Operational terminal device, display control device, method of operating terminal device, method of operating display control device, and system

• US 9,876,981 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Kazumoto, Nakajima, Yasuhisa, Tsurumoto, Takashi, Nakano, Masahiro, Omori, Shiro, Banba, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam, Abbas
• Application Number:
  US14/326,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• 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 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

An operational terminal device may include a control unit to control display on a display screen of at least one operation button to control a display control device, based on button information associated with the operation button and received from the display control device.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a control unit configured to control display, on a display screen of the mobile device, of at least one operation button to control an electronic device external to the mobile device, in accordance with analysis by the control unit of a display control command indicated in button information associated with the at least one operation button and received by the mobile device,

wherein the at least one operation button is displayed after said electronic device is connected, directly or indirectly, to said mobile device,

wherein at least one different operation button is displayed if a different type of external device is connected, directly or indirectly, to said mobile device, and

wherein a remote control signal is transmitted wirelessly by the mobile device when said at least one operation button is activated.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the display of the at least one operation button on the display screen is in accordance with the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device when the mobile device is in remote control mode.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the button information associated with the at least one operation button is received by the mobile device when data broadcasting for a program is provided.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the button information associated with the at least one operation button is received by the mobile device when the electronic device is connected to the mobile device.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device is written in a same language that button information in data broadcasting is written.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the language in which the data broadcasting is written is a language among a plurality of languages in which the data broadcasting is writable.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein, when data broadcasting for a program is absent, the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device reflects the data broadcasting being absent.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device is generated from information in data broadcasting for a program.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device includes information to control display on the display screen of the mobile device such that a first operation button is displayed on the display screen of the mobile device only when a second operation button on the display screen of the mobile device is selected.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device includes information to control display on the display screen of the mobile device such that, when the at least one operation button is displayed, display on another display screen is controlled to display contents associated with the at least one operation button without information corresponding to the at least one operation button.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device includes information to control display on the display screen of the mobile device of the at least one operation button to reflect a predetermined broadcast standard.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device includes information to control display on the display screen of the mobile device of the at least one operation button to reflect only operable operation buttons.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control display on the display screen of the mobile device of a label based on the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising:

a touch panel superimposed on the display screen of the mobile device.

15. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control display on the display screen of the mobile device of indicia representing a next chapter and a previous chapter of content based on the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the content is from the electronic device or the different type of external device.

17. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control display on the display screen of the mobile device to indicate an operating state of the electronic device or the different type of external device.

18. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control display on the display screen of the mobile device when the button information associated with the at least one operation button received by the mobile device indicates volume of the electronic device is changed.

19. The mobile device of claim 1,

wherein the at least one operation button is displayed after the mobile device is determined to be in remote control mode.

20. A method of operating a mobile device, the method comprising:

controlling, by a processor, display, on a display screen of the mobile device, of at least one operation button to control an electronic device external to the mobile device, in accordance with analysis by the processor of a display control command indicated in button information associated with the at least one operation button and received by the mobile device,

wherein the at least one operation button is displayed after said electronic device is connected, directly or indirectly, to said mobile device,

wherein at least one different operation button is displayed if a different type of external device is connected, directly or indirectly, to said mobile device, and

wherein a remote control signal is transmitted wirelessly by the mobile device when said at least one operation button is activated.

21. A system comprising:

a mobile device and an electronic device external to the mobile device,

wherein the mobile device includes a first control unit configured to control display, on a display screen of the mobile device, of at least one operation button to control the electronic device, in accordance with analysis by the first control unit of a display control command indicated in button information associated with the at least one operation button and received by the mobile device,

wherein the at least one operation button is displayed after said electronic device is connected, directly or indirectly, to said mobile device,

wherein at least one different operation button is displayed if a different type of external device is connected, directly or indirectly, to said mobile device,

wherein a remote control signal is transmitted wirelessly by the mobile device when said at least one operation button is activated, and

wherein the electronic device includes a second control unit to control display, on another display screen, of content associated with the at least one operation button.