Abstract:
A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.
Abstract:
A control device such as a tablet computer presents a scrollable image-based program guide (IBPG) on a display that a user can swipe to cause the device to command a display device to present an audio video (AV) program represented by the image. The IBPG is a subset of an electronic program guide (EPG) from a TV signal provider and is populated using user history and favorites information and social networking site history and favorites information. Sizes of the images may vary depending on the information.
Abstract:
A controlling device has a configurable key. An overlay, such as a sticker, is provided to the configurable key and includes an indicia representative of media content and machine readable data indicative of an identity of the media content represented by the indicia. A memory of the controlling device stores a correspondence between the configurable key and data indicative of a source of the media content. Upon activation of configured, configurable key, the controlling device uses select command codes from a library of command codes and the correspondence between the configurable key and the data indicative of the source of the media content to transmit one or more commands for causing one or more appliances to access the source of the media content.
Abstract:
There is disclosed one or more methods, devices, systems and components therefor to remotely control a media system. A second electronic device may be configured, with remote control codes for at least one component of the media system, by a first electronic device connected to the media system. The first electronic device is connected to the media system via a media interface and is configured to determine the remote control codes from an identification of at least one component of the system. The media interface may be a high definition media interface (HDMI) to identify the connected components. The first and second electronic devices are configured to communicate the codes to configure the second electronic device. The automatic code communication may be responsive to a Bluetooth connection. The first electronic device and second electronic device may each comprise a tablet or a smartphone.
Abstract:
A mobile device such as a cell phone is used to remotely control an electronic appliance such as a television or personal computer. In a setup phase, the mobile device captures an image of the electronic appliance and identifies and stores scale-invariant features of the image. A user interface configuration such as a virtual keypad configuration, and a communication protocol, can be associated with the stored data. Subsequently, in an implementation phase, another image of the electronic appliance is captured and compared to the stored features in a library to identify a match. In response, the associated user interface configuration and communication protocol are implemented to control the electronic appliance. In a polling and reply process, the mobile device captures a picture of a display of the electronic device and compares it to image data which is transmitted by the electronic appliance.
Abstract:
A man-machine interface system including a menu module to generate a menu screen for display including a choice of content types, and receive a selection command selecting one of the content types, and a surf-bar module to generate a surf-bar screen for the one content type for display, wherein the surf-bar screen includes a main-view region and a surf-bar including scrollable elements associated with currently playable content items for the one content type, the surf-bar has a spatially fixed focus window such the elements scroll in and out of the window, when the elements cease scrolling one of the elements associated with a focused content item is located in the window, a size of the main-view region is at least a majority of the surf-bar screen, and the main view region includes a visual representation associated with one of the content items. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
Abstract:
A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user. Appropriate set up data, generally in the form of command library codes, is displayed to the user by the interactive instruction set and associated programming for entry and trial by the user in set up of the desired appliance(s).
Abstract:
Methods for identifying control keys with particular devices are disclosed along with methods of assigning control keys to particular devices. In particular, a remote control (10) comprises a set of hard keys (12) comprising channel group keys (16) and volume group keys (14) and a set of soft keys (32) activated via a touch screen display. The display identifies the device the volume group keys are set to control and the device the channel group keys are set to control. Selecting the device currently controlled by the channel group keys by, for example, depressing the device indicator (20) on the display screen, initiates a set up mode that displays numerous devices that may be controlled by the channel group keys. Selecting one of the numerous devices assigns the channel group keys to that device.