Selecting a picture of a device to identify an associated codeset

#This application relates to systems including control devices for performing methods for control of electronic consumer devices.

#Consumers purchase many electronic devices for their homes. One device might be a television. The television comes with a remote control, which has various functions; such as on off; channel up and down; volume up and down; and so on. The remote control communicates with the television via an infrared signal. Another electronic consumer device is a DVD player. The DVD player likewise comes with its own remote control with its own shape, button layout, button functions, and text and other characters on the remote. The same can be said for an audiovisual receiver, a cable box, and a game console. Some of these devices may be connected together. For example, the game console can output a video signal that is connected to the audiovisual receiver via S-video. The same can be said for the DVD player. Other methods of connecting devices can also be used. For example, a cable box may be connected to the audiovisual receiver using a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable. The net result of all of this is that the consumer must have anywhere from two to five or more remote controls, each one being needed to control its respective associated electronic consumer device (ECD). Not only does this make for a lot of clutter in the consumer's home, but it also is confusing to remember which remote goes with which device, and which of the many multitudes of possible choices on each remote the consumer is most interested in.

#A more detailed example 20 is shown in FIG. 1. One remote 31, with its own unique button layout, is used to control a television 21. Another remote 32 is used to control an audiovisual receiver 22. Another remote 34 is used to control a game console 24, and another remote 36 is used to control a cable box 26. Lastly, another remote 38 is used to control a DVD player 28. Each remote has its own unique button layout, as illustrated schematically in FIG. 1.

#The accompanying drawings, where like numerals indicate like components, illustrate various embodiments.

#FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a diagram of a collection of various electronic consumer devices, including various means of communication.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a system for communicating with electronic consumer devices.

#The drawings illustrate a system for controlling electronic consumer devices (ECDs). Household ECDs, as used in this description, can be anything that can be controlled by a remote control device or a keypad or some other control device, such as a DVD, a television, an audiovisual receiver, a sprinkler system, a light switch, an alarm panel, a game console, a computer, and so on.

#FIG. 2 is one embodiment of a system 100 for controlling electronic consumer devices (ECDs). System 100 includes a function device 101, a display 102, a plurality of ECDs 103-111, a database 112 and a memory 113. Database 112 and memory 113 are accessible via a network connection 131 to a network such as the internet 115. The ECDs 103-111 include, in this example, a light switch 103, a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) controller 104, sprinkler system controller 105, an alarm system controller 106, a DVD player 107, a set-top box 108, an audio-visual receiver 104 (sometimes also referred to as an “audio-video receiver” or “AV receiver”), a game console 110, and a television 111. In other embodiments, more or fewer ECDs may be present.

#Function device 101 communicates with the database 112. In one example, the database 112 is a database of codesets. For details on an example of a codeset and what a codeset entails and how a codeset is used, see: U.S. Pat. No. 7,259,696, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. Database 112 includes information on the identities of many different types of ECDs, and information on the functions of each ECD. These functions may, for example, be volume up or down, channel up or down, turn on sprinkler, etc., which can be controlled by a remote control device. The ECD manufacturer usually supplies such a remote control device at the time the ECD is originally sold to consumers. How to generate the various signals needed to be received by the ECD in order to make the ECD perform a desired function is set forth in database 112.