System and method for tracking a controller

• US 8,274,381 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmehl, Ian, White, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/411,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/825.69, 340/10.1, 340/825.36, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• 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 21/42204 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 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a gateway comprising a controller to transmit a first RF signal to a remote control device, wherein the first radio-frequency signal is received by a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the remote control device, receive at each of a plurality of receivers operably coupled to the gateway a second RF signal from the RFID tag of the remote control device in response to the first RF signal, determine an approximate location of the remote control device based on at least a portion of the second RF signals received by the plurality of receivers, and transmit a signal to a set-top-box, wherein the signal comprises the approximate location of the remote control device, and wherein the set-top-box displays the approximate location of the remote control device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A gateway, comprising a memory coupled to a controller, wherein the memory comprises computer instructions which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a first radio-frequency signal to a remote control device, wherein the first radio-frequency signal is received by a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the remote control device;

receiving at each of a plurality of receivers operably coupled to the gateway a second radio-frequency signal from the radio-frequency identification tag of the remote control device in response to the first radio-frequency signal;

determining an approximate location of the remote control device based on at least a portion of the second radio-frequency signals received by the plurality of receivers; and

transmitting a signal to a set-top-box, wherein the signal comprises the approximate location of the remote control device, and wherein the signal is configured for enabling the set-top-box to displays the approximate location of the remote control device.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to determine the approximate location of the remote control device based on at least one of a signal strength of the second radio-frequency signals received by each of the plurality of receivers, or a time delay associated with the receipt of the second radio-frequency signals by the plurality of receivers.

3. The gateway of claim 2, wherein the controller is operable to determine the approximate location of the remote control device according to a triangulation analysis of the second radio-frequency signals received by the plurality of receivers.

4. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receivers are positioned at an area where the remote control device is expected to operate.

5. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the controller facilitates providing interactive television services, wherein the interactive television services comprise at least one of internet protocol television, interactive satellite television, or interactive cable television.

6. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency identification tag comprises at least one of an active tag, a passive tag, or a semi-passive tag.

7. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the first radio-frequency signal is transmitted by a radio-frequency identification reader associated with the gateway.

8. A set-top-box, comprising a memory coupled to a controller, wherein the memory comprises computer instructions which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations for:

receiving a radio-frequency signal from a radio-frequency identification tag associated with a remote control device, wherein the radio-frequency signal is generated by the remote control device in response to a signal from the set-top box;

determining a location of the remote control device based on the received radio-frequency signal; and

displaying the location of the remote control device via a graphical user interface.

9. The set top box of claim 8, wherein the set-top box provides interactive television services, wherein the interactive television services comprise at least one of internet protocol television, interactive satellite television, or interactive cable television.

10. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the set-top box receives the radio-frequency signal from a gateway operably coupled to the set-top box, wherein the gateway receives the radio-frequency signal from the radio-frequency identification tag associated with the remote control device in response to the gateway being in a vicinity of the radio-frequency identification tag.

11. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the graphical user interface displays the location of the remote control device on a map of an area associated with the determined location of the remote control device.

12. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the graphical user interface displays the location of the remote control device via an electronic programming guide.

13. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the set-top box is operably coupled to at least one camera, wherein the at least one camera takes a recording of an area associated with the determined location of the remote control device.

14. The set-top box of claim 13, wherein the set-top box displays the recording of the area associated with the determined location of the remote control device.

15. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the radio-frequency identification tag comprises at least one of an active tag, a passive tag, or a semi-passive tag.

16. A remote control, comprising a memory coupled to a controller, wherein the memory comprises computer instructions which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first radio-frequency signal from a gateway; and

in response to the received first radio-frequency signal, transmitting a second radio-frequency signal to a plurality of receivers operably coupled to the gateway, wherein a location of the remote control device is determined based on one or more instances of the second radio-frequency signal received by the plurality of receivers, and wherein the determined location is transmitted by the gateway to a set-top-box operably coupled to the gateway, and wherein the determined location is displayed by the set-top-box via a graphical user interface.

17. The remote control of claim 16, wherein the remote control comprises a radio-frequency identification tag;

wherein the tag receives the first radio-frequency signal and transmits the second radio-frequency signal to the plurality of receivers.

18. The remote control of claim 17, wherein the radio-frequency identification tag comprises at least one of an active tag, a passive tag, or a semi-passive tag.

19. A method, comprising:

transmitting a first radio-frequency signal to a remote control device by utilizing at least one of a gateway or a set-top-box, wherein the gateway and the set-top-box are operably coupled to the remote control device;

receiving at each of a plurality of receivers operably coupled to at least one of the gateway and the set-top-box a second radio-frequency signal from the remote control device in response to the first RF signal;

determining an approximate location of the remote control device based on one or more instances of the second radio-frequency signal received by the plurality of receivers, wherein the determining step is performed by at least one of the gateway and the set-top-box; and

displaying the determined location of the remote control device by utilizing the set-top-box, wherein the determined location is displayed via a graphical user interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the gateway or the set-top-box is operable to determine the approximate location of the remote control device based on at least one of a signal strength of the second radio-frequency signals received by each of the plurality of receivers, or a time delay associated with the receipt of the second radio-frequency signals by the plurality of receivers.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the gateway or the set-top-box is operable to determine the approximate location of the remote control device according to a triangulation analysis of the second radio-frequency signals received by the plurality of receivers.

22. The method of claim 19, comprising transmitting the first RF signal to a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the remote control device.

23. A method comprising:

determining a location of a remote control device based on a radio-frequency signal transmitted from the remote control device to at least one of a gateway and a set-top-box, wherein at least one of the gateway and the set-top-box determine the location; and

presenting on a media device a graphical user interface indicating a location of a remote control device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the location of the remote control device is determined based on at least one of a signal strength of the radio-frequency signal, or a time delay associated with the transmission of the radio-frequency signal.