Hand held remote control device having an improved user interface

• US 20030095156A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Scott, Cheryl, Klein, Sandro David, Scott, Wayne, Louie, Alex, Smith-Kielland, Ingvald Alain
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/23 Remote control device with display showing data to be transmitted to the controlled apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/25 Remote control device with display
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/26 Remote control device with touch screen display
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A user interface for displaying graphical operational mode information to a user of a universal remote control. The user interface displays to the user in a circular queue arrangement iconic representations of every home appliance which the universal remote control is setup to control. The user may then interact with the user interface to select an iconic representation of the one of the home appliances which the user desires to control. In response to this selection, the user interface will display the iconic representation of the home appliances such that the iconic representation of the home appliance indicated by the user is moved to a predetermined position in the circular queue arrangement relative to the remaining iconic representations and/or is given an appearance distinct from the appearance of the remaining iconic representations within the circular queue arrangement. In this manner, the user interface indicates to the user the current operational mode of the universal remote control.

Claims

1. A method for displaying operational mode information to a user of a universal remote control, comprising:

displaying to the user in a circular queue arrangement iconic representations of every home appliance which the universal remote control is setup to control;

accepting input from the user indicating one of the home appliances which the user desires to control; and

displaying the iconic representation of the home appliances such that the iconic representation of the home appliance indicated by the user is moved to a predetermined position in the circular queue arrangement relative to the remaining iconic representation and is given an appearance distinct from the appearance of the remaining iconic representations within the circular queue arrangement to thereby indicate to the user the current operational mode of the universal remote control.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying the circular queue as a ring.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising accepting input from the user to setup the universal remote control to control the operation of multiple home appliances.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the circular queue has place holders indicative of available modes of operation of the universal remote control and the method further comprises replacing the place holders with the iconic representations as the user sets-up the universal remote control to have modes for controlling particular home appliances.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the iconic representations are user selectable.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined position in the circular queue is a top of the circular queue.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the iconic representation of the home appliance indicated by the user is relatively larger than the remaining iconic representations within the circular queue.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising rotating the circular queue to move the iconic representation of the home appliance to the predetermined position.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising gradually changing the appearance of the iconic representations towards the distinct appearance as the iconic representations are moved towards the predetermined position and gradually changing the appearance of the iconic representation away from the distinct appearance as the iconic representations are moved away from the predetermined position.

10. A method for displaying operational mode information to a user of a universal remote control device, comprising:

displaying to the user in a ring-shaped, circular queue iconic representations of every home appliance which the universal remote control is setup to control;

accepting input from the user indicating one of the home appliances which the user desires to control; and

in response to the input, moving the iconic representations within the displayed ring-shaped, circular queue until the iconic representation of the home appliance indicated by the user is moved to the top of the ring-shaped, circular queue such that the iconic representation of the home appliance are gradually increased in size as the iconic representations are moved towards the top of the ring-shaped, circular queue and the iconic representations are gradually decreased in size until the iconic representations have the same size relative to the remaining iconic representations within the ring-shaped, circular queue as the iconic representations are moved away from the top of the ring-shaped, circular queue.

11. In a universal remote control, a readable media having instructions for displaying operational mode information to a user of the universal remote control, the instructions performing steps comprising:

displaying to the user in a circular queue arrangement iconic representations of every home appliance which the universal remote control is setup to control;

accepting input from the user indicating one of the home appliances which the user desires to control; and

displaying the iconic representation of the home appliances such that the iconic representation of the home appliance indicated by the user is moved to a predetermined position in the circular queue arrangement relative to the remaining iconic representation and is given an appearance distinct from the appearance of the remaining iconic representations within the circular queue arrangement to thereby indicate to the user the current operational mode of the universal remote control.

12. The readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions further display the circular queue as a ring.

13. The readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions further accept input from the user to setup the universal remote control to control the operation of multiple home appliances.

14. The readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the circular queue has place holders indicative of available modes of operation of the universal remote control and the instructions further replace the place holders with the iconic representations as the user sets-up the universal remote control to have modes for controlling particular home appliances.

15. The readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the iconic representations are user selectable.

16. The readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the predetermined position is a top of the circular queue.

17. The readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the iconic representation of the home appliance indicated by the user is relatively larger than the remaining iconic representations within the circular queue.

18. The readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the instructions further rotate the circular queue to move the iconic representation of the home appliance to the predetermined position.

19. The readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions further gradually change the appearance of the iconic representations towards the distinct appearance as the iconic representations are moved towards the predetermined position and gradually change the appearance of the iconic representations away from the distinct appearance as the iconic representations are moved away from the predetermined position.

20. A readable media having instructions for displaying operational mode information to a user of a universal remote control device, the instructions performing steps comprising:

displaying to the user in a ring-shaped, circular queue iconic representations of every home appliance which the universal remote control is setup to control;

accepting input from the user indicating one of the home appliances which the user desires to control; and

in response to the input, moving the iconic representations within the displayed ring-shaped, circular queue until the iconic representation of the home appliance indicated by the user is moved to the top of the ring-shaped, circular queue such that the iconic representation of the home appliance are gradually increased in size as the iconic representations are moved towards the top of the ring-shaped, circular queue and the iconic representations are gradually decreased in size until the iconic representations have the same size relative to the remaining iconic representations within the ring-shaped, circular queue as the iconic representations are moved away from the top of the ring-shaped, circular queue.

21. A method of using a remote control to provide relevant content to a user, comprising:

displaying to the user a list of favorites associated with a device to be controlled;

accepting input by which the user selects one of the favorites from the list of favorites; and

transmitting command codes to the device to be controlled to cause the device to be controlled to access the user selected favorite and, simultaneously, retrieving and displaying Web content associated with the user selected favorite.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the device to be controlled is a television and the favorites comprise television broadcast channels.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the device to be controlled is a recorded media playback device and the favorites comprise tracks.

24. A method of using a remote control to provide relevant content to a user, comprising:

displaying to the user a list of modes indicative of devices that can be controlled;

accepting input by which the user selects one of the modes from the list of modes; and

causing the remote control to access command codes capable of controlling a device setup to correspond to the user selected mode and, simultaneously, retrieving and displaying Web content associated with the user selected mode.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the Web content comprises television guide listings when the user selected mode places the remote control in a mode for controlling a television.

26. A remote control, comprising:

a memory in which is stored a plurality of command codes;

a transmission circuit by which a select one or more of the command codes are transmitted to one or more appliances; and

a plurality of hard keys which are activatable to cause one or more of the command codes to be selected from the memory and provided to the transmission circuit for transmission to the one or more appliances;

wherein the plurality of hard keys are arranged in a circular pattern to provide a user with a familiar metaphor.

27. The remote control as recited in claim 26, wherein the hard keys are labeled with numbers and the familiar metaphor resembles a telephone rotary dial.