# US 11,310,551 B2 · Information device, device control method, device control system and device control program

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- Number: US 11,310,551 B2
- Document ID: US11310551B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/807,216
- Filed: 2020-03-03
- Published: 2021-03-18
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-13
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Inventors: Takashi Doi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310551B2

## CPC

- H04N 21/42204: {User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor (constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205)}
- H04N 5/7755: {the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver}
- H04N 21/426: Internal components of the client {; Characteristics thereof} (H04N5/44 takes precedence)
- H04N 21/43635: {HDMI}
- H04N 21/44231: {Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device (configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817)}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

According to one embodiment, an information device includes a request command transmission unit and an information reception unit. The request command transmission unit transmits, to an external device, a request command for obtaining information of one or more unique commands executable only by the external device from the external device. The information reception unit receives the information of one or more unique commands requested by the request command from the external device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information device comprising:
a request command transmission unit which transmits, to an external device, a request command for obtaining a list of one or more unique commands executable only by the external device from the external device;
an information reception unit which receives the list of one or more unique commands requested by the request command from the external device and generates display information to display the list of one or more unique commands in a display unit, wherein the display information is at least one of a name of a function, an explanation of the function and an icon or symbol for the function allowing a user to understand content of the one or more unique commands, and
the display information of each unique command in the display unit is a user interface to execute the each unique command; and
an inquiry command transmission unit which transmits an inquiry command for inquiring information of a device state,
the information reception unit receiving the information of the device state, wherein
validity/invalidity of the unique command included in the received list of one or more unique commands is determined based on the received information of the external device state, and
the display information displayed in the display unit is adjusted based on the determined validity/invalidity of the one or more unique commands.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information device of claim 1, further comprising an execution command transmission unit which generates an execution command to be executed in the external device from the list of one or more unique commands received in the information reception unit, and transmits the execution command of the unique command.

### Claim 3

A device control method comprising:
transmitting a request command for obtaining a list of one or more unique commands executable only by an external device from the external device;
receiving the list of one or more unique commands requested by the request command from the external device;
generating display information to display the list of one or more unique commands in a display unit, wherein
the display information including at least one of a name of a function, an explanation of the function and an icon or symbol for the function allowing a user to understand content of the one or more unique command, and
the display information of each unique command in the display unit is a user interface to execute the each unique command; and
transmitting an inquiry command for inquiring information of a device state,
receiving the information of the device state, wherein
validity/invalidity of the unique command included in the received list of one or more unique commands is determined based on the received information of the external device state, and
the display information displayed in the display unit is adjusted based on the determined validity/invalidity of the one or more unique commands.