WO2007024271A1 - Mobile communication terminal with virtual remote control - Google Patents
Mobile communication terminal with virtual remote control Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2007024271A1 WO2007024271A1 PCT/US2006/009486 US2006009486W WO2007024271A1 WO 2007024271 A1 WO2007024271 A1 WO 2007024271A1 US 2006009486 W US2006009486 W US 2006009486W WO 2007024271 A1 WO2007024271 A1 WO 2007024271A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- remote control
- mobile terminal
- virtual remote
- virtual
- communication interface
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
- H04M1/72—Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection
- H04M1/724—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
- H04M1/72403—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
- H04M1/72409—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality by interfacing with external accessories
- H04M1/72415—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality by interfacing with external accessories for remote control of appliances
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
- G08C19/00—Electric signal transmission systems
- G08C19/16—Electric signal transmission systems in which transmission is by pulses
- G08C19/28—Electric signal transmission systems in which transmission is by pulses using pulse code
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
- H04M1/72—Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection
- H04M1/724—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
- H04M1/72403—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
- H04M1/72409—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality by interfacing with external accessories
- H04M1/72412—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality by interfacing with external accessories using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
- G08C2201/00—Transmission systems of control signals via wireless link
- G08C2201/20—Binding and programming of remote control devices
- G08C2201/21—Programming remote control devices via third means
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
- G08C2201/00—Transmission systems of control signals via wireless link
- G08C2201/30—User interface
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
- G08C2201/00—Transmission systems of control signals via wireless link
- G08C2201/90—Additional features
- G08C2201/92—Universal remote control
Definitions
- the present invention relates to mobile terminals, such as cellular radiotelephones and the like, and particularly relates to incorporating intuitive remote control functionality into such terminals.
- a typical home theater system commonly includes at least a television, a stereo, a DVD player, and some type of set-top box.
- Universal remote controls attempt to integrate remote control functions from a variety of device types or classes of devices, so that the consumer needs only one remote control to control all of his or her audio/video (A/V) equipment. While the consolidation of multiple remote controls into one universal remote control is good in theory, and does offer certain practical advantages, it is not without its detractions.
- buttons For example, one approach to providing increased functionality takes the straightforward, if inelegant, approach of simply adding as many buttons as there are different functions to support. Many people are familiar with this class of universal remote control, festooned with its many small, and sometimes indecipherable, buttons. More sophisticated universal remote controls provide multifunction buttons that take on different control tasks depending on the mode or setting of the universal remote control. While the reuse of buttons for multiple functions does reduce the overall button count, it sometimes forces a compromise in terms of the intuitiveness of the layout, and the sheer range of devices intended to be controlled by most universal remote controls still requires a significant number of buttons in the control layout.
- a method of supporting remote control of other devices by a mobile terminal comprises downloading a virtual remote control to the mobile terminal for a device to be controlled by the mobile terminal, displaying the virtual remote control on a display screen of the mobile terminal, and transmitting commands to the device responsive to receiving user inputs directed to the virtual remote control.
- the virtual remote control includes a graphical interface corresponding to the device to be controlled, such that a user of the mobile terminal is presented with a graphic representing at least a portion of a control layout of a dedicated remote control associated with the device to be controlled.
- the graphic comprising the virtual remote control is a graphical "skin" representing all or part of the dedicated remote control.
- the user of the mobile terminal is presented with a facsimile of the remote control associated with the device, and a number of different skins may be downloaded and stored in the mobile terminal, for a variety of devices, such as for multiple pieces of A/V equipment in a home theater system.
- downloading the virtual remote control may comprise receiving the virtual remote control from the device to be controlled, through a local communication link between the mobile terminal and the device. That link may be infrared, or may be another type of short-range interface, including Bluetooth, WiFi, or the like.
- the mobile terminal may download the virtual remote control from a wireless communication network that stores, or otherwise has access to, virtual remote control information.
- the mobile terminal uses its cellular communication interface to obtain virtual remote controls from a database or server accessible through the cellular network.
- the mobile terminal provides a local communication interface that is configured to communicate with a computer, and receives the virtual remote control through a computer based downloading process. This approach allows the user to access a web page or the like from which virtual remote controls may be downloaded and transferred to the mobile terminal.
- a mobile terminal displays a virtual remote control as a graphic representing the control layout of at least a portion of a remote control intended for a particular device to be controlled, or classes of devices to be controlled, using the mobile terminal's display screen.
- the user thus is presented with a facsimile of the device's control layout, thereby providing the user with a familiar set of controls for the device.
- the mobile terminal's display screen is configured as a touch screen display, such that the user simply presses locations on the touch screen corresponding to the various displayed controls.
- the present invention is not limited to the aoove Teatures ana advantages. Indeed, those skilled in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed discussion, and upon viewing the accompanying drawings.
- Fig. 1 is an illustration of a mobile terminal configured to display a virtual remote control on an included display screen.
- Fig. 2 is a diagram of a conventional dedicated remote control, such as might commonly be associated with A/V equipment.
- Fig. 3 is an illustration of the mobile terminal shown in Fig. 1 , but with an alternative virtual remote control embodiment depicted.
- Fig. 4 is an illustration of a mobile terminal display screen, displaying a menu of selectable virtual remote controls, corresponding to different pieces of A/V equipment to be controlled.
- Fig. 5 is a block diagram of mobile terminal details.
- Fig. 6 is a block diagram of additional mobile terminal details.
- Fig. 7 is a logic flow diagram, illustrating processing logic associated with downloading a virtual remote control to a mobile terminal.
- Fig. 8 is a logic flow diagram, illustrating processing logic supporting the downloading of a virtual remote control according to another embodiment.
- Fig. 9 is a logic flow diagram, illustrating processing logic associated with downloading a virtual remote control according to another embodiment.
- DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a mobile terminal 10, whose enclosure 12 includes control inputs 14, and a display screen 16.
- the mobile terminal 10, which may comprise a cellular radiotelephone or the like, is configured to display a virtual remote control 18 on the display screen 16, and is configured to transmit remote control commands to a device — e.g., stereo, TV, etc. — to be controlled responsive to receiving user inputs directed to the virtual remote control 18.
- a device e.g., stereo, TV, etc.
- the virtual remote control 18 includes a graphical interface corresponding to the device to be controlled by the mobile terminal 10. More particularly, the mobile terminal 10 displays the virtual remote control 18 on the display screen 16 as a graphic representing at least a portion of the control layout of a dedicated remote control associated with the device to be controlled.
- the term "dedicated" remote control generally connotes the remote control from the device's manufacturer, or otherwise connotes a remote control intended to control a given type of device.
- the graphic may be a graphical "skin" representing all or part of the dedicated remote control.
- the display screen 16 may comprise a graphical color display, allowing a realistic depiction of all or part of the dedicated remote control.
- the mobile terminal 10 presents its user with a virtual remote control 18 offering a control layout that presumably is already familiar to the user.
- Fig. 2 illustrates a conventional remote control 20 commonly associated with satellite or cable set-top boxes.
- the mobile terminal 10 may display the virtual remote control 18 as a graphical facsimile of the dedicated remote control 20.
- the display screen 16 is capable of displaying the virtual remote control 18 as a representation of the entire remote control 20, it still may be advantageous to display only a selected portion, or selected portions, of the remote control 20.
- Fig. 3 illustrates such an approach, wherein the virtual remote control 18 comprises a subset of the "buttons" included in the overall control layout of the remote control 20.
- the virtual remote control 18 may comprise an enlarged or more detailed representation of selected control elements corresponding to particular functions of the remote control 20.
- Fig. 4 illustrates that the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to use the display screen 16 for displaying a graphical menu of devices to be controlled.
- the mobile terminal 10 may display a collection of device buttons 22 such that the mobile terminal 10 displays a virtual remote control 18 for a particular device in response to the user selecting one of the device menu buttons 22.
- the mobile terminal 10 may store a plurality of virtual remote controls 18, and may provide on-screen menus, e.g., hierarchical device/function selections, on the display screen 16 to allow users to move between virtual remote controls 18, and to select a particular virtual remote control 18 for a particular device to be controlled.
- the display screen 16 may be implemented as a touch screen display.
- a user of the mobile terminal 10 "operates" a displayed virtual remote control 18 simply by directing touch inputs to screen locations corresponding to control elements (e.g., "buttons") of the virtual remote control 18.
- control elements e.g., "buttons”
- at least some of the virtual remote control's functions can be mapped to controls 14 of the mobile terminal 10.
- a readily accessible control input of the mobile terminal 10 may be mapped to a master volume or muting function.
- Fig. 5 illustrates one embodiment of the mobile terminal 10, comprising one or more processing circuits 30, a communication interface 32, a user interface 36, which generally includes the display screen 16, and a remote control interface 38.
- the remote control interface 38 may comprise an infrared emitter (and detector, if configured as a bi-directional control interface). Alternatively, or additionally, the remote control interface 38 may comprise a radiofrequency control interface. In either case, the remote control interface 38 should be configured for broad compatibility.
- the one or more processing circuits 30 are configured to download a virtual remote control 18 via the communication interface 32, display the virtual remote control 18 on the display screen 16, and transmit remote control commands to a device 40 via the remote control interface 38, responsive to user inputs directed to the virtual remote control 18 displayed on the display screen 16.
- the device to be controlled 40 represents any one of a number of devices, and typically represents a selected piece of A/V equipment.
- the mobile terminal 10 may store and selectively display a number of virtual remote controls 18, corresponding to different pieces of A/V equipment, and may include a menu system allowing the user to move between and select particular virtual remote controls 18.
- Fig. 6 represents a more detailed illustration of the mobile terminal 10 according to one embodiment. Additional details illustrated include baseband/system control circuits 42, a keypad 44, a cellular communication interface 46, and a local communication interface 48.
- the baseband/system control circuits 42 which may comprise one or more microprocessors or digital signal processors, may include the one or more processing circuits 30 illustrated in Fig. 5.
- the keypad 44 may be included in, or associated with, the user interface 36.
- the local communication interface 48 may comprise a Bluetooth interface, or other short-range wireless interface, such as WiFi or infrared (e.g., iRDA), or may comprise a computer data interface, such as USB or IEEE 1394 (Firewire). In all such cases, the local communication interface 48 may be configured to communicate with the device 40 and/or to communicate with a computer (PC).
- a Bluetooth interface or other short-range wireless interface, such as WiFi or infrared (e.g., iRDA)
- a computer data interface such as USB or IEEE 1394 (Firewire).
- PC computer
- the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to download the virtual remote control 18 directly from the device 40, through the local communication interface 48, assuming that the device 40 includes a compatible communication interface and stores the necessary information.
- the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to download the virtual remote control 18 from a supporting wireless communication network 50, which includes or is associated with a server/database 52 that includes virtual remote control information.
- the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to download the virtual remote control 18 from a computer (PC) through the local communication interface 48.
- PC computer
- Fig. 7 illustrates one embodiment of virtual remote control downloading, wherein it is assumed that the device 40 includes a communication interface that is compatible with the mobile terminal 10.
- the downloading operation begins with the mobile terminal 10 detecting the device's presence (Step 100).
- Such detection may occur automatically, such as where the local communication interface 48 of the mobile terminal 10 is a Bluetooth interface that can automatically detect and establish a communication link with a compatible Bluetooth interface of the device 40. Downloading operations continue with establishment of a local communication link between the mobile terminal 10 and the device 40 (Step 102).
- the mobile terminal 10 can acquire virtual remote controls 18, as needed, as the mobile terminal's user moves into proximity with one or more devices to be controlled — e.g., as the user walks into a home theater or entertainment room.
- the process of obtaining needed virtual remote controls 18 can be essentially transparent to the user of the mobile terminal 10, and can be particular convenient for setting up and integrating new devices 40 into the user's entertainment system.
- the mobile terminal 10 could retain identifiers for equipment for which it already has virtual remote controls 18 stored, automatically detect the presence of a new device 40, and acquire the virtual remote control 18 for that new device 40, without requiring any specific user intervention.
- the mobile terminal 10 could be configured to prompt the user, or to otherwise request permission to carry out the process.
- the mobile terminal 10 may download the virtual remote control directly from the device 40 (Step 104).
- the device 40 simply may provide the mobile terminal 10 with manufacturer's information, such as model identification numbers (Step 106).
- the mobile terminal 10 may use the information received from the device 40 to download the virtual remote control 18 through its cellular communication interface (Step 108).
- the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to transmit model information to a certain database 52 accessible through the supporting wireless communication network 50. The database 52 then returns the corresponding virtual remote control 18 to the mobile terminal 10.
- Fig. 8 illustrates a similar embodiment, but where communication with the device 40 is not required.
- the mobile terminal 10 receives information from its user regarding model identification (Step 110). The mobile terminal 10 then uses this user- received information to obtain the corresponding virtual remote control 18 through the supporting cellular network (Step 112). In one embodiment, the user may manually enter model information.
- the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to display a pick list of manufacturer and model information, to facilitate the user identifying a particular device 40 for which a virtual remote control 18 is desired.
- the mobile terminal 10 may locally store pick list information, or may access a server through the wireless communication network, and download pick list information from that server.
- Fig. 9 illustrates an embodiment of such processing, wherein the mobile terminal 10 displays device pick lists, which may comprise an organized list of manufacturers and models (Step 114).
- the mobile terminal 10 receives user input identifying a selected device (Step 116).
- the user input may comprise inputs obtained via the controls 14, or may comprise touch screen inputs, assuming that the display screen 16 comprises a touch screen display.
- the mobile terminal 10 receives user input identifying the selected device, transmits that information to the appropriate server 52 through the supporting wireless communication network 50, and downloads the corresponding virtual remote control 18 (Step 118).
- the above-described downloading process also may be carried out on a PC or other Internet-enabled device, and the virtual remote control 18 then can be transferred from the PC to the mobile terminal 10, such as through the local communication interface 48.
- the local communication interface 48 may include a data interface supporting PC connection (e.g., USB, iRDA, etc.).
- the operator of the wireless communication network 50 may control the database 52 of virtual remote controls, or it may be controlled by a third party. In either case, users may be charged flat or per-transaction rates for accessing the database and downloading virtual remote controls, and manufacturers might advertise the availability of virtual remote controls 18 for their devices as an additional selling feature. Indeed, the device manufacturers may develop sophisticated virtual remote controls 18 that provide more or improved functionality, as compared to the dedicated (physical) remote controls associated with their devices.
- the present invention is not limited to the features and advantages detailed in the foregoing description, nor is it limited by the accompanying drawings. Indeed, the present invention is limited only by the following claims, and their legal equivalents.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Telephone Function (AREA)
- Selective Calling Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
A mobile terminal (10) is configured to download a virtual remote control (18) for a device (40) to be controlled, wherein the virtual remote control (18) includes a graphical interface corresponding to that device (40). The terminal (10) is further configured to display the virtual remote control (18), and to transmit commands to the device (40) responsive to receiving user inputs directed to the displayed virtual remote control (18). The terminal's display screen (16) may be a touch screen display, and the user inputs may be touches directed to graphical facsimiles of control buttons. Regardless, the virtual remote control (18) generally comprises a graphic that mimics or otherwise provides a facsimile of all or a portion of the control layout of a dedicated remote control (20) corresponding to the device (40) to be controlled.
Description
MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL WITH VIRTUAL REMOTE CONTROL
BACKGROUND The present invention relates to mobile terminals, such as cellular radiotelephones and the like, and particularly relates to incorporating intuitive remote control functionality into such terminals.
Multiple remote controls lying around are a hallmark of modern life. Greater interest in more sophisticated home entertainment systems accounts in large measure for the increased number of individual remote controls in the home. For example, a typical home theater system commonly includes at least a television, a stereo, a DVD player, and some type of set-top box.
In the traditional paradigm of remote controls, four components from four different manufacturers equals four different remote controls.
The ability of each device manufacturer to tailor its corresponding remote control to the features and capabilities of its device represents one advantage of this approach to providing consumers with remote controls. That is, a remote control specially intended for controlling a given device, or a given class of devices, generally offers its user a more straightforward and intuitive control layout, as compared to "universal" remote controls.
Universal remote controls attempt to integrate remote control functions from a variety of device types or classes of devices, so that the consumer needs only one remote control to control all of his or her audio/video (A/V) equipment. While the consolidation of multiple remote controls into one universal remote control is good in theory, and does offer certain practical advantages, it is not without its detractions.
For example, one approach to providing increased functionality takes the straightforward, if inelegant, approach of simply adding as many buttons as there are different functions to support. Many people are familiar with this class of universal remote control, festooned with its many small, and sometimes indecipherable, buttons. More sophisticated universal remote controls provide multifunction buttons that take on different control tasks depending on the mode or setting of the universal remote control. While the reuse of buttons for multiple functions does reduce the overall button count, it sometimes forces a compromise in terms of the intuitiveness of the layout, and the sheer range of devices intended to be controlled by most universal remote controls still requires a significant number of buttons in the control layout.
The potentially cleaner approach involves the use of display screens to provide varying sets of soft buttons on an LCD screen or the like. Generally, these approaches suffer in that the soft button layouts are not intuitive or matched to the control layout intended for a particular device to be controlled. Moreover, the use of LCD screens in universal remotes drives up their cost significantly.
SUMMARY
A method of supporting remote control of other devices by a mobile terminal comprises downloading a virtual remote control to the mobile terminal for a device to be controlled by the mobile terminal, displaying the virtual remote control on a display screen of the mobile terminal, and transmitting commands to the device responsive to receiving user inputs directed to the virtual remote control. The virtual remote control includes a graphical interface corresponding to the device to be controlled, such that a user of the mobile terminal is presented with a graphic representing at least a portion of a control layout of a dedicated remote control associated with the device to be controlled.
In at least one embodiment, the graphic comprising the virtual remote control is a graphical "skin" representing all or part of the dedicated remote control. Thus, the user of the mobile terminal is presented with a facsimile of the remote control associated with the device, and a number of different skins may be downloaded and stored in the mobile terminal, for a variety of devices, such as for multiple pieces of A/V equipment in a home theater system. In the context of the above method, downloading the virtual remote control may comprise receiving the virtual remote control from the device to be controlled, through a local communication link between the mobile terminal and the device. That link may be infrared, or may be another type of short-range interface, including Bluetooth, WiFi, or the like. In other embodiments, the mobile terminal may download the virtual remote control from a wireless communication network that stores, or otherwise has access to, virtual remote control information. In such embodiments, the mobile terminal uses its cellular communication interface to obtain virtual remote controls from a database or server accessible through the cellular network. In other embodiments, the mobile terminal provides a local communication interface that is configured to communicate with a computer, and receives the virtual remote control through a computer based downloading process. This approach allows the user to access a web page or the like from which virtual remote controls may be downloaded and transferred to the mobile terminal. Regardless of such variations, according to the methods taught herein, a mobile terminal displays a virtual remote control as a graphic representing the control layout of at least a portion of a remote control intended for a particular device to be controlled, or classes of devices to be controlled, using the mobile terminal's display screen. The user thus is presented with a facsimile of the device's control layout, thereby providing the user with a familiar set of controls for the device. Advantageously, the mobile terminal's display screen is configured as a touch screen display, such that the user simply presses locations on the touch screen corresponding to the various displayed controls.
Of course, the present invention is not limited to the aoove Teatures ana advantages. Indeed, those skilled in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed discussion, and upon viewing the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is an illustration of a mobile terminal configured to display a virtual remote control on an included display screen.
Fig. 2 is a diagram of a conventional dedicated remote control, such as might commonly be associated with A/V equipment. Fig. 3 is an illustration of the mobile terminal shown in Fig. 1 , but with an alternative virtual remote control embodiment depicted.
Fig. 4 is an illustration of a mobile terminal display screen, displaying a menu of selectable virtual remote controls, corresponding to different pieces of A/V equipment to be controlled. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of mobile terminal details.
Fig. 6 is a block diagram of additional mobile terminal details. Fig. 7 is a logic flow diagram, illustrating processing logic associated with downloading a virtual remote control to a mobile terminal.
Fig. 8 is a logic flow diagram, illustrating processing logic supporting the downloading of a virtual remote control according to another embodiment.
Fig. 9 is a logic flow diagram, illustrating processing logic associated with downloading a virtual remote control according to another embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a mobile terminal 10, whose enclosure 12 includes control inputs 14, and a display screen 16. The mobile terminal 10, which may comprise a cellular radiotelephone or the like, is configured to display a virtual remote control 18 on the display screen 16, and is configured to transmit remote control commands to a device — e.g., stereo, TV, etc. — to be controlled responsive to receiving user inputs directed to the virtual remote control 18.
The virtual remote control 18 includes a graphical interface corresponding to the device to be controlled by the mobile terminal 10. More particularly, the mobile terminal 10 displays the virtual remote control 18 on the display screen 16 as a graphic representing at least a portion of the control layout of a dedicated remote control associated with the device to be controlled. In this context, the term "dedicated" remote control generally connotes the remote control from the device's manufacturer, or otherwise connotes a remote control intended to control a given type of device.
The graphic may be a graphical "skin" representing all or part of the dedicated remote control. Indeed, the display screen 16 may comprise a graphical color display, allowing a realistic depiction of all or part of the dedicated remote control. As such, the mobile terminal 10 presents its user with a virtual remote control 18 offering a control layout that presumably is already familiar to the user.
For example, Fig. 2 illustrates a conventional remote control 20 commonly associated with satellite or cable set-top boxes. Referring back to Fig. 1 , one sees that the mobile terminal 10 may display the virtual remote control 18 as a graphical facsimile of the dedicated remote control 20. However, even if the display screen 16 is capable of displaying the virtual remote control 18 as a representation of the entire remote control 20, it still may be advantageous to display only a selected portion, or selected portions, of the remote control 20. Fig. 3 illustrates such an approach, wherein the virtual remote control 18 comprises a subset of the "buttons" included in the overall control layout of the remote control 20. With this approach, the virtual remote control 18 may comprise an enlarged or more detailed representation of selected control elements corresponding to particular functions of the remote control 20.
Further, Fig. 4 illustrates that the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to use the display screen 16 for displaying a graphical menu of devices to be controlled. For example, the mobile terminal 10 may display a collection of device buttons 22 such that the mobile terminal 10 displays a virtual remote control 18 for a particular device in response to the user selecting one of the device menu buttons 22. To that end, it should be understood that the mobile terminal 10 may store a plurality of virtual remote controls 18, and may provide on-screen menus, e.g., hierarchical device/function selections, on the display screen 16 to allow users to move between virtual remote controls 18, and to select a particular virtual remote control 18 for a particular device to be controlled.
Advantageously, the display screen 16 may be implemented as a touch screen display. In such embodiments, a user of the mobile terminal 10 "operates" a displayed virtual remote control 18 simply by directing touch inputs to screen locations corresponding to control elements (e.g., "buttons") of the virtual remote control 18. Additionally, or alternatively, at least some of the virtual remote control's functions can be mapped to controls 14 of the mobile terminal 10. For example, as an added convenience, a readily accessible control input of the mobile terminal 10 may be mapped to a master volume or muting function.
Regardless of such details, Fig. 5 illustrates one embodiment of the mobile terminal 10, comprising one or more processing circuits 30, a communication interface 32, a user interface 36, which generally includes the display screen 16, and a remote control interface 38. The remote control interface 38 may comprise an infrared emitter (and detector, if configured as a bi-directional control interface). Alternatively, or additionally, the remote control interface 38
may comprise a radiofrequency control interface. In either case, the remote control interface 38 should be configured for broad compatibility.
In operation, the one or more processing circuits 30 are configured to download a virtual remote control 18 via the communication interface 32, display the virtual remote control 18 on the display screen 16, and transmit remote control commands to a device 40 via the remote control interface 38, responsive to user inputs directed to the virtual remote control 18 displayed on the display screen 16.
Note that the device to be controlled 40 represents any one of a number of devices, and typically represents a selected piece of A/V equipment. As noted before, the mobile terminal 10 may store and selectively display a number of virtual remote controls 18, corresponding to different pieces of A/V equipment, and may include a menu system allowing the user to move between and select particular virtual remote controls 18.
Fig. 6 represents a more detailed illustration of the mobile terminal 10 according to one embodiment. Additional details illustrated include baseband/system control circuits 42, a keypad 44, a cellular communication interface 46, and a local communication interface 48. The baseband/system control circuits 42, which may comprise one or more microprocessors or digital signal processors, may include the one or more processing circuits 30 illustrated in Fig. 5. Further, the keypad 44 may be included in, or associated with, the user interface 36.
The local communication interface 48 may comprise a Bluetooth interface, or other short-range wireless interface, such as WiFi or infrared (e.g., iRDA), or may comprise a computer data interface, such as USB or IEEE 1394 (Firewire). In all such cases, the local communication interface 48 may be configured to communicate with the device 40 and/or to communicate with a computer (PC).
As such, the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to download the virtual remote control 18 directly from the device 40, through the local communication interface 48, assuming that the device 40 includes a compatible communication interface and stores the necessary information. Alternatively, or additionally, the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to download the virtual remote control 18 from a supporting wireless communication network 50, which includes or is associated with a server/database 52 that includes virtual remote control information. As a further addition or alternative, the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to download the virtual remote control 18 from a computer (PC) through the local communication interface 48.
With these embodiments in mind, Fig. 7 illustrates one embodiment of virtual remote control downloading, wherein it is assumed that the device 40 includes a communication interface that is compatible with the mobile terminal 10. The downloading operation begins with the mobile terminal 10 detecting the device's presence (Step 100).
Such detection may occur automatically, such as where the local communication interface 48 of the mobile terminal 10 is a Bluetooth interface that can automatically detect and
establish a communication link with a compatible Bluetooth interface of the device 40. Downloading operations continue with establishment of a local communication link between the mobile terminal 10 and the device 40 (Step 102).
One advantage to this approach is that the mobile terminal 10 can acquire virtual remote controls 18, as needed, as the mobile terminal's user moves into proximity with one or more devices to be controlled — e.g., as the user walks into a home theater or entertainment room. With automatic detection and downloading, the process of obtaining needed virtual remote controls 18 can be essentially transparent to the user of the mobile terminal 10, and can be particular convenient for setting up and integrating new devices 40 into the user's entertainment system.
For example, the mobile terminal 10 could retain identifiers for equipment for which it already has virtual remote controls 18 stored, automatically detect the presence of a new device 40, and acquire the virtual remote control 18 for that new device 40, without requiring any specific user intervention. Of course, the mobile terminal 10 could be configured to prompt the user, or to otherwise request permission to carry out the process.
In any case, if a device 40 contains virtual remote control information, the mobile terminal 10 may download the virtual remote control directly from the device 40 (Step 104). Alternatively, the device 40 simply may provide the mobile terminal 10 with manufacturer's information, such as model identification numbers (Step 106). In such embodiments, the mobile terminal 10 may use the information received from the device 40 to download the virtual remote control 18 through its cellular communication interface (Step 108). For example, the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to transmit model information to a certain database 52 accessible through the supporting wireless communication network 50. The database 52 then returns the corresponding virtual remote control 18 to the mobile terminal 10. Fig. 8 illustrates a similar embodiment, but where communication with the device 40 is not required. In the illustrated embodiment, the mobile terminal 10 receives information from its user regarding model identification (Step 110). The mobile terminal 10 then uses this user- received information to obtain the corresponding virtual remote control 18 through the supporting cellular network (Step 112). In one embodiment, the user may manually enter model information.
However, in other embodiments, the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to display a pick list of manufacturer and model information, to facilitate the user identifying a particular device 40 for which a virtual remote control 18 is desired. In such embodiments, the mobile terminal 10 may locally store pick list information, or may access a server through the wireless communication network, and download pick list information from that server.
Fig. 9 illustrates an embodiment of such processing, wherein the mobile terminal 10 displays device pick lists, which may comprise an organized list of manufacturers and models (Step 114). The mobile terminal 10 receives user input identifying a selected device (Step 116).
Here, the user input may comprise inputs obtained via the controls 14, or may comprise touch screen inputs, assuming that the display screen 16 comprises a touch screen display. Regardless, the mobile terminal 10 receives user input identifying the selected device, transmits that information to the appropriate server 52 through the supporting wireless communication network 50, and downloads the corresponding virtual remote control 18 (Step 118).
The above-described downloading process also may be carried out on a PC or other Internet-enabled device, and the virtual remote control 18 then can be transferred from the PC to the mobile terminal 10, such as through the local communication interface 48. To that end, the local communication interface 48 may include a data interface supporting PC connection (e.g., USB, iRDA, etc.).
Whether done directly through the mobile terminal 10, or done through a PC with an Internet connection, the operator of the wireless communication network 50 may control the database 52 of virtual remote controls, or it may be controlled by a third party. In either case, users may be charged flat or per-transaction rates for accessing the database and downloading virtual remote controls, and manufacturers might advertise the availability of virtual remote controls 18 for their devices as an additional selling feature. Indeed, the device manufacturers may develop sophisticated virtual remote controls 18 that provide more or improved functionality, as compared to the dedicated (physical) remote controls associated with their devices. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the features and advantages detailed in the foregoing description, nor is it limited by the accompanying drawings. Indeed, the present invention is limited only by the following claims, and their legal equivalents.
Claims
1. A method of supporting remote control of other devices by a mobile terminal (10) comprising: downloading a virtual remote control (18) to the mobile terminal (10) for a device (40) to be controlled by the mobile terminal (10), said virtual remote control (18) including a graphical interface corresponding to the device (40); displaying the virtual remote control (18) on a display screen (16) of the mobile terminal (10); and transmitting commands to the device (40) responsive to receiving user inputs directed to the virtual remote control (18).
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein downloading the virtual remote control (18) to the mobile terminal (10) comprises receiving the virtual remote control (18) from the device (40) through a local communication link between the mobile terminal (10) and the device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein downloading the virtual remote control (18) to the mobile terminal (10) comprises downloading the virtual remote control (18) from a wireless communication network (50) that stores or otherwise has access to virtual remote control information.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving identifying information for the device (40), and using that identifying information to download the virtual remote control (18) corresponding to the device (40) from the wireless communication network (50).
5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving identifying information for the device (40) comprises receiving identifying information from the device (40) through a local communication interface (48) of the mobile terminal (10).
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein downloading the virtual remote control (18) to the mobile terminal (10) comprises the mobile terminal (10) detecting the device (40), establishing a local communication link with the device (40), and downloading the virtual remote control (18) from the device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein downloading the virtual remote control (18) to the mobile terminal (10) comprises receiving the virtual remote control (18) through a local communication link with a computer having access to stored virtual remote control information.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the virtual remote control (18) on the display screen (16) of the mobile terminal (10) comprises displaying a graphic representing at least a portion of a control layout of a dedicated remote control (20) associated with the device (40).
9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the graphic representing at least a portion of the control layout of the dedicated remote control (20) comprises displaying a graphical skin representing all or part of the dedicated remote control (20).
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the display (16) comprises a touch screen, and wherein transmitting commands to the device (40) comprises receiving touch screen inputs corresponding to virtual remote control functions, and transmitting corresponding device commands to the device (40) through a remote control interface (38) of the mobile terminal (10).
11. A mobile terminal (10) comprising: a communication interface (32); a remote control interface (38); a display screen (16); and one or more processing circuits (30) configured to: download a virtual remote control (18) via the communication interface (32), said virtual remote control (18) including a graphical interface corresponding to a device (40) to be controlled by the mobile terminal (10); display the virtual remote control (18) on the display screen (16); and transmit remote control commands to the device (40) via the remote control interface (38) responsive to user inputs directed to the virtual remote control (18).
12. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 11 , wherein the communication interface (32) comprises a cellular communication interface (46), and wherein the mobile terminal (10) is configured to download the virtual remote control (18) via the cellular communication interface (46).
13. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 11 , wherein the communication interface (32) comprises a local communication interface (48), and wherein the mobile terminal (10) is configured to download the virtual remote control (18) via the local communication interface (48).
14. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 13, wherein the local communication interface (48) is configured to communicate with the device (40), and wherein the mobile terminal (10) is configured to download the virtual remote control (18) from the device (40).
15. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 13, wherein the local communication interface (48) is configured to communicate with a computer, and wherein the mobile terminal (10) is configured to download the virtual remote control (18) from the computer.
16. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 11 , wherein the mobile terminal (10) is configured to receive identifying information for the device (40), and configured to use that identifying information to download the virtual remote control (18) corresponding to the device (40) via the communication interface (32).
17. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 11 , wherein the mobile terminal (10) is configured to display the virtual remote control (18) on the display screen (16) as a graphic representing at least a portion of a control layout of a dedicated remote control (20) associated with the device (40).
18. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 17, wherein the mobile terminal (10) is configured to display the graphic as a graphical skin representing all or part of the dedicated remote control (20).
19. The mobile terminal (10) of claim 17, wherein the display screen (16) comprises a touch screen, and wherein the mobile terminal (10) is configured to receive touch screen inputs corresponding to virtual remote control functions, and to transmit corresponding commands to the device (40) through the remote control interface (38).
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/212,457 US20070050054A1 (en) | 2005-08-26 | 2005-08-26 | Mobile communication terminal with virtual remote control |
US11/212,457 | 2005-08-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2007024271A1 true WO2007024271A1 (en) | 2007-03-01 |
Family
ID=36940603
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2006/009486 WO2007024271A1 (en) | 2005-08-26 | 2006-03-16 | Mobile communication terminal with virtual remote control |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20070050054A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2007024271A1 (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2031848A2 (en) | 2007-08-28 | 2009-03-04 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Mobile terminal and device control method for the same |
WO2010033462A1 (en) | 2008-09-16 | 2010-03-25 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Communicating codeset information as part of a native application |
WO2010146225A1 (en) * | 2009-06-15 | 2010-12-23 | Nokia Corporation | System and method for distributed persistent computing platform |
WO2012112216A2 (en) | 2011-02-14 | 2012-08-23 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
US8542323B2 (en) | 2007-12-21 | 2013-09-24 | Sony Corporation | Touch sensitive wireless navigation device for remote control |
EP2804393A1 (en) * | 2012-11-02 | 2014-11-19 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd | Remote control method, intelligent terminal and intelligent remote control system |
US9514641B2 (en) | 2012-11-02 | 2016-12-06 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | Smart remote control |
Families Citing this family (68)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20070171196A1 (en) * | 2006-01-23 | 2007-07-26 | Thomas Robert Pfingsten | Controller user interface and method |
US8920343B2 (en) | 2006-03-23 | 2014-12-30 | Michael Edward Sabatino | Apparatus for acquiring and processing of physiological auditory signals |
US9086737B2 (en) * | 2006-06-15 | 2015-07-21 | Apple Inc. | Dynamically controlled keyboard |
KR101532369B1 (en) * | 2006-12-11 | 2015-06-29 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Apparatus and method for remote control in portable terminal |
US20080301737A1 (en) * | 2007-05-31 | 2008-12-04 | Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab | System and method for personalized television viewing triggered by a portable communication device |
US8818272B2 (en) * | 2007-07-18 | 2014-08-26 | Broadcom Corporation | System and method for remotely controlling bluetooth enabled electronic equipment |
KR101383258B1 (en) * | 2007-11-08 | 2014-04-08 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Apparatus and method for human body communication in mobile communication system |
EP2073183A1 (en) | 2007-12-21 | 2009-06-24 | Alcatel Lucent | Remote control system and a related mobile user terminal |
US8067701B2 (en) * | 2008-01-07 | 2011-11-29 | Apple Inc. | I/O connectors with extendable faraday cage |
US20090195513A1 (en) * | 2008-02-05 | 2009-08-06 | Delphi Technologies, Inc. | Interactive multimedia control module |
EP2269376A2 (en) * | 2008-03-12 | 2011-01-05 | Echostar Technologies L.L.C. | Apparatus and methods for controlling an entertainment device using a mobile communication device |
US9210355B2 (en) * | 2008-03-12 | 2015-12-08 | Echostar Technologies L.L.C. | Apparatus and methods for controlling an entertainment device using a mobile communication device |
US8152642B2 (en) | 2008-03-12 | 2012-04-10 | Echostar Technologies L.L.C. | Apparatus and methods for authenticating a user of an entertainment device using a mobile communication device |
US20100037180A1 (en) * | 2008-08-08 | 2010-02-11 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Touch Screen Remote Control with Dynamic Keypad Layouts |
US8110744B2 (en) * | 2008-08-19 | 2012-02-07 | Apple Inc. | Flexible shielded cable |
US8350744B2 (en) | 2008-12-03 | 2013-01-08 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Virtual universal remote control |
US20100176915A1 (en) * | 2009-01-12 | 2010-07-15 | Hayes Michael J | Remote control communication system |
EP2394224A1 (en) * | 2009-02-05 | 2011-12-14 | Digimarc Corporation | Television-based advertising and distribution of tv widgets for the cell phone |
US8742885B2 (en) * | 2009-05-01 | 2014-06-03 | Apple Inc. | Directional touch remote |
KR20110019892A (en) * | 2009-08-21 | 2011-03-02 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Remote control method and remote control system using the same |
KR20110020633A (en) * | 2009-08-24 | 2011-03-03 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Method for providing control widget and device using the same |
US8375328B2 (en) * | 2009-11-11 | 2013-02-12 | Google Inc. | Implementing customized control interfaces |
US9047052B2 (en) * | 2009-12-22 | 2015-06-02 | At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Simplified control input to a mobile device |
US8502836B2 (en) * | 2010-02-26 | 2013-08-06 | Research In Motion Limited | Unified visual presenter |
US8655344B2 (en) | 2010-05-03 | 2014-02-18 | Interdigital Patent Holdings, Inc. | Addressing wireless nodes |
WO2011149558A2 (en) | 2010-05-28 | 2011-12-01 | Abelow Daniel H | Reality alternate |
US9786159B2 (en) | 2010-07-23 | 2017-10-10 | Tivo Solutions Inc. | Multi-function remote control device |
US9607505B2 (en) | 2010-09-22 | 2017-03-28 | Apple Inc. | Closed loop universal remote control |
US9021402B1 (en) | 2010-09-24 | 2015-04-28 | Google Inc. | Operation of mobile device interface using gestures |
US20120089923A1 (en) * | 2010-10-08 | 2012-04-12 | Microsoft Corporation | Dynamic companion device user interface |
US8638198B2 (en) * | 2010-11-30 | 2014-01-28 | Verizon Patent And Licensing Inc. | Universal remote control systems, methods, and apparatuses |
US20120216152A1 (en) | 2011-02-23 | 2012-08-23 | Google Inc. | Touch gestures for remote control operations |
US8904289B2 (en) * | 2011-04-21 | 2014-12-02 | Touchstream Technologies, Inc. | Play control of content on a display device |
US9767195B2 (en) | 2011-04-21 | 2017-09-19 | Touchstream Technologies, Inc. | Virtualized hosting and displaying of content using a swappable media player |
US10564791B2 (en) * | 2011-07-21 | 2020-02-18 | Nokia Technologies Oy | Method and apparatus for triggering a remote data entry interface |
KR101634745B1 (en) * | 2011-12-30 | 2016-06-30 | 삼성전자 주식회사 | Electronic device, user input apparatus controlling electronic device and contol method thereof |
TW201417058A (en) * | 2012-10-25 | 2014-05-01 | Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd | Electronic device, mobile control device and control method |
US10055030B2 (en) | 2013-05-17 | 2018-08-21 | Apple Inc. | Dynamic visual indications for input devices |
US9753436B2 (en) | 2013-06-11 | 2017-09-05 | Apple Inc. | Rotary input mechanism for an electronic device |
CN109766020B (en) | 2013-08-09 | 2022-04-29 | 苹果公司 | Tactile switch for electronic devices |
US8909022B1 (en) * | 2013-10-21 | 2014-12-09 | Google Inc. | Methods and systems for providing media content collected by sensors of a device |
US10048802B2 (en) | 2014-02-12 | 2018-08-14 | Apple Inc. | Rejection of false turns of rotary inputs for electronic devices |
TWI524620B (en) * | 2014-04-09 | 2016-03-01 | Grand Mate Co Ltd | Radiator control method |
US10190891B1 (en) | 2014-07-16 | 2019-01-29 | Apple Inc. | Optical encoder for detecting rotational and axial movement |
KR102239316B1 (en) | 2014-09-02 | 2021-04-13 | 애플 인크. | Wearable electronic device |
US10116601B2 (en) * | 2015-02-06 | 2018-10-30 | Jamdeo Canada Ltd. | Methods and devices for display device notifications |
JP6515185B2 (en) | 2015-03-05 | 2019-05-15 | アップル インコーポレイテッドApple Inc. | Watch, wrist-worn electronic device and wearable electronic device having an optical encoder having direction dependent optical characteristics |
JP6479997B2 (en) | 2015-03-08 | 2019-03-06 | アップル インコーポレイテッドApple Inc. | Compressible seal for rotatable and translatable input mechanism |
US10018966B2 (en) | 2015-04-24 | 2018-07-10 | Apple Inc. | Cover member for an input mechanism of an electronic device |
US9891651B2 (en) | 2016-02-27 | 2018-02-13 | Apple Inc. | Rotatable input mechanism having adjustable output |
US10551798B1 (en) | 2016-05-17 | 2020-02-04 | Apple Inc. | Rotatable crown for an electronic device |
US10353550B2 (en) * | 2016-06-11 | 2019-07-16 | Apple Inc. | Device, method, and graphical user interface for media playback in an accessibility mode |
US10061399B2 (en) | 2016-07-15 | 2018-08-28 | Apple Inc. | Capacitive gap sensor ring for an input device |
US10019097B2 (en) | 2016-07-25 | 2018-07-10 | Apple Inc. | Force-detecting input structure |
US10382806B2 (en) | 2016-11-14 | 2019-08-13 | DISH Technologies L.L.C. | Apparatus, systems and methods for controlling presentation of content using a multi-media table |
US10664074B2 (en) | 2017-06-19 | 2020-05-26 | Apple Inc. | Contact-sensitive crown for an electronic watch |
US10962935B1 (en) | 2017-07-18 | 2021-03-30 | Apple Inc. | Tri-axis force sensor |
US11360440B2 (en) | 2018-06-25 | 2022-06-14 | Apple Inc. | Crown for an electronic watch |
US11561515B2 (en) | 2018-08-02 | 2023-01-24 | Apple Inc. | Crown for an electronic watch |
US11181863B2 (en) | 2018-08-24 | 2021-11-23 | Apple Inc. | Conductive cap for watch crown |
CN209560398U (en) | 2018-08-24 | 2019-10-29 | 苹果公司 | Electronic watch |
US11194298B2 (en) | 2018-08-30 | 2021-12-07 | Apple Inc. | Crown assembly for an electronic watch |
CN209625187U (en) | 2018-08-30 | 2019-11-12 | 苹果公司 | Electronic watch and electronic equipment |
US11194299B1 (en) | 2019-02-12 | 2021-12-07 | Apple Inc. | Variable frictional feedback device for a digital crown of an electronic watch |
CN110531992A (en) * | 2019-08-21 | 2019-12-03 | 北京野子科技有限公司 | A kind of mobile terminal method that closely load controls software |
US11550268B2 (en) | 2020-06-02 | 2023-01-10 | Apple Inc. | Switch module for electronic crown assembly |
US11983035B2 (en) | 2020-06-11 | 2024-05-14 | Apple Inc. | Electronic device |
CN112462616B (en) * | 2020-11-02 | 2022-10-28 | 青岛海尔空调器有限总公司 | Control method and control device for shared household electrical appliance |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20030163542A1 (en) * | 2002-02-28 | 2003-08-28 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Remote control signals updated and stored via network |
US6791467B1 (en) * | 2000-03-23 | 2004-09-14 | Flextronics Semiconductor, Inc. | Adaptive remote controller |
US20040257259A1 (en) * | 2003-06-20 | 2004-12-23 | Lucent Technologies Inc. | Universal soft remote control |
WO2005043484A1 (en) * | 2003-11-04 | 2005-05-12 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Universal remote control device with touch screen |
Family Cites Families (24)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8098140B1 (en) * | 2000-07-13 | 2012-01-17 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Customizable and upgradable devices and methods related thereto |
FI111760B (en) * | 1999-04-16 | 2003-09-15 | Metso Automation Oy | Wireless control of a field device in an industrial process |
US6748278B1 (en) * | 2000-03-13 | 2004-06-08 | Microsoft Corporation | Remote controlled system with computer-based remote control facilitator |
GB0007242D0 (en) * | 2000-03-24 | 2000-05-17 | Tvcompass Com Ltd | Remote control devices |
US7072945B1 (en) * | 2000-06-30 | 2006-07-04 | Nokia Corporation | Network and method for controlling appliances |
US20020151327A1 (en) * | 2000-12-22 | 2002-10-17 | David Levitt | Program selector and guide system and method |
JP2004192017A (en) * | 2001-02-06 | 2004-07-08 | Dainippon Printing Co Ltd | Remote control system of home information appliances terminal using mobile communication terminal equipped with ic card, and mobile communication terminal and ic card used therefor |
US7206559B2 (en) * | 2001-10-16 | 2007-04-17 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | System and method for a mobile computing device to control appliances |
KR100441743B1 (en) * | 2001-10-23 | 2004-07-27 | 한국전자통신연구원 | Remote appliance control system and method |
JP2003143670A (en) * | 2001-10-31 | 2003-05-16 | Sony Corp | Remote control system, electronic device, and program |
KR100448176B1 (en) * | 2001-12-24 | 2004-09-10 | 최형락 | A remote controller data download system using a internet, and thereof method |
JP2003198870A (en) * | 2001-12-25 | 2003-07-11 | Seiko Epson Corp | Wireless control system and wireless control method for projector |
US20030206193A1 (en) * | 2002-04-17 | 2003-11-06 | Keizo Sato | Communication control system and storage medium for storing image transfer program |
WO2004034700A1 (en) * | 2002-10-11 | 2004-04-22 | Sony Corporation | Network control confirmation system, control communication terminal, server, and network control confirmation method |
US8014768B2 (en) * | 2003-04-30 | 2011-09-06 | Disney Enterprises, Inc. | Mobile phone multimedia controller |
KR100534611B1 (en) * | 2003-06-04 | 2005-12-07 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Apparatus and method for remote controlling household electric appliances using an wireless terminal |
US7155202B2 (en) * | 2003-07-10 | 2006-12-26 | University Of Florida Research Foundation, Inc. | Portable device medical assistant |
JP2005223438A (en) * | 2004-02-03 | 2005-08-18 | Seiko Epson Corp | Program for control signal transmitter, and remote control system |
US7277726B2 (en) * | 2004-05-03 | 2007-10-02 | Motorola, Inc. | Controlling wireless mobile devices from a remote device |
JP2006094414A (en) * | 2004-09-27 | 2006-04-06 | Toshiba Corp | Remote control method, radio terminal, and audio reproducing apparatus |
KR100645379B1 (en) * | 2004-10-29 | 2006-11-15 | 삼성광주전자 주식회사 | A robot controlling system and a robot control method |
US20060181982A1 (en) * | 2005-02-11 | 2006-08-17 | Villevieille Jean-Marc A | Wireless adaptor for content transfer |
US20070050468A1 (en) * | 2005-08-09 | 2007-03-01 | Comverse, Ltd. | Reality context menu (RCM) |
US7907222B2 (en) * | 2005-09-08 | 2011-03-15 | Universal Electronics Inc. | System and method for simplified setup of a universal remote control |
-
2005
- 2005-08-26 US US11/212,457 patent/US20070050054A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2006
- 2006-03-16 WO PCT/US2006/009486 patent/WO2007024271A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6791467B1 (en) * | 2000-03-23 | 2004-09-14 | Flextronics Semiconductor, Inc. | Adaptive remote controller |
US20030163542A1 (en) * | 2002-02-28 | 2003-08-28 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Remote control signals updated and stored via network |
US20040257259A1 (en) * | 2003-06-20 | 2004-12-23 | Lucent Technologies Inc. | Universal soft remote control |
WO2005043484A1 (en) * | 2003-11-04 | 2005-05-12 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Universal remote control device with touch screen |
Cited By (24)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2530924A3 (en) * | 2007-08-28 | 2014-05-21 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Mobile terminal and device control method for the same |
EP3383011A1 (en) * | 2007-08-28 | 2018-10-03 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Mobile terminal and device control method for the same |
EP2031848A3 (en) * | 2007-08-28 | 2011-08-17 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Mobile terminal and device control method for the same |
US9318016B2 (en) | 2007-08-28 | 2016-04-19 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Mobile terminal and device control method for the same |
EP2031848A2 (en) | 2007-08-28 | 2009-03-04 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Mobile terminal and device control method for the same |
US8423163B2 (en) | 2007-08-28 | 2013-04-16 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Mobile terminal and device control method for the same |
CN101378568B (en) * | 2007-08-28 | 2014-10-01 | 三星电子株式会社 | Mobile terminal and device control method for the same |
US8542323B2 (en) | 2007-12-21 | 2013-09-24 | Sony Corporation | Touch sensitive wireless navigation device for remote control |
WO2010033462A1 (en) | 2008-09-16 | 2010-03-25 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Communicating codeset information as part of a native application |
EP2332259A1 (en) * | 2008-09-16 | 2011-06-15 | UEI Cayman Inc. | Communicating codeset information as part of a native application |
EP2332259A4 (en) * | 2008-09-16 | 2013-12-18 | Uei Cayman Inc | Communicating codeset information as part of a native application |
US8332606B2 (en) | 2009-06-15 | 2012-12-11 | Boldyrev Sergey | System and method for distributed persistent computing platform |
WO2010146225A1 (en) * | 2009-06-15 | 2010-12-23 | Nokia Corporation | System and method for distributed persistent computing platform |
EP2676436A4 (en) * | 2011-02-14 | 2014-05-07 | Universal Electronics Inc | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
EP2676436A2 (en) * | 2011-02-14 | 2013-12-25 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
WO2012112216A2 (en) | 2011-02-14 | 2012-08-23 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
US9405447B2 (en) | 2011-02-14 | 2016-08-02 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
US9720580B2 (en) | 2011-02-14 | 2017-08-01 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
US9804757B2 (en) | 2011-02-14 | 2017-10-31 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
US9851879B2 (en) | 2011-02-14 | 2017-12-26 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
US10254937B2 (en) | 2011-02-14 | 2019-04-09 | Universal Electronics Inc. | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device |
EP2804393A1 (en) * | 2012-11-02 | 2014-11-19 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd | Remote control method, intelligent terminal and intelligent remote control system |
EP2804393A4 (en) * | 2012-11-02 | 2015-02-18 | Huawei Tech Co Ltd | Remote control method, intelligent terminal and intelligent remote control system |
US9514641B2 (en) | 2012-11-02 | 2016-12-06 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | Smart remote control |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20070050054A1 (en) | 2007-03-01 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US20070050054A1 (en) | Mobile communication terminal with virtual remote control | |
US20230047899A1 (en) | Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device | |
CN102571914B (en) | The Universal Remote with Lookup protocol controls | |
CN111050199B (en) | Display device and scheduling method of Bluetooth communication resources of display device | |
CN101896949B (en) | Remote control protocol for media systems controlled by portable devices | |
EP1459199B1 (en) | System and method for upgrading the remote control functionality of a device | |
US9911321B2 (en) | Simplified adaptable controller | |
WO2021135068A1 (en) | Selection control method for sound output device, and display device | |
US20160249006A1 (en) | Terminal | |
CN101582053A (en) | Pushing interface from portable media device to accessory | |
CN113784220B (en) | Method for playing media resources, display device and mobile device | |
CN101316318A (en) | Remote control for devices with connectivity to a service delivery platform | |
WO2021248672A1 (en) | Custom setting method and starting method for control button, and display device | |
CN111031375B (en) | Method for skipping detailed page of boot animation and display equipment | |
CN112399212A (en) | Display device, file sharing method and server | |
CN111542031B (en) | Display device and Bluetooth device pairing method | |
WO2006054241A2 (en) | Avoiding tv menu negotiation to preset configuration options | |
WO2021120586A1 (en) | Account synchronization method, mobile device and smart television | |
CN111343495A (en) | Display device and method for playing music in terminal | |
CN111083538A (en) | Background image display method and device | |
CN112866771A (en) | Display device and method for establishing Bluetooth connection | |
US7154478B2 (en) | Terminal and method for remotely controlling device using the same | |
Chintalapati et al. | Remote computer access through Android mobiles | |
CN111897641A (en) | Micro-service monitoring and scheduling method and display equipment | |
CN110719514A (en) | Equipment control method and system and terminal |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase |
Ref document number: 06738537 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |