GUI of remote control facilitates user-friendly editing of macros

• US 6,208,341 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Home Control Singapore Pte Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: van Ee, Jan, Moore, Paul S., Roberts, Guy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/129,300
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 345/970, 345/326, 345/339, 345/173, 345/168, 345/968, 345/352, 345/335, 345/356, 345/327
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/25 Remote control device with display
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

A remote control device for a home theater has a macro creation/editing mode with authoring tools on the remote'"'"'s GUI. One of the editing tools lets the user move a selected macro step visibly up or down the list of steps on the GUI.

Claims

1. A remote control device for remote control of equipment, the device having a display for display of a GUI with a plurality of user-selectable options, wherein:

the device enables the user to program a macro comprising a sequence of multiple ones of the control options;

the GUI enables the user to view the sequence as a scrollable list of steps;

the GUI enables the user to edit the list by selecting at least one specific one of the steps at a first location in the list, moving the specific step along the sequence, and inserting the specific step into a second location of the list.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the control options are organized in two or more panels for individual display on the GUI; and

the device enables the user to program the macro comprising a particular step that causes the GUI to jump to a specific one of the panels.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device has a touch screen for enabling user-selection of the options.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the GUI changes its appearance through animation upon selection of a particular one of the user-selectable options.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the macro is programmable to be activated under a softkey on the GUI.