Locating a remote control device

• US 9,852,603 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Keipert, Kurt, Schafer, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US14/822,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 340 81, 34053932, 34053913, 34082549
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23312 Load program from attached device to control that device
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A system includes a networked device is programmed to transmit, to one or more second networked devices, a request to locate a remote control device of the networked device. Based on the responses to the request, the networked device is further programmed to provide an indication via a user interface of the networked device concerning a location of the remote control device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a networked device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the processor is programmed to;

transmit a first request to at least one second networked device to transmit a second request to a remote control device of the networked device to send a return signal; and

provide an indication via a user interface of the networked device concerning a location of the remote control device, based on at least one response to the first request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

transmit, to the remote control device, a third request to locate the remote control device; and

wait a predetermined amount of time for a response to the third request, wherein the indicated location takes into account the response to the third request received within the predetermined amount of time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a signal strength of the return signal as received by the respective second networked device based on the at least one response to the first request.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the indicated location is determined based in part on the determined signal strength of the return signal as received by each of the respective second networked devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine, based on the at least one response, a second networked device that is in a range to communicate with the remote control device; and

transmit, via the second networked device determined to be in the range, a request for the remote control device to generate an audible signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one second networked devices is operable to respond to commands from the remote control device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to receive, from the user interface of the networked device, an input, wherein transmitting the first request to the at least one second networked device is based in part on receiving the input.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one second networked device includes a processor and a memory, the memory of the second networked device storing instructions executable by the processor of the second networked device such that the processor of the second networked device is programmed to:

receive the first request from the networked device to transmit the second request to the remote control device;

transmit, based on the request, to the remote control device, the second request to the remote control device to send the return signal;

wait a predetermined amount of time for the return signal;

determine that the return signal is received within the predetermined amount of time;

measure a signal strength of the return signal; and

respond to the first request from the networked device, including an indication of the measured signal strength.

9. A system comprising:

a networked device, including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the processor is programmed to;

transmit, to a remote control device for the networked device, a first request to locate the remote control device;

wait a predetermined amount of time for a response to the first request;

transmit, to at least one second networked device, upon failing to receive the response to the first request within the predetermined amount of time, a second request to transmit a third request to the remote control device to send a return signal; and

provide an indication via a user interface of the networked device concerning a location of the remote control device based on at least one response to the second request.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a signal strength of the return signal as received by the respective second networked device based on the at least one response to the second request.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine, based on the signal strength of the return signal as received by the respective second networked device, the location of the remote control device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine, based on the at least one response, a second networked device that is in a range to communicate with the remote control device, and

transmit, via the second networked device determined to be in the range to communicate with the remote device, a request for the remote control device to generate an audible signal.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the at least one second network devices is operable to respond to commands from the remote control device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive, from the user interface of the networked device, an input, wherein transmitting the first request to the at least one second networked device is based in part on receiving the input.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one second networked device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the processor is programmed to:

receive the second request from the networked device to transmit the third request to the remote control device to send the return signal;

transmit, based on the second request, to the remote control device, the third request;

wait a predetermined amount of time for the return signal;

determine that the return signal was received within the predetermined amount of time;

measure a signal strength of the return signal; and

respond to the second request from the networked device, including an indication of the measured signal strength.

16. A method, implemented by a networked device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor, comprising:

transmitting a first request to at least one second networked device to send a second request to a remote control device of the networked device to send a return signal; and

providing an indication via a user interface of the networked device concerning a location of the remote control device, based on at least one response to the first request.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising

transmitting, to the remote control device, a second third request to locate the remote control device;

and

waiting a predetermined amount of time for a response to the third request, wherein the indicated location takes into account the response to the third request received within the predetermined amount of time.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a signal strength of the return signal as received by the respective second networked device based on the at least one response to the first request.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the indicated location is determined based in part on the determined signal strength of the return signal as received by each of the respective second networked devices.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining, based on the at least one response, a second networked device that is in a range to communicate with the remote control device; and

transmitting, via the second networked devices determined to be in the range, a request for the remote device to generate an audible signal.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from the user interface of the networked device, an input, wherein transmitting the first request to the at least one second networked device is based in part on receiving the input.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one second networked device, the first request from the networked device to transmit the second request to the remote control device from the networked device;

transmitting, from the second networked device, to the remote control device, the second request to the remote control device to send the return signal; and

waiting, by the second networked device, a predetermined amount of time for the return signal;

determining, by the second networked device that the return signal was received within the predetermined amount of time;

measuring, by the second networked device, a signal strength of the return signal; and

responding, by the second networked device, to the first request from the networked device, including an indication of the measured signal strength.