Home entertainment system providing presence and mobility via remote control authentication

A method comprising:

• identifying a person as present in a room based on a comparison of received input uniquely associated with the person comprising at least a unique identifier associated with an authentication profile for the person, wherein the authentication profile contains information regarding which of a plurality of users' preference information takes priority on each television in the user's home;
• authenticating the person as a registered user of a home entertainment system;
• communicating the authentication profile to a plurality of remote control devices associated respectively with a plurality of set-top boxes;
• and
• configuring a television and remote control device located in the room with profile settings associated with the registered user based in part on priority information contained within the person's authentication profile, wherein configuring the remote control comprises mapping a keypad based on the user settings, and wherein configuring the television comprises powering on the television, wherein the television automatically switches to a predetermined channel responsive to the profile settings, the predetermined channel comprising a channel that the registered user was previously watching in another room along with one or more parameters associated with watching of the channel, the one or more parameters including a volume setting and/or a presentation mode of the channel.

A method comprising:

• storing authentication profile data received from a user of a home entertainment system on a remote control device, wherein the authentication profile contains information regarding which of a plurality of users' preference information takes priority on each television in the user's home;
• communicating the authentication profile to a plurality of remote control devices associated respectively with a plurality of set-top boxes;
• identifying the user as present in a first room directly responsive to first input received from the user, the first input matching identification (ID) data uniquely associated with the user included within the authentication profile data;
• enabling viewing of a particular channel on a television located in the first room based in part on priority information contained within the person's authentication profile;
• identifying the user as present in a second room responsive to second input received from the user, the second input matching the ID data;
• and
• automatically powering on a television located in the second room and switching the television located in the second room to the particular channel based in part on priority information contained within the person's authentication profile.

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory comprising one or more instructions executable at the processors, the one or more processors being operable, when executing the instructions, to:
• receive, from a remote control device associated with a video display device, biometric input of a user;
• store an authentication profile of the user providing the biometric input data in a database further containing information regarding which of a plurality of users' preference information takes priority on each television in the user's home;
• issuing credentials to the user associated with a unique ID assigned to the authentication profile;
• authenticate the user responsive to a match of the biometric input with stored biometric data of the user;
• communicate the authentication profile associated with the user to a plurality of remote control devices associated respectively with a plurality of set-top boxes, wherein the authentication profile contains information regarding which of a plurality of users' preference information takes priority on each television in the user's home;
• and
• configure the remote control device and the video display device based on user settings associated with the stored biometric data of the user and based in part on priority information contained within the person's authentication profile, wherein configuring the remote control comprises mapping a keypad based on the user settings, and wherein configuring the video display device comprises powering on the video display device.

A remote control apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a first input that uniquely identifies a person as present in a first room;
• means for processing the first input to authenticate the person as a registered user of a home entertainment system, and for configuring a television located in the first room with profile settings associated with the registered user, the television automatically powering on and switching to a predetermined channel responsive to the profile settings;
• means for communicating an authentication profile associated with the person to a plurality of remote control devices associated respectively with a plurality of set-top boxes, wherein the authentication profile contains information regarding which of a plurality of users' preference information takes priority on each television in the user's home;
• and
• means for identifying the person as present in a second room responsive to second input received from the user, the second input authenticating the person;
• and
• automatically powering on a television located in the second room and switching the television located in the second room to the predetermined channel based in part on priority information contained within the person's authentication profile.