Patent Application
20110181386
Universal remote controls enable users of audiovisual equipment and devices (e.g., various components of a home theater) to control multiple devices using a single, universal, remote control. For example, a universal remote control may operate in one mode to send commands to a television, may operate in another mode to control a stereo, may operate in yet another mode to control lighting, and so on.
Such remote controls are also often universal in the frustration they cause users when setting up connections to new equipment, learning commands from other remote controls, guiding users within specific modes of operation, and other difficulties.
The need exists for a remote control and method of operating a remote control that overcomes these problems and progresses the state of the art, as well as one that provides additional benefits.
The present invention is a system and method for providing operational guidance of a universal remote control console is described. In some embodiments, a remote control console emits a backlight on housing components (e.g., a keypad) with a color specific or indicative of a certain mode of operation. The different backlight colors may assist a user of the console in remembering a current mode of the console, among other benefits. For example, the backlight may emit a blue color when the remote control console is controlling broadcasting equipment (e.g., a cable box for a television) and may emit an amber color when the remote control console is controlling recorded media equipment (e.g., a DVD player).
In some embodiments of the present invention, a remote control console, during a learning mode of operation, successfully connects to new equipment using commands or infrared codes learned or received from a third party remote control (e.g., the remote control that originally came with the equipment), and in response to a successful connection, powers down or otherwise causes the equipment to perform a function. The powering down or causing performance of a function indicates to a user the successful learning of the commands or codes of the new piece of equipment, among other benefits. For example, in response to receiving codes from a remote control associated with a stereo new to the console, the console attempts to connect to the stereo, and upon successful connection, shuts off the power to the stereo.
The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding of, and enabling description for, various examples of the technology of the present invention. One skilled in the art will understand that the technology may be practiced without many of these details. In some instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the examples of the technology. It is intended that the terminology used in the description presented below be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain examples and features of the technology. Although certain terms may be emphasized below, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section.
Aspects of the system can be embodied in hardware, firmware, and/or software, including components specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more of the computer-executable instructions explained in detail herein. Similarly, some aspects of the - system may be stored or distributed on tangible computer-readable media, including magnetically or optically readable computer discs, hard-wired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), flash memory, ROM, RAM, nanotechnology memory, biological memory, or other data storage media.
The remote control components 200 include a processor 220 configured to receive and process input received by various input or output components 250, such as the input components 140 of
The remote control components 200 include various components stored in the memory 240, such as an operation component 242 configured to provide instructions and store data for operation of the remote control 200. For example, the operation component 242 may store codes associated with various control functions performed by the remote control 200. The memory 244 also includes a backlight control component 244, configured to perform various routines and store data associated with controlling the backlight component 260 based on the mode of operation of the remote control 200, and/or a learning function component 246, configured to perform various routines and store data associated with providing indications (e.g., powering down electronic devices) in response to the successful learning of control codes. Further details regarding these components will now be discussed.
As described herein, in some embodiments, a remote control emits a backlight on housing components with a color specific or indicative of a certain mode of operation.
In step 330, the remote control receives additional input identifying a second mode of operation. For example, the console 100 receives, via joystick 142, input from the user to control a different electronic device, such as a DVD player. In step 340, the remote control emits a color associated with the second mode of operation. For example, the backlight control component 244 reviews the table stored in memory 240 that relates backlight colors to modes of operation, and instructs the backlight component 260 to emit the color associated with the newly requested device, such as amber for the DVD player.
The remote control may associate colors with specific devices controlled by the remote control in a one to one fashion, or may associated colors with certain types or class of devices. For example, the remote control may emit blue colored backlight when the remote control is controlling broadcasting equipment (e.g., a cable box for a television) and may emit amber colored backlight when the remote control console is controlling recorded media equipment (e.g., a DVR player).
In some embodiments, the remote control enables user-assigned colors to operational modes. The remote control may facilitate user selection that assigns a specific color to a specific mode of operation or functionality.
In some embodiments, the remote control may selectively illuminate certain input components based on the mode of operation. For example, the remote control may only illuminate input components utilized by a user during a certain mode of operation with an associated backlight color, or may illuminate input components utilized during all modes of operation with a specific backlight color. Thus, in some cases, a first set of input components may be backlit with a first color associated with a current mode of operation of the remote control, while a second set of components (e.g., “punch through” components) may be backlit with a second color associated with all modes of operation of the remote control.
In some embodiments, the remote control may provide a backlight color based on a specific functionality within a mode of operation. For example,' many cable boxes provide broadcast television functionality as well as recorded television functionality, and the remote control may emit a backlight color based on the specific functionality, even though the mode of operation (i.e., controlling a cable box), does not change.
Thus, by modifying the backlight colors to be indicative of a mode of operation of a remote control, the system provides users with a clear indication of the operating mode of the remote control, among other benefits.
As described herein, in some embodiments, remote control console 100 in a learning mode of operation successfully connects to new equipment and provides an indication of the successful connection by powering down or otherwise causing the new equipment to perform a function indicative of the successful connection. For example, in response to receiving codes from a remote control associated with a stereo new to the console, the console attempts to connect to the stereo, and upon successful connection, shuts off the power to the stereo.
In step 410, remote control console 100 receives configuration data from a third party remote control associated with a new or unknown electronic device. For example, during a learning operation mode of the remote control console 100, the learning function component 246 receives an infrared signal containing infrared codes from a remote control associated with an electronic device to be added to the remote control.
In step 420, the remote control associates the received code with an input component of the remote control. For example, the learning function component 246 associates the code with a button that carries out a command represented by the code. In step 430, the remote control attempts to connect to the new electronic device. For example, the learning function component 246 causes the transceiver 210 to transmit a signal to the new electronic device.
In step 440, the remote control determines if the connection was successful. If the connection was not successful, routine 400 returns to any one of the preceding blocks to restart the learning function. If the connect was successful, routine 400 proceeds to step 450, and the remote control powers down the new electronic device. For example, the transceiver 210 may receive a signal back from the new electronic device, and the learning function component 246 validates the connection as successful and causes the transceiver 210 to transmit a signal to the new electronic device to power down.
In some embodiments, the remote control, in response to successfully connecting to a new electronic device, may cause the new electronic device to perform other functions. For example, the remote control may cause the newly connected electronic device to raise or lower its volume, power off and power on, to power on, to display a specific screen or image, and so on. Once the other function is learned, the electronic device is powered down to indicate to the user that the new function has been learned.
In some embodiments, the remote control console may receive the configuration data via input components of the remote control. That is, the remote control may utilize the learning function component 246 as a verification component that verifies all new equipment using routine 400, regardless of how the remote control receives the configuration data for an electronic device to be added to the remote control.
Thus the powering down and other indicators may indicate to a user the successful learning of the commands or codes of the new electronic device, reducing the confusion caused during setup of a new electronic device to be controlled by the remote control, among other benefits.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling of connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.
The above detailed description of examples of the system is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the system to the precise form disclosed above. While specific examples of, and examples for, the system are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the system, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative examples may perform routines having steps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed in parallel, or may be performed at different times. Further any specific numbers noted herein are only examples: alternative implementations may employ differing values or ranges. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the actual implementation of a database may take a variety of forms, and the term “database” is used herein in the generic sense to refer to any data structure that allows data to be stored and accessed, such as tables, linked lists, arrays, etc.
While certain aspects of the system are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the system in any number of claim forms. For example, while only one aspect of the system is recited as a system, other aspects may likewise be recited as a system. Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the system.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/285,462, filed on Dec. 10, 2009, entitled REMOTE CONTROL CONSOLE, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61285462 | Dec 2009 | US |
