# US 2021/0243488 A1 · System and method for configuring controlling device functionality

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- Number: US 2021/0243488 A1
- Document ID: US20210243488A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/217,587
- Filed: 2021-03-30
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-09-22
- Assignees: Universal Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: Universal Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Brian Barnett; Arsham Hatambeiki; Rex Xu; Jesus Perez
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243488A1

## 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 5/765: Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
- H04N 5/775: between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
- H04N 21/42216: {for quick navigation, e.g. through an EPG}
- H04N 21/42227: {the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys}
- H04N 21/43635: {HDMI}
- H04N 21/4424: {Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used (error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04)}
- H04N 21/4516: {involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available}
- H04N 21/485: End-user interface for client configuration
- G08C 2201/21: Programming remote control devices via third means
- G08C 2201/92: Universal remote control
- 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 21/4221: {Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext}
- H04N 21/42221: {Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- 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)

## Abstract

A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A controlling device, comprising:
a receiver;
a transmitter;
a user interface device; and
a processing device coupled to the receiver, the transmitter, and the user interface device; and
a memory storing instructions executable by the processing device to cause the controlling device to perform steps comprising:
receive, via the receiver, from a first controllable appliance that is communicatively coupled to a second controllable appliance a data indicative of a communications port of the second controllable appliance to which the first controllable appliance is communicatively coupled;
use the data indicative of the communication port of the second controllable appliance as received from the first controllable appliance to automatically configure an input element of the user interface device whereupon a subsequent activation of the input element of the user interface device will cause a transmission, via the transmitter, of a command for causing the second controllable appliance to make active the communications port of the second controllable appliance to which the first controllable appliance is communicatively coupled.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the communication port of the second controllable appliance comprises Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) data which indicates which High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) communications port of the second controllable appliance is being used to exchange communications with the first controllable appliance.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing device cause the controlling device to respond to the activation of the input element of the controlling device by placing the controlling device into an operating mode suitable for controlling functional operations of the first controllable appliance.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an RF receiver.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises an RF transmitter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises an IR transmitter.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface device comprises a touch screen display.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface device comprises a keypad.

### Claim 10

A consumer electronic device system, comprising:
a controlling device; and
a consumer electronic device;
wherein the consumer electronic device comprises:
an interface for exchanging communications with a controllable device;
a transmitter for transmitting a data to the controlling device;
a processing device coupled to the interface and the transmitter; and
a memory storing instructions executable by the processing device to cause the consumer electronic device to perform steps comprising:
receive, via the interface, from the controllable appliance a data indicative of a communications port of the controllable appliance to which the consumer electronic device is communicatively coupled; and
transmit, via the transmitter, to the controlling device the data indicative of the communication port of the controllable appliance as received from the first controllable appliance; and
wherein the controlling device is adapted to use the data indicative of the communication port of the controllable appliance to automatically configure an input element of a user interface device of the controlling device whereupon a subsequent activation of the input element of the user interface device will cause a transmission by the controlling device of a command for causing the second controllable appliance to make active the communications port of the controllable appliance to which the consumer electronic device is communicatively coupled.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The consumer electronic device system as recited in claim 10, wherein the interface comprises a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The consumer electronic device system as recited in claim 11, wherein the data comprises Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) data which indicates which HDMI communications port of the controllable appliance is being used to exchange communications with the consumer electronic device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The consumer electronic device system as recited in claim 11, wherein the data is obtained from the second controllable appliance via use of a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) query issued from the consumer electronic device to the controllable appliance via the HDMI.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The consumer electronic device system as recited in claim 10, wherein the consumer electronic device comprises a media source device and the controllable appliance comprises a media sink device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The consumer electronic device system as recited in claim 14, wherein the media source device comprises a set top box device and the media sink device comprises a television.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The consumer electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein the media source device comprises a removeable media playing device and the media sink device comprises a television.