System and method for managing device controls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9715821-B2
Application number	US-201213555441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2012
Priority date	Jul 23, 2012
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing device controls are disclosed. One method can comprise receiving validation information regarding validity of a plurality of command codes and identifying one or more code indices based upon the received validation information. If the one or more of the code indices is a full function match, the one or more of the code indices can be transmitted to the control device. If the one or more of the code indices is a partial function match, supplemental validation information can be requested regarding validity of one or more second command codes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a control device, a first input relating to a first function;
requesting, by the control device, a first command code associated with the first function in response to receiving the first input;
receiving, by the control device, the first command code, from a first device, wherein the first command code is associated with a first code index;
transmitting, by the control device, a first signal based upon the first command code to a second device;
transmitting, by the control device, a first confirmation that the first signal triggered the first function on the second device;
receiving, by the control device, a second input relating to a second function;
requesting, by the control device, a second command code associated with the second function in response to receiving the second input;
receiving, by the control device, the second command code, from the first device, wherein the second command code is associated with a second code index;
transmitting, by the control device, a second signal based upon the second command code to the second device; and
transmitting, by the control device, a second confirmation that the second signal triggered the second function on the second device,
wherein the first command code and the second command code are validated by the first device based on the first confirmation and the second confirmation and, wherein receiving a third input relating to the first function on the control device causes a third signal based upon the first command code to be transmitted to the second device, and wherein receiving a fourth input relating to the second function on the control device causes a fourth signal based upon the second command code to be transmitted to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first function or the second function comprises one or more of a display control function, a content control function, a receiver control function, or a user device control function.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first command code or the second command code is a command encoding for wireless control of a user device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first command code or the second command code is received by one or more of radio frequency communication or infrared communication.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first signal or the second signal is one or more of an infrared signal or a radio frequency signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing, by the control device, one or more of the validated first command code or the validated second command code on the control device.

7. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, validation information regarding validity of a plurality of first command codes from a control device;
identifying, by the computing device, a code index based upon the received validation information;
determining, by the computing device, the code index is a partial function match wherein at least one of the plurality of first command codes is valid for a first function in the code index and none of the plurality of first command codes is valid for a second function in the code index, the at least one of the plurality of first command codes being valid based on a triggering of the first function in response to the at least one of the plurality of first command codes as indicated in the received validation information;
receiving, by the computing device, supplemental validation information regarding validity of a second command code from the control device;
determining, by the computing device, the second command code is valid for the second function based on a triggering of the second function in response to the second command code as indicated in the supplemental validation information; and
transmitting, by the computing device, the code index and the second command code to the control device to associate the first function with the code index and the second function with the second command code.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the code index is identified from a library associated with a particular manufacturer of a user device.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining, by the computing device, that the code index is a preferred index code of one or more code indices.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the preferred code index comprises prioritizing the one or more code indices.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more code indices are prioritized based upon a pre-defined hierarchy of functions associated with one or more of the plurality of first command codes or the second command code.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the code index is identified based upon a presence of one or more valid command codes.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the validation information or the supplemental validation information comprises information relating to one or more prioritized control functions of a user device to be controlled by the control device.

14. A method comprising:
determining, by a computing device, a first command code is associated with a first control function executable on a first user device based on a first confirmation indicating a triggering of the first control function on the first user device;
associating, by the computing device, the first command code with the first user device for executing the first control function;
determining, by the computing device, a second command code is associated with a second control function that is not executable on the first user device;
determining, by the computing device, that the second control function is executable on a second user device;
associating, by the computing device, the second command code with the second user device for executing the second control function; and
transmitting, by the computing device, a code index comprising the first command code and the second command code to a control device to associate the code index with the first control function and the second control function.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the first command code or the second command code is associated with one or more of a display control function, a content control function, a receiver control function, or a user device control function.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first command code is a command encoding for wireless control of the first user device.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the first command code or the second command code is received by one or more of radio frequency communication or infrared communication.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device or the second device comprises a television, a receiver, or a set-top box.

19. The method of claim 7 , wherein the control device comprises a remote control device.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the control device comprises a remote control device, and wherein the first user device or the second user device comprise a television, a receiver, or a set-top box.

Assignees

• Gilson Ross
• Sallas Michael
• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Gilson Ross
• Sallas Michael

Classifications

• G08C2201/21

  Programming remote control devices via third means · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• G08C23/04

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