System and method for interacting with a program guide displayed on a portable electronic device

• US 9,137,473 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Haughawout, Joseph Lee, Dresti, Mauro, Klein, Sandro David, Louie, Alex, Yuh, Han-Sheng, Huang, Steve LanPing, Hayes, Patrick H., Wang, Weidong William
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Jun Fei
• Application Number:
  US12/327,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,476 Days
• Field of Search: 725 38- 61, 725/132, 725/140, 725/152, 348/734
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/102 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 21/42209 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 : using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

A method for controlling the operation of a plurality of consumer electronic devices by displaying a plurality of broadcast channel identifiers each corresponding to a broadcast channel in a display of a controlling device adapted to command at least channel tuning operations of the plurality of consumer electronic devices. Input is accepted into the controlling device that functions to designate one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers and the controlling device uses the designation of the one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers to cause a transmission of a wireless signal from the controlling device to a one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to thereby cause the one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to tune to the broadcast channel corresponding to the designated one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers. A condition associated with at least one of the controlling device and the designated one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers functions to determine the one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to which the wireless signal is transmitted.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of a plurality of consumer electronic devices, comprising:

displaying a plurality of broadcast channel identifiers each corresponding to a broadcast channel each in a display of a controlling device adapted to command at least channel tuning operations of the plurality of consumer electronic devices, wherein the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers is comprised of at least one broadcast identifier associated with a first one of a plurality of appliances and at least one broadcast identifier associated with a second of a plurality of appliances different than the first one of the plurality of appliances;

receiving first input into the controlling device that functions to designate one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers;

receiving second input into the controlling device that functions to place the controlling device into one of a first controlling device operating mode and a second controlling device operating mode wherein in the first controlling device operating mode the controlling device is configured to transmit channel tuning commands to the first one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices using a first communication protocol and in the second controlling device operating mode the controlling device is configured to transmit channel tuning commands to the second one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices using a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol; and

using the first input and the second input to cause the controlling device to transmit a channel tuning command using a respective one of the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol to thereby cause a respective one of the first one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices and the second one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to tune to the broadcast channel corresponding to the designated one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein program schedule information received via a network comprises the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the program schedule information received via the network defines the broadcast channel corresponding to each of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein third input provided to the controlling device defines the broadcast channel corresponding to each of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first controlling device operating mode and the second controlling device operating mode each comprise a room operating mode which is indicative of a room in which the controlling device is currently being used.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first controlling device operating mode and the second controlling device operating mode each comprise a user operating mode which is indicative of a user currently operating the controlling device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol comprises an IR signal communication protocol.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol comprises an RF signal communication protocol.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers are provided as a part of program schedule information that is displayed in a touch screen of the controlling device.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the program schedule information is displayed in a grid of rows and columns in which each of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers occupies a row in a first column in the grid and the programming information occupies further columns in the grid in the same row as its corresponding one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers with the programming information being further arranged as a function of time.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the first input designating one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers comprises a user interacting with the touch screen to select a row in the first column.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the channel tuning command is further constructed according to a user preference.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the user preference comprises requesting a transmission of an enter command as a part of the channel tuning command.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the user preference comprises specifying a minimum number of digit indicators to be included as a part of the channel tuning command.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second input comprises a selection of a one of a plurality of controlling device mode input elements of the controlling device.

16. A method for controlling the operation of a plurality of consumer electronic devices, comprising:

displaying a plurality of broadcast channel identifiers each corresponding to a broadcast channel in a display of a controlling device adapted to command at least channel tuning operations of the plurality of consumer electronic devices, wherein the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers is comprised of at least one broadcast identifier originating from a first one of a plurality of broadcast service providers and at least one broadcast identifier originating from a second one of a plurality of broadcast service providers different than the first one of the plurality of broadcast service providers;

receiving first input into the controlling device that functions to designate a one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers; and

using the first input to cause the controlling device to transmit a channel tuning command to thereby cause a one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to tune to the broadcast channel corresponding to the designated broadcast channel identifier;

wherein the controlling device uses a one of a plurality of different communication protocols that is associated with the one of the plurality of broadcast service providers from which the designated one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers originates when transmitting the channel tuning command and wherein the plurality of broadcast service providers comprises at least two different broadcast service providers selected from service providers of a cable service provider type and/or a satellite service provider type.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein program schedule information received via a network comprises the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein second input provided to the controlling device defines the broadcast service providers that is associated with each of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of different communication protocols comprises an IR signal communication protocol.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of different communication protocols comprises an RF signal communication protocol.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers are provided as a part of program schedule information that is displayed in a touch screen of the controlling device.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the program schedule information is displayed in a grid of rows and columns in which each of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers occupies a row in a first column in the grid and the programming information occupies further columns in the grid in the same row as its corresponding one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers with the programming information being further arranged as a function of time.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the first input comprises a user interacting with the touch screen to select a row in the first column.

24. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the channel tuning command is further constructed according to a user preference.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the user preference comprises requesting a transmission of an enter command as a part of the channel tuning command.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the user preference comprises specifying a minimum number of digit indicators to be included as a part of the channel tuning command.