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US 11,107,345 B1Granted
Automatically configuring a remote control for a device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorChristopher J. Sanders
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Intuitive methods of automatically configuring a remote control for multiple electronic devices are disclosed. The remote control can be automatically configured with the help of a first electronic device that is connected to one or more additional electronic devices. The first electronic device aids in the configuration of the remote control by gathering information about the one or more additional electronic devices and configuring the remote control in accordance. The information about the one or more additional electronic devices may be gathered from the devices themselves, from additional remote controls associated with the devices, and/or from a user, among other possibilities.
Claims24
A method comprising:
- at a first electronic device with a processor and one or more input devices:
- receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to initiate a respective operation at one or more electronic devices, separate from the first electronic device;
- and
- in response to receiving the input:
- in accordance with a determination that the respective operation requires a plurality of electronic devices, wherein the respective operation includes a plurality of parts, initiating a process to transmit a plurality of commands to the plurality of electronic devices for performing the plurality of parts of the respective operation at the plurality of electronic devices, wherein a respective part of the plurality of parts is performable by a first respective electronic device and a second respective electronic device, and transmitting the plurality of commands includes:
- in accordance with a determination that first one or more criteria are satisfied based on operating states of the first respective electronic device and the second respective electronic device, transmitting a respective command for performing the respective part of the respective operation to the first respective electronic device and not the second respective electronic device;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the first one or more criteria are not satisfied based on the operating states of the first respective electronic device and the second respective electronic device, transmitting the respective command for performing the respective part of the respective operation to the second respective electronic device and not the first respective electronic device;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the respective operation does not require a plurality of electronic devices, forgoing initiating the process to transmit the plurality of commands to the plurality of electronic devices.
7 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions, which when executed by a processor of a first electronic device having one or more input devices, cause the first electronic device to perform a method comprising:
- receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to initiate a respective operation at one or more electronic devices, separate from the first electronic device;
- and
- in response to receiving the input:
- in accordance with a determination that the respective operation requires a plurality of electronic devices, wherein the respective operation includes a plurality of parts, initiating a process to transmit a plurality of commands to the plurality of electronic devices for performing the plurality of parts of the respective operation at the plurality of electronic devices, wherein a respective part of the plurality of parts is performable by a first respective electronic device and a second respective electronic device, and transmitting the plurality of commands includes:
- in accordance with a determination that first one or more criteria are satisfied based on operating states of the first respective electronic device and the second respective electronic device, transmitting a respective command for performing the respective part of the respective operation to the first respective electronic device and not the second respective electronic device;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the first one or more criteria are not satisfied based on the operating states of the first respective electronic device and the second respective electronic device, transmitting the respective command for performing the respective part of the respective operation to the second respective electronic device and not the first respective electronic device;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the respective operation does not require a plurality of electronic devices, forgoing initiating the process to transmit the plurality of commands to the plurality of electronic devices.
6 more elements
A first electronic device comprising:
- a processor;
- one or more input devices;
- and
- memory including instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the first electronic device to perform a method comprising:
- receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to initiate a respective operation at one or more electronic devices, separate from the first electronic device;
- and
- in response to receiving the input:
- in accordance with a determination that the respective operation requires a plurality of electronic devices, wherein the respective operation includes a plurality of parts, initiating a process to transmit a plurality of commands to the plurality of electronic devices for performing the plurality of parts of the respective operation at the plurality of electronic devices, wherein a respective part of the plurality of parts is performable by a first respective electronic device and a second respective electronic device, and transmitting the plurality of commands includes:
- in accordance with a determination that first one or more criteria are satisfied based on operating states of the first respective electronic device and the second respective electronic device, transmitting a respective command for performing the respective part of the respective operation to the first respective electronic device and not the second respective electronic device;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the first one or more criteria are not satisfied based on the operating states of the first respective electronic device and the second respective electronic device, transmitting the respective command for performing the respective part of the respective operation to the second respective electronic device and not the first respective electronic device;
- and
- in accordance with a determination that the respective operation does not require a plurality of electronic devices, forgoing initiating the process to transmit the plurality of commands to the plurality of electronic devices.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.