Intelligent remote control system

• US 9,235,845 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Booth, Cory J., Bell, Genevieve
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Daquan
• Application Number:
  US13/819,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20130322846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/310, 713/300, 341/176, 341/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/20 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/0484 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/635 Overlay text, e.g. embedded captions in a TV program
• 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 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 : PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/42222 : Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 : Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/437 : Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 : Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 : Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 : Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 : involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• 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 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63 : Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing real-time session protocols H04L65/1101; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 : using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 : Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 : Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor

Abstract

An apparatus may include a processor and a device state management module. The device state management module may be operative on the processor to receive a trigger signal from a motion sensor in a remote control, to determine the device state of one or more controlled devices and send state management instructions to be transmitted to the one or more controlled devices. The state management instructions may control a set of initial default operations that comprises altering one or more device states in the one or more controlled devices. The apparatus may further include a memory that is arranged to store the determined device state of one or more controlled devices. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a device state management module operative on the processor to;

receive a trigger signal indicating motion of a remote control;

determine a device state of one or more controlled devices;

determine an intended state of the one or more controlled devices;

send state management instructions to be transmitted to the one or more controlled devices, the state management instructions directing a set of initial default operations that comprise altering one or more of the device states in the one or more controlled devices;

determine whether the device state matches the intended state; and

direct a signal based on a determination that the device state matches the intended state, the signal to prevent transmission of a control signal from the remote control to the one or more controlled devices, the control signal to toggle the device state; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory to store the determined device state of the one or more controlled devices.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the device state management module to select the set of initial default operations based at least in part on the determined device state of the one or more controlled devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a receiver communicatively coupled to the processor, the receiver to receive signals indicating a device state of the one or more controlled devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, the receiver to receive wireless signals transmitted from one or more sensors, the one or more sensors to detect a light signal emitted from the respective one or more controlled devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, the device state management module to determine the device state based upon received signals indicating a power state in one or more power receptacles of a power strip connected to the one or more controlled devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the device state management module to determine the set of initial default operations based at least in part upon determination of one or more of:

a time of day when the trigger signal is received, a duration of idleness of the remote control before the trigger signal is received, or a lighting condition proximate the one or more controlled devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the device state management module to determine the set of initial default operations at based at least in part on information stored in a controlled device log in the memory, the information to include an operation history of the one or more controlled devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a transmitter communicatively coupled to the processor, the transmitter to transmit a wireless signal to prevent the transmission of the control signal for toggling device state.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the determined device state and intended state each comprising a powered state of a controlled device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the determined device state and intended state each comprising a play mode of a controlled device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a light sensor communicatively coupled to the processor, the light sensor to detect light intensity proximate the one or more controlled devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a digital display communicatively coupled to the processor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, the memory to store a multiplicity of user-selectable programs, each user-selectable program defining a respective set of initial default operations.

14. An article comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, enable a system to:

receive a trigger signal from a motion sensor in a remote control;

determine a device state of one or more controlled devices;

determine an intended state of the one or more controlled devices;

launch a set of initial default operations that comprise altering one or more of the device states in the one or more controlled devices;

determine whether the device state matches the intended state; and

direct a signal based on a determination that the device state matches the intended state, the signal to prevent transmission of a control signal from the remote control to the one or more controlled devices, the control signal to toggle the device state.

15. The article of claim 14, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, enable the system to send instructions to transmit one or more control signals to change a device state in at least one controlled device of the one or more controlled devices.

16. The article of claim 14, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, enable the system to send instructions to transmit control signals that are arranged to place a multiplicity of controlled devices in a powered state.

17. The article of claim 14, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, enable the system to:

receive a wireless signal from at least one sensor coupled to a respective controlled device of the one or more controlled devices, the wireless signal indicating detection of light emitted from the respective controlled device; and

determine that the respective controlled device is in an powered state.

18. The article of claim 14, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, enable the system to determine the device state based upon a power state of one or more power receptacles of a power strip, each power receptacle being connected to a respective controlled device of the one or more controlled device.

19. The article of claim 14, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, enable the system to:

determine, based at least in part upon receiving the trigger signal, one or more factors, the one or more factors selected from the group consisting of a time of day, a duration of idleness of the remote control in an immediately preceding period, or a lighting condition proximate the one or more controlled devices; and

adjust the set of initial default operations based upon the determining the factors.

20. The article of claim 14, storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, enable the system to determine the set of initial default operations based upon an operation history of the one or more controlled devices.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving a trigger signal from a motion sensor in a remote control;

determining a device state of one or more controlled devices;

determining an intended state of the one or more controlled devices;

determining whether the device state matches the intended state;

directing a signal based on a determination that the device state matches the intended state, the signal to prevent transmission of a control signal from the remote control to the one or more controlled devices, the control signal to toggle the device state;

storing the device state of the one or more controlled devices; and

launching a set of initial default operations that comprise altering one or more of the device states in the one or more controlled devices.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising sending instructions to transmit one or more control signals to change a device state in at least one controlled device of the one or more controlled devices.

23. The method of claim 22, the control signals to power on a multiplicity of controlled devices.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising:

receiving a wireless signal from at least one sensor coupled to a respective controlled device of the one or more controlled devices, the wireless signal to indicate detection of light emitted from the respective controlled device; and

determining that the respective controlled device is in a powered state.

25. The method of claim 21, comprising determining the device state based upon a power state of one or more power receptacles of a power strip, each power receptacle being connected to a respective controlled device of the one or more controlled device.

26. The method of claim 21, comprising:

determining, based at least in part upon receiving the trigger signal, one or more factors, the one or more factors selected from the group consisting of a time of day, a duration of idleness of the remote control in an immediately preceding period, or a lighting condition proximate the one or more controlled devices; and

adjusting the set of initial default operations based upon the determining the factors.

27. The method of claim 21, comprising determining the set of initial default operations based upon an operation history of the one or more controlled devices.