Abstract:
A system and method for setting up a control device to command the operations of an appliance. The system includes a power monitor that is associated with the appliance that includes circuitry for determining a current power state of the appliance. The control device has a library of command code sets and includes programming for transmitting to the appliance a command code from one of the command code sets and for receiving from the power monitor a signal which indicates that the transmitted command code caused a change in the current power state of the appliance. If such a signal is received, the programming functions to select the command code set which includes the command code to which the appliance responded by changing power states as the command code set for use in commanding the operations of the appliance.
Abstract:
A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user. Appropriate set up data, generally in the form of command library codes, is displayed to the user by the interactive instruction set and associated programming for entry and trial by the user in set up of the desired appliance(s).
Abstract:
A user provides to an image recognition system an image that is intended to be used to identify one or more appliances that are to be controlled by a universal controlling device. The image recognition system has access to a database of images that have been cross-referenced to appliances and configuration information for those appliances. The image recognition system uses the provided image to identify one or more appliances to be controlled and, accordingly, the configuration information for those one or more appliances so identified. The configuration information may then be provided to a user for manual provision to the universal controlling device or be provided in a form for downloading into the universal controlling device. The configuration information may also be provided to an intermediate device which has programming for use in connection with a process of configuring the universal controlling device.
Abstract:
A user provides to an image recognition system an image that is intended to be used to identify one or more appliances that are to be controlled by a universal controlling device. The image recognition system has access to a database of images that have been cross-referenced to appliances and configuration information for those appliances. The image recognition system uses the provided image to identify one or more appliances to be controlled and, accordingly, the configuration information for those one or more appliances so identified. The configuration information may then be provided to a user for manual provision to the universal controlling device or be provided in a form for downloading into the universal controlling device. The configuration information may also be provided to an intermediate device which has programming for use in connection with a process of configuring the universal controlling device.
Abstract:
A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances provides an interactive instruction set and associated programming which is downloadable to a controllable appliance having an associated display, such as an Internet enabled television. The programming is accessible by the controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions from the interactive instruction set to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for setting up the controlling device to communicate commands to another controllable device (e.g., a DVD, VCR, DVR, etc).
Abstract:
A remote control transmission monitoring system. The system monitors remote control transmissions for the purpose of updating state tables for one or more remotely controllable appliances. The state tables may then be queried for the purpose of determining the present state of an appliance whereby the transmission of a command that would place an appliance in an unintended state may be avoided.
Abstract:
A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user. Appropriate set up data, generally in the form of command library codes, is displayed to the user by the interactive instruction set and associated programming for entry and trial by the user in set up of the desired appliance(s).
Abstract:
A system and method for setting up a control device to command the operations of an appliance. The system includes a power monitor that is associated with the appliance that includes circuitry for determining a current power state of the appliance. The control device has a library of command code sets and includes programming for transmitting to the appliance a command code from one of the command code sets and for receiving from the power monitor a signal which indicates that the transmitted command code caused a change in the current power state of the appliance. If such a signal is received, the programming functions to select the command code set which includes the command code to which the appliance responded by changing power states as the command code set for use in commanding the operations of the appliance.
Abstract:
A remote control transmission monitoring system. The system monitors remote control transmissions for the purpose of updating state tables for one or more remotely controllable appliances (12). The state tables may then be queried for the purpose of determining the present state of an appliance (12) whereby the transmission of a command that would place an appliance (12) in an unintended state may be avoided.