System and method for simplified setup of a universal remote control
Contents
1. lite headend the internet the PSTN etc as is well known in the art either as a periodic update or on demand when the remote control setup feature is invoked In this manner the data used to guide the user through the setup process may be refreshed whenever new or revised brand names or cross references occur to allow for language expansion etc Fur ther in situations where multiple remote control models or revisions have been offered by a supplier of the STB or other host device alternative data sets 404 may be downloaded for 20 30 40 45 50 55 8 example based on user response to an initial screen displaying images of the various remote control versions While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure For example it should be appreciated that any of the above described methods can be used alone or in combination to setup the remote control 100 Additionally as noted the functionality of the universal remote control 100 can be included in other controlling devices such as PDAs personal computers home devices or the like Further while the exemplary embodiment above is presented in terms of interactions between a set top box and a universal remote control it will be appreciated that many other2. 2011 Sheet 1 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 102 106 oO FIGURE 1 U S Patent Mar 15 2011 Sheet 2 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 EN je 214 FIGURE 2 U S Patent Mar 15 2011 Sheet 3 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 302 Key matrix Microcoprocessor Clock and timer logic 301 v x 300 Crystal FIGURE 3 U S Patent Mar 15 2011 Sheet 4 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 402 404 Ed 104 Device VCR Select brand Panasonic RCA Samsung Sony 410 FIGURE 4 U S Patent Mar 15 2011 Sheet 5 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 Device VCR Brand Samsung Suggested code 502 FIGURE 5 U S Patent Mar 15 2011 Sheet 6 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 602 Device VCR Brand Samsung Code 20060 Test VOL VOL OK press setup No press select to try another FIGURE 6 U S Patent Mar 15 2011 Sheet 7 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 t Remote enters REMOTE SET TOP setup mode CONTROL BOX I I Remote transmits wee M CM STB loads setup setup command _ _ _ LLL D es application to STB i I I l Remote configures I STB displays keyboard for setup I Select device activity I type I i I I STB displays User selects I scrollable list of device type using gt brand names for navigation and een selected device
3. SELECT keys I type I l I l STB displays most User scrolls list likely setup code and selects brand l number for that name I device amp brand 1 I Use enters device STB displays Code number ES ze suggested using numeric pad _ _ _ _ _ FST U TIT gt functions to test signals STB on and OK last digit question User tests functions STB displays next most likely setup code number for that device amp brand User presses Select remote transmits that code to STB User presses Setup remote transmits complete to STB F Complete Exit or Select cade received 7 r Complete or Exit IR transmission Yes Key Key om gt configuration configuration Siar aa enabled enabled Fig 9 4 FIGURE 7 U S Patent Mar 15 2011 Sheet 8 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 102 Which device do you use lo contro volume Fig 8a E 804 Which device do you use to play back movies VCR Cable box 806 Which device do you use to change channels TV Cable box Fig 8c FIGURE 8 U S Patent 902 Channel tuning device STB 906 Mar 15 2011 Sheet 9 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 REMOTE SET TOP CONTROL BOX I I i I I Prompt user to 1 specify volume control device I User selects t volume control
4. in a printed user manual or the like into the universal remote control and the universal remote control uses that user provided identity information to access those preprogrammed codes that are appropriate for com manding the identified appliance s In this regard examples of known methods for performing an initial setup of an uni versal remote control may be found in for example the above mentioned U S Pat No 4 959 810 as well as U S Pat No 5 614 906 entitled Method for Selecting a Remote Control Command Set or U S Pat No 4 703 359 entitled Univer sal Remote Control Unit with Model Identification Capabil ity each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety An additional system and method for setting up a universal remote control is disclosed in U S Pat No 6 650 248 While known setup methods do work for their intended purpose it has been seen that the process of setting up and configuring a universal remote control can be demanding exacting and generally frustrating for many users For example user manuals or other documents containing setup codes and entry instructions may be lost or misplaced or may be superseded as brand and or model names evolve etc Accordingly a need exists for a simplified and more user 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 friendly system and method for manually setting up and con figuring a universal remote control SUMMARY OF THE I
5. include an indicator that no further possibilities exist upon eventual retrieval of which application 406 may cause a display of instructions to the user to abort the setup process by pressing the exit key and for example call a customer service number In an alternate embodiment application 406 may be configured to monitor command data transmitted from remote control 100 during the setup process for use in automatically progressing through the various setup instruc tions and prompts associated with the setup application By way of example only application 406 may be configured to monitor command data transmitted from remote control 100 in order to echo key presses on the TV screen as a means of visual verification to the user that a setup code was entered correctly or to present prompts such as Did your DVD player respond to the Power On command Press 1 for yes or press 0 for no whereupon receipt of either the 1 or 0 key command data will cause application 406 to proceed automatically to another instruction or prompt in the setup procedure In certain embodiments after the appropriate command code sets for the devices to be controlled have been selected as described above it may be desirable to further configure certain operational characteristics of remote control 100 In particular as described for example in U S Pat No 6 947 101 or 7 013 434 both of like assignee and incorporated herein by ref
6. 0 may retrieve a code data value corresponding to the activated command key from a memory device and access instructions to transmit the retrieved code data value to a device ina format recognizable by the device It will be appreciated that the instructions within the memory devices can be used not only to cause the transmission of command codes and or data to the devices but also to perform local operations While not limiting local operations that may be performed by the uni versal remote control 100 include displaying information data favorite channel setup macro button setup command function key relocation etc Since examples of local opera tions can be found in U S Pat Nos 5 481 256 5 959 751 and 6 014 092 they will not be discussed in greater detail herein To initially program the universal remote control 100 to access the operational functions of a device the consumer may use an improved system and method for obtaining enter ing and testing device code information one exemplary embodiment of which is described hereafter Turning now to FIG 4 in an exemplary embodiment a remote control 100 may be supplied together with a cable or a 5 20 40 45 50 65 4 satellite set top box STB 102 Remote control 100 may include a universal library of infrared codes for use in con trolling other types of appliances which are commonly uti lized in conjunction with a set top box such as for example a TV 1
7. 04 and or a VCR 106 To facilitate setting up remote control 100 to command operation of appliances 104 106 STB 102 may be equipped with data 404 and application program 406 preferably stored locally within STB 102 on mass storage 402 or on a device otherwise accessible to STB 102 It will be appreciated that mass storage 402 may take the form of flash memory ROM memory RAM memory memory card or stick hard disk drive CD ROM etc or any combination of the above as appropriate It will be further appreciated that data 404 and application 402 may be peri odically updated over the cable network and or may in certain embodiments even be partially or fully resident at the cable head end or other remote source accessible by STB 102 The data 404 and application 402 may also be updated using a device other than the STB 102 For example if the data 404 and application 402 are maintained on removable memory the removable memory may be updated via a personal com puter or other device with an Internet connection and then replaced into the STB 102 It should also be appreciated that while the exemplary embodiment below is presented in terms of interactions between a remote control 100 and an applica tion 402 resident in an STB in alternative embodiments application 402 may be hosted on and the interactions may occur with any suitable appliance such as a TV DVR AV receiver etc without limitation Application 406 is responsive to IR signals is
8. NVENTION In accordance with this need the following describes a system and method for allowing a universal remote control to be easily setup and configured to command appliances of various types and various manufacturers A better appreciation of the objects advantages features properties and relationships of the system and method for setting up and configuring a universal remote control will be obtained from the following detailed description and accom panying drawings which set forth illustrative embodiments which are indicative of the various ways in which the prin ciples of the system and method may be employed BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For use in better understanding the exemplary systems and methods for setting up a universal remote control which are described hereinafter reference may be had to preferred embodiments shown in the following drawings in which FIG 1 illustrates an exemplary system in which the uni versal remote control may be used FIG 2 illustrates a top view of an exemplary universal remote control for use in the system of FIG 1 FIG 3 illustrates a block diagram view of various compo nents of the exemplary universal remote control of FIG 2 FIGS 4 through 6 illustrate the system of FIG 1 at various stages during initial setup of the exemplary universal remote control FIG 7 illustrates in flow chart form the steps performed during initial setup of the exemplary universal remote con t
9. US007907222B2 a2 United States Patent 10 Patent No US 7 907 222 B2 Haughawout et al 45 Date of Patent Mar 15 2011 54 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SIMPLIFIED 5 552 917 A 9 1996 Darbee et al SETUP OF A UNIVERSAL REMOTE oe o x xd pb e a i 889 opresti et al CONTROL 5 959 751 A 9 1999 Darbee et al 6 008 735 A 12 1999 Chil t al 75 Inventors Joseph Lee Haughawout Aliso Viejo 6 014 092 A 1 2000 L SSS CA US Steve LanPing Huang 6 127 961 A 10 2000 Stacy et al Placentia CA US Patrick H Hayes EE s HE due Bane 344 erzulli Mission Viejo CA US 6 650 248 B1 11 2003 O Donnell et al N 6 795 130 B2 9 2004 Shibamiya 348 734 73 Assignee Universal Electronics Inc Cypress CA 6 940 562 B2 9 2005 Sato cecsescsssssseessssseveeen 348 734 US 6 947 101 B2 9 2005 Arling 7 013 434 B2 3 2006 Masters et al Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this mus n id a arn Gustafson etal ss 348 734 aes ears patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2003 0189509 Al 10 2003 Hayes et al U S C 154 b by 1226 days 2004 0235463 Al 11 2004 Patel 21 Appl No 11 515 962 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS WO 97 32290 A 9 1997 22 Filed Sep 5 2006 wo 00 17738 3 2000 WO 00 39772 7 2000 65 Prior Publication Data Wo 01 47130 A 6 2001 WO 03 083801 A 10 2003 US 2007 0052547 Al Mar 8 2007 WO 2004 051592 A 6 2004 cited by examiner Related U S Application Data x 60 Provisional application No 60 715 229 f
10. _ I a device kau SES meo TSS l T A alid IR code I received l Set volume keys to indicated device I I l I Prompt user to specify playback l device User selects i playback control device we x E EN E I Na I gt alid IR code I received Set playback keys to indicated device I I Application I resident in I STB STB remote t i Prompt user to I specify channel User selects I tuning device channel tuning x I device SER lt s s N aT SY E F N N X alid IR code Set channel tuning received keys to indicated device Adjust macro sequences to match devices selected IR transmission i FIGURE 9 U S Patent Mar 15 2011 Sheet 10 of 10 US 7 907 222 B2 1006 FIGURE 10 US 7 907 222 B2 1 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SIMPLIFIED SETUP OF A UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL RELATED APPLICATION DATA This application claims the benefit of U S Provisional Application Ser No 60 715 229 filed on Sep 8 2005 which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to remote control systems and more particularly to a system and method for setting up and configuring a universal remote control to command func tions of one or more types of remotely controllable appliances of one or more manufacturers Exemplary types of appliances include but are not limit
11. ance using the code just entered together with a user message to for example press setup if the suggested code works or to press select to try a different code all as illustrated in FIG 6 If the user activates the setup key indicative that the current code being tested has been found suitable to com mand operation of the appliance remote control 100 again transmits a completion signal in STB infrared format which is interpreted by application 406 in STB 102 as a successful conclusion of the setup process and causes application 406 to terminate execution returning STB 100 to normal operation Likewise remote control 100 also returns to normal opera tion configured now to issue commands in the chosen format that device type VCR in the example presented is selected by activation of one of keys 212 If on the other hand the user activates the select key indicative that the current code being tested is unable to command operation of the appliance remote control 100 transmits the select command signal in STB infrared for mat which causes application 406 to retrieve and display the next most likely setup code number contained in data 404 so that the user may repeat the test steps using this new code This setup process may continue until the user finally exits by 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 activating the setup or exit key or alternatively data 404 may
12. appliance types e g TVs PVRs DVDs PCs etc may be substituted for the STB without altering the spirit of the invention Accordingly it will be understood that the particular arrange ments and procedures disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof All of the cited patents and patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety What is claimed is 1 A method for configuring a controlling device having a plurality of function keys comprising receiving input into the controlling device which functions to place the controlling device into a setup mode where upon one or more keys of the plurality of function keys are activatable to enter a single code used to cause the controlling device to both 1 automatically assign com mands stored within the controlling device and associ ated with a first device type mapped within the control ling device to the single code entered to a first predetermined group of the plurality of function keys and 2 automatically assign commands stored within the controlling device and associated with a second device type mapped within the controlling device to the single code entered to a second predetermined group of the plurality of function keys wherein the first device type is different than the second device type and the first predetermin
13. e universal remote control 100 also includes device keys 212 e g AUX CBL VCR and TV the activation of which places the universal US 7 907 222 B2 3 remote control 100 into a mode to transmit commands to a particular type of device and a setup key 208 It will be appreciated that while illustrated as hard keys the keys of the universal remote control 100 may implemented as soft keys for example by being displayed on an LCD touch screen or the like By way of further example referring to FIG 3 the univer sal remote control 100 may include as needed for a particular application a processor 300 coupled to one or more memory devices such as a ROM memory 308 a RAM memory 310 and or non volatile read write memory 306 a key matrix 302 e g physical buttons a touch screen display or a com bination thereof an internal clock and timer 301 transmis sion circuit s 304 e g IR and or RF receiver circuit s and or transceiver circuit s e g IR and or RF not illus trated a means 303 to provide visual feedback to the con sumer e g LED display and or the like means to provide audio feedback to the user e g a speaker not illustrated a power supply 307 and or a serial I O port e g a jack or contacts not illustrated As will be understood by those of skill in the art the memory device s includes executable instructions that are intended to be executed by the processor 300 to c
14. ed group of the plurality of function keys is different than the second predetermined group of the plurality of function keys 2 The method as recited in claim 1 comprising creating a configuration table which functions to map different codes enterable in the setup mode to corresponding permutations of types of devices to be controlled upon activation of the first predetermined group of the plurality of function keys and the second predetermined group of the plurality of function keys the configuration table to be used as a guide to instruct a user as to which of the plurality of function keys to activate within the setup mode to achieve a desired configuration result 3 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first predetermined group of the plurality of function keys com prise volume control function keys and the second predeter mined group of the plurality of function keys comprise chan nel tuning control function keys 4 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first predetermined group of the plurality of function keys com prise volume control function keys and the second predeter mined group of the plurality of function keys comprise play back control function keys US 7 907 222 B2 9 5 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first predetermined group of the plurality of function keys com prise playback control function keys and the second prede termined group of the plurality of function keys comprise c
15. ed to televisions video cassette recorders VCRs cable boxes disk players digital video recorders DVRs thermostats game consoles etc Manufacturers typically provide a remote control with an appliance and as such different appliance types of different manufacturers are often commanded with different remote controls To minimize the number of individual remote con trols a user requires universal remote controls have been developed Accordingly universal remote controls for com manding various functions of various types of appliances of various manufacturers have become quite widespread By way of example universal remote controls are described in commonly assigned U S Pat Nos 4 959 810 5 255 313 and 5 552 917 In a common method of setting up a universal remote control codes for commanding functions of an appliance are learned from a remote control supplied by the manufacturer with that appliance The learned codes which are stored within the universal remote control are then available for subsequent transmission to the appliance Alternatively codes for commanding functions of appliances of various types and various manufacturers can be preprogrammed into the universal remote control The user then interacts with the universal remote control to identify to the universal remote control which appliance s the user desires to command i e the user manually enters an appliance or brand code usually obtained from a tabulation
16. erence in their entirety it may be advantageous to assign certain subsets of the keys of remote control 100 to always transmit command codes corresponding to a specific device As appropriate for a particular embodiment this may take the form of a fixed assignment of certain keys to always send the same code regardless of the device currently selected via device keys 212 as described in the aforementioned U S Pat No 6 947 101 or this may take the form of a separate special page or device mode e g Home Theater mode comprised of a composite of groups of key functions from other device modes as described in the aforementioned U S Pat No 7 013 434 or some combination thereof For example users whose equipment is configured to route all audio signals through their a v receiver may wish to have the volume keys 208 of exemplary remote control 100 always transmit commands that are intended to control correspond ing operations of the receiver 1 e the device code setup on the AUX mode key 220 Cable or satellite subscribers may wish to have the channel tuning keys 206 and numeric pad 204 always transmit commands that are intended to control corresponding operations of the STB it will be appreciated that remote controls which are supplied together with a STB may already be factory pre configured in this manner how ever remote controls offered as aftermarket accessories and or supplied together with other appliances may not be T
17. evice such as TV 104 is not readily available for example in instances where the remote control configuration is being performed prior to the equipment being hooked up where an earlier generation STB which does not support additional applications is still in use etc an alterna tive method of configuring key mapping assignments may be offered either in place of or in conjunction with the methods presented above This may take the form of a configuration table 1002 made available to the user of remote control 100 for example by publication in the user manual posting on a Web site etc Table 1002 may comprise a matrix listing key groups 1004 together with possible permutations 1006 and an identifier 1008 for each e g a number In this example users of remote control 100 may be instructed to invoke a special setup mode e g by activating a specific sequence of keys on remote control 100 and then input the indicated identification data for their system configuration For example in the embodiment illustrated in FIG 10 a user who changes channels via a cable STB routes his audio signals through an AV receiver and uses a DVD player to watch movies may enter code 0 3 corresponding to the con figuration represented by row 1010 of the illustrated table It will be appreciated that all or part of data 404 and or application 406 may be downloaded into STB 102 or other application host device as appropriate from a cable or satel
18. hannel tuning control function keys 6 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the one or more keys of the plurality of function keys activatable to enter the single code comprises at least one key having a numerical label 7 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first device type comprises a television and the second device type com prises a set top box 10 8 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first device type comprises a television and the second device type com prises a video disc player 9 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first device type comprises an audio receiver and the second device type comprises a video disc player 10 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first device type comprises a television and the second device type comprises an audio receiver UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO 7 907 222 B2 Page lof 1 APPLICATION NO 11 515962 DATED March 15 2011 INVENTOR S Steve LanPing Huang and Patrick H Hayes It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby corrected as shown below Cover Page 75 Inventors delete inventor Joseph Lee Haughawout Signed and Sealed this Eighteenth Day of September 2012 David J Kappos Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
19. iled on Sep Primary Examiner Jefferey F Harold 8 2005 Assistant Examiner Jean W D sir 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Greenberg Traurig LLP 51 Int CI HOAN 5 44 2006 01 57 ABSTRACT 52 US Che a 348 Ern NU Pu A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling j EA j device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances via an 58 Field of otras ere 340 815 E Eo interactive instruction set and associated programming The 340 426 13 on is 725 80 81 programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable lication fil fo n h hi 2 appliance and is configured to appropriately display interac See application file for complete search history tive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated 56 References Cited set up procedure for configuration of another controllable U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 4 703 359 A 10 1987 Rumbolt et al 4 959 810 A 9 1990 Darbee et al 5 255 313 A 10 1993 Darbee 5 341 166 A 8 1994 Garretal 725 153 5 481 256 A 1 1996 Darbee et al 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 10 Claims 10 Drawing Sheets 1010 5 gt 4005 U S Patent Mar 15
20. lowchart form a summary of the steps described below and illustrated in FIGS 4 through 6 Upon initiation STB application 406 may display on TV 104 a user prompt such as for example What device do you want to setup for control together with a list of valid device types e g TV VCR Receiver etc The application 406 may also prompt the user to select an appro priate language for the prompts Application 406 may addi US 7 907 222 B2 5 tionally display messages for general user guidance such as for example Press Exit at any time to exit remote setup and return to watching TV In the exemplary embodiment the user may then select using navigation keys 214 a desired device type from the displayed list for example VCR In an alternative embodi ment the user may directly select the device type by actuating one of the device keys 212 of the remote control which may in that instance be adapted to transmit a signal to the STB indicative of the device type selected Application 406 may respond by displaying a confirmation of the selected device type together with scrollable list 410 of valid brand names for that device type as illustrated in FIG 4 The brand names that comprise this list are obtained by reference to data file 404 In this way it will be understood that certain keys or groups of keys on remote control 100 may be temporarily reconfigured generally during the setup procedure to transmit c
21. o this end upon completion of device setup application 406 may interactively prompt the user to enter information regarding device usage and system configuration which information may then be used to configure key assignments automatically program macro command sequences such as all on all off watch a movie etc or for any other appropriate remote control configuration purpose An exem plary method for performing key mapping is illustrated in FIG 8 and summarized in flowchart form in FIG 9 By way of this example upon initiation of this particular setup opera tion which may be initiated in a manner similar to that described above application 406 may display on TV 104 a message 802 requesting that the user indicate to the remote control which device is normally used for controlling system volume In the example presented the choices 803 are TV audio receiver or VCR Without limitation this list may US 7 907 222 B2 7 include all device types supporting the operation for which is setup is desired be limited to those device types that the system has learned through the initial configuration process are to be controlled via the remote control etc The user may then indicate to the remote control which of the listed devices is to be used for this operation by activation of an appropriate one of the device keys 212 TV Aux or VCR in this instance Activation of a device key may then cause
22. ommand data to STB for purposes of user interaction with application 406 during the setup process The user may then select once again via use of keys 214 a desired brand name for example Samsung Application 406 may respond by displaying the remote control setup code number most likely to result in selection of an infrared code set which will operate appliances of the type and manufacture indicated once again obtained by reference to data 404 In the exemplary embodiment presented this number may include a leading digit to indicate to the remote control pro gramming which device type is to be setup e g 2 for VCR In alternative embodiments where the user may already have explicitly entered the device type being set up via one of the keys 212 this may not be necessary The user may then enter this number for example 2 0 0 6 0 502 in FIG 5 into remote control 100 using digit entry keys 204 Upon entry of the final digit of the sequence remote control 100 Configures itself to transmit commands in the indicated infrared command format in response to actuation of function keys 206 208 210 etc and Transmits an infrared command in STB format to notify the STB application 406 that device code entry is com plete Upon receipt of the completion signal from remote control 100 STB application 406 may display a listing of suggested function s 602 to test operation of the target appli
23. ontrol the operation of the universal remote control 100 In this manner the processor 100 may be programmed to control the various electronic components within the univer sal remote control 100 e g to monitor the power supply 307 to cause the transmission of signals display icons and or HTML pages etc The non volatile read write memory 306 for example an EEPROM or the like may be provided to store setup data and parameters as necessary such that data is not required to be reloaded after battery changes It is to be understood that the memory devices may take the form of any type of readable media such as for example a Smart Card memory stick a chip a hard disk a magnetic disk and or an optical disk Still further it will be appreciated that some or all of the illustrated memory devices may be physically incor porated within the same IC chip as the microprocessor 300 a so called microcontroller and as such they are shown separately in FIG 3 only for the sake of clarity To cause the universal remote control 100 to perform an action the universal remote control 100 is adapted to be responsive to events such as a sensed consumer interaction with the key matrix 302 receipt of a transmission etc In response to an event appropriate instructions and or data within the memory devices are executed and or accessed For example when a command key is activated on the universal remote control 100 the universal remote control 10
24. rol FIG 8 illustrates the system of FIG 1 at various stages during an exemplary key mapping setup of the exemplary remote control FIG 9 illustrates in flow chart form the steps performed during key mapping setup of the exemplary remote control and FIG 10 illustrates an instruction sheet for an exemplary alternate method for key mapping setup of a remote control DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The following describes a system and methods for setting up and configuring a universal remote control to command one or more functions of one or more types of appliances of one or more manufacturers By way of example FIG 1 illus trates an exemplary system 110 wherein a universal remote control 100 supplied together with a cable set top box 102 may be used to command functions of various appliances illustrated as a TV set 104 and a VCR 106 For use in remotely commanding a device to perform a common and or extended operational function 1 e a func tion that may not be widely supported by devices of a com mon device type the universal remote control 100 an example of which is illustrated in FIG 2 includes a set of command keys within a key matrix which are assigned to operational functions In this regard common operational functions include functions that are usually widely supported by devices of a common device type e g power 202 digit tuning 204 volume control 208 channel up down control 206 media transport 210 etc Th
25. sued by remote control 100 during the user setup process as illustrated in the flowchart of FIG 7 and described below The user enters a Setup Mode by for example pressing and holding setup key 208 The entering of the Setup Mode may be signaled to a user by the LED 303 blinking twice e g upon pressing and holding the setup key for approximately 3 seconds Upon entering Setup Mode the remote control transmits a specific setup IR code to STB 102 which is interpreted as a command to initiate the Remote Setup Help application 406 Alternatively or as a backup in certain embodiments application 406 may also be invoked from STB 102 s built in menu system upon activation of a dedicated key on the STB 102 etc In connection with entering the setup mode the remote control 100 may configure its keyboard as follows Navigation Left Right Up Down and Select OK keys 214 Exit key 216 and device keys 212 are adapted to cause transmission of infrared command data in the format recognized by STB 102 Digit entry keys 204 do not transmit commands but serve only for input of appliance setup codes as described hereafter and Function keys such as volume 208 channel up down 206 transport keys 210 etc are adapted to cause transmis sion of infrared command data in the format of the appliance under test as described hereafter In connection with the following paragraphs the reader may wish to refer to FIG 7 which presents in f
26. the remote control 100 to set it s internal key mapping for volume control i e the command codes which are to be transmitted by the volume and mute keys 208 during normal operation to match the device indicated Remote control 100 may also transmit a specific command code to STB 102 indicating that a volume selection has been made Receipt of this command by the STB may cause application 406 to display the next user prompt 804 on TV 104 requesting user selection of the device usually used for movie playback In a similar manner a user selection of playback device may be performed With refer ence to the flowchart of FIG 9 902 904 in systems where remote control 100 was supplied in conjunction with STB 102 and application 406 is resident in the STB the step of selecting a channel tuning device may be bypassed since in this instance it is the STB by default In other situations the user may be prompted 806 to specify a device to be used for channel tuning once again in a similar manner to that previ ously described Upon completion of this stage of the setup process in certain embodiments remote control 100 may also adjust 906 macro command sequences such as all on or all off or activity initiating macros such as watch a movie as required by the newly entered device preferences Turning now to FIG 10 in certain embodiments where application 406 is not available to or is not supported by the STB and or a display d
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