APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MEDIA DEVICE OPERATION PREFERENCES BASED ON REMOTE CONTROL IDENTIFICATION

• US 20110134320A1
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Daly, Curtis Norman
• Granted Patent: US 8,629,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/462
• 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 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles

Abstract

Remote control signal detection systems and methods are operable to set media device operation preferences in a media device. An exemplary embodiment detects a remote control communication signal transmitted from a remote control, wherein the remote control communication signal includes a unique identifier associated with the transmitting remote control; determines that at least one foreign language preference is associated with the transmitting remote control; and reconfigures information generated by the media device into the preferred foreign language.

Claims

1. A method for setting media device operation preferences in a media device, the method comprising:

detecting a remote control communication signal transmitted from a remote control, wherein the remote control communication signal includes a unique identifier associated with the transmitting remote control;

determining that at least one foreign language preference is associated with the transmitting remote control; and

reconfiguring information generated by the media device into the preferred foreign language.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media device is configured to receive a program of interest with a native language audio portion and a foreign language audio portion, and further comprising:

presenting the foreign language audio portion in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media device is configured to receive a program of interest with a native language closed captioning text portion and a foreign language closed captioning text portion, and further comprising:

presenting the foreign language closed captioning text portion in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media device is configured to receive a program of interest with a native language closed captioning text portion, and further comprising:

translating the native language closed captioning text portion to a foreign language closed captioning text portion corresponding to the foreign language preference in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media device is configured to receive electronic program guide (EPG) information in a native language and a foreign language, and further comprising:

generating an EPG using the foreign language EPG information in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the remote control communication signal includes at least one instruction requesting presentation of the EPG, and wherein the EPG is presented using the foreign language in response to receiving the instruction requesting presentation of the EPG.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media device is configured to receive electronic program guide (EPG) information in a native language, and in response to receiving an instruction requesting presentation of an EPG from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference, the method further comprising:

translating the native language EPG information into foreign language EPG information; and

generating an EPG using the foreign language EPG information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the media device is configured to receive a foreign language channel that presents at least one program of interest in the foreign language, and further comprising:

defining a favorite channel as the foreign language channel in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

9. A media device, comprising:

a program content stream interface configured to receive a program content stream with a program of interest therein;

a remote control signal detector configured to receive a remote control communication signal transmitted from a remote control associated with at least one media device operation preference, wherein the remote control communication signal includes a unique identifier identifying the transmitting remote control; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the program content stream interface and the remote control signal detector, and wherein the processor system is configured to;

determine that at least one foreign language preference is associated with the transmitting remote control based upon the unique identifier in the received remote control communication signal; and

reconfigure information generated by the media device into the preferred foreign language.

10. The media device of claim 9, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of media device operation preferences pertaining to the foreign language,

wherein the processor system retrieves at least one of the media device operation preferences associated with the transmitting remote control, and reconfigures the media device to process the received program content in accordance with the at least one retrieved foreign language media device operation preference.

11. The media device of claim 9, wherein the program content stream interface is configured to receive an audio portion of a program of interest in at least one of a native language and a foreign language, and wherein the processor system is configured to present the program of interest using the foreign language audio portion in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

12. The media device of claim 9, wherein the program content stream interface is configured to receive a native language closed captioning text portion and a foreign language closed captioning text portion of the program of interest, and wherein the processor system is configured to present the foreign language closed captioning text portion in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

13. The media device of claim 9, wherein the program content stream interface is configured to receive a native language closed captioning text portion of the program of interest, and wherein the processor system is configured to translate the native language closed captioning text portion to a foreign language closed captioning text portion.

14. The media device of claim 9, wherein the program content stream interface is configured to receive native language electronic program guide (EPG) information and foreign language EPG information, and wherein the processor system is configured to generate an EPG using the foreign language EPG information in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

15. The media device of claim 14, wherein the remote control communication signal includes at least one instruction requesting presentation of the EPG, and wherein the EPG is presented using the foreign language in response to receiving the instruction.

16. The media device of claim 9, wherein the program content stream interface is configured to receive native language electronic program guide (EPG) information, and wherein the processor system is configured to translate the native language EPG information into foreign language EPG information, and wherein the processor system is configured to generate an EPG using the foreign language EPG information in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.

17. The media device of claim 9, wherein the program content stream interface is configured to receive a foreign language channel that presents at least one program of interest in the foreign language, and wherein the processor system is configured to define a favorite channel as the foreign language channel in response to receiving the remote control communication signal from the transmitting remote control associated with the foreign language preference.