System and method for remote device pairing

• US 8,544,054 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2011
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William R., Bruhn, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US13/112,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing pairing between a remote device and a plurality of devices including establishing a list of pairing-capable devices, the list comprising a portion of the plurality of devices, measuring a plurality of link qualities between the remote device and the pairing-capable devices, comparing, with a processor, the plurality of link qualities with one another and determining a highest link quality, selecting, by a computing device, an available pairing-capable device having the highest link quality, pairing with the selected device, and controlling a presentation device, the controlling including checking if the selected device is the associated device and where the selected device is not the associated device, relaying commands via the network to the associated device.

Claims

1. A method for modifying pairing between a remote device and a plurality of member devices in a network, the method comprising:

pairing the remote device with a first member device, the first member device being one of the plurality of member devices in the network;

establishing a list of pairing-capable member devices;

measuring a plurality of link qualities between the remote device and a plurality of pairing-capable member devices;

comparing, by a computing device, the link qualities of the remote device and the plurality of pairing-capable member devices to determine a higher link quality within the plurality of pairing-capable member devices;

selecting, by the computing device, an available pairing-capable member device having the higher link quality within the plurality of pairing-capable member devices;

pairing with the selected member device; and

controlling a presentation device associated with the first member device by transmitting commands from the remote control to the selected member device, the controlling including;

determining if the selected member device is the first member device; and

if the selected member device is not the first member device, relaying the commands via the network from the selected member device to the first member device to control the presentation device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting an available pairing-capable member device includes determining availability by offering to pair with a pairing-capable device with the highest link quality.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving an acceptance of the offer.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a declining offer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining availability by offering to pair with a pairing-capable member device with the next highest link quality.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically initializing the plurality of member devices by communicating with the plurality of member devices and providing instructions to enter configuration mode.

7. A system for modifying pairing between a remote device and a plurality of member devices in a network, the system comprising:

a computer readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon and

a processor for configured to execute the instructions, the instructions including operations for

pairing with a first member device, the first member device being one of the plurality of member devices in the network;

selecting a member device having a higher link quality with the remote device;

pairing with the selected member device; and

controller configured to

receive commands transmitted to the selected member device from the remote device to control a presentation device associated with the first member device;

determine if the selected member device is the first member device; and

if the selected member device is not the first member device, relay the commands via the network from the selected member device to the first member device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer readable storage medium and processor are resident on the remote device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer readable storage medium and processor are resident on one or more of the plurality of member devices.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer readable storage medium and processor are resident on a combination of the remote device and one or more of the plurality of member devices.