REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20070229465A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Ryutaro, Hyogo, Kuninori, Arie, Isamu, Kubota, Yuki, Matsuoka, Fumiya
• Granted Patent: US 8,054,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

The present embodiments provide systems and methods for use in remote controlling devices including consumer electronic devices. Some embodiments provide a remote control system that comprises a processor, a display driver coupled with the processor, a touch screen display coupled with and receiving display control signals from the display driver such that the touch screen display displays one of a plurality of control views with a fixed number of function buttons displayed in each of the plurality of control views, a tactile screen cover extending over and covering the touch screen display through which selections of one or more of the function buttons is detected, and a wireless transmitter coupled with the processor that wirelessly transmits function signals in response to a detection of a selection of one of the function buttons.

Claims

1. A remote control system, comprising:

a processor;

a display driver coupled with the processor;

a touch screen display coupled with and receiving display control signals from the display driver such that the touch screen display displays one of a plurality of control views with a fixed number of function buttons displayed in each of the plurality of control views;

a tactile screen cover extending over and covering the touch screen display through which selections of one or more of the function buttons is detected; and

a wireless transmitter coupled with the processor that wirelessly transmits function signals in response to a detection of a selection of one of the function buttons.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tactile cover comprises dividers extending along an exterior surface of the tactile cover corresponding with boundaries of the fixed number of function buttons.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed number of function buttons in a first control view of the plurality of control views comprises a first set of directional controls to cause a plurality of icons of a menu displayed on a remote display to scroll across the display in response to successive selections of one or more of the first set of directional controls.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the directional controls cause a sequential highlighting of the plurality of icons as the icons scroll across the remote display and as each of the icons are scrolled into a predefined fixed position on the display in response to the successive selections of the one or more of the first set of directional controls.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the touch screen transitions to display a second control view in response to a detection of a selection of one of the plurality of icons such that the second control view includes the fixed number of function buttons where control functions associated with a plurality of the fixed number of function buttons displayed in the second control view are different than control functions associated with the function buttons displayed in the first control view.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a wireless receiver that wirelessly receives a control signal from a remote device upon implementing the selection of the selected one of the plurality of icons such that the processor directs the transition to the second control view in response to receiving the control signal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the control signal comprises instructions for displaying the second control view of the fixed number of control buttons of the second control view.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of a sub-set of the plurality of function buttons is associated with one of a plurality of different selectable multimedia content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of different selectable multimedia content is associated with one of a plurality of different music.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the touch screen display receives at least one alternate display control signal from the display driver such that the touch screen display displays an alternate control view comprising a number of function buttons that is different than the fixed number of function buttons including a listing of multimedia content associated with one of the plurality of different selectable multimedia content.

11. A method for use in providing control over remote devices, comprising:

displaying a first control view comprising a fixed number of function buttons on a touch screen display with each function button being associated with one of a first plurality of control functions;

identifying a selection of one of the function buttons associated with a first control function;

wirelessly transmitting a first function signal corresponding to the selected one of the function buttons;

wirelessly receiving a first control signal; and

displaying a second control view on the touch screen display in response to the first control signal, with the second control view comprising the fixed number of function buttons with each function button of the second control view being associated with a second plurality of control functions where a plurality of the second plurality of control functions are different than the first plurality of functions.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving a second control signal;

displaying a third control view on the touch screen display in response to the second control signal, with the third control view comprising the fixed number of function buttons with each function button of the second control view being associated with a third plurality of functions where a plurality of the third plurality of functions are different than the first and second pluralities of functions such that the third view provides control over a first remote device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

tactilely confirming the identifying of the selection of one of the function buttons.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying when a time threshold period has elapsed following the identifying the selection of the function button and none of at least a sub-set of the function buttons of the second control view are selected; and

displaying the first control view comprising the fixed number of function buttons on the touch screen display when the time threshold has elapsed and none of the sub-set of the function buttons of the second control view are selected.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying a state of operation of a second remote device based on the received first control signal; and

identifying the second control view based on the state of operation of the second remote device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first control signal comprises a second control view mapping defining the locations of the function buttons within the second control view.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first control signal comprises a plurality of graphics relating to a plurality of different multimedia content with each of the plurality of the graphics being associated with one of a plurality function buttons of the second control view.

18. An apparatus for use in remotely controlling devices, comprising:

means for displaying a first control view comprising a fixed number of function buttons on a touch screen display with each function button being associated with one of a first plurality of control functions;

means for identifying a selection of one of the function buttons associated with a first control function;

means for wirelessly transmitting a first function signal corresponding to the selected one of the function buttons;

means for wirelessly receiving a first control signal; and

means for displaying a second control view on the touch screen display in response to the first control signal, with the second control view comprising the fixed number of function buttons with each function button of the second control view being associated with a second plurality of control functions where a plurality of the second plurality of control functions are different than the first plurality of functions.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a tactile screen cover extending over and covering the touch screen display through which the means for identifying the selection can detect the selections of one or more of the function buttons.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the tactile screen cover comprises contouring corresponding with boundaries of each of the fixed number of function buttons.