Patent ID: 7631265
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: G08C,H04B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of using user interface data received from a remote device to create a user interface for a thin information appliance to control the remote device from the thin information appliance, wherein the user interface is created from a user interface template stored in the thin information appliance, the method comprising: initiating a connection between the thin information appliance and the remote device to supply the user interface data for use with the user interface template in creating the user interface, wherein said user interface template is stored in the thin information appliance prior to the initiation of said connection, and further wherein the user interface template includes a plurality of representations; receiving in the thin information appliance the user interface data from the remote device to be controlled, wherein the user interface data describes a plurality of remote device functions performed by the remote device; comparing the user interface data with the user interface template of the thin information appliance; based on said comparing, determining functions available in the user interface template that correspond to each of the plurality of remote device functions described by the user interface data; based on said determining assigning one of the plurality of representations respectively to each one of the plurality of remote device functions described by the user interface data; creating the user interface from the user interface template by programming each of the assigned plurality of representations of the user interface for the thin information appliance to respectively control its corresponding one of the plurality of remote device functions; and storing the created user interface on the thin information appliance, the user interface including the assigned plurality of representations programmed to control the plurality of remote device functions.