User interface for a remote control application

• US 7,895,532 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Scott, Cheryl, Scott, Wayne, Huang, Steve LanPing
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro; Ryan F
• Application Number:
  US11/340,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/810
• 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: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• 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 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/23 Remote control device with display showing data to be transmitted to the controlled apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/25 : Remote control device with display
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/26 : Remote control device with touch screen display
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 : for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 : by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 : Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 : wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4131 : home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/42209 : for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 : Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 : Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 : comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 : using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A hand-held electronic device having a remote control application user interface that functions to displays operational mode information to a user. The graphical user interface may be used, for example, to setup the remote control application to control appliances for one or more users in one or more rooms, to perform activities, and to access favorites. The remote control application is also adapted to be upgradeable. Furthermore, the remote control application provides for the sharing of operational mode information.

Claims

1. A hand-held device having instructions for displaying information to a user of the hand-held device, the instructions performing steps comprising:

displaying to the user a plurality of iconic representations to which are assigned a first set of actions whereby activation of an iconic representation causes the hand-held device to perform the action assigned to the activated iconic representation and wherein activation of at least some of the iconic representations causes the hand-held device to transmit command codes for controlling the operation of one or more home appliances;

accepting input which will change an action of the first set of actions which is assigned to at least one of the plurality of iconic representations;

in response to the input causing a representation of the assignment of the first set of actions to the plurality of iconic representations to be stored in a memory device; and

causing the representation of the assignment of first set of actions to the plurality of iconic representations to be retrieved from the memory device in response to a request to restore on the hand-held device the assignment of the first set of actions to the plurality of iconic representations.

2. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of accepting input comprises downloading command codes to the hand-held device which are mapped to corresponding ones of the iconic representations.

3. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of accepting input comprises the user defining a macro to be assigned to the at least one of the iconic representations.

4. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of accepting input comprises the user setting up the hand-held device to control the operation of a specific type and brand of home appliance.

5. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of accepting input comprises a change to a configuration file of the hand-held device, the configuration file comprising:

a first set of data fields containing data indicative of attributes of a hardware platform for the hand-held device;

a second set of data fields containing data indicative of attributes of devices the hand-held device is configured to remotely control the operation of;

a third set of data fields containing data indicative of attributes of pages displayable by the hand-held device;

a fourth set of data fields containing data indicative of attributes of soft keys comprising at least a portion of the pages; and

a fifth set of data fields containing data indicative of attributes of functions performed by the hand-held device in response to activation of the soft keys.

6. The hand-held device as recited in claim 5, wherein the configuration file further comprises a sixth set of data fields containing data descriptive of resources for use in display of the soft keys.

7. The hand-held device as recited in claim 5, wherein the configuration file further comprises a sixth set of data fields containing data indicative of attributes of a user of the hand-held device.

8. The hand-held device as recited in claim 7, wherein the configuration file further comprises a seventh set of data fields containing data indicative of a room in which the devices are found.

9. The hand-held device as recited in claim 1, wherein data representative of the assignment of the first set of actions to the iconic representations is stored within an event journal.

10. A method for automatically creating a sequence of instructions to be executed by a controlling device, comprising:

presenting to a user a graphical user interface including a representations of at least one appliance controllable by the controlling device;

using a program to automatically create the sequence of instructions to be executed by the controlling device such that the sequence of instructions reflects one or more interactions by the user with the representations of the at least one appliance controllable by the controlling device presented via the graphical user interface; and

causing the automatically created sequence of instructions to be executed by the controlling device in response to a selection of a user input element of the controlling device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, comprising presenting the graphical user interface on the controlling device and using programming resident on the controlling device to automatically create the sequence of instructions.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, comprising including within the graphical user interface representations of a plurality of appliances controllable by the controlling device and wherein the sequence of instructions to be executed by the controlling device are reflective of user interactions with the representations of the plurality of appliances presented via the graphical user interface and comprise instructions for causing the controlling device to transmit one or more commands to place at least one of the plurality of appliances represented within the graphical user interface into a desired state of operation.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, comprising including within the graphical user interface representations of a plurality of appliances controllable by the controlling device and wherein the sequence of instructions to be executed by the controlling device are reflective of user interactions with the representations of the plurality of appliances presented via the graphical user interface and comprise instructions for causing the controlling device to transmit one or more commands to control audio/video input/output states of at least one of the plurality of appliances represented within the graphical user interface.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user interactions with the graphical user interface which result in automatic creation of the sequence of instructions to be executed by the controlling device comprises drag and drop interactions performed via the graphical user interface used to establish input/output pairings between selected ones of the plurality of appliances represented within the graphical user interface.