Apparatus, systems, and methods for notification of remote control device modes
AssigneeEchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
InventorsAdam Schafer, Eric Hieb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed for the current mode of one or more remote control devices to be displayed or played as an audio message either continuously or at various opportune times on other devices such as a presentation device (e.g., a television set). In this way, a user is able to quickly see the current mode of their remote control while watching programming on the display to determine if the remote control mode needs to be changed to control a particular device on the premises. Remote control command mode information may be communicated from the remote control in a separate remote control message or within remote control commands generated by the remote control.
Claims29
A method in a remote control device mode notification system, comprising:
- retrieving, by the remote control device mode notification system, remote control device mode information useful for determining a current mode of a first remote control device;
- and
- automatically causing, by the remote control device mode notification system, the current mode of the first remote control device to be presented by a presentation device other than the first remote control device based on the remote control device mode information.
A remote control device notification system comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- at least on memory area coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
- send a remote control command from a remote control device while the remote control device is in a current mode to a device associated with the current mode of the remote control device;
- and
- send remote control device current mode information from the remote control device to another device to enable the other device to determine and present the current mode of the remote control device.
A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions thereon that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to:
- determine a current mode of a remote control device based on remote control device mode information received from the remote control device;
- and
- cause the current mode of the remote control device to be presented by a presentation device other than the first remote control device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.