Telephonically programmable apparatus

• US 5,414,756 A
• Filed: 01/21/1994
• Issued: 05/09/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Smart VCR Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Levine, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/185,308
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 364/90, 379/102, 358/86, 358/84, 380/10, 348/6-7, 348/8, 348/9, 348/10
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

To initialize a remote control device for use in a particular installation, initialization parameters are entered relating to the relationship between user input codes and equipment to be controlled. In the preferred embodiment involving video recorder equipment, the initialization procedure concerns the video channels available to the recorder and remote control codes associated with the operation of the recorder. Using a receive-only modem on the device attached to a phone jack, initialization is performed by dialing up a remote location with a touch tone phone. At the remote end a computer sends selected audio response signals to the telephone receiver requesting that the user key in information using the touch tone pad. The computer then transmits the appropriate signals to the memory of the remote device to initialize it.

Claims

1. In a video recorder control device of the type having an alterable memory for storing parameters related to the operation of said video recorder, apparatus for remotely configuring such memory, comprising:

means for electrically coupling said control device to a first terminal end of a telephone system having a touch tone transceiver connected thereto;

a computer system connected to a second terminal end of said telephone system;

a source of audio messages connected to said second terminal end of the telephone system; and

an application program resident in the computer, operative, upon said first terminal end of the telephone system being connected to said second terminal end, to select certain of said audio messages for transmission to said second terminal end of the telephone system so that they may be telephonically received at the first terminal end and will direct the operator at the first terminal end to provide information relating to the nature of the operating environment of said video recorder through touch tone responses to cause said computer to generate and transmit signals from said second terminal end to said control device which will program said alterable memory of said device with the parameters required for a control program enabling said control device to properly operate said video recorder.

2. The control device of claim 1 wherein said parameters comprise conversion codes relating to the channel assignments of a video program source connected to said video recorder.

3. The control device of claim 2 in which said control device constitutes a remote control for said video recorder, the remote including a keyboard and a remote control transmitter operative to transmit the signals to the video recorder to cause it to record a particular program identified by codes entered by a user onto said keyboard.

4. The control device of claim 3 further including means at said second terminal end for identifying the location of said first terminal end and for providing data relating to said location of said first terminal to said control program.

5. The control device of claim 1 wherein said device comprises a remote control for a video recorder having a multichannel cable as its source of video programming, and wherein one of the audio responses to an operator at the first terminal includes a query as to the geographic location of said first terminal.

6. The control device of claim 5 wherein said query relates to the postal Zip Code at the first terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the programmable device includes operator actuable means for placing the device in either a first, training mode in which memory of said device is programmed, and a second, operating mode in which the device operates to perform its normal video recorder control function.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the programmable device includes a real time clock and said signals transmitted from said second terminal to said control device include signals for setting said clock.

7. The method of configuring a programmable control device for use with a video recorder connected to a multichannel programming source, comprising:

connecting a programmable memory of the control device to a first terminal of a telephone system;

connecting a touch tone telephone transceiver to said first terminal of said telephonic system;

using said touch tone codes to connect said first terminal to a second terminal of said telephonic system;

transmitting a series of audio inquiries from said second terminal to said first terminal;

manually inputting responses to said audio inquiries onto the keys of said touch tone transceiver;

using said responses to formulate configuring signals for said programmable memory of the control device including data relating to the relationship between the codes entered into the programmable device by an operator and the channel designations of said multichannel source; and

transmitting said configuring signals to the memory of the device through the telephonic system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said audio inquiries are generated by a computer.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said programmable device transmits a series of digital signals to the video recorder and the programmable information further includes data relating to the control codes of the remote receiver for the video recorder.

10. The method of claim 7 further including the step of generating signals at said second terminal representative of the location of the first terminal and providing said signals to said second terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said signals representative of the location of the first terminal are provided as a response to an audio inquiry transmitted from the second terminal to the first terminal.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein one of said audio inquiries requests the postal Zip Code of the location of the programmable device.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein the multichannel source employs a cable tuner and one of said audio inquires requests the model number of said cable tuner.