System and method for controlling device location determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9613526-B2
Application number	US-201514686266-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2003
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A controlling device such as a remote control has programming for transmitting a signal response to a plurality of control environments, each environment including a signaling device. Each signaling device in receipt of the signal request sends a signal response having a unique ID which is chosen to be characteristically attenuated by the surroundings of the environment. Because the controlling device can only be in one environment at a given time, and given the attenuation characteristics of the signal response from each signaling device, only one signal response will be received by the controlling device in each environment. Location definitions associated with the received unique ID may be used by programming in the controlling device to recall saved devices states, commands sets, macros, and even to dynamically generate commands based on the location information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory, computer readable media having instructions for configuring a portable controlling device to control functional operations of one of a first controllable appliance located in a first environment and a second controllable appliance located in a second environment, the instructions, when executed by the portable controlling device, performing steps comprising:
causing a first location definition for the first environment to be stored in a memory of the portable controlling device in association with a first identifying characteristic that is indicative of a signal that is transmitted from a first device within the first environment, the first location definition specifying a first command code set and a first user interface, displayable in a display of the portable controlling device, having a first set of user interface elements which are activable to cause the portable controlling device to use the first command code set to transmit commands for controlling functional operations of the first controllable appliance;
causing a second location definition for the second environment to be stored in the memory of the portable controlling device in association with a second identifying characteristic that is indicative of a signal that is transmitted from a second device within the second environment, the second location definition specifying a second command code set and a second user interface, displayable in the display of the portable controlling device, having a second set of user interface elements which are activable to cause the portable controlling device to use the second command code set to transmit commands for controlling functional operations of the second controllable appliance;
determining if a signal received by the portable controlling device while in an operating mode of the portable controlling device has the first identifying characteristic or the second identifying characteristic; and
when it is determined that the received signal has the first identifying characteristic causing the portable controlling device to configure itself using the first location definition and, when it is determined that the received signal has the second identifying characteristic causing the portable controlling device to configure itself with the second location definition whereupon the portable controlling device will be configured with a corresponding one of the first user interface and the second user interface and to transmit signals using a corresponding one of the first command code set and the second command code set to control functional operations of a corresponding one of the first controllable appliance located in the first environment and the second controllable appliance located in a second environment.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second set of user interface elements comprise user interface elements which are activable to cause the portable controlling device to use the respective first and second command code sets to cause the respective first and second controllable appliances to tune to a one of a plurality of respective first and second favorite channels that have been separately defined for the respective first and second environments.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first location definition further specifies a third command code set and a third set of user interface elements which are activable to cause the portable controlling device to use the third command code set to transmit commands for controlling functional operations of a third controllable appliance located in the first environment.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 3 , wherein the first user interface has at least one macro user interface element which is activable to cause the portable controlling device to use the first command code set and the third command code set to transmit commands for controlling the functional operations of the first controllable appliance and the third controllable appliance located in the first environment.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second location definition further specifies a fourth command code set and a fourth set of user interface elements which are activable to cause the portable controlling device to use the fourth command code set to transmit commands for controlling functional operations of a fourth controllable appliance located in the second environment.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 5 , wherein the second user interface has at least one macro user interface element which is activable to cause the portable controlling device to use the second command code set and the fourth command code set to transmit commands for controlling the functional operations of the second controllable appliance and the fourth controllable appliance located in the first environment.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first identifying characteristic comprises a first digital code modulated on the signal transmitted by the device within the first environment and the second identifying characteristic comprises a second digital code distinct from the first digital code modulated on the signal transmitted by the device within the second environment.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first identifying characteristic comprises a first transmission protocol used in the signal transmitted by the device within the first environment and the second identifying characteristic comprises a second transmission protocol distinct from the first transmission protocol used in the signal transmitted by the device within the second environment.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first transmission protocol comprises an infrared transmission protocol and the second transmission protocol comprises a radio frequency transmission protocol.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first transmission protocol comprises a first infrared transmission protocol and the second transmission protocol comprises a second infrared transmission protocol.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first identifying characteristic comprises a first transmission signal strength of the signal transmitted by the device within the first environment and the second identifying characteristic comprises a second transmission signal strength distinct from the first transmission signal strength of the signal transmitted by the device within the second environment.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the instruction cause the portable controlling device to transmit a request to have at least one of the first device in the first environment and the second device in the second environment transmit the signal for reception by the portable controlling device for use in determining if the received signal has the first identifying characteristic or the second identifying characteristic.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the portable controlling device to transmit the request in response to a sensed movement of the portable controlling device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the portable controlling device to transmit the request in response to a sens

Assignees

• Universal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• De Clercq Stephan
• Chambers Christopher A
• Scott Wayne
• Yuh Allen
• Arling Paul D
• Lilleness Robert

Classifications

• H04L2012/2849

  Audio/video appliances · CPC title

• G08C2201/91

  Remote control based on location and proximity · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G08C2201/30

  User interface · CPC title

• H04W4/04

  Electricity · mapped topic