Hybrid IR/RF remote control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10986392-B2
Application number	US-201916435099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2019
Priority date	Jun 7, 2019
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments include systems and methods for hybrid IR/RF communication over remote controller device. Controlling a smart lighting device. In embodiments, a processor of a remote controller device may receive receiving, from a customer premises device via an RF transceiver, synchronization information about a device under control in communication with the customer premises device. The remote controller device processor may update an indication of a device under control status based on the synchronization information. The remote controller device processor may send, via the IR transmitter, a command to the device under control based on the updated status of the device under control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote controller device, comprising:
a memory;
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver;
an infrared (IR) transmitter;
an output device; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the RF transceiver, the IR transmitter and the output device, and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a customer premises device via the RF transceiver, synchronization information about a device under control in communication with the customer premises device;
updating an indication of a device under control status based on the synchronization information;
receiving, from the customer premises device via the RF transceiver, operation information generated by the device under control;
generating a command upon receipt of the operation information, wherein the generated command is based on the updated status of the device under control and the operation information generated by the device under control, and wherein the operation information serves as a trigger for generating the command; and
sending, via the IR transmitter, the generated command to the device under control.

2. The remote controller device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
performing a RF pairing operation with the customer premises device that enables the remote controller device to send commands to the device under control.

3. The remote controller device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
receiving, from the customer premises device via the RF transceiver, device under control configuration information; and
configuring the remote controller device to send commands to the device under control via the IR transmitter based on the device under control configuration information.

4. The remote controller device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
sending, via the IR transmitter, a command for the device under control to the customer premises device based on both the updated status of the device under control and the operation information generated by the device under control that is presented on the output device.

5. The remote controller device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
receiving, from the customer premises device via the RF transceiver, operation information generated by the device under control sent by the customer premises device to the remote controller device; and
presenting the operation information generated by the device under control received from the customer premises device on the output device.

6. The remote controller device of claim 5 , wherein the operation information comprises media content, and
wherein presenting the operation information generated by the device under control received from the customer premises device on the output device comprises presenting the media content on the output device.

7. The remote controller device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that sending, via the IR transmitter, a command to the device under control that is generated based on both the updated status of the device under control and the operation information generated by the device under control that is presented on the output device comprises:
formatting the command based on the synchronization information.

8. A method of hybrid IR/RF communication, comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a remote controller device from a customer premises device via an RF transceiver, synchronization information about a device under control in communication with the customer premises device;
updating, by the processor, an indication of a device under control status based on the synchronization information;
receiving, by the processor from the customer premises device via the RF transceiver, operation information generated by the device under control;
generating a command upon receipt of the operation information, wherein the generated command is based on the updated status of the device under control and the operation information generated by the device under control, and wherein the operation information serves as a trigger for generating the command; and
sending, by the processor via the IR transmitter, the generated command to the device under control.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
performing, by the processor, a RF pairing operation with the customer premises device that enables the remote controller device to send commands to the device under control.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processor from the customer premises device via the RF transceiver, device under control configuration information; and
configuring, by the processor, the remote controller device to send commands to the device under control via the IR transmitter based on the device under control configuration information.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
sending, by the processor via the IR transmitter, a command for the device under control to the customer premises device based on both the updated status of the device under control and the operation information generated by the device under control that is presented on the output device.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processor from the customer premises device via the RF transceiver, operation information generated by the device under control sent by the customer premises device to the remote controller device; and
presenting, by the processor, the operation information generated by the device under control received from the customer premises device on an output device of the remote controller device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the operation information comprises media content, and
wherein presenting the operation information generated by the device under control received from the customer premises device on the output device comprises presenting the media content on the output device.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein sending, via the IR transmitter, a command to the device under control that is generated based on both the updated status of the device under control and the operation information generated by the device under control that is presented on the output device comprises:
formatting, by the processor, the command based on the synchronization information.

15. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a remote controller device to perform operations, comprising:
receiving, from a customer premises device via an RF transceiver, synchronization information about a device under control in communication with the customer premises device;
updating an indication of a device under control status based on the synchronization information;
receiving, from the customer premises device via the RF transceiver, operation information generated by the device under control;
generating a command upon receipt of the operation information, wherein the generated command is based on the updated status of the device under control and the operation information generated by the device under control, and wherein the operation information serves as a trigger for generating the command;

Assignees

• Charter Communications Operating Llc

Inventors

• Bartlett Stephen
• Greene Gregory
• Huang Wen-Yen

Classifications

• H04N21/41265 Primary

  having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• H04N21/42221

  Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF] · CPC title

• H04N21/42225

  characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control · CPC title

• H04N21/4131

  home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices (home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807) · CPC title

• G08C2201/40

  Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways · CPC title