Remote control with programmable button labeling and labeling display upon button actuation

• US 20040113892A1
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Mears, Mark Gilmore, Morgan, Gregg Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,429,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/172
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A universal remote control includes a display that is partitioned into a button touch-screen portion and a message area. The button touch-screen portion includes pre-determined or etched areas defining a plurality of buttons and a given number of pre-determined labels for each button. The message area includes individual pixels (i.e. a dot matrix) that allow the display of messages, labels or the like such as text. Activation of a touch-screen button having a message or label associated therewith causes the message or label to be displayed in the message area of the display. The remote control is customizable by the user. The user can configure a label for a particular button to suit the user'"'"'s preference(s). This is especially useful for “learning remotes” where the function “learned” (stored) with respect to a particular button or key may bear no relationship to the label printed or available for that button. Now the user can create a custom label that is displayed in a message area of the remote.

Claims

1. A remote control comprising:

a housing;

a controller supported by said housing;

a display supported by said housing and coupled to said controller for communication therewith, said display divided into a pre-etched touch screen area defining a plurality of touch selectable buttons, and a message area operative to display alphabetic characters; and

memory coupled to said controller for communication therewith and containing program instructions that allow a user to define a custom label for a selected one of said plurality of selectable buttons that is displayed in said message area when said selected one of said plurality of selectable buttons is actuated.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein said message area is defined by a dot matrix configuration.

3. The remote control of claim 2, wherein said dot matrix configuration defines two rows of message area.

4. The remote control of claim 1, wherein said custom label is defined during a learning mode of the remote.

5. The remote control of claim 1, wherein said custom label is defined during a setup mode of the remote.

6. The remote control of claim 1, wherein said display comprises an LCD.

7. The remote control of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver supported by said housing and coupled to said controller for communication therewith, said receiver operative to receive signals from another remote control for learning the received signals; and

a transmitter supported by said housing and coupled to said controller for communication therewith, said transmitter operative to transmit signals from the universal remote for control of an unconnected electronic component.

8. The remote control of claim 7, wherein said receiver comprises an IR receiver, and said transmitter comprises an IR transmitter.

9. The remote control of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of hard buttons carried by said housing and coupled to said controller for communication therewith, said program instructions further allow the user to define a custom label for a selected one of said plurality of hard buttons that is displayed in said message area when said selected one of said plurality of hard buttons is actuated.

15. The remote control of claim 1, wherein said means for displaying comprises an LCD.

10. A remote control comprising:

a housing;

means, supported by said housing, for controlling the remote;

means, supported by said housing and coupled to said means for controlling, for displaying a pre-etched touch screen area defining a plurality of touch selectable buttons, and a message area operative to display alphabetic characters; and

means, coupled to said controller for communication therewith, for allowing a user to define a custom label for a selected one of said plurality of selectable buttons that is displayed in said message area when said selected one of said plurality of selectable buttons is actuated.

11. The remote control of claim 10, wherein said message area is defined by a dot matrix configuration.

12. The remote control of claim 11, wherein said dot matrix configuration defines two rows of message area.

13. The remote control of claim 10, wherein said custom label is defined during a learning mode of the remote.

14. The remote control of claim 10, wherein said custom label is defined during a setup mode of the remote.

16. The remote control of claim 10, further comprising:

means, supported by said housing and coupled to said controller for communication therewith, for receiving signals from another remote control for learning the received signals; and

means, supported by said housing and coupled to said controller for communication therewith, for transmitting signals from the universal remote for control of an unconnected electronic component.

17. The remote control of claim 16, wherein said means for receiving comprises an IR receiver, and said means for transmitting comprises an IR transmitter.