Abstract:
A remote text input and editing method and a remote control device that allow user to input and edit text message on a hand-held remote control locally, and transmit the prepared text message to a television (TV). The remote text input and editing method involves batch text transmission, as opposed to traditional character-by-character remote control and remote keyboard approaches. Text messages transmitted between the remote control and the TV incorporates automatic error detection mechanism and can be in encrypted form.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    This invention is directed to providing users with the capability to remotely input and edit text on a TV screen using a remote control which allows users to input and edit text message locally on the remote control, and to send the prepared text message to the TV screen. 
         [0005]    Entertainment systems have become more and more interactive. TV set top box and digital video recorder provide searchable video on demand (VOD) functionalities, and newer TVs even come with internet browsing capability. However, when it comes to text input, like entering a movie title name for VOD, or entering information for a user profile on TV, or sending text messages to a friend on TV, remote text input posts a real challenge to current remote control devices. 
         [0006]    There are two approaches for remote text input in the prior art, one using on-screen soft keypad, and the second using remote keyboard. The problem with these two approaches in the prior art is that both approaches can enter one character at a time only. For the first approach, users have to point the remote or move the highlight on screen to enter one character at a time, which is slow and hard to do when people sits 8 or 10 feet away from the screen. As to the second approach, not everyone can type correctly without looking at the keyboard. That means many users have to move the head up and down for each character. Even for people who can type traditional keyboard without looking at it, when they want to switch to a more convenient small keyboard, they may have to look at the keyboard while typing, since their fingers would be too big to rest on the small keyboard like the way with regular size keyboard. 
         [0007]    What is needed is a system described in present invention, where user can input and edit text locally on a remote control, and is able to transmit the prepared text to a TV to display on its screen. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an object the present invention to provide users with an improved remote text input and edit capability on television (TV) using a remote control, utilizing batch text transmission. 
         [0009]    In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a locally-text-editable remote control with batch text transmission capability allows users to type and edit text right on the remote control, and send the whole finished text to a TV to display on its screen. The remote control and the TV can communicate with each other using two-directional traffic means. The remote control operates in two modes—local text editing mode and remote control mode. And it can switch mode manually or automatically. The text transmission between the remote control and the TV has automatic error detection mechanism to ensure accurate text transmission. Text messages transmitted between the remote control and the TV can be in encrypted form. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an entertainment system suited for incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a text message format in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of a remote control for local text editing and batch text transmission in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a sequence diagram illustrating remote text input and editing operations in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram illustrates an entertainment system suited for incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. A television set  1  has a transmitter  5  to send signal and a receiver  6  to receive signal. A remote control  2  has a transmitter  7  to send signal and a receiver  8  to receiver signal. The communication between television set  1  and remote control  2  is two directional. Signal can be sent in direction  3  from remote control  2  to television set  1 . Signal can also be sent in direction  4  from television set  1  to remote control  2 . Although one-directional communication in direction  3  from remote control  2  to television set  1  can transmit prepared text message from remote control  2  to television set  1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, two-directional communication provides means for more reliable and convenient remote text input and editing. Although a direct communication between a television set  1  and a remote control  2  is described in this illustrative system, it will be apparent that a system having a separate television receiver, e.g. a set-top box, which is connected to a television set  1  and communicates with a remote control  2 , is also suited for incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , in this illustrative example, communication between television set  1  and remote control  2  uses radio frequency (RF) as transportation means to carry information being transmitted between television set  1  and remote control  2 . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other transportation means, including, but not limited to, infrared (IR), can also be used for communication between television set  1  and remote control  2  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Text message can be sent in direction  3  from remote control  2  to television set  1 , and can be sent in direction  4  from television set  1  to remote control  2 . 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a diagram illustrates a text message format in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As an illustrative example, XML format is used in text message transmission in direction  3  from remote control  2  to television set  1  and in direction  4  from television set  1  to remote control  2 . Message  9  transmitted from remote control  2  to television set  1  is in XML format. Message  9  starts with &lt;batch_text&gt;  10  and ends with &lt;/batch_text&gt;  11 . Inside message  9 , checksum value  14  is enclosed by &lt;checksum&gt;  12  and &lt;/checksum&gt;  13 . Checksum value  14  is used to check the integrity of prepared text  17  that is enclosed by &lt;text&gt;  15  and &lt;/text&gt;  16 . INSERT/REPLACE indicator  19  enclosed by &lt;insert&gt;  18  and &lt;insert&gt;  20  can be either Y or N. If INSERT/REPLACE indicator  19  is Y, television set  1  inserts prepared text  17  to the current cursor position on the screen of television set  1 . If INSERT/REPLACE indicator  19  is N, television set  1  replaces existing text of the current text input area on the screen of television set  1  with prepared text  17 . Although XML format is used in this illustrative example, it will be apparent for those skilled in the art that other message formats can also be used to transmit text between television set  1  and remote control  2  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a diagram illustrates a remote control for local text editing and batch text transmission in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Remote control  2  has transmitter  7  and receiver  8  for two-directional communication with television set  1 . Remote control  2  operates in two modes—local text editing mode and remote control mode. In local text editing mode, text editing keys  25 , number keys (Num Keys)  23 , mouse buttons  28  and optical trackball  21  are used to input and edit text on display  31 . In remote control mode, text editing keys  25 , number keys (Num Keys)  23 , mouse buttons  28  and optical trackball  21  are used to control television set  1 . Remote control keys (RC Keys)  22  are used to control television set  1  regardless of the operating mode of remote control  2 . SEND button (SE)  26  is used to send prepared text on display  31  to television set  1 . Red light (R)  32  illuminates if sending the prepared text from remote control  2  to television set  1  failed. Green light (G)  33  illuminates if remote control  2  receives signal indicating that the prepared text was successfully sent from remote control  2  to television set  1 . Once the prepared text is successfully sent to television set  1  by pressing SEND button  26 , remote control  2  automatically switches to remote control mode and turns off display  31 . Display  31  can be set to keep previously prepared text or to clear the buffer when it turns off. When remote control  2  receives TEXT_INPUT signal from television set  1 , remote control  2  automatically switches to local text editing mode, and turns on display  31 . Pressing SWITCH (SW)  30  one time will manually switch the operating mode of remote control  2  between local text editing mode and remote control mode. Pressing SWITCH  30  two times within  1  second will manually switch the operating mode of remote control  2 , and, in addition, will turn off automatic mode switch function if the automatic mode switch function is currently on, or will turn on automatic mode switch function if the automatic mode switch function is currently off. INSERT button (I)  29  is used to toggle the value of INSERT/REPLACE indicator  19 . Pressing FETCH button (F)  27  sends TEXT_RETRIEVAL command from remote control  2  to television set  1  to retrieve text from television set  1  to remote control  2 . Remote control  2  has internal memory buffers  24  to store previously prepared text, which can be retrieved in a later time with MEMORY keys (not shown in the diagram). Remote control  2  has SYNC button (not shown in the diagram) to sync up with television set  1  and exchange public keys for encryption with television set  1 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a sequence diagram illustrates an example of steps practiced in implementing an embodiment of the present invention. In step  34 , when user press both SYNC button of remote control  2  and SYNC button of television set  1  within a time period of 10 seconds, remote control  2  and television set  1  sync up with each other and exchange public keys, so that remote control  2  and television set  1  can communicate with each other with encrypted text message using asymmetric key algorithms. Although described using asymmetric key cipher for message encryption and decryption, it will be apparent for those skilled in the art that encryption techniques other than asymmetric key cipher could be used for encrypted text communication. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in step  35 , when television set  1  expects text input from remote control  2 , television set  1  sends TEXT_INPUT signal to remote control  2 . Upon receiving TEXT_INPUT signal from television set  1 , remote control  2  switches to local text editing mode and turns on display  31 . In step  36 , user presses FETCH button  27  to send a TEXT_RETRIEVAL command from remote control  2  to television set  1 . In step  37 , television set  1  sends highlighted text on the screen of television set  1  to remote control  2 . Alternatively, based on settings on television set  1  that are configurable using remote control  2 , television set  1  sends existing text of current text input area on the screen of television set  1  to remote control  2 . Remote control  2  inserts the fetched text into current cursor position on display  31 . Alternatively, based on configurable settings of remote control  2 , remote control  2  replaces existing text on display  31  with the fetched text, or stores the fetched text in a buffer of remote control  2 . In step  38 , user input and edit text on display  31 , and may retrieve text from memory buffers to display  31 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in step  39 , user press SEND button  26 ; remote control  2  constructs an XML message, as illustrated by message  9 , with the prepared text  17  from display  31 , an INSERT/REPLACE indicator value  19  and a checksum value  14  of the prepared text  17 ; remote control  2  encrypts the XML message  9  and transmits the encrypted message to television set  1 . In step  40 , television set  1  decrypts the received message, and verifies the integrity of the prepared text  17  using the checksum value  14 . If checksum verification of prepared text  17  is successful, television set  1  inserts prepared text  17  into the current cursor position on the screen of television set  1 , or replaces the existing text of the current editable text area on the screen of television set  1  with the prepared text  17 , based on the INSERT/REPLACE indicator value  19 . And then, television set  1  sends SUCCESS acknowledgement to remote control  2  in step  41 . If, in step  40 , checksum verification of prepared text  17  is not successful, television set  1  drops the received message  9 , and sends FAILURE acknowledgement to remote control  2  in step  41 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in step  42 , upon receiving SUCCESS acknowledgement from television set  1 , remote control  2  illuminates GREEN light  33 , switches to remote control mode, and turns off display  31 . If remote control  2  receives FAILURE acknowledgement from television set  1 , or does not receive any acknowledgement from television set  1  within 1 second, it will retry transmission of the same prepared text from step  39 . If the second attempt of transmission fails again, remote control  2  will abort the prepared text transmission and will illuminate RED light  32 . The number of retries before aborting the prepared text transmission is configurable. Pressing any key will reset RED Light  32  and GREEN Light  33  indicators. It will be apparent that remote control  2  can use other means to show status of the prepared text transmission in steps  39 ,  40 ,  41  and  42 , including, but not limited to, other light colors and different sounds and tones. It will also be apparent that the encryption/decryption mechanism and the error detection and retry mechanism for text transmission from remote control  2  to television set  1 , as illustrated in steps  39 ,  40 ,  41  and  42 , can also be applied on text transmission from television set  1  to remote control  2 , e.g. in step  37 .