Patent ID: 8176432
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: G06F,H03J,H04B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for displaying operational mode information to a user of a universal remote control, comprising: contemporaneously displaying to the user in a circular queue arrangement iconic representations of every home appliance which the universal remote control is setup to control; accepting input from the user indicating one of the home appliances which the user desires to control; and displaying the iconic representation of the home appliances such that the iconic representation of the home appliance indicated by the user is moved to a predetermined position in the circular queue arrangement relative to the remaining iconic representations and is given an appearance distinct from the appearance of the remaining iconic representations within the circular queue arrangement to thereby indicate to the user the current operational mode of the universal remote control while maintaining the sequence in which the iconic representations appear within the circular queue arrangement, wherein the circular queue has place holders indicative of available modes of operation of the universal remote control and the method further comprises replacing the place holders with the iconic representations as the user sets-up the universal remote control to have modes for controlling particular home appliances.