Methods, systems, and media for providing a remote control interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299735-A1
Application number	US-201615180834-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In accordance with some implementations of the disclosed subject matter, mechanisms for providing a remote control interface are provided. In some implementations, a method for providing a remote control interface is provided, the method comprising: receiving an image of a user input interface associated with a media playback device; identifying the user input interface from a plurality of user input interfaces based on image recognition; determining a code library associated with the identified user input interface; and transmitting the code library to a mobile device that provided the image of the user input interface, wherein the code library allows a mobile device to control the media playback device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for providing remote control interfaces, the method comprising:
receiving, using a hardware processor, an image of a user input interface associated with a media playback device that was captured by an imaging device of a mobile device, wherein the user input interface is configured to transmit first wireless signals to the media playback device; identifying the user input interface from a plurality of user input interfaces based on the received image; determining a code library associated with the identified user input interface, wherein portions of the code library are mapped to input interfaces in a representation of the identified user input interface; transmitting the representation of the identified user input interface to be presented on the mobile device; determining network connection information between the mobile device and the media playback device; and in response to determining that the mobile device is connected to the media playback device via a wireless communications network and in response to determining that the mobile device is configured to transmit second wireless signals to the media playback device over the wireless communications network that are different than the first wireless signals, transmitting the code library to the media playback device for use with commands inputted into the representation of the identified user input interface and received as the second wireless signals.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the code library is an infrared code library.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the image of the user input interface, identifying a plurality of user input interfaces based on the received image; and causing a plurality of user input interface representations corresponding to the plurality of user input interfaces to be presented on the mobile device for selecting a user input interface representation from the plurality of user input interface representations.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of user input interface representations includes a first user input interface representation that is generated based on the received image of the user input interface and a second user input interface representation that is generated based on a predetermined user input interface layout.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising generating the first user input interface representation by modifying the received image of the user input interface and mapping the portions of the code library to portions of the modified image.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using optical character recognition to identify text portions of the received image of the user input interface, wherein the identified text portions of the received image are used to identify the user input interface.

7 . A method for providing remote control interfaces, the method comprising:
associating, using a mobile device, with a media playback device over a wireless communications network; capturing, using an imaging device of the mobile device, an image of a user input interface associated with the media playback device, wherein the user input interface is configured to transmit first wireless signals to the media playback device; identifying the user input interface from a plurality of user input interfaces based on the captured image; causing a representation of the user input interface to be presented on the mobile device, wherein a code library associated with the identified user input interface is mapped to a plurality of interface elements in the representation of the user input interface; receiving an input to one or more of the plurality of interface elements in the representation of the user input interface; and in response to associating with the media playback device over the wireless communications network, in response to determining that the mobile device is configured to transmit second wireless signals to the media playback device over the wireless communications network that are different than the first wireless signals, and in response to receiving the input to the one or more of the plurality of interface elements in the representation of the user input interface, transmitting instructions to the media playback device over the wireless communications network in the second wireless signals, wherein the instructions include the input to the one or more of the plurality of interface elements and corresponding information from the code library.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting the instructions to an external media device that is configured to transmit the first wireless signals, thereby causing the mobile device to control the media playback device via the external media device.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the code library is an infrared code library.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
in response to capturing the image of the user input interface, receiving a plurality of user input interfaces that correspond to the captured image; and causing a plurality of user input interface representations corresponding to the plurality of user input interfaces to be presented for selecting a user input interface representation from the plurality of user input interface representations.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of user input interface representations includes a first user input interface representation that is generated based on the captured image of the user input interface and a second user input interface representation that is generated based on a predetermined user input interface layout.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using optical character recognition to identify text portions of the captured image of the user input interface, wherein the identified text portions of the captured image are used to identify the user input interface.

13 . A system for providing remote control interfaces, the system comprising:
a hardware processor that is configured to: receive an image of a user input interface associated with a media playback device that was captured by an imaging device of a mobile device, wherein the user input interface is configured to transmit first wireless signals to the media playback device; identify the user input interface from a plurality of user input interfaces based on the received image; determine a code library associated with the identified user input interface, wherein portions of the code library are mapped to input interfaces in a representation of the identified user input interface; transmit the representation of the identified user input interface to be presented on the mobile device; determine network connection information between the mobile device and the media playback device; and in response to determining that the mobile device is connected to the media playback device via a wireless communications network and in response to determining that the mobile device is configured to transmit second wireless signals to the media playback device over the wireless communications network that are different than the first wireless signals, transmit the code library to the media playback device for use with commands inputted into the representation of the identified user input interface and received as the second wireless signals.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the code library is an infrared code library.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
in response to receiving the image of the user input interfa

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Oztaskent Ant

Classifications

• G08C23/04 Primary

  using light waves, e.g. infrared · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06K9/18

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08C2201/93

  Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title