System and method for upgrading the remote control functionality of
Contents
1. when it is not possible to discern the brand name from other setup information e g the setup code 0033 for a Panasonic brand TV may also be the setup code for the same TV that is sold under secondary brand names such as Quasar or Technics or private labels such as Sears or Radio Shack In the case where the consumer has clicked on the OK button in the page illustrated in FIG 8 the information in the markup language file is uploaded to the specified Web site address and the information is used to automatically display to the consumer downloads available for the appliances setup to be controlled using the remote control application An example download page is illustrated in FIG 9 wherein links are provided to access downloadable data that is specifically available for the equipment the remote control application was setup to command namely a Panasonic brand TV a Hughes brand satellite receiver a Sony brand stereo receiver and an unbranded but specific VCR like device that has command codes maintained in a library identified by the setup code 0162 0a2 in hexadecimal The download page may also provide instructions to the consumer to cure any oversights that resulted in an expected appliance not being listed or an appliance being listed in error At this time the consumer may elect to download con figuration download data for a specific appliance by select ing a link2. configuration information Selects desired device Server displays list of available key functions Selects i desired E Server creates file ed containing requested ie functi i i vnedons E key functions encrypted using PDA serial i File is downloaded Number provided toPC during registration Advanced key function data f o i 2 f i Bs i Docks PDA i i FERA i Na Data file is transferred to 52 i PDA by synchronization ase process g Decrypts file using internally stored serial number Assigns a extended functions to keys FIGURE 2 U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 3 of 10 US 7 093 003 B2 Welcome to Nevo Microsoft Inlesnet Explorer Losin or Register eS NEVO New Evolution in Horne Control Using your PDA web pad or other display device ennanoed with Nevo technology controlling your TV home theatre appliances FIGURE 3 U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 4 of 10 Arv Argiano Microsoft Intemot Explarcr US 7 093 003 B2 If vou bave eiready registered with this web site pleas ori First Tene Users Vf thes s your first me 00 our web rite pisa se complete the form belare Afrar submittal you will be able bo actess this web site s aphonced features Cheese your username and pasamord Re teps Password Ta find rour Serial Mumbar Bad Librety
3. on an ongoing basis over the life of a product and may thus provide greater insight than simple raw initial sales or shipment figures The information on specific key data requested at step 52 can provide valuable insight into which key functions are perceived as important by the users of specific device types or models This information can be used by manufacturers of universal remote control products to fine tune the standard function libraries that are pre loaded into their product at time of shipment For example with reference to FIG 10 if it is found that a disproportionately large percentage of Hughes Network Systems Satellite Receiver setup code 1142 owners are requesting the key function Instant Replay this function may be considered for inclusion in the next release of the standard code library for that device Similarly the number of accesses to download a newly released product may be monitored in order to determine an appropriate time to add it to standard pre loaded library offerings While specific embodiments of the 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 Accordingly the particular arrangement disclosed is 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
4. which the information and upgrade data received from the device 10 and downloadable to the device 10 is maintained As will be appreciated the device 10 may exchange com munications directly with the server 11 or indirectly by means of an intermediate client 15 such as a personal computer Furthermore the communication exchanges can be accomplished using any suitable wired or wireless pro tocol The underlying platform of the device 10 preferably includes a processor 14 coupled to a memory system 16 comprising a combination of ROM memory 25 non volatile read write memory 24 and RAM memory 26 a key matrix 18 in the form of physical buttons an internal clock and timer 20 a transmission circuit 22 a power supply 28 a touch screen display 30 to provide visible feedback to and accept input from the user of the device 10 and I O circuitry 32 for allowing the device 10 to exchange communications with an external computer such as server 11 and or client 15 Additional input circuitry such as a barcode reader may also be utilized Representative platforms include but are not limited to devices such as Web tablets and or PDAs manufactured by Compaq HP Palm Visor etc As will be appreciated the memory system 16 includes executable instructions that are intended to be executed by the processor 14 to control the operation of the device 10 In this manner the processor 14 may be programmed to control US 7 093 003 B2 3 the vario
5. 12 United States Patent Yuh et al US007093003B2 US 7 093 003 B2 Aug 15 2006 0 Patent No 45 Date of Patent 54 75 73 21 22 65 63 60 51 52 58 56 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPGRADING THE REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONALITY OF A DEVICE Inventors Han Sheng Yuh Walnut CA US Weidong William Wang Tustin CA US Patrick H Hayes Mission Viejo CA US James N Conway Jr Laguna Beach CA US Universal Electronics Inc Cypress CA US Assignee Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 b by 789 days Appl No 10 151 501 Filed May 20 2002 Prior Publication Data US 2006 0031400 A1 Feb 9 2006 Related U S Application Data Continuation in part of application No 09 905 423 filed on Jul 13 2001 Provisional application No 60 344 020 filed on Dec 20 2001 provisional application No 60 264 767 filed on Jan 29 2001 Int Cl G06F 15 16 2006 01 US Lh i eee 709 219 709 221 717 171 Field of Classification Search 709 200 709 201 202 203 217 219 208 218 220 709 221 248 715 501 1 513 717 168 717 171 172 173 340 3 3 See application file for complete search history References Cited U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 4 623 887 A 11 1986 Welles II 4 703 359 A 10 1987 Rumbolt et al 4 774 511 A 9 1988 Rumbolt et al 4 959 810 A 9 1990 Darbe
6. Advanced Keys Download t vei foh Heb 2 s 1 input Device Code Z Saat Yi Please choose your device type and type in its device code to download the Advanced Keys Download appropriate advanced keys 1 Input Device Code To manually find the device code for a particular davice cick the room that contains the device first Then choose Display Device Codes from tha Rooms menu You wili then see a list of devices with four digit device codes on the screen Enter the number in tha blank box belov making sure that you also select the correct corresponding device type TV VCR ate Remember that in order for advanced keys to work you must have already set up the device on Neve Before dovnipading make sure you set up Important Make sure you antered your corract garial number and library version on your user ActiveSync properly Click he it ara to check your setup ie In ovde fox this commie men ves 1o edt your urat TVs a Cmn Easy Setup Te bypass this step and automatically upload your davice settings from Nevo into the Download Center follow these instructions 1 Sync your handheld Make sure ActiveSync is setup correctly for Nevo Click here to check your setup 2 Go tc your desktop and open your sync folde for Pockat Pt My Documents where Pocket PC is the name of your device Go to the Nevo folder and double dick on the file Goto MyHevo and follow the onscreen instructions
7. FIGURE 6 U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 7 of 10 US 7 093 003 B2 SIDOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC W3C DTD HTML 4 0 Transitional EN gt lt html gt lt head gt title gt Go to MyNevo com Download Center lt ititle gt lt meta hitp equiv Content Type content text himk charset ziso 8859 1 lt head gt lt body bgcolorz 4003366 lt form action htlp www mynevo com cgi bin mynevo init cgi method post lt input type hidden name product value Nevo gt lt input type hidden name serial valuez 4G1CDW3310B3 lt input type hidden namez swver value CPB1 gt lt input type hidden name libver valuez CPL 1 lt input type hidden namez ids value 0033 Panasonic 40a2 3476 Hughes Network Systems 709e Sany gt lt input type hidden name Iname value Hayes lt input type hidden name fname value Patrick gt lt input type hidden name ident valuez Pocket PC lt INPUT type hidden values Compaq PDA name platform gt lt BR gt lt BR gt lt BR gt lt DIV align lefi gt lt TABLE borderColor 999999 cellSpacing 0 celiPadding 7 width 400 bgColor 999999 border 0 gt lt TBODY gt lt TR gt lt TD vAlign top align left gt lt TABLE cellSpacing 0 cellPadding 5 width 100 bgColor fffftf border 0 gt lt TBODY gt lt TR gt lt TD vAlign top align middle gt lt p align center gt lt FONT face Verdana Arial Helvetica sans serif size 2 gt lt B gt Go to MyNevo com Download Center
8. US 7 093 003 B2 m HM eni Deveiopet NH Heip Download Center Message Boards winks a t Advancad Keys Download 1 Input Device Code 2 Select Your Devisa Type 3 Select Advanced Keys D Before downloading make sure you set up ActiveSync properly Click bere to check your setup You ara logged in as phayes b Log out Fas Your Device Tyge 3 Select Advanced Keys 3 Down osil Please Select Advanced Keys maximum of 20 selections I Back V Fast Forward I Instant Replay T 3ump to Live V Pause F Play T Rewind F stow T Thumbs Up F Tivo EJIE Hora i Abodtineva aus i Davaloper Ha Copyiga 92002 Universal Electronics Ine Alt cahtz resemed Tams of Ure FIGURE 10 I Forward F live Tv f Record F Thumbs Down US 7 093 003 B2 1 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPGRADING THE REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONALITY OF A DEVICE This application claims the benefit of U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 344 020 filed on Dec 20 2001 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety This application is a continuation in part of U S appli cation Ser No 09 905 423 filed Jul 13 2001 which in turn claims priority to U S Provisional Application Ser No 60 264 767 filed on Jan 29 2001 both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to devices having remote control functionality and m
9. Version dich of Abeut Neve from the cenhiguretion mane vith the ranch kon of Navo Enter those identification numbers her To automatically fill in the serial number and Ebrary code on this form follow these instructions 1 Sync rour handheld Make sure ActiveSync is setug correctiy for evo Click hire to check your setup 2 Go te your desktop and open pour sync folder for Becker Ot My Documents whera Packet Pe is the name af your devia 3 Ga to the Nevo folder and double click on the file Goto_MyNavo and fnliow the ongeresn 3 Goto the avt folder ehd double chick on tha fis Goto MyNevo and follow the onsereen instructions Suse i ITE Sti 2 e Einzel State Province Salectastate z Zeveuicde Country United States ofamenca SSC TUA work Phane Pease tel us more about yourself tor vs ta serve you better Gender F Male C Femeie Aor 25 3 Martel Status Singte trumber of propia in your househeid 24 Humber of hours ef TV cobiz movies watched in your household bass then 1 houe per day 2 3 hours per day 3S haurs per day 57 hours per day T More than hours per dar Number of remote cn zrolled devices in your hausehoid H Primary use ol device enhanced wth Neve C Leisure C Buroess Purchaser of device enhanced with evo Selt Z Business C Friend Farmiy Git f Chack here i you would like ta receive information shout our new praducts in the future F
10. appended claims and any equivalents thereof What is claimed is 1 A method for upgrading a remote control application resident on a device comprising storing in a markup language file a representation of information used to setup the remote control applica tion to communicate with an appliance storing information representative of the remote control application in the markup language file executing the markup language file to upload the repre sentation of the information and the information rep resentative of the remote control application to a remote server and using the uploaded representation of the information and the information representative of the remote control application to automatically display user selectable downloadable data files relevant to the appliance and compatible with the remote control application which data files may be used to upgrade the remote control application resident on the device 2 The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising storing the markup language file in memory on the device synchronizing the markup language file with a personal computer and executing the markup language file on the personal computer 3 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the down loadable data files contain command codes for use in trans mitting control commands from the device to the appliance 4 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the down loadable data files contain graphical user in
11. gt lt p gt lt p align center gt lt font face Verdana Ariat Helvetica sans serif size 1 gt lt j gt Your configuration file contains the fallowing information Device brands and codes Machine type and Serial number and Owner name i font lt p gt lt p align left gt lt b gt lt font face Verdana Arial Helvetica sans serif size 2 gt lt font gt lt b gt lt p gt lt TD gt lt TR gt lt TR gt lt TD vAlign center align middle bgColor 6699ff gt lt div align center gt lt INPUT type submit value OK name submit gt lt div gt lt TD gt lt TR gt lt TBODY gt lt TABLE gt lt TD gt lt TR gt lt TBODY gt lt TABLE gt lt DIV gt lt FORM gt lt BODY gt lt HTML gt FIGURE 7 U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 8 of 10 US 7 093 003 B2 pero ET etg un ke iere P He Go to MyNevo com Download Center H The Download Center will help registered members 3 1 keep Neva updated with the latest i enhancements Including New Devices Advanced Key Functions Network Lagos Custom Graphics MyNevo com requires current canflguration information from registered mambers in orderto download enhanced features such 4s advanced key functlons for current devices This information Is uploaded when you click the OK button below Before continuing please read the Terms and Conditions of use If you agree with the Terms end conditions click the OK button to upload your configuration
12. information and qo to the MyNevo com Download Center Terms and Conditions Your configuration file contains the following information Derica dvands and codes Machine type and Seria number and Owner name FIGURE 8 U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 9 of 10 US 7 093 003 B2 j ingut Device Advanced Keys Download Please Choose a Device type L Input Device Code Available Setup Codes 2 Select Your Device Type eere ee ee B Before downloading make sure you sat up sere Shoe ee aS Scents 2 i ActiveSync properly Click 2 hera to chack your setup by Hughes Network terns liite Recei 4 gi s Receivers Audio Recei iis If you do nct see your device that you have already set up on Nevo use this simple method to update your MyNevo account with vour current list of devices set up on Navo 1 Syne your handheld Make sure ActiveSync is setup correctly for Nevo Click here to check your setup 2 Go to your desktop and open your sync folder for Pocket P My Documents vhere Pocket PC is the name of your device 3 Goto the Nevo folder and double dick on the file Goto MyNevo and follow the onscrean instructions If yau wish to manually enter the device code in order to sce the advanced keys available for it Click on the link above to return to Step 1 fzr manual entry Copyright amp 2002 Universal Electronics ing Ail sight resemed Tes of Use U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 10 of 10
13. interact with the device 10 the device 10 is provided with software that implements a graphical user interface The graphical user interface software may also provide access to additional software such as a browser application that is used to display to the consumer items that may be received from an external computer Such a graphical user interface system is described in pending U S applications Ser Nos 60 264 767 60 334 774 and 60 344 020 all of which are incorpo rated herein by reference in their entirety To support the remote control functionality of the device 10 the server 11 includes programming that generally provides an accessible Web site through which the consumer may download upgrade data exchange information such as downloading viewer guides instruction manuals and uploading appliance ownership information etc Thus the Web site may also function to capture information regarding the configuration of the device 10 as well as information regarding the owner of the device 10 As will become apparent from the description that follows this information can be aggregated to generate demographic data such as by way of example percentage of people owning a particular make and model of an appliance in a geographic region percentage of people owning a particular make and model of an appliance in combination with an appliance of another particular make and model etc To this end as illustrated in FIG 2 the application
14. the user during a registration process with the Web site and cross referencing the first set of information to the second set of information to generate demographic data related to consumer appliance preferences 10 The method as recited as in claim 9 further compris ing capturing at the Web site a third set of information supplied by a user the third set of information being indicative of consumer upgrade preferences and generated as a result of a user requesting upgrade downloads from the Web site for use in connection with the remote control application and further cross referencing the third set of information to the first set of information or the second set of information to generate demographic data related to consumer appliance preferences 11 The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the first set of information comprises appliance setup codes entered for use in setting up the remote control application to command the operation of appliances 12 The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the second set of information comprises a user name and geographic location 13 A method for upgrading a remote control application resident on a device comprising storing in a markup language file a representation of information used to setup the remote control applica tion to communicate with an appliance storing information representative of a hardware platform for the device in the markup language file executing the markup lan
15. 1 76 6 476 825 Bl 11 2002 Croy et al 6 546 419 B1 4 2003 Humpleman et al 709 220 cited by examiner U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 1 of 10 US 7 093 003 B2 28 IR LED 22 L Batteries i 20 1 TE EB IR signals out j co Clock and Crystal timer logic Hard i i 18 Keys 24 i Memory i 5 System 30 9 3 16 Display And o i Touch Screen a i 25 Network i Communication 32 Circuitry 26 v 14 10 SERVER s CLIENT 11 15 FIGURE 1 U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 2 of 10 US 7 093 003 B2 User PDA Remote PC Host Client Web Server Database Sets up j 1 17 device s ine Updates local HTML l T i data file to reflect current 4 device configuration i Docks PDA i Synchronization process transfers HTML file from PDA to PC Logs onto Web site Verifies username and 4 password requires ier registration if new user Registration information Navigates to advanced keys idownload page Displays page including i 50 Easy setup suggestion Launches HIME the Browser loads and executes HTML file 4 HTML transfers current device configuration to server i Updates users configuration stores a i Statistical information i Server places cookie 4 1 on user s PC to save i Ae Server re displays i information locally advanced keys download page with updated device list
16. IGURE 4 U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 5 of 10 US 7 093 003 B2 Yeu are logged In as phayes P fog out NEVO aedes lsmj ero Davei i kelp pownload Center Merzage Boards Nevo comes pre programmed with hundreds of devices to select from for your home control needs Check here if you cannot find your device already loaded in Nevo When you find select and download the device s coda library you will hava access to all of the standard keys for the device j i gt gt Advanced Keys Download So you already have the standard keys for a particular device But you want to find extra functions for your device like perhaps picture in picture which isn t already in the standard set of keys Then check here for your device to see if there are extra Advanced Keys that you would like to add to Nevo Go to Advanced K vnl zx Download graphics to your Nevo to customize it the way you like Enter here rw special icons buttons and ather graphics i wnli EE FIGURE 5 Read this fintto see i your friendty Support team has alieady ansmetted yeur question Downioad the user manual in POF tomat You ll need Adobe A obal Reader to view this file 7j CHok to download the free Adobe Aciobat Reader fie Contact Tech Support Emait suppen myneve com e Messe Bars Shaca your Navo questions and experiences with other Nevo users U S Patent Aug 15 2006 Sheet 6 of 10 US 7 093 003 B2 Device Code Input fos
17. ation would likewise use the serial number to decrypt the data file Since in the illustrative embodiment the remote control application reads the serial number from internal memory which serial number is unalterable it may be ensured that the data file is only useful for the device for which it was intended The information uploaded to the server 11 may also be maintained within the database 17 for use in providing meaningful demographic data In some instances this uploaded information may be cross referenced with other information stored on the database 17 such as that gathered during the Web site registration process In this regard meaningful information is received at three points during the process described Referring once again to FIG 2 these occur at the time of initial registration 50 see also FIG 4 when execution of the HTML file see also FIGS 7 8 transfers the consumer s current equipment configuration to the Web server 51 and when the consumer selects 52 the additional key functions he wishes to download into his remote control application see also FIG 10 Not illustrated in detail but additionally available to the consumer in an exemplary embodiment is the ability to download an entire standard IR code set for a device as opposed to simply acquiring additional key functions for a device which already exists for example where a new device is released to the market after the consumer s acquisition of the remote con
18. better understanding ofthe invention reference may be had to a preferred embodiment shown in the following drawings in which FIG 1 illustrates a block diagram of a platform for a device having remote control functionality and an exem plary upgrade network FIG 2 illustrates exemplary steps for exchanging data with an upgrade server FIG 3 illustrates a screen shot of an exemplary home page FIG 4 illustrates a screen shot of an exemplary registra tion page FIG 5 illustrates a screen shot of an exemplary download access page FIG 6 illustrates a screen shot of a further exemplary download access page FIG 7 illustrates a screen shot of an exemplary HTML file having consumer platform software and appliance infor mation FIG 8 illustrates a screen shot of an exemplary greetings page generated using the HTML file of FIG 7 FIG 9 illustrates a screen shot of yet another exemplary download access page and FIG 10 illustrates a screen shot of still another exemplary download access page DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements there is illustrated in FIG 1 a device 10 having remote control functionality As will be described in greater hereinafter the device 10 is adapted to communicate with a server 11 via a network 13 to receive upgrade data and or to exchange information with the server 11 Generally the server 11 has an associated database 17 in
19. demographic data 12 18 The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising requiring a user to register with the remote server before allowing access to the downloadable data storing at the remote server information provided as part of registration using the registration information in combination with the information uploaded from the remote control application to generate the demographic data 19 The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the device is a PDA 20 The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the device is a Web tablet
20. e et al 5 251 324 A 10 1993 McMullan Jr 5 410 326 A 4 1995 Goldstein 5 481 256 A 1 1996 Darbee et al 5 614 906 A 3 1997 Hayes et al 5 710 605 A 1 1998 Nelson Continued FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS EP 1198069 A1 4 2002 Continued OTHER PUBLICATIONS Sine of the Times www newyork unna org unna applications ShowMate2 readme txt Read Me file for ShowMate 2 for Newton 2 x 1997 Continued Primary Examiner Marc D Thompson 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Gary R Jarosik 57 ABSTRACT A system and method for upgrading remote control appli cation resident on a device To this end a markup language file is created The markup language file has a representation of information used to setup the remote control application to communicate with an appliance The markup language file may be executed on the device or an intermediate client with which the device is synchronized to upload the rep resentation of the information to a remote server At the remote server the uploaded information is used to automati cally display user selectable downloadable data files rel evant to the control of the appliance Downloaded data files which may include command codes and or graphical user interface elements may be used within the device to upgrade the ability of the remote control application to communicate with the appliance The information uploaded to the server may also be used to generate demographic data regarding consum
21. er preferences 20 Claims 10 Drawing Sheets User PDA Remote PCHostCllent Web Server Database US 7 093 003 B2 Page 2 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 6 577 350 Bl 6 2003 Proehl et al 6 784 805 B1 8 2004 Harris et al 5 872 562 A 2 1999 McConnell et al 6 804 357 B1 10 2004 Ikonen et al 5 959 751 A 9 1999 Darbee et al 2001 0033243 Al 10 2001 Harris et al 5 988 078 A 11 1999 Levine 2001 0033244 Al 10 2001 Harris et al 6 014 092 A 1 2000 Darbee et al 2002 0008789 A1 1 2002 Harris et al 6 020 881 A 2 2000 Naughton et al 2002 0056084 Al 5 2002 Harris et al 6 052 750 A 4 2000 Lea 2003 0011640 A1 1 2003 Green et al 345 810 6 097 441 A 8 2000 Allport 6 104 334 A 8 2000 Allport 341 175 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 6 127 941 A 10 2000 Van Ryzin 6 130 726 A 10 2000 Darbee et al EP 1204275 A2 5 2002 6 175 860 Bl 1 2001 Gaucher wo WO 00 17738 3 2000 6 182 094 B1 1 2001 Humpleman et al 709 218 WO WO 00 17789 3 2000 6 195 589 BL 2 2001 Ketcham wo WO 00 21286 4 2000 6 211 870 Bl 4 2001 Foster wo WO 01 20572 A1 3 2001 6 225 938 Bl 5 2001 Hayes et al wo WO 01 39150 A2 5 2001 6 255 961 BL 7 2001 Van Ryzin et al wo WO 01 69567 A2 9 2001 6 278 499 Bl 8 2001 Darbee et al 6 401 059 B1 6 2002 Shen et al OTHER EUBLICALIONS 6 408 435 B1 6 2002 Sato Harmony Remote Overview 4 pgs www harmonyremote com 6 437 836 Bl 8 2002 Huang et al Philips ProntoProEdit 3 0 User Manual pp
22. ext entry box pull down menu or the like a known setup code for an appliance an appliance make and model number or any other suitable information that functions as an appliance identifier To automatically provide home appliance identity information to the Web site as yet another means to access downloadable data or information of interest the application that provides the remote control functionality on the device 10 may store appliance and other information in the markup language file which information is ultimately uploadable to the Web site server 11 By way of example as illustrated by the easy setup instructions set forth in the download access page shown in FIG 6 the consumer need only execute the markup language file to upload the device 10 gathered information to the Web site server 11 As noted but not required it is assumed in the discussion that follows that the markup language file is resident on the client 15 where the file was transferred to the client 15 during a conventional synchronization process performed with the device 10 Turning to FIG 7 an exemplary markup language e g HTML file containing the device 10 gathered information is illustrated The markup language file may be created by the remote control application when the remote control appli cation is first invoked on the device 10 Generally the markup language file includes instructions that when the file is executed causes a greetings page to be di
23. ey matrix 18 with the touch screen display 30 or a signal from an external source such as a remote computer More spe cifically in response to an event appropriate instructions within the memory system 16 are executed For example when a hard or soft command key is activated on the device 10 the device 10 may read the command code correspond ing to the activated command key from the memory system 16 and transmit the command code to an appliance in a format recognizable by the appliance It will be appreciated that the instructions within the memory system 16 can be used not only to cause the transmission of command codes to appliances but also to perform local operations While not limiting local operations that may be performed by the device 10 include favorite channel setup macro button 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 setup command function key relocation etc Examples of local operations can be found in U S Pat Nos 5 481 256 5 959 751 6 014 092 which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety As discussed the platform illustrated in the block diagram of FIG 1 comprises a general purpose processor system which is controllable by software The software may include routines programs objects components and or data struc tures that perform particular tasks that can be viewed as an operating system together with one or more applications The operating system such as the Window
24. guage file to upload the repre sentation of the information and the information rep resentative of the hardware platform for the device to a remote server and using the uploaded representation of the information and the information representative of the hardware platform for the device to automatically display user selectable downloadable data files relevant to the appliance and compatible with the hardware platform for the device which data files may be used to upgrade the remote control application resident on the device 14 The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising storing the markup language file in memory on the device synchronizing the markup language file with a personal computer and executing the markup language file on the personal computer US 7 093 003 B2 11 15 The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the downloadable data files contain command codes for use in transmitting control commands from the device to the appli ance 16 The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the downloadable data files contain graphical user interface elements for use in displaying command keys on the device the command keys being activatable to cause the transmis sion of control commands to the appliance 17 The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising storing at the remote server the representation of the infor mation used to setup the remote control application and using the stored information to generate
25. he option to obtain the feature SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The subject invention is directed to an improved system and method for upgrading the remote control functionality of a device Generally a markup language file is created including a representation of information used to setup the remote control application to communicate with an appli ance The markup language file may be executed on the device or an intermediate client with which the device is synchronized to upload the representation of the informa tion to a remote server At the remote server the uploaded information is used to automatically display user selectable downloadable data files relevant to the identified appliance Downloaded data files which may include command codes and or graphical user interface elements may be used within the device to upgrade the ability of the remote control application to communicate with the appliance The infor mation uploaded to the server may also be used to generate demographic data regarding consumer preferences A better understanding of the objects advantages fea tures properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accom 25 30 35 40 45 55 60 2 panying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment that is indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a
26. is illustrated in FIG 3 From this home page the consumer may navigate to a download access page e g by clicking on the Personalize My link that provides access to data that may be used to upgrade or customize the remote control functionality on the device 10 If the customer is a first time visitor to the download access page the consumer may be requested to register with the Web site at this time An exemplary registration page is illustrated in FIG 4 As can be seen information captured during the registration process may include information such as consumer name address sex age marital status viewing habits etc This registration information may be maintained in the database 17 associated with the server 11 As will be understood from the descrip tion that follows the information gathered during the Web site registration process may also be used in connection with information gathered by the device 10 and uploaded to the server 11 to provide meaningful demographic data Once the consumer has successfully registered with the Web site if required the consumer can access page s that provides access to the downloadable upgrade and or cus tomization data An exemplary download page is illustrated in FIG 5 Generally the download page s provide access to data that can be downloaded to the device 10 to provide for use in connection with the remote control application a collection of command codes for generally contro
27. lity could itself request that the consumer provide this information This customer spe cific information is particularly useful as a cross reference to information obtained during the Web registration process as is the device serial number as described in more detail later Further included in the markup language file is informa tion that identifies the remote control application and the hardware platform including versioning This information can be used by the Web site to ensure that compatible data is supplied back to the device 10 As will be understood by those of skill in the art this information can be obtained by reading a registry file by being set as a default value in the markup language file template or the like In cases where a unique serial number is assigned to the device 10 at time of US 7 093 003 B2 7 manufacture stored in a non alterable fixed form and made accessible to application programs this is the most conve nient and preferred cross reference value to the information provided by the Web registration process see line 10 of FIG 7 Where such embedded serial numbers are not available a serial number associated with the remote control application software itself one assigned to the user at Web site registration time etc may be used as a substitute Still further the markup language file includes data that functions to identify the one or more appliances the device 10 has been setup to control This i
28. lling a home appliance e g device control downloads com mand codes and possibly GUI elements for controlling a specific operation of a home appliance e g advanced key downloads and or GUI elements alone e g graphics downloads By way of further example activating the link associated with the advanced key download results in the display of the advanced key download page illustrated in FIG 6 by which the consumer can access downloadable data for specific home appliances owned by the consumer An advanced key in this context means a command which is available on the original device s OEM remote control but which is not included in the standard set of command functions included in the library that ships with the universal remote control application This may occur due to data storage limitations within the universal remote control new functions or features being added by an OEM in the middle of a product life cycle presence of little used features which are important to only a very small subset of users etc To allow the consumer to configure update the device 10 using the Web site the consumer may be asked to manually 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 identify the appliance for which configure update data is to be downloaded For example as illustrated in FIG 6 the consumer can manually identify the home appliance to the Web site by supplying to the Web site via a t
29. lt B gt lt FONT gt lt p gt lt p align center gt lt b gt lt font face Verdana Arial Helvetica sans serif size 2 gt The Download Center will help registered members keep Nevo amp i 1 53 updated with the latest enhancements including font b p lt blockquote gt lt p align center gt lt font face Verdana Arial Helvetica sans serif sizes 2 gt lt b gt New Devices lt br gt Advanced Key Functions lt br gt Network Logos lt br gt Custom Graphics lt b gt lt font gt lt blockquote gt lt p align center gt lt b gt lt font face Verdana Arial Helvetica sans serif size 2 gt MyNevo com requires current configuration information from registered members in order to download enhanced features such as advanced key functions for current devices This information is uploaded when you click the amp quot OK amp quot button below font b p lt p alignz center b font face Verdana Arial Helvetica sans serif size 2 gt Before continuing please read the Terms and Conditions of use If you agree with the Terms and conditions click the amp quot OK amp quot button to upload your configuration information and go to the MyNevo com Download Center font b lt p align center gt lt b gt lt font face Verdana Arial Helvetica sans serif size 2 gt lt a href http www mynevo com terms_frames htm target _blank gt Terms and Conditions lt a gt lt font gt lt b
30. nformation is particularly found in line 13 of the exemplary markup language file illustrated in FIG 7 and is dynamically maintained as part of the remote control application setup process i e every time the remote control setup process is used to add or delete a device this file entry may be updated to reflect the new values In those devices implemented using a Windows CE brand operating system or the like which support automatic synchronization simply making a change to the file in this manner is sufficient to cause an automatic update or synchronization of the PC side copy of this file the next time the device is docked or otherwise communicates with it s host To effectively identify the appliance to the server 11 the appliance information preferably includes both a device type and number field shown as four hexidecimal numbers where the first number is indicative of the appliance type e g TV VCR etc and the last three numbers are indica tive of the specific library of command codes to which the appliance responds e g corresponding to three digit setup code used during the remote control setup process In the case where the particular brand name of the appliance is specified to the device 10 during the remote control setup process e g when a setup by brand method is utilized the brand name is also included in the information Otherwise the brand name may be set to a null value i e indicated by the entry
31. ore particularly relates to a system and method for upgrading the remote control func tionality of a device Devices having functionality for remotely controlling the operation of multiple diverse appliances are well known To allow such a device to be used to remotely control appli ances that were not considered during the time the device was manufactured it is also known to make the device upgradeable For example as described in U S Pat No 4 959 810 command codes for use in controlling the opera tion of controllable appliances can be downloaded into the memory of a device having remote control functionality As described in U S Pat No 6 104 334 and PCT published application WO 00 17738 the graphical consumer interface GUI of the device can additionally be upgraded to provided a means by which downloaded command codes can be transmitted to the remotely controllable appliances It is also known to provide customized upgrading of Internet enabled devices based on a consumer profile For example PCT published application WO 00 17789 describes a server system that maintains a profile of a particular end consumer of network enabled equipment and a database of new technical features for this equipment In the case where there is a match between the consumer profile and a new technical feature and the consumer indicates a desire to receive notification regarding updates or sales offers the consumer is notified via the network of t
32. ory system 16 may include a command code library The command code library is comprised of a plurality of command codes that may be transmitted from the device 10 for the purpose of controlling the operation of an appliance The memory system 16 may also includes instructions which the processor 14 uses in connection with the transmission circuit 22 to cause the command codes to be transmitted in a format recognized by an identified appliance While the transmission circuit 22 preferably utilizes infrared transmissions it will be appre ciated that other forms of wired or wireless transmissions such as radio frequency may also be used To identify appliances by type and make and sometimes model such that the device 10 is adapted to transmit recognizable command codes in the format appropriate for such identified appliances information may be entered into the device 10 Since methods for setting up a remote control to control the operation of specific appliances are well known they will not be described in greater detail herein Nevertheless for additional details pertaining to remote control setup the reader may turn to U S Pat Nos 6 225 938 4 623 887 5 872 562 5 614 906 4 959 810 4 774 511 and 4 703 359 which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety To cause the device 10 to perform an action the device 10 is adapted to be responsive to events such as a sensed consumer interaction with one or more keys on the k
33. providing the remote control functionality on the device 10 generates and updates a markup language file in which information utilized by the server 11 is contained This markup language file may then be transferred from the US 7 093 003 B2 5 device 10 to the client 15 as part of a normal synchronization process such as when a PDA is docked with a PC The markup language file can then be executed on the PC to exchange the information with the server 11 While the description that follows will assume that the communication with the server 11 is being initiated through the client 15 it is to be understood that the exchange of information described hereinafter may also be performed using direct communications between the device 10 and the server 11 such as when the remote control application is hosted on a Web tablet Internet appliance or the like having integrated Internet and browsing features In this latter case it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the functions shown in the second and third columns in FIG 2 PDA and PC will take place within a single device the distinction between these tasks in this configuration becom ing logical rather than physical To access downloadable data information maintained by the server 11 the consumer accesses a Web site for example using a conventional browser on the client 15 whereupon the consumer may be presented with a home page an example of which
34. s CE brand operating system or the like provides an underlying set of management and control functions which are utilized by applications to offer consumer functions such as calendar address book spreadsheet notepad etc as well as control of appliances Additional applications can be provided for use in accessing Internet data displaying TV guide infor mation and the like Thus it should be understood that in terms of the internal software architecture the remote control application may be but one of several possible applications which may co exist within the device 10 It should also be understood that in terms of providing oper ating system functionality the demarcation between por table device and host PC may vary considerably from product to product at one extreme the portable unit may be nothing more than a slave display and input device in wireless communication with a fixed personal computer which performs all computational functions at the other extreme the portable unit may be a fully functional PC system in it s own right complete with local mass storage It will also be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment a similar hardware platform to that described above may be used in conjunction with a scaled down operating system to provide remote control functionality only as a standalone application In all cases however the principles expressed herein remain the same To provide a means by which a consumer can
35. splayed in a Web browser application By way of example the greetings page illustrated in FIG 8 may display to the consumer further directions and or information for uploading information to the Web site If the consumer is comfortable with the upload procedure clicking on an OK button can result in the uploading of the device 10 gathered information to the Web site In this regard the uploading of the information can be accomplished using an HTTP post to a Web address that is specified in the markup language file see line 8 of FIG 7 The information uploaded to the Web site may be main tained in fields within the markup language file that are hidden i e not displayed as part of the greetings page see lines 9 17 of FIG 7 This information may include infor mation regarding the consumer for example the first and last name of the consumer As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art the consumer information would typically be provided as part of an initialization or registration process when the device 10 is first activated especially when the device 10 is a PDA or the like hosting a Windows brand operating system The consumer information entered as part of the operating system initialization process would be stored in a file that is readable by applications running on the device 10 including the one which provides the remote control functionality Alternatively the application provid ing the remote control functiona
36. terface elements for use in displaying command keys on the device the command keys being activatable to cause the transmission of control commands to the appliance 5 The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising storing at the remote server the representation of the infor mation used to setup the remote control application and using the stored information to generate demographic data 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 6 The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising requiring a user to register with the remote server before allowing access to the downloadable data storing at the remote server information provided as part of registration using the registration information in combination with the information uploaded from the remote control application to generate the demographic data 7 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the device is a PDA 8 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the device is a Web tablet 9 A method of generating data pertaining to consumer appliance preferences comprising receiving at a Web site a first set of information captured by a remote control application the first set of infor mation being indicative of appliances the remote con trol application is setup to command the operation of capturing at the Web site a second set of information supplied by a user the second set of information being indicative of characteristics of the user and supplied by
37. to a further download page specific to that appliance For example if the consumer clicked on the link corresponding to the Hughes brand satellite receiver as illustrated in FIG 9 downloads for the Hughes satellite receiver such as advanced key features available can be 0 a 5 40 45 55 60 65 8 automatically presented to the consumer as illustrated in FIG 10 The consumer may then choose the downloads of interest e g by clicking on a corresponding check box and request the initiation of the download process e g by clicking on the Submit button In response a data file containing the selected data 1 e command code data and or GUI elements is automatically downloaded to the client 15 or device 10 as appropriate In the case where the data is downloaded to the client 15 the downloaded data may be transferred to the device 10 the next time the device 10 is synchronized with the client 15 The new data would then be available to the consumer to setup the remote control application to use the downloaded command code s and or GUI element s when the remote control application is set in a mode to control the appliance for which the data was downloaded To provide a measure of security it is contemplated that the downloaded data can be encrypted For example the data file can be encrypted using the serial number provided during the Web site registration process The remote control applic
38. trol application This is the first choice listed in the display shown in FIG 5 By way of example the information collected at step 51 when combined with the registration information 50 can be used to generate demographic data such as appliance own ership by brand by geographical region by gender by age by marital status by viewing habits by remote control device brand or model deduced from version and serial number etc or any combination of the above param eters for example What percentage of upgradeable remote control users living within zip codes 90000 to 99999 who own a Sony branded satellite receiver are single males under the age of 25 This information can also be used to cross reference ownership of different equipment types since the consumer s entire configuration is captured when ever he logs on By way of further example questions such as How many satellite subscribers also own a PVR or What percentage of brand x televisions also own brand x VCRs or What proportion of setup code 0033 televisions are branded Panasonic and what proportion are branded Quasar may be easily answered with or without further US 7 093 003 B2 9 sub categorization as described above In this regard it will be appreciated that since this information is captured live and is representative of each consumer s current equipment configuration such reports will reflect installed base
39. us electronic components within the device 10 e g to monitor power to cause the transmission of signals etc Within the memory system 16 the ROM portion of memory 25 is used to store fixed programming and data that remains unchanged for the life of the product The non volatile read write memory 24 which may be FLASH EEPROM battery backed up RAM Smart Card memory stick or the like is provided to store consumer entered setup data and parameters downloaded data etc as necessary RAM memory is used by the processor for working storage as well as to hold data items which by virtue of being backed up or duplicated on an external computer for example the client device 15 are not required to survive loss of battery power While the memory system16 as illustrated comprises all three classes of memory it will be appreciated that in general such a memory system need not necessarily support all three and can be comprised of any type of computer readable media such as ROM RAM SRAM FLASH EEPROM or the like in combination Preferably however at least part of the memory system 16 should be non volatile or battery backed such that basic setup parameters and operating features will survive loss of battery power In addition such memories may take the form of a chip a hard disk a magnetic disk and or an optical disk without limi tation For commanding the operation of appliances of different makes models and types the mem
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