Method and system for controlling a controlled device with a remote control device through a display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9532097-B1
Application number	US-201113285917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 31, 2011
Priority date	Oct 31, 2011
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A method and system for controlling a controlled device includes a display device and a remote control device generating a key code and communicating the first key code signal corresponding to the key code to the display device. The display device Communicates the key code of the key code signal through the display device without changing the key code and communicates a second key code signal from the display device to a controlled device. The controlled device is controlled in response to the key code in the second key code signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
generating a key code at a remote control device;
communicating a first key code signal corresponding to the key code to a display device;
communicating the key code of the first key code signal through the display device without changing the key code;
determining, at the display device, whether the key code corresponds to a control code for the display device;
when the key code corresponds to a control code for the display device, performing, at the display device, a function associated with the key code;
when the key code does not correspond to a control code for the display device, communicating a second key code signal from the display device to a controlled device; and
controlling the controlled device in response to the key code in the second key code signal.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating a response signal from the controlled device to the display device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the second key code comprises generating an electrical signal corresponding to the key code at the display device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating a second key code signal comprises communicating the second key code signal using infrared.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the second key code signal from the display device to the controlled device comprises communicating the second key code signal from the display device to a setback box.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the second key code signal from the display device to the controlled device comprises communicating the second key code signal from the display device to a set top box.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the second key code signal from the display device to the controlled device comprises communicating the second key code signal from the display device to a digital video recorder.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first key code signal comprises communicating the first key code signal to the display device using infrared.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first key code signal to the display device comprises communicating the first key code signal to a television.

10. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising generating a screen display at the display device in response to the response signal.

11. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein generating the electrical signal comprises generating an HDMI electrical signal.

12. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein generating the electrical signal comprises generating a USB signal.

13. A system comprising:
a display device;
a remote control device generating a key code and communicating a first key code signal corresponding to the key code to the display device;
the display device communicating the key code of the first key code signal through the display device without changing the key code, determining whether the key code corresponds to a control code for the display device, when the key code corresponds to a control code for the display device, performing a function associated with the key code, and, when the key code does not correspond to a control code for the display device, communicating a second key code signal from the display device to a controlled device; and
wherein the controlled device is controlled in response to the key code in the second key code signal.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the controlled device communicates a response signal from the controlled device to the display device.

15. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the display device generates an electrical signal corresponding to the key code.

16. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the second key code signal comprises an infrared second key code.

17. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the controlled device comprises a setback box.

18. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the controlled device comprises a set top box.

19. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the controlled device comprises a digital video recorder.

20. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the first key code signal comprises an infrared first key code signal.

21. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the display device comprises a television.

22. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein the display device generates a screen display in response to the response signal.

23. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein the electrical signal comprises an HDMI electrical signal.

24. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein generating the electrical signal comprises generating a USB signal.

Assignees

• Chen Drew T
• Tatem Richard B
• Directv Group Inc

Inventors

• Chen Drew T
• Tatem Richard B

Classifications

• H04B1/205

  with control bus for exchanging commands between units · CPC title

• H04N21/43635

  HDMI · CPC title

• H04N21/42221

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

• H04N21/42204 Primary

  User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor (constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205) · CPC title

• H04N21/436

  Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB {or one or more peripheral devices} inside the home · CPC title