Programming of a Universal Remote Control Device

• US 20080297372A1
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Control Signapore Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wouters, Johan Agnes Emiel
• Granted Patent: US 9,024,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/12.23
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

A universal remote control device (10) is programmed by determining layout properties of an existing remote control device (12) that must be replaced by the universal remote control device (10). Information identifying at least part of said layout properties is input into a selection system (14, 18). A command set for the universal remote control device (10) is selected dependent on said information. The universal remote control device (10) is programmed to implement the selected command set.

Claims

1. A method of programming a universal remote control device (10), the method comprising

determining layout properties of an existing remote control device (12) that must be replaced by the universal remote control device (10);

inputting information identifying at least part of said layout properties into a selection system (14, 18);

selecting a command set for the universal remote control device (10) dependent on said information;

programming the universal remote control device (10) to implement the selected command set.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising

rendering a series of queries with said selection system (14, 18), about respective aspects of said layout properties;

said inputting comprising inputting responses subsequent to respective ones of the queries.

3. A method according to claim 2, comprising selecting at least part of the queries dependent on at least one of the respective aspects of the layout properties identified in response to a preceding one of the queries.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the queries include a query about a shape of a cursor control of the existing remote control device.

5. A method according to claim 2, comprising

storing information indicative of images representative of a plurality of different supported existing remote control devices (12);

displaying said images on a display screen (17);

receiving a selection of at least one of the displayed images.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the universal remote control device comprises the display screen (17).

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the universal remote control device comprises a memory (18) wherein the information indicative of the images is stored.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the display screen (17) is separate from the universal remote control device (10), the universal remote control device (10) being used to input the selection.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the layout properties are determined using a camera (20) to capture an image of the existing remote control device (12) the information identifying at least part of said layout properties being determined from the captured image using automatic image recognition techniques.

10. A system for programming a universal remote control device, the system comprising

an input (15, 20) for receiving information identifying at least part of layout properties of an existing remote control device (10);

a processing circuit (14) configured to select a command set for the universal remote control device (10) dependent on said information;

a programming interface (14, 16) configured to program the universal remote control device (10) to implement the selected command set.

11. A system according to claim 10, comprising an output (17) configured to render successive queries, wherein the processing circuit (14) is configured to render a series of queries, about respective aspects of said layout properties and to select the command set dependent on a combination of responses subsequent to respective ones of the queries.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processing circuit (14) is configured to select at least part of the queries dependent on at least one of the respective aspects of the layout properties identified in response to a preceding one of the queries.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the queries include a query about a shape of a cursor control of the existing remote control device (12).

14. A system according to claim 12 comprising

a memory (18) storing information indicative of images representative of a plurality of different supported remote control devices;

a display screen (17), the processing circuit being arranged to cause said images to be displayed on the display screen (17) and receive a user-selection of at least one of the displayed images.

15. A system according to claim 10, comprising a camera (20), the processing circuit being configured to process an image of the existing remote control device (12), and to use results of said image processing to select the command set.

16. A universal remote control device comprising a system according to claim 10.

17. A universal remote control device according to claim 16, comprising a camera (20), the processing circuit being configured to process an image of the existing remote control device (12), and to use results of said image processing to select the command set.