Selecting a picture of a device to identify an associated codeset

• US 9,870,123 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Pope, Steven M., Chock, Raymond O., Sheridan, Norman G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kujundzic, Dino
• Application Number:
  US12/148,420
• Time in Patent Office: 3,560 Days
• Field of Search: 715762, 715716, 715810, 715835, 715840, 345173, 341176, 340 105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• 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 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices

Abstract

A home entertainment device eliminates the need to use multiple remotes. The device is connected (by wired and/or wireless links) to electronic consumer devices (ECDs) to be controlled. A user uses a portable display device to view pages served by the device, and thereby to communicate with the device and indirectly control the ECDs. In a first aspect, a HDMI-CEC communication is used to identify a codeset from a codeset database. In a second aspect, the codeset of a remote is identified by serving pictures of remotes to the user. The user selects a picture and the system looks up its codeset. In a third aspect, keys on an illustration of a remote are dragged and dropped to create a new custom remote. In a fourth aspect, the user supplies a digital photograph of a remote. The system performs optical recognition and identifies the type of remote and its codeset.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning a codeset and user interface for controlling functional operations of a target appliance, comprising:

receiving via a network at a server computer from the portable device data indicative of a selection criteria;

using the data indicative of the selection criteria at the server computer to select a plurality of images from a pictorial database associated with the server computer;

providing via the network from the server computer to a portable device the plurality of images selected from the pictorial database;

receiving via the network at the server computer from the portable device data indicative of a selection of one of the plurality of images;

provisioning a codeset from a codeset database to a function device wherein the codeset from the codeset database provisioned to the function device is adapted to configure the function device to command functional operations of a target appliance corresponding to the selection criteria and the selected one of the plurality of images;

creating by the function device a graphical user interface having a plurality of buttons for use in initiating control of functional operations of the target appliance corresponding to the selection criteria and the selected one of the plurality of images; and

provisioning the graphical user interface from the function device to the portable device via use of a wireless communications network;

wherein a user selection of a one of the plurality of buttons when the graphical user interface is displayed in a display of the portable device causes the portable device to transmit to the function device, via use of the wireless network, information that identifies the one of the plurality of buttons selected, wherein the function device uses the information that identifies the one of the plurality of buttons selected as received from the portable device to select a command code from the codeset from the codeset database, and wherein the function device uses the command code selected from the codeset from the codeset database to create a command signal for transmission to the target appliance to thereby control a functional operation of the target appliance.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of a selection criteria comprises data indicative of a manufacturer of the target appliance.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of a selection criteria comprises data indicative of a type of the target appliance.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of a selection criteria comprises data indicative of a shape of the target appliance.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of a selection criteria comprises data indicative of a shape of a remote control supplied with the target appliance.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the plurality of images selected from the pictorial database comprises images wherein each image shows a button layout of a consumer electronic device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of images selected from the pictorial database comprises images wherein each image shows a shape of a consumer electronic device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of images selected from the pictorial database comprises images wherein each image shows a button layout of a consumer electronic device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of images selected from the pictorial database comprises images wherein each image shows a shape of a remote control supplied with a consumer electronic device.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the data indicative of a selection criteria comprises data indicative of a button layout of a remote control supplied with the target appliance.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of images selected from the pictorial database comprises images wherein each image shows a button layout of a remote control supplied with a consumer electronic device.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises a personal digital assistant.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises a smart phone.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the server computer receives from the function device via the network data indicative of the selection criteria.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the function device comprises a settop box in communication with the target appliance.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the settop box and the target appliance communicate via High-Definition Multimedia Interface communications.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises an image of a remote control supplied with the target appliance.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the function device and the target device communicate via infrared communications.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises an image of buttons of a remote control supplied with the target appliance.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable device and the function device communicate via radio frequency communications.