# US 2013/0278449 A1 · System and method for configuration of a controlling device to enable selection of media streams > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0278449 A1 - Document ID: US20130278449A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/924,939 - Filed: 2013-06-24 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-30 - Assignees: Universal Electronics Inc. - Applicants: Universal Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Jeremy K. Black; Patrick H. Hayes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278449A1 ## CPC - H04N 21/42227: {the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys} - G06F 3/0219: {Special purpose keyboards} - G06F 3/0238: {Programmable keyboards (key guide holders G06F3/0224)} - H03M 11/04: Coding of multifunction keys - 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 21/42212: {Specific keyboard arrangements} - H01H 2219/0026: having outer surface of housing of electronic apparatus programmable as display and/or input device - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C) - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) ## Abstract A controlling device has a configurable key. An overlay, such as a sticker, is provided to the configurable key and includes an indicia representative of media content and machine readable data indicative of an identity of the media content represented by the indicia. A memory of the controlling device stores a correspondence between the configurable key and data indicative of a source of the media content. Upon activation of configured, configurable key, the controlling device uses select command codes from a library of command codes and the correspondence between the configurable key and the data indicative of the source of the media content to transmit one or more commands for causing one or more appliances to access the source of the media content. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for configuring a controlling device having a configurable key to command a functional operation of an intended target appliance, the method comprising: reading data from an overlay that has been associated with the configurable key of the controlling device; causing the data read from the overlay to be provided to a server device in communication with the controlling device whereupon the server device uses the provided data read from the overlay to identify command generating data; receiving at the controlling device the command generating data identified by the server device; and using the received command generating data at the controlling device to generate a command to command the functional operation of the intended target appliance in response to an activation of the configurable key of the controlling device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling device is in communication with the server device via use of an intermediate device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the command generating data comprises data for use by the controlling device in generating a command to command the intended target appliance to access a media stream. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the command generating data comprises a channel mapping data. ### Claim 5 The method as recited in 3, comprising providing to the server device data for identifying a service provider whereupon the server device uses the data for identifying the service provider and the data read from the overlay to identify command generating data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method as recited in claim 3, comprising providing to the server device data for identifying a geographic location whereupon the server device uses the data for identifying the geographic location and the data read from the overlay to identify command generating data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the data for identifying a geographic location comprises a zip code. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the overlay comprises an RFID tag having stored thereon the data and the step of reading the data comprises reading the RFID tag. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the overlay comprises a binary encoded representation of the data the step of reading data comprises reading the binary encoded representation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of reading the data indicative is performed in response to activation of one or more predetermined keys of the controlling device provided for placing the controlling device into a configuration mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, comprising storing in the memory of the controlling device a key assignment table in which is maintained a correspondence between the configurable key and the received command generating data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the command generating data is identified by the server device considering of a set of overlays to which the overlay belongs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the overlay comprises a sticker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the overlay is positioned on an upper surface of the configurable key. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the overlay is positioned on an upper surface of the controlling device in a vicinity of the configurable key. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the configurable key comprises a push-button type hard key.