Patent ID: 7734831

Claim:
An apparatus for a universal remote control system for controlling home entertainment-related functions and standard computing operations, the apparatus comprising: a remote control device configured to transmit a first control signal with a first command, a second control signal with a second command, and a third control signal with a third command; a computer configured to respond to the first command to perform selected ones of the standard computing operations including operations not related to home entertainment functions in a computer mode, respond to the second command to perform a home entertainment-related function of the computer in a first setting of an entertainment mode, translate the third command into a modified command and to transmit the modified command in a modified control signal, in a second setting of the entertainment mode; wherein in a third setting of the entertainment mode, the computer is configured to perform computing operations, in response to the third command; wherein the computing operations involve an operating system in the computer in the third setting of the entertainment mode; wherein, in the second setting of the entertainment mode, the computer translates the third command into the modified command by use of a transcoding software and avoids translation of the third command by the operating system; and a consumer electronic device configured to perform a consumer device function, in response to the modified command.