Two-way remote control with advertising display

• US 6,002,450 A
• Filed: 10/06/1997
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Evolve Products Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Donnell, Frank, Thompson, Brandt, Darbee, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/999,716
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 348/725, 345/327, 345/328, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 341/176
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The remote control includes a visual display, first wireless circuitry for receiving from a host device data in the form of selected information, e.g., an advertisement, to be displayed, stored or processed, second wireless circuitry for sending information, control circuitry and software for controlling operation of the remote control, and the software including and a display default routine for returning to the display the display of the selected information received by the first wireless circuitry.

Claims

1. A remote control including a visual display, wireless means for receiving from a host device data including selected information to be displayed, stored, or processed, wireless means for sending information, control means including software, circuitry for controlling operation of said remote control and means for maintaining said selected information displayed on said visual display when said remote control is not being used by a user to perform a function, and said software including means for detecting a low-battery condition, and means for displaying an advertisement to replace the batteries with a specific brand of battery.

2. A remote control including a visual display, wireless means for receiving from a host device data including selected information to be displayed, stored, or processed, wireless means for sending information, control means including software and circuitry for controlling operation of said remote control, means for maintaining said selected information displayed on said visual display when said remote control is not being used by a user to perform a function, and motion detection means for placing said remote control in a given state when it is picked up by a user.

3. A remote control including a visual display, wireless means for receiving from a host device data including selected information to be displayed, stored, or processed, wireless means for sending information, control means including software and circuitry for controlling operation of said remote control, means for maintaining said selected information displayed on said visual display when said remote control is not being used by a user to perform a function, and some of the selected information including names of manufacturers of electronic equipment to be controlled by said remote control instead of model numbers or arbitrary code numbers.

4. A remote control including a visual display, wireless means for receiving from a host device data including selected information to be displayed, stored, or processed, wireless means for sending information, control means including software and circuitry for controlling operation of said remote control, means for maintaining said selected information displayed on said visual display when said remote control is not being used by a user to perform a function, and said software including a display default routine and a timeout routine for timing out the time after the last function performed with the remote control by a user thereof and for then placing the visual display in the display default routine for displaying said selected information.

5. The remote control of claim 4 wherein said time out routine times out in 1 second to 10 minutes.

6. The remote control of claim 4 wherein said time out routine times out in approximately 5 minutes.

7. A remote control including a visual display, wireless means for receiving from a host device data including selected information to be displayed, stored, or processed, wireless means for sending information, control means including software and circuitry for controlling operation of said remote control, means for maintaining said selected information displayed on said visual display when said remote control is not being used by a user to perform a function and a vibrating mechanism for producing tactile sensations from the remote control which can be sensed by a user.