Remotely controlling one or more client devices detected over a wireless network using a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9443420-B2
Application number	US-201414247451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 4, 2006
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

According to one general aspect, a method according to the present application includes remotely controlling wirelessly networked devices via a mobile unit. The method includes receiving, at a mobile unit and from a user, an input, analyzing the input to identify a networked device associated with the input, determining whether the networked device is presently accessible via a wireless network; determining whether to establish a connection with the networked device based on whether the networked device is determined to be presently accessible via the wireless network. The method also includes establishing a connection with the networked device if it is determined that the networked device is accessible via the wireless network and enabling the user to interact with the networked device through the mobile unit to remotely control the networked device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving control input from a user;
analyzing the control input to identify multiple controllable devices in a network to which the control input pertains;
initiating simultaneous display of multiple display regions on a display screen, each of the multiple display regions indicating a different one of the multiple controllable devices to which the control input pertains; and
wherein the control input includes a sequence of text inputted by the user, the method further comprising: displaying a copy of the sequence of text in each of the multiple display regions of corresponding controllable devices to which the control input pertains.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising: from the user, subsequent to simultaneous display of the multiple display regions indicating the controllable devices to which the input pertains, receiving selection of a particular controllable device of the multiple controllable devices identified on the display screen; and in response to receiving the selection, transmitting the control input to the particular controllable device to control the particular controllable device.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
providing notification to the user that additional control input is needed to control a particular controllable device of the multiple controllable devices;
receiving additional control input from the user to control the particular communication device; and
transmitting the additional received control input to the particular controllable device.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein each respective display region of the multiple display regions displays an identity of a corresponding controllable device to which the respective display region pertains.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising:
in a data field disparately located with respect to the multiple display regions, displaying the sequence of text in an input data field on the display screen.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising: displaying the sequence of text in an input data field on the display screen, the data field disparately located with respect to the multiple display regions.

7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein analyzing the control input to identify multiple controllable devices in a network to which the control input pertains includes:
detecting that the control input potentially pertains to control of a first controllable device and a second controllable device, the control input corresponding to control of a first control parameter for the first controllable device, the control input corresponding to control of a second control parameter for the second controllable device, the first control parameter different than the second control parameter.

8. The method as in claim 7 , wherein initiating simultaneous display of the multiple display regions includes:
initiating display of a first display region on the display screen, the first display region specifying an identity of the first controllable device of the multiple controllable devices; and
initiating display of a second display region on the display screen, the second display region specifying an identity of the second controllable device of the multiple controllable devices.

9. The method as in claim 8 , wherein initiating simultaneous display of the multiple display regions includes:
initiating display of the first control parameter and a copy of the control input in the first display region on the display screen; and
initiating display of the second control parameter and a copy of the control input in the second display region on the display screen.

10. The method as in claim 1 , wherein initiating simultaneous display of the multiple display regions includes:
populating a first display region with first control settings to control a first controllable device of the multiple controllable devices, the first control settings including a copy of the control input; and
populating a second display region with second control settings to control a second controllable device of the multiple controllable devices, the second control settings including a copy of the control input.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising:
receiving selection of the second control settings to control the second controllable device; and
communicating a command over a wireless network to control the second controllable device based on the selection of the second control settings.

12. The method as in claim 1 , wherein initiating simultaneous display of multiple display regions includes:
detecting a current location of a mobile device including the display screen on which identities of the multiple controllable devices are displayed; and
displaying the identities of the multiple controllable devices as a fewer-than-all portion of a set of controllable devices in a network environment, identities of the fewer-than-all portion multiple controllable devices displayed on the display screen because the fewer-than-all portion of controllable devices are detected as being located in a vicinity of the current location.

13. The method as in claim 1 , wherein initiating simultaneous display of the multiple display regions includes:
populating a first display region of the display screen to include a first command input interface, the first command input interface controlling settings of a first controllable device of the multiple controllable devices to which the input pertains; and
populating a second display region of the display screen to include a second command input interface, the second command input interface controlling settings of a second controllable device of the multiple controllable devices to which the control input pertains.

14. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the control input is ambiguous with respect to which of the multiple controllable devices the control input is being directed by the user.

15. The method as in claim 14 , wherein initiating simultaneous display of multiple display regions on the display screen further comprises:
displaying a first visual indication on the display screen, the first visual indication indicating that the control input pertains to control of a first controllable device of the multiple controllable devices;
displaying a second visual indication on the display screen, the second visual indication indicating that the control input pertains to control of a second controllable device of the multiple controllable devices, the first visual indication simultaneously displayed on the display screen with the second visual indication; and
the method further comprising: in response to receiving further control input from the user indicating selection of the second controllable device, transmitting a command as indicated by the second visual indication to the second controllable device to control the second controllable device in accordance with the control input received from the user.

16. A method comprising:
receiving control input from a user;
analyzing the control input to identify multiple controllable devices in a network to which the control input pertains; and
initiating simultaneous display of multiple display regions on a display screen, each of the multiple display regions indicating a different one of the multiple controllable devices to which the control input pertains;
wherein the control input is a sequence of numbers inputted by the user, the method further comprising:
deriving a sequence of letters from the sequence of numbers; and
displaying the derived sequence

Assignees

• Marshall Kevin
• Longe Michael R
• Lefevre John
• Nuance Communications Inc

Inventors

• Marshall Kevin
• Longe Michael R
• Lefevre John

Classifications

• G08C2201/42

  Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network · CPC title

• G08C2201/93

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

• G08C23/04 Primary

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

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• G08C2201/30

  User interface · CPC title