Radio controller system and method for remote devices

• US 7,734,254 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Affinity Labs of Texas, LLC
• Inventors: Reber, William, Frost, Harlie D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Lee
• Application Number:
  US11/970,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412- 413, 455418-420, 455/566, 244189-190, 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.8, 348/211.11
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for remote device control are disclosed. A system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include a radio controlled toy and a controller for controlling the toy. In some embodiments, the controller may have an input mechanism and a housing component that defines a cavity, within which may be located a wireless wide area transceiver and a wireless local area transceiver. Some controllers may also have an operating system for the controller and an application resident on the controller and operable to convert inputs received via the input mechanism into commands for the toy. The controller may have a microprocessor operable to execute the application and to cause the commands to be communicated to the toy using the wireless local area transceiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving identification information of a first image capturing device at a telephone device from the first image capturing device;

based on a determination of a type of application the telephone device is equipped to run, receiving in the telephone device a communication from the first image capturing device of an identification of an application for the telephone device to download to control the first image capturing device;

receiving at the telephone device via an over the air download the application including first instructions to control the first image capturing device;

transmitting from the telephone device the first instructions to control the first image capturing device remote from the telephone device;

receiving at the telephone device first image data directly from the first image capturing device; and

displaying a first image at the telephone device based on the first image data and saving the first image data at the telephone device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting from the telephone device second instructions to control a second image capturing device remote from the telephone device;

receiving at the telephone device second image data directly from the second image capturing device; and

displaying a second image at the telephone device based on the second image data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the second image comprises displaying the second image simultaneously with displaying the first image.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein displaying the first image comprises displaying the first image at a first display pane of the telephone device and wherein displaying the second image comprises displaying the second image at a second display pane of the telephone device, and indicating in a graphical user interface (GUI) which image capturing device is represented in the corresponding display pane.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an identifier associated with the first image capturing device simultaneous with displaying the first image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting first instructions comprises transmitting first instructions to change a position of the first image capturing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting first instructions comprises transmitting first instructions to change a zoom attribute of the first image capturing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image capturing device is mounted at a remote control toy.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting first instructions comprises transmitting first instructions to control the remote control toy.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the saved image data as an attachment to an electronic mail message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating communication of the saved image data via a wide area cellular network.

12. A method, comprising:

communicating identification information of an image capturing device to a telephone device from the image capturing device, determining a type of application the telephone device is equipped to run, and based on the determination communicating an identification of an application for the telephone device to download to control the image capturing device from the image capturing device to the telephone device;

receiving at a transceiver of the image capturing device instructions from the telephone device to control the image capturing device, the telephone device remote from the image capturing device; and

sending image data from the image capturing device to the telephone device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identification information includes an identifier for the image capturing device.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable data to direct a wireless telephone processor to interpret user inputs into data for controlling a radio controlled device, to initiate communication of the data from the wireless telephone to the radio controlled device, to recognize first data received in the wireless telephone directly from the radio controlled device as image data, to initiate presentation of a rendering of the image data on a display device of the wireless telephone, and to store the image data in the wireless telephone, wherein communication of identification information of the radio controlled device to the wireless telephone from the radio controlled device is to occur, a type of application the wireless telephone is equipped to run is determined and based on the determination communication from the radio controlled device to the wireless telephone is to occur of an identification of an application for the wireless telephone to download to control the radio controlled device.

15. A system, comprising:

a telephone device including a transceiver configured to receive via an over the air download of an application including first instructions to control a first image capturing device, communicate the first instructions to control the first image capturing device located remotely from the telephone device, and further including a display configured to display a first image received directly from the first image capturing device and a memory to save the first image, and wherein identification information of the first image capturing device is communicated to the telephone device from the first image capturing device, a determination of a type of application the telephone device is equipped to run is performed, and based on the determination an identification of the application for the telephone device to download to control the first image capturing device is communicated from the first image capturing device to the telephone device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the telephone device is further configured to communicate second instructions to control a second image capturing device located remotely from the telephone device and to display a second image received directly from the second image capturing device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the telephone device comprises a first display pane configured to display the first image and a second display pane configured to display the second image simultaneously with the first image and to indicate in a graphical user interface (GUI) which image capturing device is represented in the corresponding display pane.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first image capturing device comprises a remote controlled toy.