Personal programmable universal remote control

• US 7,170,422 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nelson, Terence J., Kanai, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, KIMBERLY YVETTE
• Application Number:
  US10/178,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 346/176, 340/825.72, 340/10.32, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 340/12.28
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

The present invention is a personal programmable universal remote control apparatus comprising an input module receptive of command sets operable to control devices. The apparatus further comprises an interface module receptive of manual input from a user, and an organization module operable to organize the command sets into groups based on the manual input. The apparatus further comprises an output module operable to communicate commands to the devices based on the groups. According to one aspect, the groups are operable to define operating conditions for interrelated devices based on at least one of user preference and intelligence regarding device interactions. According to another aspect, the groups are operable to define a command sequence operable to perform an action requiring one or more devices that involves use of multiple commands of the associated command sets.

Claims

1. A personal programmable universal remote control apparatus comprising:

an input module receptive of command sets operable to control devices;

an interface module receptive of manual input from a user;

an organization module operable to organize the command sets into groups based on the manual input, wherein the command sets are device specific, and wherein the groups are location specific, thereby integrating command sets of remotely controllable devices at a particular location into a single, user-defined device system;

a datastore storing the command sets of multiple devices; and

a user-defined device definition module allowing a user to instantiate a user-defined device data object and store therein selected commands from the command sets of multiple devices in a user-defined user interface configuration,

wherein said interface module allows the user to select commands of the command sets in order to define the user-defined device, and control the multiple devices by interacting with the user-defined interface of the user-defined object in order to send commands to the devices via a wireless output of the apparatus, and

wherein said user-defined device definition module allows the user to associate a source guide and a program guide with the user defined-device data object, wherein the source guide provides channel-station correspondence for the particular location and the program guide provides program-station correspondence for the particular location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an output module operable to communicate commands to the devices based on the groups.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the groups are operable to define operating conditions for interrelated devices based on user preference.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the groups are operable to define operating conditions for interrelated devices based on intelligence regarding device interactions.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the groups are operable to define a command sequence operable to perform an action requiring one or more devices that involves use of multiple commands of the associated command sets.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said organization module is operable to organize related functions of multiple devices into a group.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said organization module has access to interaction information regarding device interactions, and is operable to organize command sets into groups based on the interaction information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said organization module is operable to construct the interaction information based on the manual input.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one command set includes a command sequence operable to perform an action of the associated device, wherein the action involves use of multiple commands of the associated command set, and wherein said output module is operable to communicate the multiple commands to the associated device based on the command sequence.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input module is operable to receive command sets from the devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input module is operable to receive command sets from remote control apparatuses operable to control the devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input module is operable to receive command sets from a server having the command sets stored in memory.

13. A programmable universal remote control apparatus, comprising:

a datastore storing command sets of multiple devices;

a user-defined device definition module allowing a user to instantiate a user-defined device data object and store therein selected commands from the command sets of multiple devices in a user-defined user interface configuration; and

a user interface allowing the user to select commands of the command sets in order to define the user-defined device, and control the multiple devices by interacting with the user-defined interface of the user-defined object in order to send commands to the devices via a wireless output of the apparatus,

wherein said user defined-device definition module further allows the user to define command sequences of selected commands, and said user interface allows the user to operate the devices by selecting the command sequence,

wherein the command sequences are stored in the form of a state machine of the user-defined device data object a state of the state machine being formed by the user manipulating the devices into a state suitable for interoperability and then saving the state as a user-defined configuration; and

wherein said datastore stores said command sets as individual device state machines of the devices, and the user-defined user interface tracks individual states of the devices using the individual device state machines.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said apparatus and at least one of the devices mutually communicate, and the device at least one of:

(a) confirms that it has changed state as commanded;

or

(b) communicates its current state to the apparatus.

15. A programmable universal remote control apparatus, comprising:

a datastore storing command sets of multiple devices;

a user-defined device definition module allowing a user to instantiate a user-defined device data object and store therein selected commands from the command sets of multiple devices in a user-defined user interface configuration, wherein said user defined-device definition module further allows the user to define command sequences of selected commands, and the command sequences are stored in the form of a state machine of the user-defined device data object, a state of the state machine being formed by the user manipulating the devices into a state suitable for interoperability and then saving the state as a user-defined configuration;

a user interface allowing the user to select commands of the command sets in order to define the user-defined device, and control the multiple devices by interacting with the user-defined interface of the user-defined object in order to send commands to the devices via a wireless output of the apparatus, wherein said user interface allows the user to operate the devices by selecting the command sequence; and

a node navigator invoking a command sequence for progressing from a current state reflecting current interoperability of the devices to a desired state selected by the user, wherein edges between nodes of a graph data structure that is the state machine correspond to command sequences for changing from one state to another.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said node navigator creates the state machine by storing a sequence of commands entered by the user in the process of leaving a defined state and progressing to a newly defined state as a command sequence history, and create a command sequence edge describing the defined state and the newly defined state as neighbors based on the command sequence history.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said node navigator has an inverse command sequence generator operable to generate an inverse command sequence for returning to the defined state from the newly defined state based on the sequence of commands entered by the user and inverse command information.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said user interface allows the user to select a set of controls representing inversely related commands, and to provide the inverse relationship information by associating selected commands with inversely related controls the set of controls.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said node navigator determines the inverse command information by comparing two or more inverse edges of the state machine.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said node navigator allows the user to name a user defined configuration according to a station, thereby providing a station guide, and to control the devices according to the station guide when the user selects a program from an electronic program guide.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said node navigator adds a new state to a closest defined state by comparing the command sequence history to edges of the state machine, and navigating the state machine while modifying the command sequence history based on the comparison.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said node navigator navigates to a defined state of the state machine from an undefined state of the state machine by generating an inverse command sequence using the command sequence history and inverse command information.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one or more of the devices moves to a pre-defined state or set of states based on a current state of the device and a received command indicating a desired final state, and said user defined-device definition module allows the user to define a user-defined state of a state machine of the user defined-device at least in part by specifying one or more vectors for moving to that state from any other state.

24. A programmable universal remote control apparatus, comprising:

a datastore storing command sets of multiple devices;

a user-defined device definition module allowing a user to instantiate a user-defined device data object and store therein selected commands from the command sets of multiple devices in a user-defined user interface configuration; and

a user interface allowing the user to select commands of the command sets in order to define the user-defined device, and control the multiple devices by interacting with the user-defined interface of the user-defined object in order to send commands to the devices via a wireless output of the apparatus,

wherein said user interface allows the user to define the user-defined device by drag and drop of selected commands into a screen region representing the user-defined user interface.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said user interface allows the user to assign selected commands to function keys of said apparatus by providing a drag and drop key grid that allows the user to assign a command button to a particular key by dragging the button onto a point of the grid and dropping it there.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said user interface causes commands assigned to function keys to be automatically represented on an active display of said apparatus as visually corresponding to the assigned function keys in terms of position on the display in relation to one another.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said user interface allows the user to define functions that are sequences of command sequences for controlling the devices.

28. A personal programmable universal remote control apparatus, comprising:

an organization module operable to organize command sets for remotely controlling devices into groups based on user input, wherein the command sets are device specific, and wherein the groups are location specific, thereby integrating command sets of remotely controllable devices at a particular location into a single, user-defined device system;

a user-defined device definition module allowing a user to instantiate a user-defined device data object, store therein selected commands from the command sets of multiple devices at the particular location in a user-defined user interface configuration, define command sequences of selected commands, and associate a source guide and a program guide with the user defined-device data object, wherein the source guide provides channel-station correspondence for the particular location and the program guide provides program-station correspondence for the particular location;

a user interface allowing the user to select commands of the command sets in order to define the user-defined device, control the multiple devices by interacting with the user-defined interface of the user-defined object in order to send commands to the devices via a wireless output of the apparatus, and operate the devices by selecting the command sequence; and

a node navigator, wherein command sequences are stored in the form of a state machine of the user-defined device data object, a state of the state machine being formed by the user manipulating the devices into a state suitable for interoperability and then saving the state as a user-defined configuration, said node navigator invoking a command sequence for progressing from a current state reflecting current interoperability of the devices to a desired state selected by the user, wherein edges between nodes of a graph data structure that is the state machine correspond to command sequences for changing from one state to another, wherein said node navigator creates the state machine by storing a sequence of commands entered by the user in the process of leaving a defined state and progressing to a newly defined state as a command sequence history, and create a command sequence edge describing the defined state and the newly defined state as neighbors based on the command sequence history.