U.S. patent application number 13/687100 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-09 for system and method for using a mark-up language page to command an appliance.
This patent application is currently assigned to UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Universal Electronics Inc.. Invention is credited to Patrick H. Hayes, Steven LanPing Huang, Jonathan Christian Lim, Joyce M. Presseau, Weidong William Wang, Han-Sheng Yuh.
Application Number | 20140009689 13/687100 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25420749 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140009689 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hayes; Patrick H. ; et
al. |
January 9, 2014 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING A MARK-UP LANGUAGE PAGE TO COMMAND AN
APPLIANCE
Abstract
A hand-held device having a display and a browser application
which supports functionality particularly suited for the hand-held
device. For example, the browser application supports a full screen
tag which allows information to be displayed as a full screen
within the display. The browser application may also support a tag
for use in displaying a link the activation of which will cause the
hand-held device to transmit command codes to a consumer appliance.
Still further, the browser application can support a tag which the
hand-held device can use to issue reminders.
Inventors: |
Hayes; Patrick H.; (Mission
Viejo, CA) ; Huang; Steven LanPing; (Placentia,
CA) ; Wang; Weidong William; (Tustin, CA) ;
Yuh; Han-Sheng; (Diamond Bar, CA) ; Lim; Jonathan
Christian; (Cypress, CA) ; Presseau; Joyce M.;
(Laguna Beach, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Universal Electronics Inc.; |
|
|
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
Santa Ana
CA
|
Family ID: |
25420749 |
Appl. No.: |
13/687100 |
Filed: |
November 28, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11088694 |
Mar 24, 2005 |
|
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|
13687100 |
|
|
|
|
09905396 |
Jul 13, 2001 |
6938101 |
|
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11088694 |
|
|
|
|
60264767 |
Jan 29, 2001 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
348/734 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 29/12009 20130101;
H04N 21/4622 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101; H04N 21/42207 20130101;
G06F 2200/1632 20130101; G08C 2201/92 20130101; H04L 12/282
20130101; H04L 29/06 20130101; G06F 1/1626 20130101; H04L 67/04
20130101; H04N 21/4884 20130101; H04N 21/47 20130101; H04N 21/42204
20130101; H04L 67/025 20130101; G06F 1/1632 20130101; H04N 21/41265
20200801; H04N 21/42224 20130101; G08C 2201/21 20130101; H04N
21/4438 20130101; H04N 21/4431 20130101; H04N 21/4882 20130101;
G06F 1/1698 20130101; G08C 17/02 20130101; G08C 23/04 20130101;
H04L 29/12594 20130101; H04L 2012/2841 20130101; H04N 21/4126
20130101; G06F 1/1643 20130101; H04L 61/30 20130101; H04L 69/329
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
348/734 |
International
Class: |
H04N 5/44 20060101
H04N005/44 |
Claims
1. A computer-readable media having computer executable
instructions for displaying information in a display, the
instructions performing steps comprising: retrieving a mark-up
language formatted page having an embedded mark-up language
formatted page tag comprised of a data field containing information
indicative of a command code to be transmitted upon activation of a
hyperlink displayed on the display; displaying the mark-up language
formatted page including the hyperlink in the display; and in
response to the hyperlink being activated, using the information in
the data field to transmit the command code to a consumer
appliance; wherein the transmitted command code is a command to
tune the consumer appliance to a television channel.
2. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the
information comprises data for use in generating the command
code.
3. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the
information comprises a pointer to data for generating the command
code.
4. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the
mark-up language page depicts a representation of a user interface
of a remote control.
5. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the
mark-up language formatted page is representative of a media
guide.
6. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, where the
information is used to transmit an infrared command code to the
consumer appliance.
7. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the
first information comprises data for use in generating the infrared
code.
8. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the
information comprises a pointer to data for generating the infrared
code.
9. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the
mark-up language page depicts a representation of a user interface
of a remote control.
10. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the
mark-up language formatted page is representative of a media guide.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 11/088,694, filed on Mar. 24, 2005, which application is a
continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/905,396, filed on Jul.
13, 2001, which application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/264,767, filed on Jan. 29, 2001, all of
which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to hand held devices and,
more particularly, relates to a hand held device having a browser
application.
[0003] Home appliances continue to become more complex, and for
many consumers, more difficult to fully understand and operate. The
first consumer electronic devices, radios and, later, televisions,
had no remote controls. The controls of these first consumer
electronic devices were simple--a combination power switch and
volume control and a tuning control. With the advent of the remote
control, new capabilities to control were added to consumer
electronic devices--one of the first being the volume "Mute"
feature.
[0004] New, and eventually popular, consumer electronic devices
were later introduced, including the VCR, CD player and more
recently, the DVD player and PVR (personal video recorder). While
the VCR was initially introduced without a remote control, remote
controls were quickly added to the product offering. Early VCR
remote controls simply controlled the power and the transport
mechanism ("Play," "Stop," "Pause," "Rewind," "Fast Forward" and
"Record"). Today, VCR remote controls have far more controls, for
example, to control the adjustment of tape tracking, the selection
of programs for future recording, direct channel access,
frame-by-frame program viewing and the ability to set the VCR's
clock. For use in controlling these features the VCR remote control
has grown from seven or eight keys to twenty or more.
[0005] The CD player, when first introduced, came with a remote
control. The first CD players held a single disk and were easy to
control. Today, a consumer can buy a CD player that holds two
hundred or more disks. This CD "jukebox" permits the consumer to
painstakingly enter the title of each disk by remote control and
control which disk and track of that disk will play next. This
remote control has also grown from ten keys or so to over thirty
with many keys performing two or more functions.
[0006] Not only have the consumer electronic devices and their
remote controls become more complex, but there are now many more
devices that consumers are adding to their home that can be
controlled using a remote control. In addition to the TV, VCR, CD
player, and DVD player, remote controls can be used in connection
with personal computers, game consoles, etc. Remote controls can
also be used to control the lighting, window fixtures, thermostats,
home alarm system, etc. within the home.
[0007] Universal remote controls available today perform a valuable
function, consolidating three, four, five, and more remote controls
into one device. Typically, the universal remote control simplifies
operation by reducing the number of keys and, therefore, the number
of features available to the consumer. With the same number of keys
as found on one remote control, the universal remote control can
operate the basic functions of several home appliances.
[0008] For companies that provide remote controls, home appliances
continue their march toward even greater complexity. As new and
more complex home appliances emerge, a new form of easy-to-use
remote control will be required to meet the needs of consumers. To
appeal to the largest number of consumers, this new form of remote
control must also be inexpensive. Furthermore, to accommodate the
continuing growth in complexity of home appliances, this new form
of remote control must possess new features and include the ability
to stay flexible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In accordance with these needs, the subject invention is
directed to a hand-held device having a display and a browser
application which supports functionality particularly suited for
the hand-held device. For example, the browser application supports
a full screen tag which allows information to be displayed as a
full screen within the display. The browser application may also
support a tag for use in displaying a link the activation of which
will cause the hand-held device to transmit command codes to a
consumer appliance. Still further, the browser application can
support a tag which the hand-held device can use to issue
reminders.
[0010] A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features,
properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from
the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which
set forth an illustrative embodiment which is indicative of the
various ways in which the principles of the invention may be
employed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] For a better understanding of the invention, reference may
be had to a preferred embodiment shown in the following drawings in
which:
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a pictorial drawing of a universal remote
control in which the principles of the subject invention may be
embodied;
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded assembly drawing of the
universal remote control illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of exemplary hardware for
use in connection with the universal remote control illustrated in
FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary operating system and
hardware hierarchy for use in the universal remote control
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary remote control application
program hierarchy for use in the universal remote control
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary sub-application program
hierarchy for use in setting up the universal remote control
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary sub-application program
hierarchy for use in personalizing the universal remote control
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary sub-application program
hierarchy for use in establishing the overall system behavior of
the universal remote control illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary process for initializing a
browser application resident on the universal remote control
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, and 10G illustrate an
exemplary operational sequence of the browser application resident
on the universal remote control illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary browser screen layout
capable of being displayed on the universal remote control of FIG.
1;
[0023] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary browser-based home control
screen displayed on the universal remote control of FIG. 1 and the
HTML source for use in displaying the control screen;
[0024] FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary browser-based TV guide
screen displayed on the universal remote control of FIG. 1 and the
HTML source for use in displaying the TV guide screen;
[0025] FIG. 14 illustrates a two-way communication system including
a computer, a computer network, and the universal remote control
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary Server Application Flow
Chart for use in connection with the two-way communication system
illustrated in FIG. 14;
[0027] FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary display of Web-based data
using the browser of the universal remote control illustrated in
FIG. 1;
[0028] FIG. 17 illustrates the universal remote control illustrated
in FIG. 1 docked to an optional keyboard;
[0029] FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate an exemplary method by which
the remote control illustrated in FIG. 1 can be used to retrieve
information regarding an appliance and the resulting display of an
exemplary retrieved user's manual;
[0030] FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate a further exemplary method by
which the remote control illustrated in FIG. 1 can be used to
retrieve information regarding an appliance and the resulting
display of an exemplary retrieved user's manual;
[0031] FIG. 20 illustrates an exemplary menu page for use in
retrieving information regarding an appliance displayed on the
remote control illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0032] FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary error message displayed on
the remote control illustrated in FIG. 1 displayed due to an error
in communication;
[0033] FIG. 22 illustrates a two-way communication system including
an appliance and the universal remote control illustrated in FIG.
1;
[0034] FIG. 23 illustrates an alternative two-way communication
system including an appliance and the universal remote control
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0035] FIG. 24 illustrates an exemplary display of screens used to
display song lyrics using the remote control illustrated in FIG.
1;
[0036] FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary system for use in
displaying closed captioning information using the remote control
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0037] FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary method for use in
displaying closed captioning information using the system
illustrated in FIG. 25.
[0038] FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary display of screens used to
display TV guide information and to set and display reminders to
watch certain shows using the remote control illustrated in FIG.
1;
[0039] FIG. 28 illustrates an exemplary method by which the remote
control illustrated in FIG. 1 can generate reminder displays of the
type illustrated in FIG. 27;
[0040] FIG. 29 illustrates an exemplary display of screens used to
provide additional information about a product whose UPC bar code
has been entered using a bar code reader attached to the remote
control illustrated in FIG. 1; and
[0041] FIG. 30 illustrates an exemplary display of screens used to
display TV guide information ordered according to individual
preference.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a
universal remote control device 10, sometimes referred to as the
"Mosaic" in the figures, in which the teachings of the present
invention may be embodied. The remote control 10 comprises a
housing 11 itself comprising two parts, namely, an upper housing 12
and a lower housing 13. Included in the lower housing 12 is a
battery cover 14, a stylus repository, and a slot 16 through which
a liquid crystal display (LCD) contrast control switch 42 may be
accessed. Stylus 19 may be located in the stylus repository.
[0043] The upper housing 12 has openings through which keys 20, red
light emitting diode (LED) 22 and a LCD 24 with a translucent touch
sensitive overlay can be accessed. The keys 20 are illustrated as
being arranged in a vertical line to the right of the LCD 24 and
may comprise (from top to bottom) a "Backlight" key 30, "Volume Up"
and "Volume Down" keys 32 and 34, "Mute" key 36, and "Channel Up"
and "Channel Down" keys 38 and 40, respectively. The contrast
control switch 42 can be located on the right side of the remote
control 10 below the "Volume Up" and "Volume Down" keys, 38 and 40.
The upper housing 12 may also include an opening for voice access
to a microphone.
[0044] At the top or forward end of the remote control 10, there is
illustrated an opening for two forward facing infrared LEDs 50 and
two side facing LEDs 51. While the LEDs are provided for
transmitting command signals to consumer devices, the forward
facing LEDs 50 may also perform as an infrared light detector
according to the teachings of co-pending U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 09/080,125 which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety. The opening in which the LEDs 50 and 51 are carried
may be covered by an infrared-transparent lens 17. The forward end
of the remote control 10 may also include an opening for an RF
antenna 52. On the underneath portion of the remote control 10 are
located openings for a battery compartment 58 and, optionally, a
speaker, and/or battery charging contacts. On the left side of the
remote control 10 can be placed a jack 61 reserved for serial data
operations. In certain embodiments, a magnetic modem coupler 71, as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,463 which is incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety, can be included to permit transfer of
data into the unit via a telephone handset or other source of
magnetically encoded signal such as television or P.C.
loudspeakers.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is illustrated a block
diagram of exemplary operating circuitry 100 of the remote control
10. The operating circuitry 100 may be powered directly by a
battery or indirectly from another electrical source (i.e., by way
of the battery charging contacts or other dc power source). The
power supply is regulated and monitored by a power conditioning and
status circuit 106. The operating circuitry 100 preferably includes
a memory bank 110 comprising RAM 111 and flash memory 112, main
processor 101 (e.g., a Sharp LU77790A), a display module 180
comprising a liquid crystal display glass 182, touch panel overlay
184, electroluminescent backlight 186 and drivers 188.
[0046] Also included in the operating circuitry 100 are shown a
general purpose serial I/O circuit 108, an infrared controller 140
(e.g, comprising a Samsung KS88C01424 Microcontroller), an infrared
transmitter circuit 150, an infrared receiver circuit 160, a
Analog-to-Digital converter (ADC) and touch decoder circuit 170
(e.g., comprising a PIC16LC715 Microcontroller or other touch
screen controller/decoder chip), a speaker or buzzer 102, a key pad
190 (the electrical diagram equivalent of the elastomeric keyboard
20 shown in FIG. 2), a magnetic modem 71, and an RF module 152
comprising an RF controller 120 (e.g., a PIC16F84 Microcontroller)
and an RF transceiver 130 (e.g. an RF Microdevices RF2915 chip). In
an alternative embodiment, the RF module 125 may comprise an
"off-the-shelf" RF transceiver unit with an integral baseband
processor such as the "900 MHz Microhopper" available from World
Wireless Communications Inc. (part number 011-1882). It will be
appreciated that RF modules of other manufacture and/or other
technologies (Bluetooth, IEE802.11, etc.) are equally suitable. The
RF circuitry is connected to the RF antenna 52 while the IR
circuitry is connected to the IR LEDs 50 and 51.
[0047] The main processor (e.g., a Sharp "System on a Chip," the
LU77790A) may be based on a 32-bit, ARM RISC (Reduced Instruction
Set Computer) core. In this regard, the main processor would
comprise the ARM processor core 300, LCD controller 310, general
purpose I/O ports 320, and multiple serial UART ports 330. The main
processor is provided to manage the entire process of interacting
with the user through the backlit, graphical, touchscreen, LCD
module 180, the speaker or buzzer 102, the key pad 190, the
microphone and/or the red LED 235 (LED 22 of FIGS. 1 and 2) and to
provide two-way infrared and RF communications through the infrared
controller 140 and the RF controller 120.
[0048] FIG. 3 further illustrates the electrical connections
between the various modules such as connection 200 interconnecting
the memory module 110 with the main processor 101, connections 210
and 220 interconnecting the LCD 180 with the main processor 101,
connections 230, 240, 250, 260, and 270 interconnecting the main
processor 101 with the key pad 190, buzzer 102, the general purpose
serial I/O circuit 108 and the RF controller 120, infrared
controller 140, and ADC and touch decoder circuit 170,
respectively. Other connections include the connection 252 between
the RF controller 120 and the RF transceiver 130 and connection 262
interconnecting the infrared controller 140 with the infrared
transmitter 150 and also connecting the infrared controller 140
with the infrared receiver 160.
[0049] The electronic configuration illustrated in block diagram
100 comprises a general purpose, multi-processor system. The
operation of the multi-processor system is controlled by internal
control software. The control software may include routines,
programs, objects, components, and/or data structures that perform
particular tasks that can be viewed as an operating system together
with one or more applications. The operating system provides an
underlying set of management and control functions which are
utilized by the applications to offer user functions such as
control of consumer appliances, access to Internet data, display of
home automation controls, display of TV guide information, and the
like. It should be understood that, while the term "remote control"
is used herein to designate the physical unit, in terms of the
internal software architecture the conventional "clicker" remote
control user interface is but one of several possible applications
which may co-exist within the unit.
[0050] Architecturally, the system is organized around the concept
of Events and Resources. Events are occurrences which initiate an
action. More specifically, an Event is an occurrence that requires
a response from the remote control 10. Events include
user-initiated activities such as pressing a physical key on the
keypad 20, activating the touch screen LCD 24, speaking into a
microphone, etc. Events can also be generated by the main processor
101, for example by an internal timer register. In addition, Events
can be generated by external means such as, for example, a
communication transmission.
[0051] In response to an Event, the remote control will typically
access one or more of its Resources. A Resource is, in its broadest
definition, a block of data. The data is often of a specific (i.e.,
defined) type. Within the memory 110, each memory data block is
preferably identified by its "Resource ID" or by another indication
where the Resource is located in the memory structure. Examples of
Resources are bitmaps, strings, and control and display
definitions. Generally, Resources are used to configure the remote
control 10 to be responsive to the needs of the user. Many
Resources are loaded into the memory 110 of the remote control 10
by the manufacturer when the remote control 10 is built. Other
Resources may be created or modified by the user and still other
Resources can be remotely loaded into the memory 110 by a service
center, via the Internet, etc. Resources allow the behavior, look
and feel of the remote control 10 to be altered, even after it has
been sold and is in the hands of the user thus permitting the user
to personalize the remote control 10 to his or her own tastes.
[0052] For ease of development, Resources may be instantiated
within the remote control 10 by use of a Resource Compiler running
on a PC or equivalent. The Resource Compiler accepts a text
description of graphic and control elements and compiles them into
memory data structures suitable for use within the remote control
10. Although other mechanisms, e.g. manual compilation, self
generation by the remote control operating system under user
control, etc., are possible, a PC based Resource Compiler may
provide the most efficient method for rapid development of
Resources needed for a particular remote control application. To
assist in a better understanding of the Resources used to construct
the remote control user interface software described herein,
examples of commands which are available in an exemplary Resource
Compiler for use in generating the memory data structures for the
remote control include:
BITMAP (BitMapName, BitsPerPixel, Width, Height, Radix)
[0053] The BITMAP command generates a black and white bitmap
Resource. "BitMapName" is the bitmap Resource ID while the "Width"
and "Height" size the bitmap. "BitsPerPixel" is set to `1` and
"Radix" is set to `2` in the first generation of the remote control
product.
FONT (FontName, StartAsciiIndex, EndAsciiIndex)
[0054] FONT generates a Resource Table that associates numeric
values with bitmaps. This approach permits the use of an unordered
set of bitmaps to be used as alphabetic characters or font.
"FontName" is a SYMBOL. Its assigned value is the Resoure ID of the
font. "StartAsciiIndex" is the index value associated with the
first bitmap ID. "EndAsciiIndex" is the index value associated with
the last bitmap ID. A list of bitmap Ids follows this Command. The
bitmap IDs are typically expressions in the form of SYMBOL
names.
STRING (StringName, StringCharacters)
[0055] STRING generates a String Resource. "StringName" is a
SYMBOL. Its assigned value is the String Resource ID.
"StringCharacters" comprise the text in the string.
DATA (DataName, [DataSpecifier,[Expr]],DataEnd)
[0056] DATA generates a Data Resource. "DataName" is a SYMBOL. Its
assigned value is the Data Resource ID. "DataSpecifier" indicates
the size of the expressions ("Expr") that follow it. There can be
multiple expressions following a DataSpecifier and there can be
multiple DataSpecifiers in a Data Resource.
BITMAPBUTTONCONTROL (ControlName, ControlCode, UpBitMapID,
DownBitMapID, InactiveBitMapID, SelectBitMapID)
[0057] BITMAPBUTTONCONTROL generates a bitmap push button control.
"ControlName" is a SYMBOL. Its assigned value is the Resource ID
for the control. "ControlCode" is the value generated when the
control on the touchscreen display is pressed or released.
"UpBitMapID" is the Resource ID of the bitmap that is drawn on the
display when the control is active but not pressed. "DownBitMapID"
is the Resource ID of the bitmap that is drawn on the display when
the control is active and pressed by the user. "InactiveBitMapID"
is the Resource ID of the bitmap that is drawn on the display when
the control is inactive. "SelectedBitMapID" is the Resource ID of
the bitmap that is drawn on the display when the control is active
and visually highlighted.
STRINGBITMAPCONTROL (ControlName, ControlCode, StringID, FontID,
UpBitMapID, DownBitMapID)
[0058] STRINGBITMAPCONTROL generates a bitmap push button control
on the display with a string drawn over it. "ControlName" is a
SYMBOL. Its assigned value is the Resource ID for the control.
"ControlCode" is the value generated when the control on the
touchscreen is pressed or released. "StringID" is the Resource ID
of the string that is drawn when the control is pressed or
unpressed. "FontID" is the Resource ID of the font with which the
string is drawn. "UpBitMapID" is the ResourceID of the bitmap that
is drawn on the display when the control is active but not pressed.
"DownBitMapID" is the Resource ID of the bitmap that is drawn on
the display when the control is active and pressed by the user.
COMPOSITECONTROL (ControlName, TopX, TopY, ControlCode, Parameters
[Below], End)
[0059] Rect: Xoffset, Yoffset, Width, Height, ForeGroundColor,
BackGroundColor
[0060] BitMap: BitMapID, Xoffset, Yoffset, XferMethod
[0061] Line: X1offset, Y1offset, X2offset, Y2offset
[0062] RoundRect: Xoffset, Yoffset, Width, Height, Radius,
ForeGroundColor, BackGroundColor
[0063] Text: StringID, Xoffset, Yoffset, Spacing, ForeGroundColor,
BackGroundColor, Direction, FontID
[0064] ClipRect: Xoffset, Yoffset, Width, Height
[0065] COMPOSITECONTROL generates a bitmap control for display from
a collection of drawing primitives. The control may be used as a
picture or as a pushbutton control. Unlike other controls just
mentioned, this control does not change when pressed. "ControlName"
is a SYMBOL. Its assigned value is the Resource ID for the control.
"TopX" is the left coordinate of the control. "TopY" is the top
coordinate of the control. "ControlCode" is the value generated
when the control on the touchscreen display is pressed or released.
The parameters are optional graphic commands. They are: [0066]
`Red` defines an unfilled rectangle. Xoffset and Yoffset are the
distance from TopX and TopY at which the top left coordinate of the
rectangle is located. Width an Height are the dimensions of the
rectangle. ForeGroundColor is the color of the rectangle and
BackGroundColor is the color behind the text. [0067] `BitMap`
defines a bitmap and its location. BitMapID is the Resource ID of
the bitmap. Xoffset and Yoffset are the distance from TopX and TopY
at which the top left coordinate of the bitmap is located. The
XferMethod determines how the bits in the bitmap will be applied.
[0068] `Line` draws a line from X1offset, Y1offset to X2offset,
Y2offset. X1offset and Y1offset are the distance from TopX and TopY
at which point the line begins. X2offset and Y2offset are the
distance from TopX and TopY at which point the line ends. [0069]
`RoundRect` defines a rectangle with rounded corners. Xoffset and
Yoffset are the distance from TopX and TopY at which the top left
coordinate of the rectangle is located. Width an Height are the
dimensions of the rectangle. Radius is the radius of the rounded
corners. ForeGroundColor is the color of the rectangle and
BackGroundColor is the color behind the text. [0070] `Text` places
a text string on the display. StringID is the Resource ID of the
text to be drawn on the display. Xoffset and Yoffset are the
distance from TopX and TopY at which the top left coordinate of the
string is located. Spacing is the number of blank bits between
letters. ForeGroundColor is the color of the text and
BackGroundColor is the color behind the text. Direction specifies
the direction at which the text will be drawn. The FontID is the
Resource ID for the font to be used in representing the text.
[0071] `ClipRect` defines an allowable area within the display
within which a drawing may appear. Xoffset and Yoffset are the
distance from TopX and TopY at which the top left coordinate of the
drawing area is located. Width an Height are the dimensions of the
drawing area.
SCROLLCONTROL (ControlName, ControlCode, Left, Top, Right, Bottom,
State, TopUpID, TopDownID, BottomUpID, BottomDownID)
[0072] SCROLLCONTROL generates a bitmap control which displays a
vertical scroll bar with top and bottom arrows. "ControlName" is a
SYMBOL. Its assigned value is the Resource ID for the control.
"ControlCode" is the value generated when the control on the
touchscreen is pressed or released. "Left" is the left most X
coordinate of the displayed control. "Top" is the upper most Y
coordinate of the displayed control. "Right" is the right most X
coordinate of the displayed control. "Bottom" is the lower most Y
coordinate of the displayed control. "State" is the default
settings for the state flags. "TopUpID" is the Resource ID of the
top arrow bitmap that is drawn on the display when the control is
active but not pressed. "TopDownID" is the Resource ID of the top
arrow bitmap that is drawn on the display when the control is
active and pressed by the user. "BottomUpID" is the Resource ID of
the bottom arrow bitmap that is drawn on the display when the
control is active but not pressed. "BottomDownID" is the Resource
ID of the bottom arrow bitmap that is drawn on the display when the
control is active and pressed by the user.
TEXTBOXRESOURCE (ControlName, ControlCode, Width, Height, Left,
Top, Right, Bottom, ScrollID, StringID, FontID, Box, Type,
Radius)
[0073] TEXTBOXRESOURCE generates an allowable area on the display
for text and an optional scrollbar and fills the area with
scrollable text. "ControlName" is a SYMBOL. Its assigned value is
the Resource ID for the control. "ControlCode" is the value
generated when the control on the touchscreen is pressed or
released. "Width" and "Height" are the dimensions of the text box,
including the scroll bar. "Left" is the left most X coordinate of
the displayed control. "Top" is the upper most Y coordinate of the
displayed control. "Right" is the right most X coordinate of the
displayed control. "Bottom" is the lower most Y coordinate of the
displayed control. "ScrollID" is the Resource ID of the scroll
control used in the text box. "StringID" is the Resource ID of the
string that is drawn when the display is first shown. "FontID" is
the Resource ID of the font with which the string is drawn. "BoxID"
specifies that the box will not be drawn or will be drawn with
square or rounded corners. If rounded corners are specified,
"Radius" defines the radius of the rounded corners.
[0074] Turning to FIG. 4, the Operating System (OS) 400 software
that the Main Processor 101 executes is organized into several
units called Managers. Each Manager performs a specific task when
called upon by the OS 400. The following are exemplary Managers:
[0075] The Memory Manager 402 allocates blocks of memory and
resources for use by an application program 434. [0076] The Display
Manager 404 controls what is shown on the LCD (180 in FIG. 3). It
can control what is shown over the entire LCD or just a portion of
it. The Display Manager 404 generates a display based primarily on
specified Resources held in memory. The display can, therefore, be
modified by changing the content of the Resource rather than by
changing the Display Manager code 404. [0077] The Control Manager
406 creates and destroys controls as well as handles the user
responses to the interactive graphical controls displayed on the
LCD. When a user selects a graphical icon shown on the LCD, the
Control Manager 406 responds to the Event and may alter the
graphical display in response to the user action. All icons and
graphical entities displayed by the Control Manager 406 originate
as a Resource and may, therefore, be changed. [0078] The Graphic
Manager 408 is responsible for the actual drawing of the entities
shown on the display. It also loads the alphabetic fonts used for
text in the display. [0079] The Event Manager 410 will queue or
mask Events that arise during the operation of the remote control
10. These Events include user interaction with the touch screen 24
or key pad 20 and system Events generated by timers or by any of
the communication ports. Events in the queue are accessed by
Application Software 434. [0080] The real-time clock (RTC) Manager
412 generates a periodic timing mark as an Event. It may also be
adapted to keep the current time. [0081] The Touch Manager 414
generates an Event each time the touch screen 24 is touched and
sends the Event to the Event manager 410. [0082] The Communication
Manager 416 handles all serial messages between the Applications
430 or other Operating System software modules and those
peripherals connected on the serial buses such as the infrared
controller 140, and the ADC and touch decoder 170. [0083] The RF
I/O manager 418 handles all two-way data communication between
Applications 430 and remote resources such as server applications
running in other devices (PCs, set top boxes, TV sets, CD
jukeboxes, etc.).
[0084] To communicate to systems beyond those devices
conventionally found in a home entertainment system, the remote
control 10 provides a two-way infrared or two-way RF system (or
other communication technology). Using this communication
technology, the remote control 10 can access, process, and/or
display data from remote sources. The RF I/O manager 418 (or IR I/O
manager in the event a two-way IR communications path is used
instead) accepts data from Applications 430 running under the OS
and prepares the data for communication by splitting the data into
packets and adding packet header information. It also accepts
received packets, ensures packet integrity and assembles the
received packets into data to be sent to the Application(s)
430.
[0085] The RF I/O manager 418 interacts directly with the two-way
RF hardware previously described (e.g., RF controller 120 and RF
transceiver 130). Checksums are appended to outbound data and the
packets are sent. Inbound data is received from the communications
hardware. Error free packets are passed to the Application
interface and a confirmation of successful reception is sent to the
originator. Packets with errors are discarded and up to three
retransmit requests can be sent to the originator.
[0086] In one preferred embodiment, the data communication protocol
implemented by the RF I/O Manager 418 comprises communication
packets which can carry data or commands. Each packet comprises a
header and the attached command or data. Commands are transfers of
non-data and are acted upon. A sequence is any number of packets
that comprises an entire transfer of data, such as a complete text
stream, a complete bitmap file, a Web page or any other complete
data resource. A block is a series of data packets. A single block
or multiple blocks may constitute a sequence. An exemplary
Communication Packet format is illustrated in Table 1 below.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Field Bytes Description Byte Count 1 Total
number of bytes supplied to the end of the data (7 + n) To Address
2 The address of the receiving station (usually the server). From
Address 2 The address of the Remote Control platform Packet Number
1 Bits 0-6 are used to be sure every packet is sequential. Most
significant bit used to indicate a command packet (MSB set). Port
Number 1 Used to keep track of multiple data streams. Data n Packet
payload - data or command
[0087] The Byte Count is the total number of bytes in the packet,
including the header. The To Address is the address of the
receiving station (usually a server or gateway). The From Address
is the address of the remote control 10. The Packet Number is used
to ensure every packet is sequential. The Most Significant Bit of
the Packet Number indicates a command packet when set to a Logic 1.
A unique Port Number can be assigned to each unique data sequence,
so that packets of different sequences can be transmitted in an
interleaved fashion. Each separate stream of data packets should
have its own port number as well as its own packet number
sequence.
[0088] In one embodiment, six commands are defined for use by the
remote control 10. The payload data of each command comprises a one
byte command code followed by a variable number of parameters, as:
[0089] STX (data=0x02h). The STX command indicates the start of the
transmission of a series of packets comprising a data sequence.
This command is accompanied by parameters which specify the total
number of packets in the sequence and the Port Number assigned to
the sequence. Once an STX command is answered by an ACK, any
communication using the specified Port Number will be associated
with that specific "sequence" of data. [0090] ETX (data=0x03h). The
ETX command follows after a complete sequence has been transmitted,
and contains the checksum for the entire sequence (excluding the
headers). If a NAK is sent as a reply to an ETX command it is meant
to signal retransmission of the entire sequence. [0091] ACK
(data=0x06h). The ACK command signals a successful transfer of a
data Block or Sequence. [0092] NAK (data=0x15h). The NAK command
signals an unsuccessful transfer of a data block or sequence. NAK
also constitutes a request for retransmission of the data not
correctly received. [0093] ETB (data=0x17h). The ETB command
indicates the end of a block of data. Also causes the packet
sequence count to be reset to zero. [0094] CAN (data=0x18h). The
CAN command cancels the sequence on the Port Number included in the
data portion of this command. While the above describes one
possible implementation of a communications protocol for transfer
of data between the remote control 10 and another device, it will
be appreciated that there are many other possible protocols that
are equally suitable including, but not limited to, those
corresponding to various standards, e.g. Bluetooth, IrDA Control,
IEE802.11 and others.
[0095] To effect the transmission of IR codes, the IR controller
140 communicates with applications 430 resident in the remote
control 10 using a pre-defined set of commands. Since the actual
mechanisms and formats for transmitting such IR signals are well
known in the art--see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,810 which
is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety--it will not be
described further herein. In an exemplary embodiment, the SendIR
command is issued to the IR Controller 140 to cause an IR code to
be transmitted. The SendIR command may be a six byte packet
including the fields RcdLength(1), 01h, DeviceTypeNum(2),KeyCode(1)
and KeyFlag(1) where: [0096] RcdLength is a one byte value
indicating the total number of bytes in this packet. [0097] 01h is
a command type which identifies this command as a "send IR"
command. [0098] DeviceTypeNum is a combination of DeviceType and
DeviceNumber as follows: [0099] Bits 15 . . . 12: DeviceType--see
Table 2 below. [0100] Bits 11 . . . 0: DeviceNumber represents a
four (decimal) digit number which identifies a set of IR functions
to control a specific device (e.g. "Sony TV set") [0101] KeyCode
identifies the function to be transmitted, according to Table 3
below. [0102] KeyFlag indicates if any special processing is
required. For example, if KeyFlag bit 7 is "on" this can indicate
that this IR command is part of a macro sequence playback,
requiring that the IR data frame be repeated a certain minimum
number of times. If bit 5 is "on" this can indicate that the IR
Controller should use a learned IR code rather than its
pre-programmed code.
TABLE-US-00002 [0102] TABLE 2 IR Controller device types Letter
Device Type Device Name Representation 0 TV T 1 Cable C 2 Video
Accessory N 3 Satellite/DSS S 4 VCR V 5 Cassette Tape K 6 Laser
Disk L 7 Digital Audio Tape J 8 Digital Video Disk Y 9
Tuner/Amplifier R 10 Amplifier/Misc. Audio A/M 11 Compact Disk D 12
Phonograph P 13 Home Control H 15-31 Reserved
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 IR Controller KeyCodes KeyCode Function Name
1 Digit 1 2 Digit 2 3 Digit 3 4 Digit 4 5 Digit 5 6 Digit 6 7 Digit
7 8 Digit 8 9 Digit 9 10 Digit 0 11 Volume Up 12 Volume Down 13
Mute 14 Channel Up 15 Channel Down 16 Power 17 Enter 18 Previous
Channel 19 TV/VIDEO 20 TV/VCR 21 A/B 22 TV/DVD 23 TV/LD 24 Input 25
TV/DSS, TV/SAT 26 Play 27 Stop 28 (Search) Forward 29 (Search)
Reverse 30 Pause 31 Record 32 Menu 33 Menu Up 34 Menu Down 35 Menu
Left 36 Menu Right 37 Select 38 Exit 39 . . . 255 Other
functions
It will be appreciated that there are many other commands that go
back and forth between the processors and that the above
description with respect to the SendIR command is not intended to
be limiting.
[0103] As noted previously, the exemplary remote control hardware
and operating system are capable of supporting multiple application
programs. In a preferred embodiment, two application programs
coexist in the unit: one which provides conventional remote control
("clicker") functionality 432, and another associated with the
two-way RF communication subsystem which provides general purpose
text and graphics display capability in the form of a compact
browser utility 434. The application which provides conventional
consumer appliance remote control functionality is preferably the
application that is launched by default upon power-up (i.e.
insertion of batteries into the unit) and is the mode of operation
most commonly used by the user.
[0104] FIG. 1 illustrates a typical appearance of the LCD touch
screen 24 when the remote control 10 is in the mode of operation
for providing remote control functionality. It will be appreciated
that many other displays are also available, depending on the type,
model, and functionality of the device(s) to be controlled. In
addition, the remote control application need not display key icons
for functions not supported by a particular device, so the actual
display may vary according to the specific device brand or even
model currently set up. For example, even though the IR controller
and the remote control screen layout may in general support menu
operations (see KeyCodes 32 through 38 in Table 1), if the specific
device currently set (e.g. a Goldstar TV) does not offer this
feature, those keys need not be displayed.
[0105] Turning now to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 illustrates the top level
program hierarchy within the remote control application 432. The
remote control application 432 (and it's sub-applications) acquire
Events from an event queue (placed there by the Event Manager 410)
and use other Managers and Resources to perform their intended
function. The main menu sub-application 500 is called at the time
the remote control 10 receives power, for example, the time at
which the batteries are installed. It initializes all the Managers
400, places a welcome message on the LCD display 24, initializes
and loads all Applications and Resources that may be used. After a
set period of time (a few seconds), the welcome message should be
replaced by the default device screen. A typical default device
screen is shown in FIG. 1.
[0106] Once all Applications and Resources have been initialized,
the main menu sub-application 500 waits for an Event. One such
Event is an internal main processor timeout which, in this specific
case, turns off the display and system CPU to save battery power.
Another such Event is a user key press. In this latter case, the
user may press one of several types of keys, creating Events to
which the main menu sub-Application 500 responds. One or more of
the control keys shown on the display 24 generates an Event
invoking a sub-application 503 that produces a new display.
Typically this might be a second "page" (i.e. alternative device
screen) of command keys for the current device under control (e.g.
a TV) or for a different device (e.g. from TV to VCR) with a new
page of keys. Activation of another group of keys (both the soft
keys shown on the display and the hard keys in the keypad 20) will
invoke a sub-application 504 that transmits an infrared code. The
send IR sub-application 504 communicates with the IR controller 140
via the operating system's communication manager using the IR
controller command structure described earlier to cause the
appropriate device IR command signal to be transmitted.
[0107] Activation of other keys can invoke a sub-application 502
that will turn on the display backlighting. It will be appreciated
that a motion sensor could also be used to turn on the display
backlighting, for example, when the remote control 10 is picked up.
Yet another key activation can invoke the setup sub-application 501
that permits the user to customize the remote control 10.
Activation of still other keys can invoke a different application
508 and pass control of the unit to that application. By way of
example, activation of a key 41 labeled "iMosiac" may invoke the
Browser application 434 which is described in greater detail
below.
[0108] For customizing the universal remote control 10, the setup
Application 501 is invoked. Customization, as is shown in FIG. 5,
can be provided by three menu-driven, sub-applications, namely, the
device personalization sub menu 505, the device setup sub menu 506
and the system sub menu 507. The device setup sub menu 506, shown
in FIG. 6, comprises five sub-applications that afford the user the
opportunity to access all of the infrared control codes required
for operation of an entire home electronics system. Control codes
may be pre-stored in the main memory 110 or the IR Controller 140
of the remote control 10, learned into the main memory 110 by using
the remote control that was supplied with a device, or downloaded
from a remote source, e.g., from a source via the Internet.
[0109] To select control codes to be available for access to
control consumer electronic devices by device type and
manufacturer, the setup by brand sub-application 510 is utilized.
This sub-application is based in part on technology disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,906 entitled "Method for selecting a remote
control command set" that is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety. The setup by search sub-application 516 permits the
user to select control codes by linearly stepping through the data
base of codes by device type, trying each one in turn. The setup by
code sub-application 513 permits the user to simply enter a known
code number to configure the remote control 10 to make accessible
the control codes to control the device(s) corresponding to the
known code number. The new code sub-application 519 allows the user
to try new codes received during a prior download over the Internet
or through customer service via the telephone. Selected/downloaded
control codes may be made available for user access by using the
add function 511 or used to replace currently accessible control
codes using the replace function 512. The delete sub-application
522 can be used to erase all selected control codes, allowing the
user to start over with a clean slate.
[0110] The personalization sub menu 505 of sub-applications shown
in FIG. 7 offers some very powerful sub-applications to the user
that permit the remote control 10 to be fully personalized to meet
specific needs of a user. For example, the macros sub-application
530 comprises five different functions. The macros sub-application
530 is based on technology disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,751
entitled "Universal Remote Control Device" which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety. The macros sub-application
permits the user to add 531, view 532, delete 534, copy 533 (e.g.,
onto another screen) or delete all 535 macro functions.
[0111] To select a key from one device representing a specific
infrared function and create a copy of it for use with another
device, the move key sub-application 540 is utilized. For example,
the move key sub-application 540 can be used to move the channel up
function for the TV device such that it is accessible from the VCR
device screen. This Sub-Application is based on technology
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,092 entitled "Key mover" that is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In addition to
moving a key 541 a user may delete all 542 keys that have been
moved.
[0112] To teach the remote control a new function from another
remote control, the learn sub-application 550 is utilized. The
learn sub-application is based on technology disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 6,097,309 entitled "Remote control learning system and method
using signal envelope pattern recognition" that is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety. A new function can be learned
551 by the remote control and assigned to a pre-defined function
key or to a blank key. All learned functions can be deleted
552.
[0113] To label new device keys 561, new function keys 562 or to
edit existing key labels, the label keys sub-application 560 is
utilized. The label key sub-application 562 makes available symbols
and lower and upper case characters as well as the backspace,
space, and shift for use in creating alphanumeric key labels. A
caps lock function can also be provided.
[0114] To teach the remote control a new function by entering a
code, the key magic sub-application 570 is utilized. The key magic
sub-application 570 is based on technology disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,515,052 entitled "Universal remote control with function
synthesis" that is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety. A new function can be added 571 and assigned to a
pre-defined function key or to a blank key. All added functions can
be deleted 572.
[0115] Any key on any device page may be viewed and deleted by the
view & delete function 595.
[0116] The volume lock sub-application 580 affords the user a means
for controlling the volume for one device (the amplifier, for
example) from another screen dedicated to controlling another
device like the TV, for example. The user may institute the locking
feature using the lock function 581 or may remove the feature using
the unlock function 582.
[0117] The home theater sub-application 590 offers the user a means
for creating on one or several screens a set of keys that are those
most often used keys in a home theater system. The user may
configure the feature using the configure function 591 or may
remove the feature using the reset to default function 592.
[0118] The system sub menu 507 of sub-applications, illustrated in
FIG. 8, offers the user the ability to affect the overall operation
of the remote control. For example, the upgrade sub-application 600
permits the user to add 601 codes from a remote source such as a
server on the Internet, via a cable set top box, etc. This
application makes it easy for the user to always have the most
current and/or correct codes in the subject remote control, even
after the purchase or upgrade of new devices for the family home
entertainment system. This sub-application may be based on
technology disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,463 entitled "Magnetic
modem in a remote control," U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,077 entitled
"Remotely upgradable universal remote control" and in U.S. Pat. No.
5,689,353 entitled "Remote control with two-way data coupling" that
are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The add
function 601 and the replace function 602 make it possible for the
user to add or replace codes after the upgrade process is
complete.
[0119] The LCD sub-application 610 provides a means for the user to
compensate for any drift in the calibration of the LCD 24 during
long-term use. The user may invoke the calibrate function 611 to
return the LCD 24 to factory-level settings.
[0120] While using the touchscreen 24, the user can receive audible
feedback that a key has been selected. To this end, a soft clicking
sound is issued by the speaker or by the buzzer 102. This sound may
be turned on or off using the sound on/off sub-application 630.
[0121] After the user has fully personalized the subject remote
control, those settings may be locked into place to avoid
inadvertent changes. This feature is performed by the lock on/off
sub-application 620. The user may return the remote control 10 to
its original, factory settings by invoking the user reset/master
reset sub-application 640.
[0122] To navigate and browse HTML-formatted data supplied from an
external source (e.g., via a two-way RF or IR communications link)
the remote control 10 includes a browser application 434 that
supports a sub set of XHTML-Basic and Compact HTML as proposed and
defined by the World Wide Web Consortium. In this manner, the
remote control 10 provides for customized user interface and data
display since, within the constraints of the remote control
hardware (screen size, color, memory availability, etc.), any
screen layout of text, images, and/or hyperlink buttons is
possible. Thus, any external device equipped with a compatible RF
or IR transceiver, such as a personal computer, cable or satellite
set top box, home automation controller or security system, CD
jukebox, TV set, and the like, can avail itself of the remote
control 10 as a data display and interface device via a
well-understood standardized set of HTML commands.
[0123] In addition to the subset of XHTML-Basic commands supported,
the remote control browser can also offer extra META statements as
special extensions of the standard to facilitate use in situations
which are not classically Web-based. For example, the browser can
support a "Full screen" META statement, <META NAME="Any Names"
CONTENT="Full Screen">, that will cause the browser to go to
full screen display mode (e.g., no navigation buttons or scroll
bars are displayed). Similarly, the browser can support a "Refresh"
META statement, <META HTTP-EQUIV="Refresh" CONTENT="xx;
URL=http://www.name.com/anything.html">, that will cause the
Browser to count a given number of seconds, as specified in the
"content field," and then display the next html page specified, or
if the "URL=" is not present, refresh the current page. Both of
these extensions are useful for authoring displays in which the
user is not necessarily aware that the interface presented to him
is HTML based via a browser--for example, simple TV guide
applications and the like. Additionally, the "Refresh" feature is
useful in applications where the data content to be displayed on
the remote control 10 needs to be synchronized with a TV or audio
program, for example enhanced TV services or karaoke lyrics.
[0124] The browser application can also be adapted to support a
special extended HTML tag type, "IROP." With this ability, the
remote control 10 can be used in connection with HTML pages that
are authored to support "buttons" for use in sending IR commands.
The general format of the IROP tag is <IROP KEY="1-18, . . . ",
LABEL="function name" IMG="file path"> where the "KEY=xx,yy . .
. " field contains data indicative of an IR code to be transmitted.
In this regard, the data could specify the IR code(s) to be
transmitted upon activation of the button using the IR KeyCodes
defined for the IR controller defined in Table 3 above.
Alternatively, the field could contain data representative of the
actual IR code to be transmitted using a formatting technology such
as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,052 which is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety. The "LABEL=" and "IMG=" fields
respectively define a label and graphic (i.e. icon) associated with
the button or link. For example <IROP KEY="10, 7",
LABEL="ABC"> would result in the display of" "ABC" as a
selectable area on the screen. User activation by pressing the
"ABC" area on the touch screen would cause the browser to send to
the IR Controller 140 a SendIR command containing KeyCode number 10
followed by a SendIR command containing KeyCode number 7, thus
causing the IR Controller to transmit the IR codes for the digits
"zero" and "seven," i.e., selecting channel 7 on the current
consumer electronic device used for channel changing (TV, Cable
box, Satellite receiver, etc.).
[0125] As will be appreciated, this extended IROP tag is useful in
situations where it is desired that a user be provided with the
ability to interact with an HTML page to initiate the transmission
of IR command codes to consumer appliances. Examples of such HTML
pages include TV guides, CD jukebox managers, and the like.
Furthermore, it is contemplated that the IROP tag could be used to
present to a user a virtual remote control that has the key layout
and appearance of a prepackaged remote control (e.g., a display
presenting a key layout and appearance of a Sony remote that is
prepackaged with a Sony TV). In this manner, activation of a link
having an IROP tag on the virtually displayed remote control (i.e.,
selection of a virtually displayed control key) can cause the
remote control 10 to transmit the same control code as if the user
where actually activating the corresponding key on the prepackaged
remote control.
[0126] The remote control can be further adapted to support another
special extended HTML tag type "MREM." With this ability, the
remote control 10, if equipped with a date/time clock capability,
can support a reminder/calendar feature used in connection with
HTML pages that are authored to supply data regarding upcoming
events. The general format of the MREM tag is <MREM TTR="Time to
Remind" LABEL="Note/Memo" IMG="file path" LINK="URL">. This tag
will cause a calendar event to be registered with the Remote
Control application where TTR represents the time at or after which
a reminder message is to be displayed during normal operation of
the remote, LABEL represents the message to be displayed at
reminder time, IMG (optional) represents an image to be displayed
at reminder time, and LINK (optional) specifies the URL of an HTML
page to be automatically loaded at reminder time. Note that if the
LINK option is specified, this will also cause the Remote Control
application to automatically invoke the Browser application to load
and process the specified URL. With the exception of TTR, any of
the fields specified above for the MREM tag may be omitted, i.e.
"null," as required. For example <MREM TTR="5-15-2001-14:45"
LABEL="Watch `Who wants to be a Millionaire`"> would result in
the reminder text message "Watch `Who wants to be a Millionaire`"
being displayed at or after 2:45 pm on May 15, 2001. Further
examples of the application of this HTML tag are discussed
later.
[0127] Turning to FIG. 9, to invoke the browser application, the
user may, for example, press a soft button 910 (such as "iMosaic"
41 on the regular remote control application display screen 24).
When invoked, the browser application starts by initializing itself
and the two-way communication interface 912 (via the RF I/O Manager
in the illustrative embodiment). If the browser application and
two-way communication interface are successfully initialized, the
remote control 10 displays the basic Browser screen layout, an
example of which is shown in FIG. 11, and issues a request to load
a preset home page 914, 916. FIGS. 10a through 10 g provide
flowcharts depicting an overall operation of the exemplary Browser
Application, showing how subsequent processing of the downloaded
HTML data can be performed.
[0128] Turning to FIG. 10a, there is shown the overall flow of the
exemplary Browser application. As described earlier, the remote
control 10 is an event-driven system, so once initialized, the
Browser Application simply waits for an Event to occur 1002.
Browser-related Events can be classified into one of three general
categories: KeyDown Events 1004 which result from user activation
of any of the keys shown in FIG. 11 (hard or soft); HTML Events
1006 which result from user activation of an HTML generated item in
the current display area (for example a hyperlink, check box, text
input area, etc.); and I/O Events 1008 resulting from activity on
the two way communication link, timers, or other system-generated
interrupts (a low battery indication, for example). The individual
processing of each of these categories of Event will be described
in further detail below in conjunction with the figures that
follow.
[0129] In one exemplary embodiment, internal priorities within the
Browser Application are arranged such that, while in the process of
loading and displaying a page of data via the RF link, it will
ignore other inputs such as HTML Events. In other words, it is
designed such that a user is required to wait until the current
page is completely displayed before initiating any action such as a
hyperlink selection. This is evident in FIG. 10a where the "IDLE"
status of the Browser application (i.e., not currently loading data
via the RF link) is used to determine whether KeyDown and HTML
events are processed or not. It will be appreciated that other
implementations are also possible, in particular, providing the
ability to abort an HTML download in progress and initiate a new
one by pressing a key or hyperlink in a partially loaded and
displayed page.
[0130] FIG. 10b depicts the processing of a KeyDown Event,
specifically the action taken in response to each of the possible
key press user inputs. As can be seen, these actions are used to
effect page navigation and browser control in addition to providing
a means to configure the Browser Application and to return the unit
to the (default) Remote Control Application.
[0131] FIG. 10c depicts the processing of an HTML Event. In the
HTML subset supported by the exemplary Browser Application, only
four classes of HTML Events can occur: Activation of a hyperlink
1010; activation of a form control field 1012; expiration of a
"refresh" META statement timer 1014 (a special extension to
standard HTML which allows periodic reloading of a page); or
activation of a IROP field 1016 (a special extension to standard
HTML which allows IR commands to be transmitted to consumer
appliances). Activation of a hyperlink results in a request for the
contents of the specified URL to be issued via the communications
link, after which the Browser Application returns to the "Get Next
Event" waiting state shown at the top of FIG. 10a pending receipt
of the requested data. Activation of a forms control function
results in the appropriate action as shown in FIG. 10b (note that
not all possible HTML forms functions are supported by the subset
and, therefore, unrecognized control requests may be ignored),
again followed by a return to the "Get Next Event" waiting state.
Expiration of a "refresh" timer causes a request to be issued via
the communications link for the URL specified in the META statement
(or, if no URL is specified, the current page to be automatically
reloaded) and a return to the "Get Next Event" waiting state
pending receipt of the requested data. Activation of an IROP
control causes the Browser to issue SendIR commands to the IR
Controller, as described earlier, also followed by a return to the
"Get Next Event" waiting state.
[0132] FIG. 10d depicts the processing of an RF I/O Event. All
communications transactions are preferably timed in order to allow
appropriate action to be taken by the Browser in the event the
communications link is interrupted, for example by the user
wandering out of RF range. Thus, the first I/O Event that is
checked for is a timer expired status 1020. If there is a Port
currently open (i.e. activity in progress) the timer expired event
is handled as shown in FIG. 10e, described in more detail below. If
the Event is an "RF Buffer Ready" event 1022, indicating that there
is received data ready for processing, the event is handled as
shown in FIG. 10g, described in more detail below. An RF buffer
overflow event 1024 signifies an error condition, handled as shown
in FIG. 10f, described in more detail below. If the sending
(server) side issues a "Cancel" command (a request to abort
transmission), this event 1026 is handled in a similar manner to a
timeout event. All other types of events 1028 represent conditions
which should abort any page download currently in progress (e.g. a
low battery condition), and thus result in the Browser issuing a
"CANCEL" request to the server (the inverse of the server "CANCEL"
described previously) provided a Port is currently open.
[0133] FIG. 10e shows the error processing invoked in the case of a
timeout or a server initiated "CANCEL" request when the Browser
application is not "idle," i.e. it is loading HTML or image data
via the RF link. If a given time, e.g., three seconds, has not
elapsed since the last activity on this port 1030, timing continues
without any action. If the given time has been reached or exceeded,
the Browser issues a "CANCEL" request to the server 1032. It then
determines if a given number of retries, e.g., three, have already
occurred for this particular request 1034. If the number or retries
has not been exceeded, the Browser reissues the request 1036. If
all of the retries have been exhausted, the Browser takes error
action as appropriate: in the case of a failed HTML page download
it may display an error message to the user 1038 (FIG. 21 is a
example of such a message); if the failure occurred during the
download of an image 1040, the Browser may simply skip display of
that image and proceeds to request the next image 1042, if any
exists. (The processing of HTML and requests for image data is
described in more detail later in conjunction with FIG. 10g.)
[0134] FIG. 10f shows the error processing that occurs in the event
of a buffer overflow. As can be seen, the actions taken by the
remote control 10 are similar to those described above in
conjunction with an exhausted retry count.
[0135] FIG. 10g shows the processing steps that occur upon receipt
of a buffer full of data Events from the RF I/O Manager. In this
case, the Browser first checks its internal status to determine if
it is currently expecting HTML or image data 1050. If expecting
HTML data, the HTML page is sent to the HTML parser 1052, which
processes the HTML data and breaks it down into individual elements
for display (text strings and images), position coordinates for
each hyperlink or control within the display, and a table of
control-link relationships. The HTML parser also sets the
appropriate timer if a "refresh" META statement is encountered.
When the HTML parser has completed its analysis, the display
information is passed to the Display Manager 1054 for rendering on
the LCD screen. Once the basic HTML page is displayed (i.e., text,
links, controls, etc. together with "place holder" icons for the
locations of graphic images) the Browser may then issue requests
for any graphic images called out in the HTML source, loading and
displaying the graphic images one by one until all specified
graphics have been displayed. This is achieved by issuing a request
for the next graphic file 1056 via the RF communications link and
then returning to the "Get Next Event" state (FIG. 10a).
[0136] When a response is received, the next RF buffer ready Event
will find the Browser in an "expecting image data" state. This will
cause the opposite branch to be taken at the top of FIG. 10g. Here,
the Browser, after making any necessary adjustments to page layout
resulting from the insertion of the new graphic 1058, displays the
graphic data just received 1060 and issues a request for the next
graphic. In some instances the graphic size may have been
predefined in the HTML, in which case no adjustment is necessary
since the appropriate area is already allocated, but in others the
final graphic may differ in size from the "place holder" icon and
require adjustment to the balance of the page layout to accommodate
it. After the last graphic has been downloaded and displayed, the
Browser sets its internal status to "IDLE" (thereby enabling
recognition of HTML and KeyDown Events) and returns to the "Get
Next Event" state (FIG. 10a.)
[0137] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary, basic touch screen display
layout for the remote control Browser. In the illustration, the
layout comprises a toolbar 1100 containing the usual Browser
control items (e.g., "back," "forward," "reload," "stop," "go to,"
and "home" illustrated from left to right), a key 1120 to access
previously entered bookmarks, a general display area 1150 in which
HTML formatted data is displayed, and a scroll bar 1140 used to
navigate pages of data which are longer than the display space. In
addition, the screen may include two control elements specific to
the browser application, namely, a key 1130 to access set up
routines used to adjust items such as RF link addresses, home page
URL, etc., and a key 1110 used to return the unit to the basic
remote control application 432 when use of the Browser is
complete.
[0138] The "home page" URL first loaded by the Browser application
need not be Web based in the classical sense. Rather, the "home
page" may be an address pointing to a locally stored, HTML
formatted interface to a home control system as illustrated in FIG.
12. The "home page" illustrated in FIG. 12 shows an example of how
the universal remote control 10 can display simple icons and
messages 1202 useful in receiving information from appliances
around the home and, in turn, controlling them. In yet another
example, the "home page" initially loaded might take the form of a
TV guide display loaded from a cable or satellite set top box
including program viewing information 1302, as illustrated in FIG.
13. Note that this particular example makes use of the "full
screen" META statement 1300 as described above to hide the generic
browser controls (e.g., "back," "forward," "reload," etc.) from the
user.
[0139] By way of further example, FIG. 14 illustrates the use of
the universal remote control 10 as part of a two-way communication
system. In this illustrated example, the remote control 10 is used
as a platform to browse the Internet, using a personal computer
1420 as a gateway or proxy server. Requests by the user of the
universal remote control 10 for access to certain information
located on Web pages on the Internet are sent through the RF I/O
manager 418 and RF module 125 to a matching RF transceiver unit
1410 which is attached to the personal computer 1420 via one of its
serial ports 1415. Software resident in the personal computer 1420,
including an HTTP interface and server application 1440, formats
the request appropriately and forwards it to the specified Web URL.
When a response to a request is received at the personal computer
1420, the personal computer 1420 performs any format conversion
required for compatibility with the subset of HTML supported by the
remote control 10, and then forwards it to the remote control 10
via the reverse of the path described above. In this manner, Web
content may be ultimately displayed on the universal remote control
10.
[0140] In the illustrative example, the PC application that
provides the Internet access for the remote control 10 is called
the server application. As illustrated in FIG. 15, the server start
up module 1500 is invoked when the server application is started on
the personal computer 1420. The server application manages the
display (to the PC screen) and internal settings 1510, the transfer
of data 1520 between the Internet and the remote control 10, and
the external serial port 1540 to which the PC-side RF transceiver
unit 1410 is attached. As serial messages are received 1542 they
are placed in an internal data buffer 1544 from which they are
subsequently processed and delivered to the Internet
1522,1524,1526. If Internet data is received 1526, then it is
converted to a compatible format if necessary 1528, 1530 and then
sent to the remote control 10 for display 1532. It will be
appreciated that while this example uses a personal computer based
Web gateway, similar systems can readily be implemented using
various other devices to implement the gateway, for example a cable
or satellite set top box, a Web-enabled TV set, a residential home
gateway controller, a Web-enabled game console, a personal video
recorder, etc.
[0141] Once the universal remote control 10 with two-way
communication is suitably installed, many new and heretofore
unavailable applications can be provided. For example, of
particular advantage, the remote control 10 may be equipped to
communicate with an electronic device to retrieve operating
instructions for display on the LCD screen 24 of the remote control
10 as illustrated in FIG. 22. In this manner, instead of a printed
user manual which may be lost, a device 2200 which is already
equipped to communicate bi-directionally with the remote control 10
(e.g. a cable set top box, a thermostat, a security system, a
household appliance, etc.) has user manual information stored in
low cost ROM memory 2202. To this end, the remote control 10 can be
equipped with an application 2210 that allows its display 24 to
display information that is encoded using a mark-up language, such
as HTML or XML as described earlier. Thus, the user manual can be
formatted using at least a subset of the mark-up language where it
can be retrieved by the user from the device (e.g., in response to
a keystroke on the remote) and displayed on the screen 24 of the
remote control 10 as needed. In an alternative embodiment shown in
FIG. 23, an appliance 2300, which is not itself equipped with
wireless communication capability can use a wireless capable device
2320 as a relay to communicate with the remote control in a similar
manner to that described above. In this case, the appliance 2300
would have a hardwired (e.g. dedicated wiring, powerline,
telephone, video or audio cable, etc.) communication connection
2310 to the device 2320 which does have wireless capability.
[0142] By way of illustration, FIGS. 18a and 18b set forth an
exemplary method by which a thermostat unit might support the
above-described information retrieval feature. To initiate the
information retrieval, the remote control 10 can transmit a command
to the appliance that signifies a request for the information. The
transmission of the information request command by the remote
control 10 would normally be in response to the occurrence of an
Event at the remote control 10, e.g., the activation of a soft key.
Upon receipt of a command at the appliance, the appliance
determines if the command is a request for information 1810. If the
command is a request for information, the appliance can set a flag
to indicate that the appliance is in a state of servicing the
request 1812, can retrieve its current operational status 1814, and
fetch from memory a pre-formatted page that has user instructions
corresponding to the current operational status 1816. The retrieved
information would be transmitted 1818 back to the remote control 10
for display on the LCD 24 as illustrated in FIG. 18b.
[0143] If multiple user instruction pages are stored in memory, the
appliance may further set a pointer to indicate the next page in a
sequence 1820. The availability of more information would be
indicated to the user in the displayed user's manual by, for
example, a "more" hyper-link or button as illustrated in FIG. 18b.
It will be appreciated that in the HTML, this "more" function could
be associated with either a hyper-link in the conventional HTML
sense, or with an IROP tag to cause an IR command to be
transmitted, depending on the requirements of the particular
appliance. In either case, if the user causes the remote control 10
to issue a command requesting the next page of information 1822 by
activating the "more" key, the appliance will retrieve the next
page of information from memory 1824, transmit 1818 the page
information to the remote control 10, and update the page pointer
1820, if necessary. If the command received by the appliance from
the remote control 10 is not related to the retrieval of the user's
manual from the memory of the appliance, the command will be
processed by the appliance in accordance with its operating
instructions 1826.
[0144] In an alternative embodiment, once the make (and also
possibly the model) of the device has been entered into the remote
control 10 (either by direct interaction with the device or by a
process of deduction based on the setup number input by the user to
control the device) the user manual could be obtained via an
Internet connection (using a Web site specific to the manufacturer
or a generic compilation maintained by a third party). For this
purpose, the remote control 10 would use the browser functionality,
in conjunction with Web access via a personal computer, set top
box, or the like, as previously described. In this case, if the
model of the consumer appliance were important to which user manual
were to be displayed (i.e., multiple user manuals for multiple
models of appliances), and only the make of the consumer appliance
were provided, the Web site could offer a list of selectable model
numbers and/or pose one or more questions to the user by which
questions it could be deduced which user manual the Web site should
provide to the user (e.g., does your TV support PIP, etc.).
[0145] By way of further example, FIGS. 19a and 19b illustrate one
method by which the remote control 10 might support Web based
retrieval of a user's guide. In the illustrated embodiment, the
Remote Control Application is provided with a soft key (labeled,
for example, "Info") which causes the Application to retrieve 1910
the current device set up information, i.e., the code number
provided by the user via one of the methods described earlier in
conjunction with the setup sub-application 501, and invoke the
Browser Application using this information as a parameter 1920.
Once the Browser Application is invoked, the Browser can issue a
request via the Internet to retrieve the Web pages corresponding to
the user's manual for the device indicated by the device set-up
code number 1922. To this end, the Browser application might
consult a URL look-up table stored in memory that functions to map
URLs of Web pages with the devices cross-referenced by the device
set-up code numbers. As an alternative to storing a URL look-up
table in local memory the Browser application might first access a
separate URL that itself contains such a table. In either case,
once the URL corresponding to the specific device user's manual has
been located, the initial Web page retrieved from that Internet
site would generally comprise a Main Index page 1930 having
hyper-links 1932 to Web pages 1940 that contain further detailed
information, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 19b.
[0146] In yet another alternative embodiment, the Browser
Application, starting with an internally stored HTML page, could
present the user with a menu of devices 2000 for which instructions
are available as illustrated in FIG. 20. Depending on the item
selected by the user, HTML links 2002 associated with the menu of
devices 2000 could point to further internal pages which initiate a
download from a local device using for example an IROP tag (or it's
RF equivalent) in the manner described in conjunction with FIG. 18
above. Alternatively, links can be provided that point to external,
Web-based sources for the user information in the manner described
in conjunction with FIG. 19 above.
[0147] Providing the remote control 10 with browser capabilities
has further advantages. For example, the remote control 10 could
access Web sites, via a set top box, an adapter connected to a PC
(especially in homes where the PC is always connected to a network,
for example, by way of a cable modem or DSL-based Internet
connection), directly to an ISP (provided the remote is equipped
with a modem) or other gateway device to gather information, such
as, weather, stock quotes, movie reviews, etc., as illustrated in
FIG. 16, in the manner previously described in conjunction with
FIGS. 14 and 15.
[0148] In a further embodiment, the display 24 of the remote
control 10 could be used to display television viewing guide
information, with personalization and/or reminder capabilities.
Such guide data may be obtained directly from an Internet server,
using a local PC, set top box, home gateway or the like as a proxy
server as described in conjunction with FIGS. 14,15 and 16. The
guide data may also be retrieved from data locally resident in a PC
or set top box that periodically obtains and stores guide
information by, for example, dialing a pre-determined number or
accessing a particular Web site every night. In either case, the TV
guide data, formatted into a compatible subset of HTML, is
transmitted to the remote control for display at the request of the
user. One such form of display is shown, together with the HTML
that generated it, in FIG. 13. An alternative form for displaying
guide information is shown in FIG. 27. While additional
capabilities will be described in conjunction with FIG. 27, it will
be appreciated that, since these displays are created by HTML
source pages, many other layouts offering equivalent functionality
are also possible.
[0149] Turning to FIG. 27, FIG. 27 shows a "list" guide 2710 in
which the programs available at a selected time and date are
listed, in channel number sequence, for multiple TV channels.
Alternative arrangements of this list are possible, for example,
displaying listings for a channel rather than for a time (i.e., all
programs to be broadcast by a selected channel are listed in a time
sequence) or displaying a list that is not sequential by channel
number but instead arranged to match a user's preferences by
broadcast channel and/or content type as will be described in more
detail later in conjunction with FIG. 30.
[0150] To effect rapid selection of a program of interest, the
remote control 10 can be adapted such that selecting (touching) any
of the broadcast station identifiers 2720 listed on the display
2710 will activate an IROP HTML tag, as described earlier, to cause
the remote control to issue the command to switch the TV (or set
top box in the case of cable or satellite subscribers) to the
corresponding channel. For example, as illustrated in the exemplary
embodiment shown in FIG. 27, selecting "PBS" will cause the remote
control to issue the commands to cause the corresponding appliance
to switch to channel 10.
[0151] The remote control 10 can be further adapted such that
selection of the title of the program, for example "Clifford Big
Red Dog" 2730, will result in the display of additional information
regarding that particular program. In this illustrative embodiment,
touching one of the program names activates an HTML tag which
points to other HTML page(s) containing additional information
regarding that program. Once again, such additional information
page(s) may be resident locally or may be accessed via the Web. In
the example shown, screen display 2750 is the result of selecting
"Clifford Big Red Dog" 2730 on the initial display 2710. In this
manner television viewing guide information can offer Web links to
additional information about shows, for example movie reviews, that
are accessible by an individual user using the Web browser without
disturbing the TV screen display of the program currently being
viewed by others.
[0152] The TV guide information displayed on the remote control can
also be presented in differing forms to suit the preferences of
individual users. By way of example, FIG. 30 illustrates a system
in which the order of the show listings is arranged according to
individual preferences. In this example, upon initiation of the
guide function, users are presented with a screen 3010 which
prompts the user for identifying information, such as a password.
Based on the input received, the same TV guide entries may be
presented in different orders 3020, 3030, 3040 to match the user's
individual preferences. While only a single page of guide
information is illustrated in FIG. 30 for the sake of simplicity,
it will be appreciated that that this feature is of particular
utility when the guide information spans multiple pages and the
users are spared excessive paging back and forth by virtue of their
favorite shows appearing in the first pages(s) of the display.
[0153] Another feature also illustrated in FIG. 30 is the
possibility of "filtering" listings. For example, a closer
examination of the listing display 3040 corresponding to the child
"Maggie" will reveal that KCAL Channel 9's "Jerry Springer Show" is
not listed as a viewing choice for Maggie. Importantly, it should
also be realized that although the feature is illustrated in this
example via the sharing of a single remote control by three
different individuals who identify themselves to the unit with each
use, it could equally be implemented using three different remote
controls, i.e. each user provided with a personal remote control
customized to their particular preferences. An advantage to having
the television viewing guide resident in the remote control 10 is
that it allows such unique features to be offered to the
consumer.
[0154] By way of further example, in cases where the remote control
hardware supports a time-of-day clock, the remote control 10 could
be used to issue a "missing program" reminder if it detects
activity which indicates that the user is not currently watching TV
(i.e., the remote is in a mode for controlling the operation of a
CD player, audio equipment commands being issued, etc. and the user
has programmed a reminder to watch a particular show). The remote
control 10 could similarly be used to remind the user of "tonight's
favorite programs" when it detects the user turning the TV on in
the evening after a pre-determined off" period which indicates that
the user was away from home. The favorites could be entered by the
user or determined from previous viewing habits (e.g., by tracking
channel selections in time slots for a given day), etc.
[0155] For entering reminders into the remote control 10, an
exemplary embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 27. Turning again to
the program detail display 2750, two exit options are provided to
the user. The first exit option, "BACK" 2760, simply returns the
user to the previous page 2710. The second option, "REMIND ME" 2770
is associated with an MREM tag embedded in the HTML. Selection of
this option will cause the Browser Application to extract the date,
time, and program information contained in the MREM tag and
register this data with the reminder function of the Remote Control
Application for subsequent action as described in further detail
later. More specifically, the Browser Application will store within
a table in memory 110 the information pertaining to the reminder
events. For example, when the Browser application encounters
<MREM TTR="5-11-2001-16:00" LABEL="REMINDER: Channel 10 at 4:00
pm">, the Browser application would register a message display
2790 to appear at or near 4:00 pm on May 11, 2001. Thus, the
Browser Application populates the table with the date/time,
message, image, and URL link information from each MREM tag.
[0156] To produce a reminder message 2790 on the standard remote
control display 24 at an appropriate time, the steps illustrated in
FIG. 28 can be followed. Turning now to FIG. 28, which illustrates
an exemplary method by which reminder data is subsequently
processed by the remote control application, whenever a key (hard
or soft) is pressed 2802 by the user, movement of" the remote
control 10 is sensed, etc., the Remote Control Application first
fetches the current time value 2804 and compares 2806 this value to
those contained in the table of reminder data. If no entry exists
in the table with a time value which is earlier than or equal to
the current time, no reminder actions are required and the Remote
Control Application continues 2808 to process the event in the
usual manner. When no reminder actions are necessary, the remote
control 10 can erase 2820 any previous reminder messages that had
been displayed.
[0157] If, however, an entry is found in the table of reminder data
with a time value less than or equal to the current time, the
Remote Control Application next checks 2810 if the entry in
question contains a URL pointer value (as described earlier in
connection with the MREM tag definition, URL and message fields may
be null) and, if a URL pointer exists, the Remote Control
Application immediately invokes and passes control to the Browser
Application 2812 to load and act on the specified HTML page. Thus,
in this implementation, existence of a URL pointer takes priority
over both any reminder message text as well as any remote control
action called for by the key press which initiated table scan. It
will, however, be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
other prioritizations are possible.
[0158] If no URL pointer is present, the Remote Control Application
next checks 2814 if the reminder table entry is "stale," i.e.,
reminders are scheduled for a time more than 30 minutes ago. If so,
it simply ignores the message, deleting the table entry 2818 with
no further action. Once again, those skilled in the art will
recognize that other implementations are possible using a longer,
shorter, or even no measure of "staleness." The 30 minute value in
this exemplary implementation was selected as appropriate for the
TV guide reminder feature it is being described in connection
with.
[0159] If the entry is determined to be "not stale" or valid, the
Remote Control Application then checks for the existence of any
reminder display data, text, or graphic and generates 2816 any
reminder message display required, e.g. 2790. A reminder may also
cause the buzzer 102 to emit a sound, providing emphasis to the
display. Thereafter, the Remote Control Application can delete 2818
the reminder table entry it has just acted upon and continue to
scan and process any further table entries which may also be
eligible for action.
[0160] Of particular advantage to this implementation of a reminder
feature is the fact that the remote control logic is able to detect
when the unit is in use (e.g., the consumer is pressing buttons,
moved the remote, etc.) and thus displays the reminder message when
the unit is actually in the consumers hand, as opposed to a passive
display system dependent only on a timer where a reminder message
would be displayed regardless of whether anyone is there to see it
or not.
[0161] Use of the MREM tag is not limited to TV show reminders.
When the remote control is used in communication with a PC or home
automation server as described in conjunction with FIG. 14,
application programs running on these devices can download
appointment reminders, medication schedule reminders, etc. into the
remote control via an HTML page in the manner described above.
Equally, set top boxes could download reminders of special
features, upcoming pay-per-view events, etc. Further, for use in
connection with home automation applications, the reminder feature
of remote control 10 can be used in conjunction with appliances and
home systems to allow alarms and status messages to be displayed on
the display 24 of the remote control 10 (e.g., freezer quit, oven
timer expired, garage door ajar). To this end, the remote control
10 could periodically poll appliances or home automation servers
and store messages received in the form of reminder tags to later
inform the user ("beep and display") when the remote control 10
senses activity on the part of the user--i.e. the remote control 10
determines that it is being handled/looked at by a user.
[0162] In still another embodiment, the display 24 of the remote
control 10 could be used to present closed caption text. To this
end, a TV or set top box equipped (or retrofitted) with closed
caption capability can communicate with the remote control 10 to
transmit the closed caption data stream to the remote control 10
instead of the TV screen. When closed captioning is displayed on
the screen 24 of the remote control 10 it allows one person to
utilize the caption feature without affecting the program display
on the TV screen.
[0163] To effect the display of close captioning information, the
system may be arranged as illustrated in FIG. 25. In particular,
the remote control 10 is adapted to communicate with a television,
set-top box, or like device 2510 that has a memory 2520 in which
the closed captioning information to be displayed is stored. In the
illustrated example, the closed captioning information stored in
the memory 2520 of the device 2510 is extracted from an incoming
video signal using a tuner 2530 and closed caption decoder 2540. It
will be appreciated that the closed captioning information may be
included in a vertical blanking interval ("VBI") of the incoming
video signal. While the illustrated example shows the closed
captioning information being downloaded to the memory 2520 from an
incoming video signal, it is contemplated that the closed
captioning information can be received from other sources such as,
for example, the Internet.
[0164] To request that the device 2510 transmit the closed
captioning information to the remote 10 for display on the LCD 24,
the user may activate a soft key which will result in the
transmission of a closed captioning request command from the remote
control 10 to the device 2510. The transmission of the command can
be accomplished using either the IR transmitter or the RF
transmitter. Upon receipt of the closed captioning request command,
as illustrated in FIG. 26, the device 2510 determines 2610 if it is
currently in a closed captioning transmit mode. If the device 2510
is already sending closed captioning information to the remote
control 10, via, for example, RF communication module 2550, the
device 2510 ends this mode of operation, by clearing a flag used to
indicate this operational mode 2620. If, however, the device 2510
is not presently sending closed captioning information to the
remote control 10, the device 2510 sets the flag 2630 to indicate
it has entered the closed captioning transmit mode of operation. It
will be appreciated that the effect of this logic is to allow a
single command (i.e., remote control button) to toggle the feature
on and off by alternate presses. Other implementations are also
possible, e.g., separate "on" and "off" buttons. On initially
entering the closed caption transmit mode of operation, the device
2510 retrieves 2640 a pre-formatted Web page into which the closed
captioning information will be placed.
[0165] To transmit the closed captioning information to the remote
control 10 from the device 2510, the memory 2520 is accessed to
load into the pre-formatted Web page the buffered closed captioning
information 2650. The Web page containing the current closed
caption information may then be transmitted 2660 to the remote
control 10. When the device 2510 is in the transmit closed
captioning information mode of operation, the steps of loading the
current closed captioning information into the Web page and
transmitting the Web page to the remote control 10 are repeated as
requested by the remote control 10. This is accomplished by the
remote control 10 issuing a closed captioning refresh request to
the device 2510 which causes the device 2510, upon the receipt of
the request 2670, to load the closed captioning information stored
in the memory 2520 into the Web page and transmit the Web page to
the remote control 10.
[0166] The rate at which the remote control issues such refresh
requests is determined by the value contained in the special
"Refresh" META statement in the HTML page loaded at step 2640. The
value is preferably selected to adequately support the closed
caption rate while taking into account the battery power
consumption of the remote control. It will be appreciated that, in
alternative applications where battery life is not a critical
factor, for example, where the remote control unit is to be docked
in a recharging base during closed caption display, the refresh
interval can be made very small or even omitted entirely. In this
manner, the remote control is continuously polling the device 2510
which can then refresh the display as often as is necessary to
accommodate the streaming of information into memory 2520.
[0167] Using the above described procedure, the system can be
further adapted to present "Fast news." In this regard, a "headline
summary" feature can be implemented by storing the closed caption
frames during a news broadcast and then displaying the captured
frames as a scrollable text file on the display 24 of the remote
control 10. In this regard, the fast news information can be stored
in the memory 2520 of the device and accessed on request.
Alternatively, the information could be placed into one or more Web
pages that are transmitted to the remote control 10 and locally
stored for later viewing. Still further, if the set top box or TV
is equipped to communicate bi-directionally with the remote control
10, additional information about a show or event in progress (e.g.
athlete statistics, actor biographies, etc.) could be displayed on
the LCD 24 of the remote control 10 without interfering with the
main picture on the TV screen. The information could be in the form
of text or links to Web pages having the content which is
accessible via the Internet. Again, this information would be
received from an external source and transmitted to the remote
control 10 by way of the device 2510.
[0168] The capabilities described above can further be used to
allow the remote control 10 to communicate with an electronic
device, such as a DVD player, CD player, etc. to display individual
movie subtitles, karaoke lyrics, etc. on the display 24. This
information could be transmitted in real-time or down-loaded and
displayed in a manner synchronized with the electronic media using
the procedure above-described. The display can be in
paragraphs/verses, line-by-line or word-by-word. Also, since this
information is conveyed to the remote control in HTML form, the
subtitles, lyrics, etc. may comprise plain text data, graphic
images, or a mixture of both.
[0169] In yet another embodiment, FIG. 24 illustrates and
application in which song lyrics may be obtained from a Web site
using a personal computer 1420 or a set top box or other device
2510 as a gateway or proxy server. In this case, the first HTML
page downloaded 2402 prompts the user to enter a song title. When
the user activates the text entry field by touching within the
indicated area, the Browser display can change to a keyboard
arrangement 2404 (corresponding to HTML event 1018 shown in FIG.
10c) to allow entry of text data. On completion of text entry, the
user can touch an "OK" soft button 2406 to return to the previous
display (with the text data entered) 2408. Touching a "submit" soft
button can be used to cause the text information to be transmitted
back to the proxy server and, thereafter, to the Web site. In
response, the Web site returns an HTML formatted data page to the
proxy sever which page is transmitted to the remote control 10 to
cause display of the appropriate lyrics 2412.
[0170] For displaying sub-titles for movies, etc. in a language
that is not supported by the relevant media, the sub-titles etc.
can be downloaded from a supporting Web site, kiosk, etc. In this
regard, the information can be downloaded directly to the remote
control 10, provided the memory is of sufficient size, or
downloaded to a smart card or other releasable type of memory. It
will be appreciated that, to support this latter described
functionality, the remote control 10 can be adapted to include a
releasable media reader or be adapted to communicate with
releasable media reader. Synchronization of the playing of the
media and the display of the sub-titles, etc. can be performed
manually, e.g., by activating a key to initiate the reading and
display of information from the memory at the time the movie, etc.
Alternatively, a signal can be issued from the media player which
will cause the remote control 10 to automatically initiate the
reading and display of information from the memory at the time the
movie, etc. Since a system and method for adapting a remote control
to use a smart card is described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No.
6,223,348 which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety, it will not be discussed further for the sake of
brevity.
[0171] Still further, the remote control 10 can be equipped with a
bar code reader to facilitate the gathering of information related
to programming the remote control 10, home appliances/consumer
electronic devices, TV programming, etc. Alternatively, the bar
code digits can be entered by the user. Use of a bar code to
facilitate programming a remote control to match the consumer's
equipment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,938 entitled
"Universal Remote Control System with Bar Code Setup" which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In addition, use
of a bar code reader allows the remote control 10 to retrieve
information indicative of an item/article and, thereafter, display
information relevant to the item/article (e.g., instructions,
warnings, nutritional info, spare part lists, command codes for
controlling its operation, etc.). Furthermore, the UPC/Bar code
information could be used as a pointer to Web sites on the
Internet. This bar code could be a standard Universal Product Code
(UPC) or could be a special bar code format intended for use only
with the remote control.
[0172] In an exemplary implementation, a bar code reader module
with a serial interface, such as are available from Symbol
Technologies Inc., can be attached through the general purpose
serial I/O connection 108 and UART port 330. This bar code reader
module may be physically incorporated into the housing 13 of the
remote control, or may be in the form of a self contained external
module connected via a cable to the serial I/O jack 61. When so
equipped, the bar code reader can be used as an alternative to the
keyboard for entry of data into input fields in HTML pages. By way
of example, FIG. 29 illustrates an application in which a consumer
can obtain additional information regarding a product from the
Internet, the remote control communicating with the Internet in a
manner similar to that previously described in connection with
FIGS. 14-15.
[0173] To request information in this manner, the user would
initially request an HTML page containing an input field 2910 into
which a UPC code is entered, either via the keyboard or by scanning
the product itself with the bar code reader. Preferably keyboard
entry is provided as a backup in the event the UPC bar code label
on the product is damaged, obscured, unreachable, or the like. An
"EXIT" button 2915 is also provided on this and subsequent pages so
that the user can return to the Browser Application start page or
other designated beginning point at any time. After capture of the
UPC code 2930 by scanning the product with the bar code reader,
selecting the "SUBMIT" 2940 button causes the remote control
Browser Application to transmit the UPC code data back to the URL
from which the initial HTML page originated. At the originating
site, this data can be used to directly index into a database of
product information or, alternatively, may be used to index into a
table of other URLs (corresponding to manufacturer Web pages, for
example) to transfer the request to a specific site from which the
appropriate information is available. In either event, the
resulting response is the transmission of a page of HTML formatted
data back to the remote control 10 to cause display of the desired
product information 2960. This page of information can itself
contain link(s) to additional page(s) of information as seen in
this example where selecting "COOKING DIRECTIONS" 2970 results in
the display of a secondary page of information 2980, which in turn
can contain a link 2990 to yet another page, and so on. In this
manner all needed product information can be made available to a
consumer.
[0174] The bar code reader may also be used in many other Internet
based applications implemented in a similar manner to that
described above for example, grocery shopping, on line warranty
registration, product and/or price comparisons, and the like. It
may also be used as an alternative input means during the process
of acquiring song lyrics or user manual information as described
earlier, by swiping the UPC on the product packaging in place of
manually entering text or setup data.
[0175] For use in facilitating interaction with the Internet and/or
other modes of communication both wireless and wired, the remote
control 10 can be adapted to dock to a keyboard. A view of the
remote control 10 used in a landscape mode is illustrated in FIG.
17. In this manner, the keyboard 300 and the remote control 10 can
communicate such that the remote control 10 can be used for sending
email, talking in Internet chat rooms, etc. Communications via a
network Internet would occur in a manner similar to that described
in connection with FIGS. 14-15.
[0176] 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 appended
claims and any equivalents thereof.
* * * * *
References