US 6,008,735 AGranted

Method and system for programming a remote control unit

AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation

InventorsJohn H. Chiloyan, Edwin W. Thorne, III

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Abstract

A method and system for programming a remote control unit to control the operation of a controllable device. A group of code sets associated with a particular type and brand of controllable device are selected from a database of code sets stored in the memory of the remote control unit. The commands of each code set in the group of code sets are compared to identify similarities and dissimilarities between command formats within each respective code set. The user tests a command and provides feedback to the remote control unit regarding the results of such testing. When the testing of a command is successful, the remote control unit eliminates code sets containing a command format that is dissimilar to the format of the command that was successfully tested. By eliminating code sets from the group of code sets and testing other commands, the remote control unit eliminates all but one code set. The one remaining code set is identified as the best code set and is added to the remote control unit to allow the remote control unit to transmit signals to control operation of the controllable device.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method for programming an input device to control operation of one of a predetermined group of controllable devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a device selection prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit a command selecting one of the controllable devices, and receiving a user input command selecting one of the controllable devices;
(b) selecting a group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device, wherein each code set includes a plurality of commands;
(c) selecting one of the plurality of commands;
(d) comparing the selected command in each code set to the respective command in each other code set in the group of code sets to determine which respective commands have dissimilar formats;
(e) testing the selected command from at least one candidate code set to determine whether the command in the candidate code set operates the controllable device by,
displaying a first prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit the selected command for the candidate code set to the selected controllable device,
displaying a second prompt asking the user to use the input device to reply whether the selected command caused the controllable device to perform a function associated with the selected command, and
receiving a user input denoting an answer to the second prompt;
(f) eliminating from consideration within the group of code sets those code sets in which the selected command has a format dissimilar to the format of the selected command in a tested code set that resulted in an affirmative answer to the second prompt;
(g) selecting another command and returning to step (d) when more than one code set remains in the group of code sets;
and
(h) programming the input device to control operation of the device using the code set when one code set remains in the group of code sets, or when all of the untested commands in the code sets remaining in the group of code sets are similar.

9 more elements

An input device operative to control operation of one of a predetermined group of controllable devices, comprising:

a processing device;
a memory, coupled to the processing device, storing a program module and a database including a plurality of code sets associated with a plurality of controllable devices;
and
the processing device, responsive to instructions from the program module, operative for:
(a) displaying a device selection prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit a command selecting one of the controllable devices, and receiving a user input command selecting one of the controlable devices;
(b) selecting a group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device, wherein each code set includes a plurality of commands;
(c) selecting one of the plurality of commands;
(d) comparing the selected command in each code set to the respective command in each other code set in the group of code sets to determine which respective commands have dissimilar formats;
(e) testing the selected command from at least one candidate code set to determine whether the command in the candidate code set operates the controllable device by,
displaying a first prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit the selected command for the candidate code set to the selected controllable device,
displaying a second prompt asking the user to use the input device to reply whether the selected command caused the controllable device to perform a function associated with the selected command, and
receiving a user input denoting an answer to the second prompt;
(f) eliminating from consideration within the group of code sets those code sets in which the selected command has a format dissimilar to the format of the selected command in a tested code set that resulted in an affirmative answer to the second prompt;
(g) selecting another command and return to step (d) when more than one code set remains in the group of code sets;
and
(h) programming the input device to control operation of the controllable device using the code set if one code remains in the group of code sets.

13 more elements

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for programming a computing device to control operation of one of a predetermined group of controllable devices, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by the computing device, perform the steps of:

(a) displaying a device selection prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit a command selecting one of the controllable devices, and receiving a user input command selecting one of the controllable devices;
(b) selecting a group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device, wherein each code set includes a plurality of commands;
(c) selecting one of the plurality of commands;
(d) comparing the selected command in each code set to the respective command in each other code set in the group of code sets to determine which respective commands have dissimilar formats;
(e) testing the selected command from at least one candidate code set to determine whether the command in the candidate code set operates the controllable device by,
displaying a first prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit the selected command for the candidate code set to the selected controllable device,
displaying a second prompt asking the user to use the input device to reply whether the selected command caused the controllable device to perform a function associated with the selected command, and
receiving a user input denoting an answer to the second prompt;
(f) eliminating from consideration within the group of code sets those code sets in which the selected command has a format dissimilar to the format of the selected command in a tested code set that resulted in an affirmative answer to the second prompt;
(g) selecting another command and return to step (d) when more than one code set remains in the group of code sets;
and
(h) programming the input device to control operation of the controllable device using the code set if one code remains in the group of code sets.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.