Intelligent infrared remote pairing

• US 9,761,129 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: King, Nicholas Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Vernal
• Application Number:
  US14/282,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20140255025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 340 1222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0775 Performance monitoring and measurement of transmission parameters

Abstract

Systems and methods for associating a remote controller with a device are provided. The systems and methods generally relate to receiving a request from a remote controlled to pair the remote controller to a device at several devices and determining at each of the several devices the strength of the wireless pairing request signal received by that device. If a device determines that its received signal is the strongest, the device may be paired with the remote controller. If instead a device determines that its received signal is not the strongest, it may ignore subsequent communications received from the remote controller.

Claims

1. A method for processing a pairing request from a first remote controller by a first electronic device in communication with at least one other electronic device, the method comprising:

at the first electronic device;

receiving from a second electronic device of the at least one other electronic device, a transmission reporting a first signal attribute of a pairing request received by the second electronic device from the first remote controller;

determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller, based at least in part on the first signal attribute; and

ignoring subsequent transmissions received from the first remote controller, based at least in part on the determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller comprises:

at the first electronic device;

receiving the pairing request from the first remote controller;

detecting a second signal attribute of the pairing request received by the first electronic device;

comparing the second signal attribute with the first signal attribute; and

determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller in response to the comparing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second signal attribute comprises a signal strength of the received pairing request at the first electronic device, and wherein the first signal attribute comprises a signal strength of the pairing request at the second electronic device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising broadcasting the second signal attribute to the at least one other electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller comprises:

at the first electronic device;

determining that the first electronic device received no pairing request from the first remote controller; and

determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller in response to the determining.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller is based on one of:

a determination that the first electronic device received no pairing request from the first remote controller;

or

a determination that a pairing request received by the first electronic device from the first remote controller comprises a second attribute that is smaller than the first attribute.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising broadcasting the second attribute to the at least one other electronic device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for processing a pairing request from a first remote controller by a first electronic device in communication with at least one other electronic device, the computer-readable medium storing instructions configured to cause the first electronic device to:

receive from a second electronic device of the at least one other electronic device, a transmission reporting a first signal attribute of a pairing request received by the second electronic device from the first remote controller;

determine not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller, based at least in part on the first signal attribute; and

ignore subsequent transmissions received from the first remote controller, based at least in part on the determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions configured to cause the first electronic device to determine not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller are further configured to cause the first electronic device to:

receive the pairing request from the first remote controller;

detect a second signal attribute of the pairing request received by the first electronic device;

compare the second signal attribute with the first signal attribute; and

determine not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller in response to the comparing.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the second signal attribute comprises a signal strength of the received pairing request at the first electronic device, and wherein the first signal attribute comprises a signal strength of the pairing request at the second electronic device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the first electronic device to broadcast the second signal attribute to the at least one other electronic device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions configured to cause the first electronic device to determine not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller are further configured to cause the first electronic device to:

determine that the first electronic device received no pairing request from the first remote controller; and

determine not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller in response to the determining.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller is based on one of:

a determination that the first electronic device received no pairing request from the first remote controller;

or

a determination that a pairing request received by the first electronic device from the first remote controller comprises a second attribute that is smaller than the first attribute.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the first electronic device to broadcast the second attribute to the at least one other electronic device.

15. A first electronic device in communication with at least one other electronic device, the first electronic device comprising:

control circuitry; and

a receiver;

wherein the control circuitry and the receiver are configured to;

receive from a second electronic device of the at least one other electronic device, a transmission reporting a first signal attribute of a pairing request received by the second electronic device from a first remote controller;

determine not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller, based at least in part on the first signal attribute; and

ignore subsequent transmissions received from the first remote controller, based at least in part on the determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller.

16. The first electronic device of claim 15, wherein, in determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller, the control circuitry and the receiver are further configured to:

receive the pairing request from the first remote controller;

detect a second signal attribute of the pairing request received by the first electronic device;

compare the second signal attribute with the first signal attribute; and

determine not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller in response to the comparing.

17. The first electronic device of claim 16, wherein the second signal attribute comprises a signal strength of the received pairing request at the first electronic device, and wherein the first signal attribute comprises a signal strength of the pairing request at the second electronic device.

18. The first electronic device of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry and the receiver are further configured to broadcast the second signal attribute to the at least one other electronic device.

19. The first electronic device of claim 15, wherein, in determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller, the control circuitry and the receiver are further configured to:

determine that the first electronic device received no pairing request from the first remote controller; and

determine not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller in response to the determining.

20. The first electronic device of claim 15, wherein the determining not to pair the first electronic device with the first remote controller is based on one of:

a determination that the first electronic device received no pairing request from the first remote controller;

or

a determination that a pairing request received by the first electronic device from the first remote controller comprises a second attribute that is smaller than the first attribute.