Two way control of a set top box
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of controlling an electronic device, comprising:
- at a first electronic device coupled to a display and a first output connection of a second electronic device, the first electronic device including one or more processors and memory;
sending a first command sequence to the second electronic device via a wireless connection different from the first output connection, wherein the first command sequence is not known to be correct;
in response to the sending, capturing display data provided by the second electronic device via the first output connection;
generating a fingerprint of displayed user interface elements from the captured display data;
obtaining, based on the generated fingerprint, a determination as to whether the first command sequence was performed correctly by the second electronic device;
in accordance with a determination that the first command sequence was not performed correctly, sending a second command sequence to the second electronic device via the wireless connection, wherein the second command sequence is not known to be correct;
in accordance with a determination that the second command sequence was performed correctly, updating a first database to identify the second command sequence as a correct command sequence for the second electronic device;
generating a user interface including selectable user options for interacting with a plurality of features provided by the second electronic device;
providing the user interface for display on the display;
receiving a user selection, via the provided user interface, of an option associated with a second feature, the second feature comprising a digital video recorder or video on demand feature;
determining that the second command sequence corresponds to the second feature; and
responsive to the user selection of the option associated with the second feature;
obtaining the second command sequence from the first database; and
issuing the second command sequence to the second electronic device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Features of various implementations are used to control operation of a second electronic device from a first electronic device using indirect control methods and optical character recognition. In some implementations, communication between a primary set-top box and a supplemental set-top box is configured in order to avoid the need for one or more provider-specific APIs. For example, one aspect of the disclosure is a method of identifying commands that can be used to control one or more features of a primary set-top box (e.g., DVR or VOD features) by a supplemental set-top box issuing commands to the primary set-top box via a wireless (e.g., IR) transmitter, and then using optical character recognition to identify the outcomes of those commands as displayed on a primary TV display or secondary display.
76 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of controlling an electronic device, comprising:
at a first electronic device coupled to a display and a first output connection of a second electronic device, the first electronic device including one or more processors and memory; sending a first command sequence to the second electronic device via a wireless connection different from the first output connection, wherein the first command sequence is not known to be correct; in response to the sending, capturing display data provided by the second electronic device via the first output connection; generating a fingerprint of displayed user interface elements from the captured display data; obtaining, based on the generated fingerprint, a determination as to whether the first command sequence was performed correctly by the second electronic device; in accordance with a determination that the first command sequence was not performed correctly, sending a second command sequence to the second electronic device via the wireless connection, wherein the second command sequence is not known to be correct; in accordance with a determination that the second command sequence was performed correctly, updating a first database to identify the second command sequence as a correct command sequence for the second electronic device; generating a user interface including selectable user options for interacting with a plurality of features provided by the second electronic device; providing the user interface for display on the display; receiving a user selection, via the provided user interface, of an option associated with a second feature, the second feature comprising a digital video recorder or video on demand feature; determining that the second command sequence corresponds to the second feature; and responsive to the user selection of the option associated with the second feature; obtaining the second command sequence from the first database; and issuing the second command sequence to the second electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer-implemented method of controlling an electronic device, comprising:
at a first electronic device coupled to a display and a first output connection of a second electronic device, the first electronic device including one or more processors and memory; sending a first command sequence to the second electronic device via a wireless connection different from the first output connection, wherein the first command sequence is selected to determine a first state of the second electronic device; in response to the sending, capturing display data provided by the second electronic device via the first output connection; generating a fingerprint of displayed user interface elements from the captured display data; obtaining, based on the generated fingerprint, a determination as to the first state of the second electronic device; and based on the first state and a device type of the second electronic device, sending a second command sequence to the second electronic device so as to control a feature provided by the second electronic device; in accordance with a determination that the second command sequence was performed correctly, updating a first database to identify the second command sequence as a correct command sequence for the second electronic device; generating a user interface including selectable user options for interacting with a plurality of features provided by the second electronic device; providing the user interface for display on the display; receiving a user selection, via the provided user interface, of an option associated with a second feature, the second feature comprising a digital video recorder or video on demand feature; determining that the second command sequence corresponds to the second feature; and responsive to the user selection of the option associated with the second feature; obtaining the second command sequence from the first database; and issuing the second command sequence to the second electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
Specification