System and method for upgrading the remote control functionality of a device

• US 20060031400A1
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick H., Conway, James N. Jr., Yuh, Han-Sheng, Wang, Weidong William
• Granted Patent: US 7,093,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• 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 2200/26 Remote control device with touch screen display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for upgrading remote control application resident on a device. To this end, a markup language file is created. The markup language file has a representation of information used to setup the remote control application to communicate with an appliance. The markup language file may be executed, on the device or an intermediate client with which the device is synchronized, to upload the representation of the information to a remote server. At the remote server, the uploaded information is used to automatically display user-selectable, downloadable data files relevant to the control of the appliance. Downloaded data files, which may include command codes and/or graphical user interface elements, may be used within the device to upgrade the ability of the remote control application to communicate with the appliance. The information uploaded to the server may also be used to generate demographic data regarding consumer preferences.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading a remote control application resident on a device, comprising:

storing in a markup language file a representation of information used to setup the remote control application to communicate with an appliance;

storing information representative of the remote control application in the markup language file;

executing the markup language file to upload the representation of the information and the information representative of the remote control application to a remote server; and

using the uploaded representation of the information and the information representative of the remote control application to automatically display user-selectable, downloadable data files relevant to the appliance and compatible with the remote control application which data files may be used to upgrade the remote control application resident on the device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising storing the markup language file in memory on the device, synchronizing the markup language file with a personal computer, and executing the markup language file on the personal computer.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the downloadable data files contain command codes for use in transmitting control commands from the device to the appliance.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the downloadable data files contain graphical user interface elements for use in displaying command keys on the device, the command keys being activatable to cause the transmission of control commands to the appliance.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising storing at the remote server the representation of the information used to setup the remote control application and using the stored information to generate demographic data.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising requiring a user to register with the remote server before allowing access to the downloadable data, storing at the remote server information provided as part of registration, using the registration information in combination with the information uploaded from the remote control application to generate the demographic data.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is a PDA.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is a Web tablet.

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

11. A method of generating data pertaining to consumer appliance preferences, comprising:

receiving at a Web site a first set of information captured by a remote control application, the first set of information being indicative of appliances the remote control application is setup to command the operation of;

capturing at the Web site a second set of information supplied by a user, the second set of information being indicative of characteristics of the user and supplied by the user during a registration process with the Web site; and

cross-referencing the first set of information to the second set of information to generate demographic data related to consumer appliance preferences.

12. The method as recited as in claim 11, further comprising capturing at the Web site a third set of information supplied by a user, the third set of information being indicative of consumer upgrade preferences and generated as a result of a user requesting upgrade downloads from the Web site for use in connection with the remote control application, and further cross-referencing the third set of information to the first set of information or the second set of information to generate demographic data related to consumer appliance preferences.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the first set of information comprises appliance setup codes entered for use in setting up the remote control application to command the operation of appliances.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the second set of information comprises a user name and geographic location.

15. A method for upgrading a remote control application resident on a device, comprising:

storing in a markup language file a representation of information used to setup the remote control application to communicate with an appliance;

storing information representative of a hardware platform for the device in the markup language file;

executing the markup language file to upload the representation of the information and the information representative of the hardware platform for the device to a remote server; and

using the uploaded representation of the information and the information representative of the hardware platform for the device to automatically display user-selectable, downloadable data files relevant to the appliance and compatible with the hardware platform for the device which data files may be used to upgrade the remote control application resident on the device.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising storing the markup language file in memory on the device, synchronizing the markup language file with a personal computer, and executing the markup language file on the personal computer.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the downloadable data files contain command codes for use in transmitting control commands from the device to the appliance.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the downloadable data files contain graphical user interface elements for use in displaying command keys on the device, the command keys being activatable to cause the transmission of control commands to the appliance.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising storing at the remote server the representation of the information used to setup the remote control application and using the stored information to generate demographic data.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising requiring a user to register with the remote server before allowing access to the downloadable data, storing at the remote server information provided as part of registration, using the registration information in combination with the information uploaded from the remote control application to generate the demographic data.

21. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the device is a PDA.

22. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the device is a Web tablet.