices on the IED.

Claims

1. An internet-enabled device (IED) comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

a memory storing instructions, the instructions when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to;

determine a configuration of a plurality of media devices at a premise of a user, the media devices having a number of disparate available media sources for retrieving content;

monitor a current state of each of the plurality of media devices;

receive a selection of media content recommendations, each media content recommendation available from one of the disparate available media sources and wherein one or more of the media content recommendations are determined based in part on connections of a profile of the user in a social network;

receive social media information corresponding to the one or more of the media content recommendation, the social media information corresponding to a given media content recommendation describing the connection between the profile of the user and the given media content recommendation by identifying one or more profiles of other users within the social network having interacted with the given media content recommendation;

display the selection of media content recommendations and, for each of the one or more of the media content recommendations having corresponding social media information, display the one or more profiles of the other users having interacted with the media content recommendation in association with the media content recommendation;

determine, in response to a selection of a target media content recommendation, a command packet based on the current state of each of the plurality of media devices and the configuration of the plurality of media devices, the command packet for the target media content recommendation comprising a sequence of commands for configuring two or more of the plurality of media devices from their current states to final states for presenting the target media content recommendation, and the command packet including one or more of radio frequency (RF) commands and infrared signals (IR) that correspond to the two or more media devices to configure the two or more of the plurality of media devices to present a selected media content recommendation; and

transmit, in response to executing the command packet, a signal for each command in the sequence of commands, each signal transmitted according to the sequence to commands to configure the two or more media devices to the final states to present the target media content recommendation to the user.

2. The IED of claim 1, wherein the IED is a smartphone.

3. The IED of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to present a media device control pane comprising at least one function corresponding to each of said two or more media devices.

4. The IED of claim 1, wherein the selection of media content recommendations are determined based in part on monitored interactions of the user with a previous selection of content recommendations.

5. The IED of claim 1, wherein the selection of media content recommendations are determined based in part on monitored interactions of the user with a previous selection of similar content recommendations.

6. The IED of claim 1, wherein the selection of media content recommendations is further determined based in part on monitored interactions of other users with the content recommendations.

7. The IED of claim 1, wherein the IED is a tablet computer.

8. The IED of claim 1, wherein the social media information identifying the one or more profiles of other users within the social network having interacted with the given media content recommendation indicates a relationship with the social network between the profile of the user and the one or more profiles of other users and the interaction of the one or more profiles with the given media content recommendation.

9. The IED of claim 1, wherein an interaction of the one or more profiles of other users with the given media content recommendation is selected from watched or recommended the given media content recommendation.

10. A content recommendation system comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

a memory storing instructions, the instruction when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to;

determine a configuration of a plurality of media devices at a premise of a user, the media devices having a number of disparate available media sources for retrieving content;

receive a current state for each of the plurality of media devices;

determine a selection of media content recommendations, each media content recommendation available from one of the disparate available media sources and wherein one or more of the media content recommendations are determined based in part on connections of a profile of the user in a social network;

determine social media information corresponding to the one or more of the media content recommendation, the social media information corresponding to a given media content recommendation describing the connection between the profile of the user and the given media content recommendation by identifying one or more profiles of other users within the social network having interacted with the given media content recommendation;

determine, for each media content recommendation, a corresponding command packet based on the current state of each of the plurality of media devices and the configuration of the plurality of media devices, the corresponding command packet for a given media content recommendation comprising a sequence of commands for configuring two or more of the plurality of media devices from their current states to final states such that when the command packet is executed the sequence of commands configures the two or more media devices to the final states to present the given media content recommendation at the premise of the user, and wherein the command packet includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) commands and infrared signals (IR) that correspond to the two or more media devices to configure the two or more media device of the plurality of media devices to present a selected media content recommendation; and

transmit the selection of media content recommendations with the corresponding command packets and, for each of the one or more of the media content recommendations having corresponding social media information, transmit the social media information identifying the one or more profiles of the other users having interacted with the media content recommendation in association with the media content recommendation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the commands are executed at an internet enabled device (IED) at the premise of the user, the internet enabled device coupled to the content recommendation system and is a smartphone.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to present a media device control pane comprising at least one function corresponding to each of said two or more media devices, the content recommendation system determining a set of commands associated with the said media device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the selection of media content recommendations are determined based in part on monitored interactions of the user with a previous selection of content recommendations.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the selection of media content recommendations are determined based in part on monitored interactions of the user with a previous selection of similar content recommendations.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the selection of media content recommendations is further determined based in part on monitored interactions of other users with the content recommendations.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the commands are executed at an internet enabled device at the premise of the user, the internet enabled device coupled to the content recommendation system and is a tablet computer.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the social media information identifying the one or more profiles of other users within the social network having interacted with the given media content recommendation indicates a relationship with the social network between the profile of the user and the one or more profiles of other users and the interaction of the one or more profiles with the given media content recommendation.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein an interaction of the one or more profiles of other users with the given media content recommendation is selected from watched or recommended the given media content recommendation.