# US 12,223,827 B2 · Automated programming of a remote control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,223,827 B2 - Document ID: US12223827B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/205,343 - Filed: 2023-06-02 - Published: 2024-04-25 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-29 - Assignees: B&W Group Ltd. - Applicants: B&W Group Ltd. - Inventors: Gaylord Yu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223827B2 ## CPC - G08C 17/00: Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link - G06F 16/7328: {Query by example, e.g. a complete video frame or video sequence (graphical querying G06F16/7335)} - H04N 21/41265: {having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204)} - 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 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) - H04N 21/43615: {Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805)} - H04N 21/4363: Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network - H04N 21/4394: {involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58)} - H04N 21/44008: {involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59)} - H04N 21/472: End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)} - H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection - G06V 30/10: Character recognition - G08C 2201/20: Binding and programming of remote control devices - H04N 21/4126: {The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones} - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract An electronic device that obtains a set of remote-control commands is described. During operation, the electronic device may receive an image associated with a second electronic device, where a brand and a model of the second electronic device are initially unknown to the electronic device. Then, the electronic device may perform image analysis on the image to determine at least the brand of the second electronic device. Moreover, the electronic device may access, based at least in part on the determined brand, the set of remote-control commands that are associated with the second electronic device. Next, the electronic device may store the set of remote-control commands in memory. Subsequently, when the electronic device receives user-interface activity information associated with a portable electronic device that specifies selection of the second electronic device, the electronic device may provide the set of remote-control commands to the second electronic device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device configured to communicate with: a portable electronic device comprising a wireless communication device; and a second electronic device, wherein the electronic device and the second electronic device do not comprise a remote control, and the electronic device is configured to: receive an image associated with the second electronic device, wherein a brand and a model of the second electronic device are initially unknown to the electronic device; perform image analysis on the image to determine at least the brand of the second electronic device; access, based at least in part on the determined brand, a set of remote-control commands that are associated with the second electronic device; store the set of remote-control commands in memory; receive user-interface activity information from the portable electronic device that specifies selection of the second electronic device; and selectively provide to the portable electronic device one or more commands of the set of remote-control commands intended for the second electronic device in response to the user-interface activity information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein receiving the image comprises wired or wireless communication, while providing the set of remote-control commands comprises wireless communication. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the set of remote-control commands comprises commands associated with infrared communication. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein performing the image analysis comprises: providing the image intended for a computer; and receiving second information associated with the computer that specifies at least the brand of the second electronic device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image analysis determines the model of the second electronic device, and accessing the set of remote-control commands is based at least in part on the determined model. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein accessing the set of remote-control commands comprises receiving the set of remote-control commands associated with a computer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when the model of the second electronic device remains unknown after the image analysis, accessing the set of remote-control commands comprises: accessing multiple sets of remote-control commands that are potentially associated with the second electronic device and that comprise the set of remote-control commands, wherein the sets of remote-control commands are accessed based at least in part on the determined brand, a type of the second electronic device or both; and providing, intended for the portable electronic device, at least a remote-control command in a given set of remote-control commands that is associated with a given model, along with an instruction for the portable electronic device to output at least the remote-control command to the second electronic device; monitoring whether the second electronic device responds to at least the remote-control command; repeat the providing and monitoring operations with different remote-control commands in the sets of remote-control commands until a response of the second electronic device is detected; and identifying the model of the second electronic device based at least in part on the detected response. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring an interface between the electronic device and the second electronic device for a change in activity of the second electronic device or a change in state of the electronic device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when the model of the second electronic device remains unknown after the image analysis, accessing the set of remote-control commands comprises: accessing multiple sets of remote-control commands that are potentially associated with the second electronic device and that comprise the set of remote-control commands, wherein the sets of remote-control commands are accessed based at least in part on the determined brand, a type of the second electronic device or both; and providing, intended for the second electronic device, at least a command corresponding to at least a remote-control command in the given set of remote-control commands that is associated with a given model; monitoring whether the second electronic device responds to at least the command; repeating the providing and monitoring operations with different commands corresponding to different remote-control commands in the sets of remote-control commands until a response of the second electronic device is detected; and identifying the model of the second electronic device based at least in part on the detected response. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring an interface between the electronic device and the second electronic device for a change in activity of the second electronic device or a change in state of the electronic device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image comprises a logo or a graphical icon associated with the second electronic device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image comprises a set of predefined images associated with different brands and different models of electronic devices. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein selectively providing to the portable electronic device one or more commands of the set of remote-control commands further comprises providing the portable electronic device a subset of the remote-control commands that does not include the entire set of remote-control commands. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is selected from the group consisting of a tablet computer, a smartphone, and a cellular telephone. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use with an electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform operations comprising: receiving an image associated with a second electronic device, wherein a brand and a model of the second electronic device are initially unknown to the electronic device; performing image analysis on the image to determine at least the brand of the second electronic device; accessing, based at least in part on the determined brand, a set of remote-control commands that are associated with the second electronic device; storing the set of remote-control commands in memory; receiving user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device that specifies selection of the second electronic device, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a wireless communication device and the electronic device and the second electronic device do not comprise a remote control; and selectively providing, to the portable electronic device, one or more commands of the set of remote-control commands intended for the second electronic device in response to the user-interface activity information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the set of remote-control commands comprises commands associated with infrared communication. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein performing the image analysis comprises: providing the image intended for a computer; and receiving second information associated with the computer that specifies at least the brand of the second electronic device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein accessing the set of remote-control commands comprises receiving the set of remote-control commands associated with a computer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein, when the model of the second electronic device remains unknown after the image analysis, accessing the set of remote-control commands comprises: accessing multiple sets of remote-control commands that are potentially associated with the second electronic device and that comprise the set of remote-control commands, wherein the sets of remote-control commands are accessed based at least in part on the determined brand, a type of the second electronic device or both; and providing at least a remote-control command in a given set of remote-control commands that is intended for the portable electronic device and that is associated with a given model, along with an instruction for the portable electronic device to output at least the remote-control command to the second electronic device; monitoring whether the second electronic device responds to at least the remote-control command; repeating the providing and monitoring operations with different remote-control commands in the sets of remote-control commands until a response of the second electronic device is detected; and identifying the model of the second electronic device based at least in part on the detected response. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein, when the model of the second electronic device remains unknown after the image analysis, accessing the set of remote-control commands comprises: accessing multiple sets of remote-control commands that are potentially associated with the second electronic device and that comprise the set of remote-control commands, wherein the sets of remote-control commands are accessed based at least in part on the determined brand, a type of the second electronic device or both; and providing at least a command corresponding to at least a remote-control command in the given set of remote-control commands that is intended for the second electronic device and that is associated with a given model; monitoring whether the second electronic device responds to at least the command; repeating the providing and monitoring operations with different commands corresponding to different remote-control commands in the sets of remote-control commands until a response of the second electronic device is detected; and identifying the model of the second electronic device based at least in part on the detected response. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication device is selected from the group consisting of a tablet computer, a smartphone, and a cellular telephone.