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Interactive remote control programming method

1. LIBRARY SEARCH 961 RF ADDRESSING US 8 754 992 B1 Sheet 9 of 12 Jun 17 2014 U S Patent US 8 754 992 B1 Sheet 10 of 12 Jun 17 2014 U S Patent 444 4rd HGOO 05 r qa 8KIOO dl SC 9 4 Utd 3G00 dl bye 9 6 0 dl 0 F AL ATI OL OD ATA s LIXH AI vec ASM 0 AF rt OLOD AWA OV dl rz 91C OIT OL OD qa dI 4 44 AWA H3ONDI AH3TIVANI US 8 754 992 B1 Sheet 11 of 12 Jun 17 2014 U S Patent NIHWOS 0109 ISTI AHL NI ST 3009 897 20109 SOWUH LAOdAA SLIDIG 8p C OL OD dees WONNA LAOdTA HAHHA SLIDIG LON dl THAHIORdU SLIDIG 092 8 O AF Cc OL OD 717 OL OD LIDIG Q32IHLINH ISVT AHL HLTTHG SLIDIG 41 TET LAHI MONAY 41 9T US 8 754 992 B1 Sheet 12 of 12 Jun 17 2014 U S Patent 40195 ALSATIOLOD YOT OL 05 OTT OL OD JOVE LOWES WALVT AOA SWHINH 915 NI HOO wasn AHL 018 SHSOOHO WSN US 8 754 992 1 INTERACTIVE REMOTE CONTROL PROGRAMMING METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Area ofthe Art The present invention relates generally to programming a remote control device More particularly the present inven tion relates to programming a remote control device using a set top box to provide feedback and guidance 2 Description of the Backg
2. box is further configured to respond to asecond code received from the remote control interface by displaying on the graphical user interface an indica tion that the first device code was not recognized by the remote control and displaying a prompt for the user to enter a second device code 31 The set top box of claim 30 wherein the set top box is further configured to respond to a third code received from the remote control interface by displaying a programming failure message and prompting a user to re enter program mode
3. control device STB and display used to carrying out pro gramming of the remote control device FIG 3 illustrates an initial screen displaying a user inter face providing instructions for programming of a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention FIG 4 illustrates a screenshot of a programming mode screen appearing in response to actions taken by the user suggested in the screenshot of FIG 3 FIG 5 illustrates a screenshot of the programming mode screen in response to the attempted entry of a wrong code FIG 6 illustrates a screenshot that appears after the screen shot of FIG 4 in response to entry of an accepted code FIG 7 illustrates a flow chart of an embodiment of the present invention FIG 8 illustrates an overview of a software flow chart FIGS 8A 8D for the remote control device in an embodi ment of the present invention and FIG 9 illustrates an overview of a software flow chart FIGS 9A 9D for the STB in an embodiment of the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention Various modifications however will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art since the general principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide an improved m
4. etc Typically the term set top box STB describes a device that connects to a TV and some external source of signal and turns the signal into content then displayed on the TV screen Before cable ready TV sets an STB known as a cable con verter box was used to receive analog cable TV channels and convert them to video that could be seen on a regular TV Cable converter boxes are still used to descramble premium cable channels and to receive digital cable channels through a coaxial cable that is operationally connected to a cable ser vice provider STBs are also well known to consumers who subscribe to a satellite broadcast network The subscriber s satellite dish picks up signals from a satellite or multiple satellites and passes the signals on to the STB also known as an Integrated Receiver and Decoder IRD in the subscrib er s house The STB processes the signals and passes the signals on to a TV connected to the STB where the signals are translated into a visual display Like the remote control device as the number of different brands models of consumer electronic devices increases the database stored in a non volatile storage memory located in the STB also increases Like the code library or database in the remote control device a code library or database is loaded into the STB at the time the STB is manufactured A user seeking to control a desired electronic device e g a TV selects the programming or device codes st
5. is present 228 Ifa digit is not present the left arrow key is ignored 230 and the user is returned to step 212 Ifa digit is present the last digit entered is deleted 232 and the user is returned to step 212 As there are five boxes on the screen in which five digits can be displayed the left arrow key can be used to back track from the right most box to the left most box on the screen Ifthe EXIT key is received 234 the STB 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 18 20 will drop out of programming mode and go to live TV If the code for one of the digits 0 through 9 is received 236 a determination is made if five digits have already been received 238 in the situation where a device code to be programmed has five digits If five digits have already been received an error is reported 240 and the program goes back to step 212 If fewer than five digits have been received 242 one of the boxes is populated with the digit the digit is stored and the program goes back to step 212 If code E3h is the valid key received 244 an invalid code error is reported 246 and a message is generated on the screen 62 e g You have entered an invalid code Press and hold Mute Select to re enter programming mode See FIG 5 and the program goes to step 248 once the user has performed the instruction to press and hold the Mute Select keys on the remote control device 40 In step 248 the program displ
6. is then prompted by another selection screen of the GUI to choose a model by pressing SELECT on the model of the device the user wants to program into the remote control device 40 The selection screen illustrates various types of models in a model box Numerous models may be available for any particular manu facturer In this example RCA model 1023 is selected Referring now to FIGS 3 and 7 specific instructions in response to the selected model are displayed on a first remote control selection screen 50 for programming a remote control device 40 with a known model On the first screen 50 the user is prompted to on the remote control device 40 move the US 8 754 992 13 MODE switch to The user is then instructed to press and hold MUTE and SELECT Mute Select to begin pro gramming the remote control device An LED not shown on the remote control device 40 typically located above the keypad on the face of the remote control device 40 may flash twice When the user presses Mute Select the software running on the controller 44 of the remote control device 40 causes the remote control device 40 to enter a programming state and sends code E1h 52 to the STB 20 to indicate to the STB 20 that the remote control device 40 is in the program ming state Once the STB 20 receives this code Elh the GUI on the display 32 moves to a second screen 54 as seen in FIG 4 This change of screens helps solve the probl
7. not shown in commu nication with the keypad module 48 The memory 42 may include a database of various types of configurations for the keys ofthe remote control device 40 so that the remote control device 40 can control various electronic devices The keypad module 48 as described below may be used to configure the remote control device 40 to a particular configuration within the remote control database within the memory 42 The keys of the remote control device 40 include without limitation a button for initiating a mode change a DIRECTV button a SELECT button a power button a button a video on demand VOD button and a plurality of power mode buttons such as a CABLE button a TV button an AUDIO button and an VIDEO button for turning the corresponding device on off and or placing the remote con trol device 40 in one ofa plurality ofoperating modes During use of the remote control device 40 a user first typically selects the type of device to control by activating one of the mode buttons Activation of one or more of the plurality of keys on the remote control device 40 generates a command signal that is supplied to the controller 44 In response the controller 44 retrieves an appropriate control code from the memory 42 based on prior programming of the remote con trol device 40 by the user The controller 44 then causes the transmitter module 46 to generate a signal in accordance with the c
8. one or more device com mands to a specific brand model VCR it also manufactures Other electronics manufacturers use different IR or RF device codes comprising one or more device commands for their products A universal remote control device is a type of remote control device that can be programmed to operate various 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 brands of one or more types of consumer electronic devices Some universal remote control devices can only control a set number of consumer electronic devices as determined by the number of device codes and their associated device com mands programmed into the remote control device by the manufacturer of the universal remote control device while other universal remote control devices allow the user to pro gram in new control device codes and their associated device commands to the universal remote control device Typically universal remote control devices have built in descriptions commonly referred to as a code library or database on how to communicate with other electronic devices such as TVs VCRs DVRs DVD players and the like These code libraries may be in the form of collections of device commands each collection being identified by a particular device code The code library or database stores all the device codes and their associated device commands However as new consumer electronic devices are constantly entering the marketplace these code l
9. or at least portions of the code library stored in its memory 24 The remote control device 40 also has a code library The code library is a database that contains the information for how the remote control device 40 should control electronic devices other than the STB 20 or the display 32 There is a file or record for each device code which is correlated in a table stored within the memory 24 42 For purposes of illustration a database record includes a record header that contains an identifier for the record in the form ofa five 5 digit number The record also includes an executor that describes how the remote control device 40 should communicate with a particu lar electronic device The executor may be a simple reference to an already known protocol such as NEC or Philips RCS or could be a description of a custom protocol The record addi tionally includes a key set that describes how keys on the remote control device 40 match the keys on a remote control device that either originally came with a particular electronic device or were designed to work with that particular elec tronic device and what data should be sent on key presses of the remote control device 40 The respective code libraries of the STB 20 and the remote control device 40 are updated using known methods Alternatively a personal computer can be substituted for the set top box 20 and the computer s monitor serves as the display 32 A button s on the remote US 8 75
10. remote control device 40 has 10033 as the entered code which in fact may be a valid code but the STB 20 only has 1033 and is missing the 4 since the code the user was trying to enter was actually 10334 As 10033 is probably not on the list for this particular device the user is notified that program ming went wrong Another failure would be that the user entered a code that is not on the list e g 10335 The remote control device 40 accepts code 10335 but since code 10335 is not for this electronic device i e RCA model 1023 the system reports a failure even though the remote control device 40 reports success in entering the code i e the LED s on the remote control device 40 itself may flash to indicate a successful programming because 10335 is a valid code for a device other than the device the user is attempting to program the remote control device 40 to con trol At any point in time the remote control device may send out a code E4h 64 which indicates that the remote control device 40 has left programming mode with out a five digit programming code having been programmed into the remote control device 40 This can occur either because a time out has occurred e g ten 10 seconds have passed with no key presses on the remote control device 40 or no key presses received by the STB 20 from the remote control device 40 or because the user pressed another key e
11. the type brand model of the device to be controlled e g for RCA model 1023 there are five possible codes 10334 10344 10674 10774 and 10874 The user is then prompted to enter one ofthe codes using the remote control device s 40 number keys to enter the code Meanwhile the software on the STB 20 15 listening 212 for a valid key 1 the software running on the controller 22 is waiting to receive a transmission from the remote control device 40 corresponding to a valid key depressed on the remote control device 40 When the user enters the code by pressing a number key on the keypad 48 of the remote control device 40 the remote control device 40 transmits the selected digit to the STB 20 The software then determines 214 whether or not a valid key has been received If an invalid key has been received 216 then the key is ignored Valid keys include but are not limited to BACK EXIT left arrow the numbers 0 through 9 E1h E2h E3h and E4h If a valid key has been received 218 then the keys is examined 220 If code 1 is the valid key received 222 then the program will go to step 210 and enter the programming state If the BACK key 15 received 224 the program will go to step 204 If the code for the left arrow key has been received 226 the box for displaying a number com prising one of the five digits of the device code is examined to see ifa number comprising one of the five digits ofthe device code
12. worked press VOL Network If TV volume did not change press and hold MUTE SELECT If TV volume changed move the MODE switch to DTV and select Done 50 1 5 54 Z Screen 1 Eth Press programming state Mute Select 7 53 62 Elh Screen 2 E3h programming state Code rejected try code rejected another code press MUTE SELECT 62 7 9 h programming state code rejected Remote exited prog state try again press Mute Select U S Patent Jun 17 2014 Sheet 5 of 12 US 8 754 992 B1 106 MONITOR KEY PAD 108 112 110 VERIFY TIME OUT KEY PRESS z U S Patent Jun 17 2014 Sheet 6 of 12 US 8 754 992 B1 DIGIT PRESSED FIRST DIGIT IS 146 NOT 9 148 154 150 5th DIGIT Sth DIGIT STORE THE KEY 152 IN THE BUFFER 156 VALID CODE GO TO 106 160 158 VALID INVALID CODE CODE EXIT 144 PROGRAMMING STATE Za BB U S Patent Jun 17 2014 Sheet 7 of 12 US 8 754 992 B1 NON DIGIT PRESSED 128 126 PROCESS IGNORE KEY SPECIAL FUNCTION 130 132 134 136 KEY IS KEY IS B ACK EXIT 138 GO TO 144 GO TO 144 140 142 pav DELETE LAST IGNORE ENTERED DIGIT 12 6 KEY GO TO 106 GO TO 106 U S Patent Jun 17 2014 Sheet 8 of 12 118 120 073 08 1 990 RESET CODE VERIFICATION 060 963 093 VOLUME LOCK TV INPUT MODEL ID z US 8 754 992 B1 991
13. 2 and a memory 24 storing a remote control configuration database code library The controller 22 communicates with the memory 24 The memory 24 may include various types of memory including aflash memory The controller 22 monitors the data within the remote control configuration database and retrieves the data as necessary from the memory 24 The controller 22 is in communication with an interface 26 that may include a key pad 28 directly on the STB 20 or a receiver module 30 or both The receiver module 30 may include an RF IR audio or visible light interface for communicating with the remote control device 40 Various screen displays may be generated on a display 32 associated with the STB 20 during the pro gramming of the remote control device 40 This aids the user s interaction with the STB 20 for the remote control device programming The programming mode may be acti vated by using a button on the remote control device 40 or by using a button on the key pad 28 that will result in the con troller 22 executing a software program within the STB 20 to enter into a setup programming mode For purposes of illustration the STB 20 is connected to the display 32 in the form of a television which in this case serves as both the display 32 and one of the electronic devices to be controlled by the remote control device 40 for use during the programming of the remote control device 40 As discussed above the STB 20 will have the code library
14. 4 992 B1 11 control device 40 or the key pad 28 of the STB 20 can be depressed to activate a software programs stored respec tively in the memory 24 of the STB 20 as well as a memory 42 of the remote control device 40 The microprocessor or controller 22 ofthe STB 20 then runs a program that starts the graphical user interface described above and below that the user interacts with to program the remote control device 40 where this program uses data from the code library stored within the STB 20 Concurrently a microprocessor or con troller 44 ofthe remote control device 40 then runs a software program described above and below to program the remote control device 40 using data from the code library stored within the remote control device 40 Once the remote control process is activated through the interface 26 various screen displays may be generated on the display 32 The processor or controller 44 ofthe remote control device 40 is coupled to the memory 42 which stores a code library similar and or identical to the code library stored within the STB 20 The controller 44 may be used to control a transmit ter module 46 that may be used to transmit RF IR audio or visible light signals to the interface 26 of the STB 20 A keypad module 48 generates various signals that are commu nicated through the transmitter module 46 and ultimately to the interface 26 of the set top box 20 The remote control device 40 includes a number of keys
15. US008754992B1 az United States Patent 10 Patent No US 8 754 992 B1 Schulze et al 45 Date of Patent Jun 17 2014 54 INTERACTIVE REMOTE CONTROL 56 References Cited PROGRAMMING METHOD U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 75 Inventors Kim W Schulze Seattle WA US 7 111 320 B1 9 2006 Novak 725 139 Roshan Menon Hermosa Beach CA 7 378 984 B2 5 2008 Suzuki et al we 340 12 51 US 7 889 112 2 2011 Vergis et al 341 176 2004 0143847 Al 7 2004 Suzuki etal 725 61 2005 0110909 A1 5 2005 Staunton et al 348 734 73 Assignee The DIRECTV Group Inc El 2007 0069918 Al 3 2007 You 340 825 69 Segundo CA US 2007 0094703 4 2007 Nygaard etal 725 135 2007 0225828 A1 9 2007 Huang etal 700 11 I I e 2008 0191899 8 2008 340 825 22 Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this 2009 0070696 3 2009 Belzetal 715 771 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 b by 976 days cited by examiner Primary Examiner Jefferey Harold 21 Appl No 12 341 976 Assistant Examiner Mustafizur Rahman 22 Filed Dec 22 2008 pa ABSTRACT 22 Filed oe A system and method for programming a remote control includes pressing keys to enter a programming mode State 51 Int Cl changes are communicated from the remote to a set top bo
16. ady deployed in the field Traditionally in the stand alone programming scenario the remote control device s relationship with the STB is one of non awareness That is the remote control device is just an extension of the control buttons located on the front of the STB There is a need for stand alone remote control program ming that increases STB awareness to include the program ming of the remote control device US 8 754 992 5 FIG 1 illustrates a conventional approach to programming aremote control device This approach includes an on screen guide 10 for programming a remote control device associated with the STB where the on screen guide 10 is shown on a screen 12 of a display associated with the STB However the on screen guide is a passive step through guide lacking any interactivity with the user user initiates the programming process by navigating to a setup screen on the STB through a sequence of button presses on the remote control device Programming mode for the STB is limited to the STB sending signals to the display e g television associated with the STB to display a list of codes and a lot of text as seen in FIG 1 and does not contain any awareness of the state of the remote control device The graphics displayed on the TV screen are static In the programming mode the user selects the type brand of electronic device that the user wants to program device codes for into the remote control device After
17. alls would be signifi cantly reduced and that calls received by customer service would be shorter in duration Currently DIRECTV Inc receives about 65 000 customer service calls a month related to remote control programming at the cost of 440 000 a month The improved method of programming the remote control device only requires software changes in the remote control device and software changes in the STB making the cost associated with implementing the improved method practically insignificant The remote control device commu nicates to the STB what state mode the remote control device is in e g in programming mode exiting programming mode etc and what keys are being pressed while in pro gramming mode The STB will track the state and keys being pressed on the remote control device and guides the user via a user interface on the display e g television connected to the STB through the programming process Within its memory the STB has a list of codes that the STB knows are codes associated with a particular brand of electronic device but does not know what the correct code is for the electronic device in question The STB keeps track of codes that the user has tried to enter but that have proven to be the incorrect code for the particular electronic device Once the user has pro grammed the correct code for a particular electronic device into the remote control device the STB will store the asso ciation between the
18. ays the screen 54 FIG 4 and the STB 20 is again in remote control program ming mode If code E4h is the valid key received 250 a time out error is reported 252 and a message is generated on the screen 62 e g remote control has timed out Press and hold Mute Select to re enter programming mode and the program goes to step 248 once the user has performed the instruction to press and hold the Mute Select keys on the remote control device 40 If code 2 is the valid key received 254 the E2h code indicates programming succeeded and the entered five digit device code is verified A determi nationis made if five digits have been entered in the boxes 256 in the situation where a device code to be programmed has five digits If five digits have not been entered an error is reported 258 and a message is generated on the screen 62 e g You have entered an invalid code Press and hold Mute Select to re enter programming mode and the pro gram goes to step 248 once the user has performed the instruc tion to press and hold the Mute Select keys on the remote control device 40 If five digits have been received 260 a determination 262 is made if the five digit code matches at least one of the five digit device codes on the list of five digit device codes associated with the device to be controlled Ifthe received five digit code is not in the list of five digit device codes associated with the device to b
19. c device and a microprocessor running the program 18 The system of claim 16 wherein the set top box includes a memory storing a device code database comprising a plurality of device codes and the program for providing the graphical user interface on the display for guiding the user through associating the particular device code with the par ticular electronic device in response to signals received by the set top box from the remote control and a microprocessor running the program 19 The system of claim 16 wherein the program running on the remote control is independent of the program running on the set top box 20 The system of claim 16 wherein the program running on the set top box is reactive to signals received from the remote control during programming of the remote control 21 The system of claim 16 wherein the particular elec tronic device is a selected one of a television a CD player DVD player a DVR a stereo system a VCR a personal computer a personal digital assistant a cable converter and a set top box 22 A method for programming a remote control compris ing transmitting a first code from the remote control to a set top box to indicate to the set top box that the remote control is in a programming mode and receiving a first device code entered by a user into the remote control transmitting a second code from the remote control to the set top box the second code indicating that the first device cod
20. ce 40 will also exit the programming mode 144 If the five digit code is not valid 158 the remote control device 40 will send out code E3h 58 to the STB 20 to indicate that the five digit code was not valid and the remote control device 40 will exit the programming mode 144 In the alternative although the five digit code should already have been received at the STB 20 the software run ning on the controller 44 can send out the five digit code to the STB 20 when the remote control device 40 exits the program ming mode 144 However sending the five digit code again acts as a backup in case a digit transmitted from the remote control device 40 to the STB 20 was missed or not received by the STB 20 In use a user begins a process 200 of programming the remote control device 40 from the perspective ofthe STB 20 by activating the STB 20 and associated display by pressing a power button on the remote control device 40 as seen in FIG 9 FIGS 9A 9D This launches software on the STB 20 that results ina remote control setup screen being displayed 202 to a user that provides the user with various options including Program Remote In this case the user selects Program Remote or a similar selection heading in order to advance the process 200 to press highlight on the display 32 and press SELECT to program TV keys in all modes power TV input VOLUME MUTE etc Alterna tively the user may be a
21. correct code and the particular electronic device in a memory within the STB The improved method provides the advantage over the conventional use of blinking LEDS by providing feedback to the user on a display that clearly indicates whether programming was successful or a 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8 failure The ability to see on the display where the attempt to program the remote control device failed helps the user recover from a failed attempt to program the remote control device much more quickly method for programming a remote control includes pressing at least one of a plurality of keys on the remote control to enter a programming mode State changes are communicated from the remote control to an STB A particu lar device to be controlled by the remote control is selected Programming instructions are displayed to a user The STB tracks signals received from the remote control correspond ing to at least one device code entered by the user into the remote control The user is guided through programming and informed of programming success or failure based on signals received by the STB Signals are transmitted from the remote control to the STB when entering exiting or in the program ming mode Keys pressed on the remote control unit are mirrored on a display associated with the STB The remote control is used to operate different controlled apparatus where the different controlled apparatus are man
22. d to when the user seeks to program the remote control device 40 to control the display 32 The user manipulates the keys on the remote control device 40 to highlight or otherwise indicate the user s desired selection Once the selection is highlighted or otherwise indi cated the user is prompted to press the SELECT button on the remote control device 40 on the product type and brand of the device the user wants to program into the remote control device 40 For purposes of illustration and not limitation a non exclusive list of products displayed on the screen of the display 32 includes a DVD stereo VCR DIRECTV Receiver and a TV Once the user manipulates the input keys on the keypad module 48 of the remote control 40 to highlight the desired electronic device on the display 32 the controller 22 of the STB 20 accesses information on the brand type of electronic device in the remote control configuration database and displays device codes associated with that brand type of electronic device The user is then prompted to select the particular brand of the electronic device for which the user desires to program the remote control device 40 For example it is illustrated that a TV has been selected and a list of brands e g SONY RCA etc are displayed Again the keys of the remote control device 40 are used to highlight or otherwise indicate the desired brand selection e g in this case RCA is selected If a brand is chosen the user
23. e controlled 264 an invalid code error is reported 266 and a message is generated on the screen 62 e g You have entered an invalid code Press and hold Mute Select to re enter programming mode and the program goes to step 248 once the user has performed the instruction to press and hold the Mute Se lect keys on the remote control device 40 Ifthe received five digit code is on the list of five digit device codes associated with the device to be controlled 268 the screen 60 FIG 6 is displayed The program monitors whether the Done button 66 on the screen 60 is selected by the user 270 If the user presses and holds the Mute Select keys 272 on the remote control device 40 to re enter programming mode the pro gram goes to step 210 Ifthe user presses the BACK key on the remote control device and the BACK key code is entered and received 274 by the STB 20 the program will go to step 204 Ifthe user presses the EXIT key on the remote control device and the EXIT key code is entered and received 276 by the STB 20 the STB 20 will drop out of programming mode and go to live TV If the user presses any key other than one ofthe valid keys the key code received by the STB 20 will be ignored 278 If the user highlights and selects the Done button 66 on the screen 60 the STB 20 will store the five digit device code in the STB 20 for later use 280 and go to a new screen not shown having select
24. e was not accepted by the remote control 23 The method of claim 22 further comprising transmit ting a third code from the remote control to the set top box to indicate to the set top box that the remote control has left programming mode without an accepted device code 24 An interactive remote control programming method comprising 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 22 a set top box receiving a first code transmitted from a remote control the first code indicating that the remote control is in a program mode in response to the first code the set top box displaying a first prompt on a display associated with the set top box the first prompt prompting a user to enter a first device code into the remote control and in response to a second code received from the remote control the set top box displaying a second prompt on the display the second prompt indicating that the first device code was not accepted and prompting entry of another device code 25 The method of claim 24 wherein the second prompt includes one or more other possible device codes 26 The method of claim 24 further comprising the set top box receiving user input signals from the remote control the user input signals corresponding to numeric values and the set top box echoing the numeric values to the display 27 The method of claim 24 further comprising in response to a third code received from the remote con trol the set
25. edes remain available for the user to try and instructs the user to re enter programming mode A fourth code is transmitted from the remote control to the STB to indicate to the STB that the remote control has left program ming mode with out a device code having been programmed into the remote control This informs the user that remote control programming failed and instructs the user to re enter programming mode A system for guiding a user in programming a remote control capable of controlling a number of electronic devices via at least one device code specific to each electronic device includes a remote control having a transmitter and running a program associating a particular device code with a particular electronic device An STB has a receiver for receiving a signal originating from the transmitter A display is operationally connected to the STB wherein the STB runs a program providing a graphical user interface on the display for guiding auser through associating the particular device code with the particular electronic device in response to signals received by the STB from the remote control device The system includes a mechanism for initiating a programming mode in both the remote control and the STB for associating the particular device code with the particular electronic device The remote US 8 754 992 9 control device includes a memory storing a device code data base comprising a plurality of device codes and the progra
26. een a cellular telephone with built in screen or any device described above or its equivalent having a memory and associated display In a similar manner the system and method described above can be adapted to allow a device other than a traditional remote control device to be programmed e g a personal digital assistant a personal computer an ipod an iphone a cellular telephone or any device described above or its equivalent having a memory and capable of transmitting information to the STB 20 Additional embodiments of the present invention may be made by combining various elements of one of the above described embodiments with various elements of another one or more of the above described embodiments The following claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above what is conceptually equivalent what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea ofthe invention Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications ofthe just described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope of the invention The illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that should not be taken as limiting the invention Therefore it is to be under stood that within the scope ofthe appended claims the inven tion may be practiced other than as specifically described herein W
27. em where the user presses Mute Select for too short a time or the remote control device 40 fails to capture the Mute Select keying because the change of screens informs the user that the remote control device 40 is ready for the next step in the process of programming the remote control device 40 in a more user friendly manner As illustrated in FIGS 4 and 7 for RCA model 1023 there are five possible codes e g 10334 10344 10674 10774 and 10874 for the RCA model 1023 television The screen 54 informs the user that the remote control device 40 is now in remote control programming mode The graphics of the screen 54 display the possibly correct device codes for the RCA model 1023 The user is then prompted to enter one of the five possible codes using the remote control device s 40 number keys to enter the possible code When the user enters the possible code the remote control device 40 will echo the numbers while in the programming state and transmit the numbers chosen on the keypad 48 to the STB 20 Assuming the STB 20 is properly aligned with the remote control device 40 the STB 20 will receive these numbers and display the numbers on the screen 54 in the boxes provided with one number key entry per box Once all five 5 digits are entered the remote control device 40 will send out one of the follow ing a code E2h 56 which indicates that the code i e the five digit programming code was accepted and the remote co
28. ethod of programming a remote control device where an STB receives communica tions from a remote control device The remote control device is able to communicate send and or receive with the STB and or another electronic device using various types of com munication including but not limited to infra red IR radio frequency RF visible light audio sonic signals or the like 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 consumer electronic device includes a remote control input that may be desirable to be controlled by the remote control device The electronic device can come in various forms including but not limited to a television a CD player a DVD player a DVR a laser disk player an audio stereo system an alarm system a VCR a personal computer a personal digital assistant a cellular telephone a cable converter box an STB or the like The discussion above and below relates to a method to programming the remote control device that allows the remote control device to operate one or more of the foregoing electronic devices As seen in FIGS 2 9 an STB 20 15 in communication with a remote control device 40 The remote control device 40 is able to communicate send and or receive with the STB 20 and or another electronic device using various types of com munication including but not limited to infra red IR radio frequency RF visible light audio or the like The STB 20 includes a controller 2
29. f it is determined that a non digit has been pressed 122 instead of a 9 118 or some other digit 116 then the software will deter mine ifa special key 124 has been pressed The software will ignore 126 the key press if the key does not have a special function However if the key indicates a special process function 128 the software will determine what special pro cess has been selected 140 If the key is the BACK key the software in the remote control device 40 will transmit a signal for the code for BACK to the STB 20 which will cause the software running in the STB 20 to change from what is currently shown on the display 32 back to an earlier if not immediately previous screen If should be remembered that the remote control device 40 has no awareness of where the STB 20 is as the program in the remote control device 40 runs independent of the programming in the STB 20 and the remote control device 40 receives no feedback signalling from the STB 20 If the key is the EXIT key 134 the software in the remote control device 40 will transmit a signal 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 16 for the code for EXIT to the STB 20 which will cause the software running in the STB 20 to exit the programming mode and the software running in the remote control device 40 will also exit the programming mode 144 If the key is an ARROW LEFT key 136 the software in the remote control device 40 will determine
30. g pressing guide would be a failure and cause E4h on the remote control device 40 or by making a selection on one of the screens 54 60 62 to exit the programming mode Pressing Exit does not cause an E4h as it is separately echoed and will take the user straight to Live TV If the STB 20 receives the code E4h 64 the STB 20 will go to the screen of FIG 5 notifying the user that remote control programming failed from at least the perspective of the STB 20 and to try pressing the Mute Select keys again in order to re enter programming mode As seen in FIGS 6 and 7 once the system indicates that the code has been accepted the user can test the accepted five digit programming code The user is then prompted to test that the code worked by press VOL 1 volume If the TV volume did not change i e the test is not successful the user is instructed to press and hold the Mute Select keys again in order to re enter programming mode as seen in FIG 4 and repeat the steps to enter another five digit programming code If the TV volume changed the user is instructed to move the MODE switch to DIRECTV DTV and then select DONE Note that while in the screen of FIG 4 after a code E3h 58 or E4h 64 the STB 20 will not populate the five code boxes with digits until a code Elh 52 has been received again US 8 754 992 B1 15 In use a user begins a process 100 of prog
31. hat is claimed is 1 A method for programming a remote control compris ing pressing at least one of a plurality of keys on the remote control to enter a programming mode for programming the remote control to communicate with a set top box communicating state changes from the remote control to the set top box selecting a particular device to be controlled by the remote control displaying programming instructions to a user on a display associated with the set top box tracking by the set top box signals received from the remote control corresponding to at least one device code entered by the user into the remote control guiding the user through programming and informing the user of programming success or failure of programming the remote control based on signals received by the set top box 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 20 wherein communicating the state changes comprises transmitting a first code from the remote control to the set top box to indicate to the set top box that the remote control is in the programming mode and transmitting a second code from the remote control to the set top box to indicate to the set top box that a first device code was not accepted at the remote control 2 The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating step includes transmitting signals from the remote control to the set top box when entering exiting or in the programming mode 3 The method of claim 1 whe
32. he remote con trol device may provide an explanation for what each number of blinks of the LED means but such manuals are frequently lost misplaced or thrown out by the user If the user presses the wrong key during conventional programming of the remote control device there is no feedback indicating that a wrong key was pressed If the remote control times out of programming mode or exits programming mode due to another error during conventional programming ofthe remote control device the user is only informed by blinks ofthe LED on the remote control device Thus there is a need for an improved method of programming a remote control device that provides the user with feedback that is more informative than a particular number of blinks of an LED on the remote control device In view of the foregoing there is a need for an improved method of programming a remote control device that pro vides a way for the remote control device to communicate US 8 754 992 7 state changes to the STB and forthe STB to then display what is going on in the remote control device in addition to guides and other information Accordingly there is a need for all the improvements men tioned above with respect to programming a remote control device There is also a need for a programming method that reduces the need to periodically replace remote control devices There is a further need for a method of programming a remote control device that reduces and o
33. ibraries become outdated over time and the remote control device must be updated to accommodate this A printed list of device codes may come with the remote control device at the time the remote control device is pur chased as either a stand alone product or included with a consumer product e g etc The printed list of device codes represents device codes and their associated device commands already programmed into the remote con trol device Even remote control devices sold with a particular elec tronic device may include universal remote capabilities for other types of electronic devices which allows the remote control device to control other electronic devices beyond the particular electronic device e g a VCR remote programmed to operate various brands of televisions the remote control device came with at the time of purchase Large numbers of IR or RF device codes and their associated device com mands for various brands and models of electronic devices can be stored within a memory of a remote control device i e in a code library or database within the memory As the number of electronic devices increases the number of device codes and their associated device commands in the code library or database stored in a non volatile storage memory in the remote control device also increases The code library or database is loaded into the remote control device at the time the remote control device is manufactured M
34. ic audible sub sonic signals to the interface 26 of the set top box 20 Alternatively the set top box 20 includes buttons keys that can be used for setting up the programming process Otherwise the remote control device 40 instructs the set top box 20 to go into program mode by the user pressing and holding a key on the remote control device 40 After that the remote control device 40 controls the process when the user make selections from choices shown on the display 32 with the STB 20 mirroring the entry of commands pressing of buttons and illustrating the choices made on the display 32 Once the remote control setup program is launched by the STB 20 the GUI on the display 32 displays a selection screen not shown for the user to choose an input The user is prompted to press SELECT on the TV to program TV keys in all modes TV power TV input VOLUME MUTE etc Alternatively the user may be asked to select AV1 or AV2 to program the remote control device 40 to control a DVD VCR stereo or second DIRECTV receiver The user can select the desired choice by using input keys on the keypad module 48 of the remote control 40 Once an input has been chosen the GUI displays another selection screen not shown for choosing a product and a brand provided the STB 20 does not already know the brand type of electronic device or capability to automatically sense the brand type of elec tronic device the STB 20 is connecte
35. ic screen 12 of the display does not indicate whether the code was successfully entered That same static screen 12 merely provides that the user can test whether the attempt to program the remote control device with the device code worked by pressing the volume VOL button on the remote control device The static screen 12 instructs the user that if the volume of the TV did not change the user is to repeat the second and third steps with the next code and that if no codes work the user is instructed to move the MODE switch on the remote control device to DIRECTV and select MORE CODES as seen on the on screen guide 10 Either no confirmation is provided of whether the code was accepted or not or the LED on the remote control device blinks e g twice if ok and one long blink if not but the meaning of theses blinks and their respective durations is not communicated to the user by the on screen guide 10 and the user may not recognize that these blinks of the LED have any significance at all This conventional remote control pro gramming is not a user friendly process If the user presses a wrong key the remote control device leaves the programming mode Ifa user fails to enter something e g a code properly the remote control device leaves the programming mode Thus programming requires a lot oftrial and error work that can require a frustrating amount of needless repetition The on screen guide 10 provides that if the TV volu
36. if digits have previously been entered 138 If not the key press will be ignored 140 If digits have been entered the software will delete the last entered digit from the buffer memory 142 and transmit a signal to the STB 20 which will cause the software running in the STB 20 to delete the last entered digit on the display 32 In either case the software will go back to monitoring 106 the key pad 48 on the remote control device 40 for any key presses If the software in the remote control device 40 has deter mined that the key press is a digit 116 but the first digit pressed is not a 9 146 the software in the remote control device 40 will then determine if the digit pressed is actually the fifth digit pressed 148 If the software executed by the controller 44 determines that the digit pressed is not the fifth digit pressed 140 the key press will be stored in a buffer 1 memory 42 152 and the software will continue to monitor 106 the key pad 48 If the software executed by the controller 44 determines that the digit pressed is the fifth digit pressed 154 the software will check to see if the five digit code entered is a valid code 156 If the five digit code is valid 158 the remote control device 40 will send out code E2h 56 to the STB 20 to indicate that the five digit code was valid and the software will store the five digit code under the current mode switch setting on the remote control device 40 and the remote control devi
37. ion buttons with dialog giving the user the choice to select either Pro gram another code or Done 282 A determination 284 is made whether or not the user has selected Done If the user US 8 754 992 B1 19 has selected to program another code 286 the display 32 will go back to the selection screen described above which allows the user to select the type of device to be programmed e g the screen allowing the user to select TV AV1 AV2 etc If the user has selected Done i e not to program another code 288 the display 32 will go back to the remote control setup screen While the processes described above are illustrated using a DIRECTV remote control device the process can include a user making a selection from a plurality of different types or models of remote control devices 40 e g a remote control for a particular type brand model of electronic device a uni versal remote control etc to program It should be noted that at times the keys on the STB 20 can be used during the programming process as an alternative to using the keys on the remote control device 40 The system and method described above can be adapted to allow a remote control device to be programmed using a device other than an STB 20 and associated display e g a personal digital assistant with built in screen a personal com puter and associated monitor an ipod with built in screen an iphone with built in scr
38. irst remote control selection screen 50 for programming a remote control device 40 with a known model On the first screen 50 the user is prompted to on the remote control device 40 move the MODE switch to The screen on the display 32 further prompts the user to press and hold MUTE and SELECT Mute Select on the remote control device 40 to begin programming the remote control device 40 When the user presses Mute Select on the remote control device 40 the software run on the control ler 44 of the remote control device 40 causes the remote control device 40 to enter a programming state and sends code E h 52to the STB 20 indicate to the STB 20 that the remote control device 40 is in the programming state Meanwhile the software being run by the controller 22 ofthe STB 20 is trying to determine 206 ifthe STB 20 should enter the programming state If the STB 20 receives a command code other than code Elh 52 the program will process this code accordingly 208 However once the STB 20 receives code E1h 52 from the remote control device 40 the STB 20 will enter the pro gramming state 210 and the GUI on the display 32 moves to a second screen 54 as seen in FIG 4 which provides empty digital boxes one for each digit of a five digit device pro gramming code and graphical lettering stating You are now in remote control programming mode or words to that effect The GUI will also present possible codes matching
39. lar device the remote control device is communicating with and or controlling The device code is a number that represents a collection of device commands The device code is deter mined by the manufacturer of a universal remote control and used to program the universal remote control to control other devices e g TV VCR etc Each device command is a sequence of bits that may be transmitted through IR or RF in some pre defined protocol e g RC5 These device com mands are selected by the original device manufacturer of the receiving device e g the VCR or TV Thus each IR or RF device code identifies an associated collection of particular and or unique IR or RF device commands Each device com mand corresponds to a function on a device e g volume up volume down channel up channel down on off or the like Thus a user s selection ofa particular device code automatically selects the device commands associated with that particular device code The IR or RF device code is determined by the manufacturer of a remote control device associated with a particular electronic device e g a TV VCR etc and may only function for that particular remote control model Thus an electronics manufacturer can assign a particular ER or RF device code 1 e the device code itself comprising one or more device commands to a specific brand model TV set it manufactures and another particular IR or RF device code comprising
40. m for associating the particular device code with the particular electronic device and a microprocessor running the program The STB includes a memory storing a device code database comprising a plurality of device codes and the program for providing a graphical user interface on the display for guiding the user through associating the particular device code with the particular electronic device in response to signals received by the STB from the remote control device and a micropro cessor running the program The program running on the remote control is independent of the program running on the STB The program running on the STB is reactive to signals received from the remote control device during programming of the remote control The particular electronic device is a selected one of a television a CD player a DVD player a DVR a stereo system a VCR a personal computer a per sonal digital assistant a cable converter and an STB Other features and advantages ofthe invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illus trate by way of example the principles of the invention DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention In such drawings FIG 1 illustrates a screenshot displaying static instructions for conventional programming of a remote control device FIG 2 illustrates a block diagrammatic view of a remote
41. me did change the user has the option to program INPUT by 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 repeating the second step and entering code 860 To test the user is instructed to press TV INPUT Other than that the on screen guide 10 informs the user that that the user is done with programming and that the user should the MODE switch to DIRECTV and select DONE Based on the foregoing there is a clear need for an interactive guide wizard that incorporates the extended awareness of the STB of the state of the remote control device There is a further need for the remote control device to communicate its state to the STB because the STB gains awareness of the internal state of the remote control device Once the STB gains awareness of the internal state of the remote control device the STB can then communicate relevant and appropriate information to the user via the TV in the format of visual feedback As mentioned above during conventional programming of the remote control device the user presses a key sequence to enter a setup programming mode on the remote control device The user then subsequently enters keys on the remote control device to program the remote control device with no feedback from the STB or TV Also the very process of a user switching their focus between looking at the display to read the instructions on how to enter a code and looking at the face of the remo
42. mote control itself via blinking lights to indicate the status of the remote For the average user this is still a complex and error prone process Two way communication programming resolves many of the problems associated with stand alone programming The user can select what the remote control should be pro grammed to via a visual interface on the display controlled by the STB and once selection has been done the STB will send the necessary information to the remote control via a two way communication link The disadvantage of this methodology is that a two way interface adds components in both the remote control device and in the STB The cost of these components is around one U S dollar 1 00 for the STB and remote control device combined A company like DIRECTV Inc has upwards of 40 million STBs deployed so the cost of these additional two way interface components can be quite expensive e g a 40 million dollar cost for DIRECTV Further the two way communication approach is not com patible with equipment already deployed in the field as hard ware changes are necessary making it a lengthy process to roll out There is a need for improving the stand alone programming model by a stand alone programming process mimicking a two way programming process without the addition or asso ciated cost of two way interface components There is a further need for an improved stand alone programming model thatis compatible with the STBs alre
43. ne in order to learn the appropriate device code for the new consumer elec tronic device and be instructed in how to program the remote control device into associating the device code with the new consumer electronic device The conversation with the cus tomer service representative may turn out to be an exercise in futility and end up in frustration Even if the conversation with the customer service representative is helpful to the user telephone calls to customer service call centers can be costly when one adds up all the thousands upon thousands of code related customer service calls made each year by consumers In some cases it may be necessary for either the customer cable company or DBS provider to incur the expense of replacing the remote control device if the remote control device is not responsive to any ofthe device codes provided to the consumer Traditionally there are two ways of programming a uni versal remote control device with device codes to operate a particular type brand electronic device 1 stand alone and 2 through two way communication Stand alone program ming is the most prevalent form of remote control program ming Stand alone programming requires the user to enter key strokes on the remote control device according to a guide which may be printed or shown on a display This method is often difficult for a user to complete so steps have been taken to try to aid the user such as providing feedback on the re
44. ntrol device 40 is now programmed with this five digit code or code F3h 58 indicating that the five digit program ming code was not accepted If the STB 20 receives code E2h 56 the STB 20 will move to a third screen 60 as seen in FIG 6 If the STB 20 receives the code E3h 58 the STB 20 will display a new screen 62 FIG 5 that is a modified version of the screen 54 of FIG 4 The screen 62 of FIG 5 notifies the user that five digit programming code was not accepted and to try again A line oftext on the screen 62 could be used to notify the user of why programming went wrong The five digit programming code s that have already been tried are still visible but grayed out during the session As seen in FIGS 5 and 7 the user entered a wrong code The user is instructed to press and hold the Mute Select keys to re enter programming mode When the user presses Mute Select keys the software run on the controller 44 of the remote control device 40 causes the remote control device 40 to enter a programming state and sends code Elh 52 to the STB 20 indicate to the STB 20 that the remote control device 40 is in the programming state and the user is re presented with the screen 54 of FIG 4 only with the five digit programming codes that have already been tried still visible but grayed out Two types of code checking is performed by the software within respectively the remote control device 40 and the STB 20 1 the
45. ontrol code retrieved from the memory 42 The signal is received by the STB 20 or any selected electronic device which then causes the selected device to have the desired response e g press the VOLUME button on the remote control device 40 and the volume of the TV increases press the CHANNEL UP CHANNEL DOWN buttons on the remote control device 40 and the channel on the TV will go up or down as desired Referring to FIGS 3 7 an overview of a process for pro gramming a remote control device 40 is illustrated For pur poses of illustration only the remote control device 40 is a DIRECTV remote control device The screen displays of the graphical user interface GUI displayed on the display screen include various instructions and selections for pro gramming the remote control device 40 The screen displays are generated by the controller 22 of the STB 20 in response to input received from the remote control device 40 The screen displays act as an instructional guide to programming 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 12 the remote control device 40 by tracking key presses on the remote control device 40 and providing feedback to the user user activates programming function by depressing one or more keys on the keypad module 48 of the remote control 40 while pointing the remote control device 40 towards the set top box 20 using the transmitter module 46 to transmit RF IR visible light or audio ultra son
46. ored in the code database ofthe remote control device or STB by selecting the type of electronic device 1 the TV and brand name e g SONY of that electronic device i e the TV the user desires to program The user can access these device codes through a set up feature associated with the STB as discussed below The user programs the remote control device with one of the codes and tests the remote control device by trying to use the remote control device on the desired device i e the TV If the desired device i e the TV responds programming is stopped However there is a chance that the desired device i e the TV may not work and another code may need to be entered As with programming the remote control device using codes stored in the remote control device s code library or database as outlined below several device codes may be entered before the proper code for the desired device is found Problems arise when a user purchases a new and or updated brand model of electronic device e g a new televi sion a new audio stereo system a new DVR etc and the user s universal remote control device does not work with the new electronic device Problems also arise when the user s old remote control device needs to be replaced and the new remote control device needs to be programmed for use with the user s current electronic devices Manufacturers of con sumer appliances and devices often reuse the same device codes on many
47. ost universal remote control devices sold today are device based remote controls where the user presses a button associated with a desired electronic device e g a TV to select that electronic device 1 e the TV for control and then uses the remaining buttons to actually control the functions of that single elec tronic device 1 the TV To start controlling another elec tronic device e g a VCR the user presses a different device button i e the button marked VCR and the remote control device then starts sending commands to the new electronic device 1 the VCR Typical mode buttons on this type of remote control device are labeled TV DVD Receiver etc Each different type of electronic device e g TV VCR or the like controlled by the same remote control device more than likely uses a different device code 1 the device code for the TV 15 different from the device code for the even if both electronic devices were made by the same brand manufacturer television set top box e g a satellite broadcast set top box a cable converter box etc may also include a remote control code library or database having a number of device codes and associated device commands in order to aid a consumer in programming the remote control device associ ated with the set top box to be used to control various other US 8 754 992 3 devices e g a TV a DVD player an audio system
48. r eliminates the need for a user to consult a customer service representative There is an additional need for a method of programming a remote control device that uses existing communications con nections between the remote control device and the STB The present invention satisfies these needs and provides other related advantages SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention involves the remote control device sending out IR RF commands when entering exiting and while in its programming state The STB will use these com mands to track the state of the remote control device and provide a user guidance on how to program the remote control device as well as inform the user of success or failure The present invention is useful in a variety of ways The present invention reduces the need for a consumer to speak with a customer service representative at a call center in order to program the remote control device The present invention further reduces the need to periodically replace remote con trol devices The improved programming method aims to make it easier for the user to program the remote control device The improved programming method can be applied to all STB and all remote control devices The method can be used to simplify the programming ofthe remote control device and make the programming process easier for the user In addition to increased customer satisfaction it is projected that over time the number of customer service c
49. ramming the remote control device 40 from the perspective of the remote control device 40 by activating the STB 20 and associated display by pressing a power button on the remote control device 40 as seen in FIG 8 FIGS 8A 8D This sends a signal e g IR RF visible light audio etc to the STB 20 and its associated display 32 to turn on In the alternative the user can manually turn on the STB 20 and its associated display 32 by pressing the respective power buttons of the STB 20 and associated display 32 The user presses additional buttons on the remote control device 40 to enter a normal state 102 in which the user has entered programming screens on the STB 20 Upon pressing the Mute Select keys on the remote control device 40 the programming running within the remote control device 40 will move to the next step 104 which is to activate the programming state which in turn activates software programs and files within the remote con trol device 40 and the STB 20 respectively which are designed to carry out the process 100 It should be noted that software in the remote control device 40 runs independently of software in the STB 20 although the software in the STB 20 can react to input received from the remote control device 40 and the STB 20 has no control over the remote control device 40 the software in the STB 20 may or may not react to input from the remote control device 40 In step 104 the programming state is acti
50. rein the tracking step includes mirroring keys pressed on the remote control on the display corresponding to signals received by the set top box and transmitted by the remote control in response to presses ofthe keys on the remote control 4 The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using the remote control to operate different controlled appa ratus wherein the different controlled apparatus are manu factured by a common manufacturer or different manufactur ers 5 The method ofclaim 4 wherein the selecting step further comprises the step of displaying the at least one device code associated with operation of the particular device 6 The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of using the at least one code to operate the particular device 7 The method of claim 4 wherein the selecting step further comprises the step of choosing the particular device compris ing a selected one ofa television a CD player a DVD player a DVR a stereo system a VCR a personal computer a personal digital assistant a cable converter or a set top box 8 The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to the first code indicating on the display that the remote control is ready for entry of the at least one device code 9 The method of claim 1 including the steps of displaying at least one possible device code and prompting the user to enter the at least one possible device code using keys on the remote control 10 The me
51. remote control device 40 will report if the code was accepted or not and 2 the STB 20 will check the entered numbers against the codes on the list of possibly correct five digit programming codes for the desired electronic device This double checking solves the problem 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 14 created where the user enters numbers using keys associated with the keypad 48 of the remote control device 40 and the STB 20 misses 1 e fails to receive one or more ofthe signal bursts e g IR RF etc from the remote control device 40 For example the user enters 1 on the keypad ofthe remote control device 40 and the STB 20 receives a signal corre sponding to 1 and displays a 1 in the first code box on the screen then the user enter 0 on the keypad of the remote control device 40 but the STB 20 misses the transmission from the remote control device 40 and therefore does not display the 0 in the box on the screen the user then enters 0 again since the 0 did not show up in the box and the STB 20 does receive and display this 0 the user thereafter enter ing a 3 on the keypad of the remote control device 40 which is received by the STB 20 and shown on the display 40 as a 3 in the next box the user then enters another 3 which is received by the STB 20 and shown on the display 40 a 3 next to the previously entered 3 At this point the
52. round Art remote control device is an example of an electronic device used for the remote operation of a machine or elec tronic device Typically a remote control device is used to issue commands from a distance to a television TV or some other consumer electronic device e g stereo systems video cassette recorders VCR digital video disc DVD players digital video recorders DVR etc In the 21st Century many homes have so many consumer electronic devices that there may be as many as four or more remote control devices in just one room of any given home For example in order to operate a home theater system a user may require one remote control device for a cable or satellite receiver another remote control device for the VCR a further remote control device for the DVD player yet another remote control device for the TV and audio amplifier etc Often these remote control devices must be used sequentially and this can be confusing unwieldy and frustrating to the user Remote control devices associated with these consumer electronic devices are usually small wireless handheld objects with an array of buttons for adjusting various settings such as channel station volume on off etc Most remote control devices are battery powered and communicate to their respective associated devices via infra red IR and or radio frequency RF signals Usually a particular and or unique IR or RF device code is assigned to the particu
53. selecting the type brand of electronic device the user sees static graphics comprising the on screen guide 10 that provide at least one device code associated with that brand model of electronic device e g eight device codes for an RCA TV are illustrated provided that the code library of the STB includes device codes for the particular type and brand of electronic device that the user desires to program The static graphics instruct the user to make a first step by moving a MODE switch on the remote control device to TV The second step instructs the user to then press Mute Select keys on the remote control device until a light s e g light emitting diode LED above the MODE switch on the remote control device flashes twice The only feedback pro vided to the user when the Mute Select keys are pressed is the blinking of the LED on the remote control device In the third step the user is instructed to enter a device code The device code is usually a string of numbers e g five num bers The user selects or enters the numbers corresponding to the device code chosen from the screen 12 by pushing number keys on the face of the remote control device The static screen 12 does not indicate which number keys on the remote control device have been pressed by the user The device code entered by the user using the keys ofthe remote control device 18 checked against an internal memory of the remote control device The stat
54. similar devices though for each manufacturer and device type there are usually multiple device codes in use since there may be several different models of the same type of device made by the manufacturer If a remote control device having universal remote functionality does not work with a particular new device that a consumer has purchased the consumer can check the user s manual that came with the universal remote device when the consumer purchased it 1 if the user can even find his her user s manual assuming that he she even bothered to keep the user s manual and then look up the appropriate device code for the particular device 1 brand type of device model etc he she purchased as wellas the steps on how to program the remote control device to associate the appropriate device code with the new con sumer electronic device Although most users of remote con trol devices often have no difficulty operating a remote con trol device after the remote control device has been set up 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 and or programmed for them the very act of programming a universal remote control device can be a daunting process to technologically unsophisticated individuals who have trouble understanding the programming instructions for the remote control device that require certain buttons to be pushed in certain sequences A user will typically contact a customer service representative via telepho
55. sked to select AV1 or AV2 to program the remote control device 40 to controla DVD VCR stereo or second DIRECTV receiver The user can select the desired choice by using input keys on the keypad module 48 of the remote control 40 Once the type of device to program has been selected the user selects a brand provided the STB 20 does not already know the brand type of electronic device or capability to automatically sense the brand type of elec tronic device the STB 20 is connected to when the user seeks to program the remote control device 40 to control the display 32 by manipulating the keys on the remote control device 40 Depending on the key pressed on the remote control device 40 the remote control device 40 transmits a signal to the STB US 8 754 992 17 20 If the STB 20 receives the signal the user s desired selection will be highlighted or otherwise indicated on the screen on the display 32 associated with the STB 20 Once a brand is chosen the user is then prompted by another selec tion screen of the GUI to choose a model by pressing SELECT on the model of the device the user wants to pro gram into the remote control device 40 The selection screen illustrates various types of models in a model box Numerous models may be available for any particular manufacturer Once the model of the device to control is selected the pro gram will enter an initial state 204 and specific instructions will be displayed on the f
56. system for guiding a user in programming a remote control capable of controlling a plurality ofelectronic devices via at least one device code specific to each electronic device comprising a remote control having a transmitter and running a pro gram associating a particular device code with a particu lar electronic device a set top box having a receiver for receiving a signal origi nating from the transmitter a display operationally connected to the set top box wherein the set top box runs a program providing a graphical user interface on the display for guiding a user through associating the particular device code with the particular electronic device in response to signals received by the set top box from the remote control and means for initiating a programming mode in both the remote control and the set top box for associating the particular device code with the particular electronic device wherein the remote control is configured to transmit a first code to the set top box to indicate that the remote control is in a programming mode and the remote control is further configured to transmit a second code to the set top box in response to an unacceptable device code being entered at the remote control 17 The system of claim 16 wherein the remote control includes a memory storing a device code database comprising a plurality of device codes and the program for associating the particular device code with the particular electroni
57. te control device so that they can enter the proper code numbers can lead to errors because no feedback is provided as to how many digits of the code that the user had entered or whether the user is even supposed to be trying to enter the code at that point This conventional method is fairly error prone and it is nearly impossible for the customer service representative speaking with the user via telephone to know where the user is in the programming process and be able to adequately guide the user through the process This can result in great frustration and rage for the user which in some cases will be vented at the customer service represen tative There is a need for dramatically simplifying the program ming of the remote control device by making the STB as well as the user aware of the state of the remote control device and by providing feedback to the user on the state of the program ming of the remote control device There is a further need for at the same time allowing for points of reference in the process to be shared with and communicated to the customer service representative by the user Conventional programming of the remote control device only provides feedback to the user through the LEDs located on a face of the remote control device Furthermore conven tional programming requires that the user must know that two blinks of an LED means one thing and that four blinks ofthe LED mean another thing user manual for t
58. thod of claim 9 further comprising echoing on the display associated with the set top box numbers corre sponding to signals received by the set top box and transmit ted by the remote control in response to presses ofthe keys on the remote control 11 The method ofclaim 1 wherein the communicating step includes the step of transmitting a third code from the remote control to the set top box to indicate to the set top box that a second device code was accepted and that the remote control is now programmed with the second device code 12 The method ofclaim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the second code includes the step of indicating the first device code that was not accepted and possible device codes that remain available for the user to try 13 The method ofclaim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the second code includes the step of instructing the user to re enter the programming mode 14 The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating step includes the step of transmitting a third code from the remote control to the set top box to indicate to the set top box that the remote control has left the programming mode with out a device code having been programmed into the remote control 15 The method of claim 14 wherein the step of transmit ting the third code includes the step of informing the user that remote control programming failed and instructing the user to re enter the programming mode US 8 754 992 B1 21 16 A
59. top box displaying a failure message and a prompt for the user to re enter programming mode 28 remote control comprising a user interface for receiving user input a transmitter for transmitting electrical signals to a second device and a memory comprising a plurality of recognized device codes wherein the remote control is configured to respond to a mode input received via the user interface by entering a programming mode and transmitting a first code to the second device wherein the remote control is further configured to receive a first device code via the user interface and transmit a second code to the second device ifthe first device code is not one of the plurality of recognized device codes 29 The remote control of claim 28 wherein the remote control is further configured to transmit a third code to the second device when the remote control exits the program ming mode without receiving one of the plurality of recog nized device codes via the user interface 30 A set top box comprising a remote control interface for receiving signals from a remote control and a display interface for controlling a graphical user interface of an associated display wherein the set top box 1s configured to respond to a first code received from the remote control interface by dis playing on the graphical user interface a programming mode prompt for a user to enter a first device code into the remote control wherein the set top
60. ufactured by a common manufacturer or different manufacturers At least one device code associated with operation of the particular device is displayed The particular device chosen by the user for programming can be a selected one of a television a CD player a DVD player a DVR a stereo system a VCR a personal computer a personal digital assistant a cable con verter or an STB A first code is transmitted from the remote control to the STB to indicate to the STB that the remote control is in the programming state A display indicates that the remote control is ready for entry ofthe at least one device code The at least one possible device code is then displayed and the user is prompted to enter the at least one possible device code using keys on the remote control The display associated with the STB echoes numbers corresponding to signals received by the STB and transmitted by the remote control in response to presses of the keys on the remote control second code is transmitted from the remote control to the STB to indicate to the STB that the at least one device code was accepted and the remote control is now pro grammed with the at least one device digit code The third code indicates to the STB that the at least one device code was not accepted and the user is prompted to enter another device code The third code results in the user being informed that the atleastone device code was not accepted shows the user what possible device c
61. ute Select U S Patent Jun 17 2014 Sheet 1 of 12 US 8 754 992 B1 CODE S 11447 10047 10060 12002 11958 11953 11948 11922 1 On the remote move mode switch to TV 2 Press MUTE SELECT until light above mode switch flashes twice 3 Enter a code To test that the code worked press VOL 4 If TV volume did not change repeat from step 2 with next code If no codes work move mode switch to DIRECTV select More Codes 5 If TV volume changed you have the option to program TV INPUT by repeating step 2 and entering 860 To test press TV INPUT 6 You re done Move mode switch to DIRECTV select Done MORE CODES d is 1 PRIOR ART On the remote control move the MODE switch to TV Press and hold MUTE and SELECT to begin programming your remote control US 8 754 992 B1 Sheet 2 of 12 Jun 17 2014 U S Patent WHTIOWLNOO 4 401 198 AV Id c Id U S Patent Jun 17 2014 Sheet 3 of 12 US 8 754 992 B1 TV RCA 1023 SETUP m You are now in remote control programming mode Possible Codes 10334 10344 10674 10774 10874 Please enter a code o B JC Press and hold MUTE SELECT to re enter programming mode Possible codes 10334 10344 10674 10774 10874 Please enter a code 62 L in U S Patent Jun 17 2014 Sheet 4 of 12 US 8 754 992 B1 TV RCA 1023 Info amp Test 60 Sat amp Ant Code accepted To test that the code
62. vated in the remote control device 40 and the code Elh 52 is sent to the STB 20 to indicate this In step 106 software executed by the controller 44 in the remote control device 40 will monitor for any presses of any keys associated with the keypad 48 on the remote control device 40 The software will determine if there has or has not been a key press 108 on the remote control device 40 If it is detected that a key has not been pressed for a period of time e g ten 10 seconds a time out 110 will occur and the remote control device 40 will send code E4h 64 to the STB 20 to indicate that the remote control device 40 is leaving its programming mode state 144 and the STB 20 will do like wise However if a key is pressed 112 the software will verify that the key is a valid key press In this example the software will verify 114 whether or not the key press involved a number of key presses where the first digit is a 9 If it is determined that the first key press is not a 9 the software will then determine 116 if the key press is even a digit If it is determined that the first key press was a 9 118 the software will then determine if the key press is a match 120 with one of several multi digit codes that start with 9 e g 973 Channel Lock 981 Reset 990 Code verification 091 Library Search 961 RF addressing 960 TV input 003 Volume Lock 0963 Model ID etc I
63. x HOAN 5 44 2011 01 A user selects a device to be controlled and instructions are 52 U S communicated to a user The set top box tracks signals USPC 348 134 348 725 348 723 348 585 received from the remote corresponding to a device code 348 569 348 563 348 114 348 211 4 340 426 13 entered by the user into the remote A program guides and 340 4 11 340 12 22 340 815 6 725 61 informs the user of programming success or failure based on 725 67 125 81 725 100 725 132 725 135 signals received by the set top box The remote includes a 725 140 725 151 transmitter and runs a program associating a particular device 58 Field of Classification Search code with a particular electronic device The set top box USPE ee os 348 734 114 569 563 723 725 includes a receiver for receiving signals from the transmitter 340 426 13 4 11 12 22 815 6 and runs a program providing an interface on a display The 725 140 81 61 135 67 100 132 interface guides the user through programming in response to 7 775 3325 5 Signals received by the set top box from the remote See application file for complete search history 31 Claims 12 Drawing Sheets 7796 E2h cum code accepted Screen3 Mute Select Test Code 602 5 E3h Code rejected try code rejected another code press MUTE SELECT programming state Remote exited prog code rejected state try again press M

Interactive remote control programming method

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