Abstract:
A TV prompts a user to point a device remote commander (RC) at the TV and to press a key on the device RC where the key is associated with a predetermined infrared signal. The TV then accesses a data store on an Internet server with a request to correlate the coded signal from the device RC to a list of devices. A list of devices is then presented to the user. The user then selects a device from the list, which causes the TV to send command codes for the device to a universal remote commander (URC). The user is thereafter able to control the audio video device using the URC instead of or in addition to the device RC.

Description:
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present application relates generally to programming universal remote commanders, which are sometimes referred to as universal remote controls. 
       II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Universal remote commanders allow people to control many different devices, such as home entertainment devices, with a single remote commander. Thus, that single remote commander, once programmed with the proper infrared (IR) codes, can thereafter control multiple devices such as, e.g., a television (TV), a video disc player, and a stereo system. 
         [0003]    However, programming a universal remote commander with the proper IR codes is often complicated and frustrating. IR codes for each device have to be provided to the universal remote commander, often times requiring manual entry of the IR codes. Manual entry often involves a user pressing a long sequence buttons on the remote commander and/or searching through a dense manual of IR codes for the proper IR code to enter. Thus, it may be appreciated that the process of programming a universal remote commander can be confusing, complex, laborious and/or technically difficult. 
         [0004]    Moreover, the process for programming IR codes into a universal remote commander often necessitates that a user make a service call when the user is unable to successfully program the universal remote commander. These service calls can result in additional monetary charges to the user for the assistance received to program a universal remote commander. Thus, an excessive consumption of the user&#39;s time and money often results when programming a universal remote commander. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Accordingly, a method includes presenting on a video display of a controlling component a prompt for a user to point a device remote commander (RC) at the video display and to press a key on the RC. The device RC may be configured to input coded signals to an audio video device, where the audio video device may be configured to communicate audio video signals to the controlling component. 
         [0006]    The method may also include wirelessly receiving at least one coded signal from the device RC, accessing a data store with a request to correlate the coded signal to a list of plural devices, and receiving the list from the data store along with wireless command codes for respective devices on the list. The method also includes presenting the list on the display, prompting a user to select a device from the list, and, responsive to a user selection of a device from the list, sending the command codes for the device to a universal remote commander (URC) to enable a user to control the audio video device using the URC. 
         [0007]    In certain non-limiting embodiments, the method may also include that the data store be accessed through an Internet server. Further, the controlling component may be a TV and the audio video device may be either a video disk player or a video game console. 
         [0008]    Additionally, the method may include that the audio video device be a first audio video device and the device RC be a first device RC. The method may further include presenting, on the video display of the controlling component, a prompt for a user to point a second device RC at the video display and press a key on the second device RC. The second device RC may be configured to input coded signals to the second audio video device, where the second audio video device may be configured to communicate audio video signals to the controlling component. 
         [0009]    The method may also include wirelessly receiving at least one coded signal from the second device RC and accessing data store with a request to correlate the coded signal to a list of plural devices. The method may also include receiving the list from the data store along with wireless command codes for respective devices on the list, then presenting the list on the display. A user may be prompt to select a device from the list, and, responsive to a user selection of a device from the list, the command codes for the device are sent to the URC to enable a user to control the second audio video device using the URC. 
         [0010]    In another aspect, a system includes a TV and at least one audio video device communicating with the TV where the TV may execute logic including presenting, on a video display of the TV, a prompt for a user to point a device remote commander (RC) at the video display and press a key on the device RC. The device RC may be configured to input coded signals to an audio video device in non-limiting embodiments. 
         [0011]    The logic of the system may also include wirelessly receiving at least one coded signal from the device RC, accessing a data store with a request to correlate the coded signal to a list of plural devices, and receiving the list from the data store. The list may be presented on the display along with a prompt to select a device from the list. Responsive to a user selection of a device from the list, command codes for the device are sent to a URC to enable a user to control the audio video device using the URC. The URC is different from the device RC. 
         [0012]    In yet another aspect, a TV includes a processor and a display controlled by the processor. The processor may receive a predetermined signal from a device RC, access an Internet server, provide data representing the predetermined signal to the server, receive from the server a list of devices, and present on the display the list along with a prompt to select an entry on the list. 
         [0013]    The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a non-limiting example system in accordance with present principles; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of non-limiting logic for enabling a person to program a URC in accordance with present principles. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 3-5  are non-limiting example screen shots of UIs that can be presented on the TV in accordance with present principles. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    Referring initially to the non-limiting embodiment show in  FIG. 1 , a home entertainment system  10  has a TV  12 , a connected device  14  and a connected device  16 . In non-limiting embodiments, the connected device  14  and the connected device  16  may be, without limitation, a video disc player and a video game console, respectively. Further, the device  14  and device  16  are capable of bi-directional communication with the TV  12 . In non-limiting embodiments, this communication may occur through a wired connection such as HDMI/CEC connection or through a wireless connection using, e.g., Bluetooth technology. 
         [0018]    The TV  12  shown in  FIG. 1  also has a digital processor  18  which can control a visual display  20 . Further, the processor  18  may access one or more computer readable data storage medium(s)  22  such as but not limited to RAM-based storage (e.g., a chip implementing dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) or flash memory or disk-based-storage. Moreover, software code implementing the present logic executable by the TV  12  may be stored on the medium(s)  22  to undertake present principles. 
         [0019]    Still in reference to  FIG. 1 , a TV tuner  24  on the TV  12  can receive TV signals from a source such as a set-top box, satellite receiver, cable head end, terrestrial TV signal antenna, etc. Signals from the tuner  24  are sent to the processor  18  for presentation on the display  20 . 
         [0020]    Additionally, the TV  12  may be capable of accessing the Internet in non-limiting embodiments. Thus as shown in  FIG. 1 , there may be a network interface  26  such as a wired or wireless modem or wireless telephony transceiver that may communicate with the processor  18  to provide connectivity to a wide area network such as the Internet. 
         [0021]    The TV  12  of  FIG. 1  also has an infrared (IR) transceiver  28  capable of bi-directional communication with other electronic devices such as the universal remote commander (URC)  30 . The URC  30  has an IR transceiver  32  which is also capable of bi-directional communication with other electronic devices such as the TV  12 . 
         [0022]    It is to be understood that the transceiver  28  and transceiver  32  may both send and receive infrared signals in the non-limiting embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . However, it is to be further understood that other wireless communication means, and also wired communication means, may be used in accordance with present principles. 
         [0023]    Still in reference to the URC  30  of  FIG. 1 , the URC  30  has a digital processor  34  and one or more computer readable data storage medium(s)  36 . The medium(s)  36  may be, without limitation, RAM-based storage (e.g., a chip implementing dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) or flash memory or disk-based-storage. 
         [0024]    As referenced above, the home entertainment system  10  has a connected device  14  and a connected device  16 . The connected device  14 , which may be a video disc player in non-limiting embodiments, has a processor  38 , one or more computer readable data storage medium(s)  40  and an IR transceiver  42 . The processor  38 , storage medium(s)  40  and transceiver  42  may be substantially similar in function and configuration to the processor  18 , storage medium(s)  22  and IR transceiver  28 , respectively. 
         [0025]    The connected device  14  also has a device remote commander  44  associated with it. The device RC  44  has a digital processor  46 , one or more computer readable data storage medium(s)  48  and an IR transceiver  50 . The processor  46 , medium(s)  48  and IR transceiver  50  may be substantially similar in function and configuration to the processor  34 , storage medium(s)  36  and IR transceiver  32 , respectively. 
         [0026]    Still in reference to  FIG. 1 , the connected device  16 , which may be a video game console in non-limiting embodiments, has a processor  52 , one or more computer readable data storage medium(s)  54  and an IR transceiver  56 . The processor  52 , storage medium(s)  54  and transceiver  56  may be substantially similar in function and configuration to the processor  18 , storage medium(s)  22  and IR transceiver  28 , respectively. 
         [0027]    The connected device  16  also has a device remote commander  58  associated with it. The device RC  58  has a digital processor  60 , one or more computer readable data storage medium(s)  62  and an IR transceiver  64 . The processor  60 , medium(s)  62  and IR transceiver  64  may be substantially similar in function and configuration to the processor  34 , storage medium(s)  36  and IR transceiver  32 , respectively. 
         [0028]    As referenced above, there is a network interface  26  that may communicate with the processor  18  to provide connectivity to a wide area network such as the Internet. Thus, the TV  12  of  FIG. 1  may be connected to the Internet  66  through a wired connection, such as a USB connection, or a wireless connection, such as using Bluetooth technology. The internet  66  has access to a server  68 , the server  68  being classified as an “IR code look-up server” for illustrative purposes in the non-limiting embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0029]    Moreover, the server  68  has a server processor  70  and one or more data storage medium(s)  72  such as but not limited to RAM-based storage (e.g., a chip implementing dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) or flash memory or disk-based-storage. Further, the processor  70  may access an IR code database  74 . The IR code database  74  may have IR codes for various home entertainment devices and systems, such as IR codes for the TV  12 , connected device  14  and connected device  16 . 
         [0030]    Now in reference to  FIG. 2 , a flow chart of the non-limiting exemplary logic for enabling a person to program a URC in accordance with present principles is shown. Beginning at block  76 , an “input” user interface (UI) is presented on the display  20  and prompts a user to point a device RC, such as the device RC  44  or the device RC  58  described above, at the TV  12  and to press a particular and/or special key(s). Then at block  78  the TV  12  receives IR codes from the device RC. 
         [0031]    Moving to block  80  of  FIG. 2 , the TV  12  then accesses an Internet server, such as the server  68  described above, and requests the IR codes for the corresponding device(s) for which it received IR code(s). The TV then receives a device list from the server at block  82 . The device list may also be accompanied by an IR codebook for each device. 
         [0032]    The TV  12  then presents a “device selection” UI at block  84  that lists possible devices based on the IR codes that the TV  12  had previously received and prompts a user to select the appropriate device. Then at block  86  the TV  12  receives a user&#39;s selection of a device on the list. The TV  12  then sends IR codes to a URC, such as the URC  30  referenced in  FIG. 1 , at block  88  for subsequent use of the URC with the device. 
         [0033]    Concluding the logic of  FIG. 2  at block  90 , the logic may be repeated for device remote commanders of other connected devices. Thus, the logic may be repeated to program IR codes for additional devices into the URC. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 3 through 5  are non-limiting illustrative examples of screen shots of UIs that can be presented on the TV  12  in accordance with present principles. In reference to  FIG. 3 , an “input” UI is shown. The “input” UI  92  may be presented on the display  20  referenced above. However, it is to be understood that the UI  92  is only a non-limiting illustrative example of what a user would see at block  76  in the logic described in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0035]    Thus, the input UI  92  may prompt a user to aim a device RC at the TV  12  and then press a key such as the “up” key on the device RC while the device RC is pointed at the TV  12 . However, it is to be understood that prompt on the UI  92  shown in  FIG. 3  is exemplary and that the UI  92  may prompt a user to press more or different keys than the “up” key. 
         [0036]    Now in reference to  FIG. 4 , a “device selection” UI is shown. The “device selection” UI  94  may be presented on the display  20  referenced above. However, it is to be understood that the UI  94  is only a non-limiting illustrative example of what a user would see at block  84  in the logic described in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0037]    Thus, the UI  94  presents a list of devices and prompts a user to select the device to be controlled by the URC. For example, a user may be prompted to select either device model A  96  or device model B  98 . However, it is to be understood that prompt on the UI  94  shown in  FIG. 3  is exemplary and that the UI  94  may contain more, less or different types of devices on the list presented on the UI  94 . 
         [0038]    Moving on to  FIG. 5 , a “completion” UI is shown. The “completion” UI  100  may be presented on the display  20  referenced above after the TV  12  completes the programming of IR codes for a device on the URC. However, it is to be understood that the UI  100  is only a non-limiting illustrative example of what a user would see upon completion of programming a URC in accordance with present principles. Thus, the UI  100  notifies a user that a URC sought to be programmed has in fact been programmed for the intended device. 
         [0039]    While the particular USING TV TO PROGRAM UNIVERSAL REMOTE COMMANDER is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.