Remote command learning

• US 9,915,931 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Griffiths, Neil, Jarvis, Simon, Lehnert, Hilmar, Ramos, Aurelio
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): AKKI, MUNEAR T
• Application Number:
  US15/594,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 340 42, 340 43, 340 432, 340 433, 341176
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/04 Programme control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers G05B19/418 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23051 Remote control, enter program remote, detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2615 Audio, video, tv, consumer electronics device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to learn and share remote commands are disclosed. An example method to configure a playback device to be controlled by a remote control includes receiving by the playback device a first code for a first command from the remote control. The example method includes identifying by the playback device a second code for a second command based on the received first code. The example method includes receiving by the playback device the second code from the remote control. The example method includes executing the second command by the playback device.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the playback device to perform a method comprising;

sending a query message to a cloud-based code database, wherein the query message comprises an indication of a first set of one or more codes received from a remote control;

receiving a response message from the cloud-based code database, the response message indicating that the cloud-based code database does not have a first command set for the remote control that sent the first set of one or more codes;

in response to receiving the response message from the cloud-based code database, causing a controller device to prompt a user to enter a second set of one or more commands via the remote control;

receiving a second set of one or more codes from the remote control, the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands;

storing the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of the playback device; and

sending a second message to the cloud-based code database, the second message comprising the second set of one or more codes and corresponding second set of one or more commands.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

decoding the first set of one or more codes.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

after storing the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of the playback device, configuring the playback device to execute each of the second set of one or more commands in response to receiving each of the second set of one or more corresponding codes from the remote control.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein causing the controller device to prompt the user to enter the second set of one or more commands via the remote control comprises causing the controller device to prompt the user via visual instructions.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more commands comprises one or more of a volume up, volume down, mute, power on, and power off command.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

sending a third message to a second playback device, the third message comprising the second set of one or more codes and the corresponding second set of one or more commands.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the playback device further comprises a line-in connection.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving one of the second set of one or more codes from the remote control; and

in response to receiving the one of the second set of one or more codes from the remote control, executing the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes, wherein executing the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes comprises sending a signal to a second playback device to implement the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes.

9. The playback device of claim 8, wherein the playback device further comprises a line-in connection, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving audio via the line-in connection; and

playing back the received audio in synchrony with the second playback device.

10. The playback device of claim 1, wherein at least one code in the first set of one or more codes is the same as at least one code in the second set of one or more codes.

11. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory comprising instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a playback device to perform a method comprising:

sending a query message to a cloud-based code database, wherein the query message comprises an indication of a first set of one or more codes received from a remote control;

receiving a response message from the cloud-based code database, the response message indicating that the cloud-based code database does not have a first command set for the remote control that sent the first set of one or more codes;

in response to receiving the response message from the cloud-based code database, causing a controller device to prompt a user to enter a second set of one or more commands via the remote control;

receiving a second set of one or more codes from the remote control, the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands;

storing the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of the playback device; and

sending a second message to the cloud-based code database, the second message comprising the second set of one or more codes and corresponding second set of one or more commands.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

after storing the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of the playback device, configuring the playback device to execute each of the second set of one or more commands in response to receiving each of the second set of one or more corresponding codes from the remote control.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein causing the controller device to prompt the user to enter the second set of one or more commands via the remote control comprises causing the controller device to prompt the user via visual instructions.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

sending a third message to a second playback device, the third message comprising the second set of one or more codes and the corresponding second set of one or more commands.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving one of the second set of one or more codes from the remote control; and

in response to receiving the one of the second set of one or more codes from the remote control, executing the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes, wherein executing the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes comprises sending a signal to a second playback device to implement the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes.

16. A method comprising:

sending a query message to a cloud-based code database, wherein the query message comprises an indication of a first set of one or more codes received from a remote control;

receiving a response message from the cloud-based code database, the response message indicating that the cloud-based code database does not have a first command set for the remote control that sent the first set of one or more codes;

in response to receiving the response message from the cloud-based code database, causing a controller device to prompt a user to enter a second set of one or more commands via the remote control;

receiving a second set of one or more codes from the remote control, the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands;

storing the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory; and

sending a second message to the cloud-based code database, the second message comprising the second set of one or more codes and corresponding second set of one or more commands.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

after storing the second set of one or more codes corresponding to the second set of one or more commands in the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory, executing one or more of the second set of one or more commands in response to receiving one or more of the second set of one or more corresponding codes from the remote control.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein causing the controller device to prompt the user to enter the second set of one or more commands via the remote control comprises causing the controller device to prompt the user via visual instructions.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending a third message to a second playback device, the third message comprising the second set of one or more codes and the corresponding second set of one or more commands.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving one of the second set of one or more codes from the remote control; and

in response to receiving the one of the second set of one or more codes from the remote control, executing the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes, wherein executing the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes comprises sending a signal to a second playback device to implement the command corresponding to the one of the second set of one or more codes.