# US 2008/0186176 A1 · System and method for effectively determining a physical location of a remote control device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0186176 A1 - Document ID: US20080186176A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/702,739 - Filed: 2007-02-06 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-06 - Assignees: Sony Corporation; Sony Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Robert Hardacker; Thomas Dawson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080186176A1 ## CPC - G08B 21/24: Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS ## Abstract A system and method for effectively determining a current physical location of a remote control device includes a television device that is configured to receive television control information over an RC-TV communications link. The remote control device transmits the device control information over the RC-device communications link for controlling various functions of the television device. In situations in which the current physical location of the remote control device is unknown, a system user may initiate a location search procedure with a search trigger event to locate the remote control device. The remote control device then generates one or more location indicators in response to the search trigger event to thereby facilitate determining the current physical location of the remote control device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for effectively performing a location search procedure, comprising: an electronic device that is configured to receive device control information over an RC-device communications link; and a remote control that transmits said device control information over said RC-device communications link, said remote control generating a location indicator in response to a search trigger event, said location information being utilized for determining a current physical location of said remote control. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic device is implemented as a television that is controllable with said remote control. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said location indicator includes an audible location beacon that is emitted by said remote control. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said location indicator includes an RC return signal that is transmitted from said remote control to an antenna assembly of said television. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said search trigger event includes activating an RC locator control, and responsively transmitting an RF trigger signal to said remote control. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said search trigger event includes detecting an audible trigger by utilizing said remote control. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein said audible trigger includes an audible search command uttered by a system user and detected by a speech recognizer of said remote control. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein said audible trigger includes an audible sound pulse created by a system user and detected by an audio recognition module of said remote control. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising a charging base that generates said search trigger event, said charging base being freely positionable to facilitate generating said search trigger event. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein said charging base transmits an RF trigger signal directly to said remote control in response to said search trigger event. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein said charging base transmits an RF trigger signal directly to said electronic device in response to said search trigger event, said electronic device responsively relaying said RF trigger signal to said remote control. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein said television includes a low/high-speed radio-frequency interface for wireless bi-directional communications, an RC locator control for initiating said location search procedure, and an antenna assembly with two or more physically-separated antennas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein said television includes a TV memory that stores an RC locator manager with program instructions for managing said location search procedure, and floorplan data representing a local area adjacent to said television for displaying said current physical location of said remote control. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said remote control includes a low/high-speed radio-frequency interface for wireless bi-directional communications, an RC location deactivator for terminating an audible location beacon, and a transducer for receiving an audible trigger and emitting said audible location beacon for said remote control. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein said remote control includes an RC memory that stores an RC locator module with program instructions for managing said location search procedure, an audio recognition module for detecting said audible trigger, and an audio beacon sound file for generating said audible location beacon. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said location search procedure is performed as an RF search procedure in which a system user initially activates an RC locator control, said electronic device responsively transmitting an RF trigger signal that is received by said remote control via said RC-device communications link, said remote control responsively generating an audible locator beacon to allow said system user to locate said remote control by determining a source location of said audible locator beacon. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said location search procedure is performed as an audible search procedure for locating said remote control in which a system user initially provides an audible trigger that is detected by said remote control, said audible trigger alternately including a pre-determined verbal command and a sound pulse created by said system user, said remote control responsively generating an audible locator beacon to allow said system user to locate said remote control by determining a source location of said audible locator beacon. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said location search procedure is performed as an antenna search procedure by utilizing an antenna assembly that includes two or more antennas that are separated by a known separation distance for performing triangulation calculations to locate said remote control, said antenna assembly initially transmitting an RC locator signal to said remote control over said RC-device communications link, said remote control responsively transmitting an RC return signal that is received by said two or more antennas over said RC-device communications link, an RC locator manager then utilizing transmission characteristics from said RC return signal from performing said triangulation calculations to locate said remote control. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein said RC locator manager determines an approximate current location of said remote control by performing said triangulation calculations by utilizing a signal strength of said RC return signal at respective ones of said two or more antennas, and a propagation delay of said RC return signal at said respective ones of said two or more antennas. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein said television displays an RC-locator GUI to present a graphical representation of said current physical location of said remote control, said RC locator GUI being presented as a plan view of a viewing location of said television, said RC locator GUI including a TV location icon that represents an approximate location of said television, an RC direction vector that shows an approximate current direction of said remote control with reference to said television, and an RC location description that includes written text that specifies a current distance of said remote control from said television. ### Claim 21 A method for effectively performing a location search procedure, comprising the steps of: utilizing an electronic device to receive device control information over an RC-device communications link; transmitting said device control information from a remote control over said RC-device communications link; and generating a location indicator from said remote control in response to a search trigger event, said location indicator being utilized to determine a current physical location of said remote control. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said electronic device is implemented as a television that is controllable with said remote control. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said location indicator includes an audible location beacon that is emitted by said remote control. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said location indicator includes an RC return signal that is transmitted from said remote control to an antenna assembly of said television. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said search trigger event includes activating an RC locator control, and responsively transmitting an RF trigger signal to said remote control. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said search trigger event includes detecting an audible trigger by utilizing said remote control. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 wherein said audible trigger includes an audible search command uttered by a system user and detected by a speech recognizer of said remote control. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 wherein said audible trigger includes an audible sound pulse created by a system user and detected by an audio recognition module of said remote control. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 further comprising a charging base that generates said search trigger event, said charging base being freely positionable to facilitate generating said search trigger event. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29 wherein said charging base transmits an RF trigger signal directly to said remote control in response to said search trigger event. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29 wherein said charging base transmits an RF trigger signal directly to said electronic device in response to said search trigger event, said electronic device responsively relaying said RF trigger signal to said remote control. ### Claim 32 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 wherein said television includes a low/high-speed radio-frequency interface for wireless bi-directional communications, an RC locator control for initiating said location search procedure, and an antenna assembly with two or more physically-separated antennas. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The method of claim 32 wherein said television includes a TV memory that stores an RC locator manager with program instructions for managing said location search procedure, and floorplan data representing a local area adjacent to said television for displaying said current physical location of said remote control. ### Claim 34 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said remote control includes a low/high-speed radio-frequency interface for wireless bi-directional communications, an RC location deactivator for terminating an audible location beacon, and a transducer for receiving an audible trigger and emitting said audible location beacon for said remote control. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34 wherein said remote control includes an RC memory that stores an RC locator module with program instructions for managing said location search procedure, an audio recognition module for detecting said audible trigger, and an audio beacon sound file for generating said audible location beacon. ### Claim 36 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said location search procedure is performed as an RF search procedure in which a system user initially activates an RC locator control, said electronic device responsively transmitting an RF trigger signal that is received by said remote control via said RC-device communications link, said remote control responsively generating an audible locator beacon to allow said system user to locate said remote control by determining a source location of said audible locator beacon. ### Claim 37 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said location search procedure is performed as an audible search procedure for locating said remote control in which a system user initially provides an audible trigger that is detected by said remote control, said audible trigger alternately including a pre-determined verbal command and a sound pulse created by said system user, said remote control responsively generating an audible locator beacon to allow said system user to locate said remote control by determining a source location of said audible locator beacon. ### Claim 38 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said location search procedure is performed as an antenna search procedure by utilizing an antenna assembly that includes two or more antennas that are separated by a known separation distance for performing triangulation calculations to locate said remote control, said antenna assembly initially transmitting an RC locator signal to said remote control over said RC-device communications link, said remote control responsively transmitting an RC return signal that is received by said two or more antennas over said RC-device communications link, an RC locator manager then utilizing transmission characteristics from said RC return signal from performing said triangulation calculations to locate said remote control. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38 wherein said RC locator manager determines an approximate current location of said remote control by performing said triangulation calculations by utilizing a signal strength of said RC return signal at respective ones of said two or more antennas, and a propagation delay of said RC return signal at said respective ones of said two or more antennas. ### Claim 40 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 wherein said television displays an RC-locator GUI to present a graphical representation of said current physical location of said remote control, said RC locator GUI including a TV location icon that represents an approximate location of said television, said TV location icon being surrounded by concentric rings that represent different distances from said television, said RC locator GUI including an RC direction vector that shows an approximate current direction of said remote control with reference to said television, said RC locator GUI including a remote control location indicator to display said current physical location of said remote control. ### Claim 41 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 wherein said television displays an RC-locator GUI to present a graphical representation of said current physical location of said remote control, said RC locator GUI being presented as a plan view of a viewing location of said television, said RC locator GUI including a TV location icon that represents an approximate location of said television, an RC direction vector that shows an approximate current direction of said remote control with reference to said television, and an RC location description that includes written text that specifies a current distance of said remote control from said television. ### Claim 42 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein said location search procedure is alternately performed as an RF search procedure, and audible search procedure, and an antenna search procedure. ### Claim 43 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29 wherein said charging base includes a microphone that detects an audible trigger from a system user, said charging base responsively transmitting an RF trigger to said remote control. ### Claim 44 A system for effectively performing a location search procedure, comprising: means for receiving device control information over an RC-device communications link; means for transmitting said device control information over said RC-device communications link; and means for generating a location indicator in response to a search trigger event, said location indicator being utilized for determining a current physical location of said means for transmitting. ### Claim 45 A system for effectively performing a location search procedure, comprising: a television that is configured to receive television control information over an RC-device communications link; and a remote control that transmits said television control information over said RC-device communications link, said remote control generating an audible location beacon in response to a radio-frequency trigger signal transmitted by said television, said radio-frequency trigger signal being requested by a search trigger event when a current physical location of said remote control is unknown, said audible location beacon being utilized for determining said current physical location of said remote control. ### Claim 46 A system for effectively performing a location search procedure, comprising: means for transmitting device control information to control an electronic device; and means for generating a location indicator in response to a search trigger event, said location indicator being utilized for determining a current physical location of said means for transmitting.