Internet-based service for updating a programmable control device

• US 7,574,693 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kemink, Joost
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr.; Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US09/311,128
• Time in Patent Office: 3,743 Days
• Field of Search: 345716-866, 717120-123, 717168-178, 709217-219, 341173-178, 715513-516
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An Internet based service is provided for updating a programmable control device. An Internet site contains links to appliance-dependent control and feature option information which can be downloaded to the programmable control as a graphic user interface (GUI). A user interface is provided at the site for the user to easily specify a target appliance, and thereafter selectively download the interface and control information that is available for the target appliance. The Internet site also contains links to other providers of configurations and macros, such as system integrators who provide interfaces based on an inventory of the user'"'"'s controllable equipment, hobbyist who share configurations and macros that they'"'"'ve found useful, and so on.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate a programming of a control device that provides a graphic user interface, the method comprising:

enabling a determination of at least one appliance or collection of appliances for being user-controlled through the control device;

determining code for graphically representing controllable features of the at least one appliance or collection of appliances on the graphic user interface of the control device, wherein the graphic user interface includes selectable buttons, icons, clusters of icons, and templates that enhance a control of one or more appliance and need not be appliance specific, wherein determining the code includes extracting, as a function of a synergistic control, a device control profile (i) specific to the one or more appliance and (ii) which identifies a nature of the graphic user interface, further in dependence upon at least one of;

a location parameter representing a location of the at least one appliance or collection of appliances, a location parameter representing a location of the control device, a location parameter representing a location of a user, a time parameter representing a time of day, a time parameter representing a season of the year, a user profile, and an inventory of appliances of a user; and

communicating the code to the control device for storage at the control device for enabling user-control of the appliance in response to a subsequent user activation of the control device,

wherein determining the code further includes accessing an Internet site in dependence upon the determination of the at least one appliance or collection of appliances.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the code includes extracting a device control profile from a plurality of device control profiles for a same appliance, wherein graphic user interface code is further provided in dependence upon demographics.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

communicating appliance control commands to the control device to facilitate the user-control of the appliance.

4. The method of claim 1, further including enabling an editing of the code, wherein editing includes one selected from the group consisting of a user choice of different layout of icons included in the communicated graphic user interface code;

user deletion of icons in the communicated graphic user interface code; and

user combination of the communicated graphic user interface code with other graphic user interface code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of at least one appliance includes

providing a sequence of selection options that lead to the determination of the at least one appliance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one appliance comprises at least one of:

a television, a CD player, a DVD player, a computer, a set-top box, a telephone, and a microwave.

7. A control device for remotely controlling one or more electronic devices, the control device comprising:

a programmable user interface, wherein the programmable user interface includes selectable buttons, icons, clusters of icons, and templates that enhance a control of one or more electronic device and need not be electronic device specific, and

a receiver that receives user interface code from an Internet site storing interface codes for at least one electronic device or plurality of electronic devices, wherein the user interface code is extracted as a function of a synergistic device control profile that is (i) specific to the one or more electronic device and (ii) used to identify a nature of the user interface, further wherein the user interface code is received in dependence upon at least one of;

a location parameter representing a location of the at least one electronic device or plurality of electronic devices, a location parameter representing a location of the control device, a location parameter representing a location of a user, a time parameter representing a time of day, a time parameter representing a season of the year, a user profile, and an inventory of electronic devices of a user, still further wherein the user interface code is configurable according to one selected from the group consisting of a user choice of different layout of icons included in the received user interface code;

user deletion of icons in the received user interface code; and

user combination of the received user interface code with other graphic user interface code,

wherein a programming of the programmable user interface is facilitated by the user interface code; and

wherein the user interface code is for graphically representing a controllable feature of the one or more electronic devices on the programmable user interface.

8. The control device of claim 7, further including an Internet access device.

9. The control device of claim 7, wherein the one or more electronic devices comprise one or more of:

a television, a CD player, a DVD player, a computer, a set-top box, a telephone, and a microwave.

10. The control device of claim 7, wherein the programmable user interface is programmed to display a plurality of icons used to control at least one of the one or more electronic devices.