System and method for upgrading the remote control functionality of a device

• US 9,348,326 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Yuh, Han-Sheng, Wang, Weidong William, Hayes, Patrick H., Conway, James N. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US13/915,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20130275564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A system and method for upgrading a remote control application resident on a device. Information identifying a controllable appliance is caused to be uploaded to a remote server device and the uploaded information is used to automatically display user-selectable, downloadable data files relevant to the control of the controllable appliance. Downloaded data files, which may include command codes and/or graphical user interface elements, may be used within the device to upgrade the ability of the remote control application to communicate with the controllable appliance. The information uploaded to the server may also be used to generate demographic data regarding consumer preferences.

Claims

1. A method for downloading configuration data for use in connection with a remote control application resident on a device, comprising:

receiving at a server device data indicative of an appliance to be commanded through use of the remote control application resident on the device;

using the data indicative of the appliance to be command through use of the remote control application resident of the device to identify within a database accessible to the server device at least one command code usable by the remote control application resident on the device to command a corresponding functional operation of the appliance;

using an identifier that is uniquely associated with the device at the server device to encrypt the identified at least one command code; and

downloading the encrypted at least one command code from the server device whereupon, after the encrypted at least one command code is decrypted using the identifier that is uniquely associated with the device, the identified at least one command code will be available for use by the remote control application resident on the device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising causing the data indicative of the appliance to be commanded through use of the remote control application resident on the device to be provided to the server device as part of a synchronization process for the device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier that is uniquely associated with the device is provided to the server device during a Web site registration process.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier that is uniquely associated with the device comprises a unique number assigned to the device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier that is uniquely associated with the device comprises a unique number assigned to the remote control application resident on the device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier that is uniquely associated with the device comprises a unique number assigned to the device during a registration process with the server device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising retrieving the identifier that is uniquely associated with the device from a registry file resident on the device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier that is uniquely associated with the device comprises a number set as a default in a executable file used in connection with providing to the server device the data indicative of the appliance to be commanded.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising downloading data representative of a graphical user interface element from the server device, the data representative of the graphical user interface element being used by the remote control application resident on the device to display within a display of the device the graphical user interface element whereby the displayed graphical user interface element provides a means for a user to interact with the remote control application resident on the device to initiate a commanding of the functional operation of the appliance corresponding to the identified at least one command code.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a tablet computing device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a PDA computing device.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of an appliance is uploaded to the server device directly from the device.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of an appliance is uploaded to the server device via an intermediate device.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the intermediate device comprises a personal computer.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising uploading to the server device data indicative of a hardware platform for the device where the data indicative of the hardware platform for the device is also used to identify the at least one command code.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising uploading to the server device data indicative of a version of the remote control application resident on the device where the data indicative of a version of the remote control application is also used to identify the at least one command code.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein using an identifier that is uniquely associated with the device at the server device to encrypt the identified at least one command code comprises encrypting a file comprising the at least one command code.