System and method for creating a controlling device
Contents
1. K RR REAR LEVEL K RR REAR LEVEL K SR SURROUND RIGH K SR SURROUND RIGH K SF SURROUND LEFT K SF SURROUND LEFT K PRO PRO LOGIC K SuP SURROUND SOU KIBND BAND K rsr TONE KILDN LOUDNESS K BET BASS BOOST K DIR DIRECT EFFECT K JEF EFFECT K DYT DELAY TIME KICK co K TAP ner _ CH CH K cH CH o CH PWR PWR PWR PWR PWR BOE a ar RCL RECALL FFO FAST Ds m FFD REST eae da STP STOP PAU PAUSE IK amp BE Ez FIG IO Step 3 Mode Keys Step 4 Logical Devices Step 5 Step 5 Load Coverage Remote Feature Selection Please select features for your product Some features require the EEPROM Default Set up 2 Direct Set up 2 Audio Lock Mode Mover Blink Back Master Reset EEPROM E2 Size in Bytes NONE Q 128 512 1k 2K Optional Features Mikey Movers V Macross MRotating Macros MICH Scan V Fav CH Scan V Upgrades Learners Modems L Back Light Mode Light Locke Sleep DBL REC Key User Reset Video Lock Shift 1 Time Shift Lock Dedicated Keys M Dedicated Device Factory Test Chonnel Contro Lock MICH Up Down Simulation w Lock EEPROM required Step 7 Feature Selection Y Step 6 Key Sele2. V pe j wmo 5 2 ora voeo Pau Ps zwr Drag and Drop key to assign keyscan code Auto Rem ODORE DBDODUUBE Note 1 Auto Assign will automatically assign keys from the Key Lists to empty key boxes 2 Drag a key from the list or a box and drop it to the box you want to If there is a key in the box already both keys will be swapped FIG 13 US 6 785 579 B2 1 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING A CONTROLLING DEVICE This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of U S Application Ser No 09 716 888 filed Nov 20 2000 now U S Pat No 6 640 144 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to controlling devices and more particularly relates to a system and method for creating a controlling device such as a universal remote control Controlling devices are known in the art For example US Pat No 5 689 353 discloses a universal remote control which can be coupled via coded signals with a receiver built into various types of consumer appliances In this manner the universal remote control can be used to transmit a command code signal to the consumer appliances to control the operation of the consumer appliance s that are adapted to respond to the command code sign
3. Step4 Logical Devices Assign logical devices to mode U S Patent Aug 31 2004 Sheet 1 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 Create New Project Step1 Project Setup 1 Assign Project Name 2 Choose Project directory NEXT Step2 Market and Platform CHOOSE Chip Size Model 1 1016 8K 15K 2 1424 16K 24K 3 1532 16 24K 32K Market Selection USA EURO ASIA and OTHER Product Type Selection High End or Low End Chip Size Selection 8K 15K 16k 24k 32k NEXT Available Mode Names TV CABLE VCR CD Step3 Mode Keys Physical Modes SAT AMP TUN AUDIO to 8 modes Dn VIDEO DVD AUX NEXT Available Device Group GEM Step4 Logical Devices TV CABLE VCR and CD Assign logical devices to e mod More Modes assign NO NEXT STEP C e FIG U S Patent Aug 31 2004 Sheet 2 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 NEXT BACK to Step4 Step 5 Load Coverage 1 Select Market Coverage Load Coverage 5 99 for each device type or use of each Market user load 2 Select Default Mode NEXT A Step6 Key Selections ASSIGN Function Assignment NK Pick functions to physical keys for each device type DONE 1 Select physical function keys 2 Check selected physical keys to assign Secondary keys NEXT Step Feature Selections Available Optional Features Key Mover Macros R
4. type groups Examples of consumer appliance type groups include a cable device type group TV device type group audio device type group and video device type group For example cable boxes satellite boxes and video accessories can be classified as belonging to the cable group and laser disc players DVD players and VCRs can be classified as belonging to the video group In keeping with the designated groupings each command code set that is used to control the operation of the types of consumer appliances that form a group is assigned a unique set up code or ID number These ID numbers are main tained in the database and when a command code set is stored in the memory of the controlling device the ID number corresponding to that command code set is also provided to the controlling device In this manner as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art the ID number assigned to a command code set can be input by a user of a controlling device to set up the controlling device to com mand the operation of a preferred consumer appliance when the corresponding mode of operation is active Typically for use in setting up the controlling device the user is provided in a user s manual or the like with a list of ID numbers and 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 the model number manufacturer of the consumer appliance that the command code set corresponding to the ID number is i
5. codes 6 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the build further comprises identifiers which are assigned to prede termined subsets of the selected command codes 7 The method as recited in claim 1 comprising accepting input via the user interface for mapping command codes to command keys of the controlling device 8 The method as recited in claim 7 comprising accepting input via the user interface for configuring a layout of the command keys 9 The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the user interface provides drag and drop capabilities 10 A method for using a network enabled computing interface to access instructions for use in creating a control ling device having a memory comprising accepting via the network enabled computing interface input that functions to specify a plurality of different controllable devices whereby command code sets from a library of command code sets that are remote from the controlling device and which are appropriate for com manding operations of the plurality of different con trollable devices are selected by the instructions as a function of the input for inclusion into a build adapted to be downloaded into the memory of the controlling device displaying via the network enabled user interface an estimated memory utilization for the build as deter mined by the instructions displaying via the network enabled user interface an option which is selectable to enable modification
6. critical to the use of that consumer appliance that for that device ID only the func tion should be available somewhere on the keypad even if a physical key does not exist for it For this purpose the screen displayed to the user can display a drop down list or the like by which the user can select a device by its device ID number to place the screen in a mode by which the user can assign functions to command keys for that device Yet another desirable feature is the ability to assign shifted or alternate functions to certain keys A shifted function on a remote control is accessed by the user pressing a shift key immediately prior to the function key causing the function key in question to transmit an alternative IR command code for example the gt gt key for a CD player may send a track skip command in the regular mode and a disk skip command in the shifted mode This feature allows extra functions to be offered on a remote control while still retaining a reasonable total number of keys In an alternative implementation the user presses the shift key together with the function key rather than immediately prior US 6 785 579 B2 9 to it however the effect is the same Referring again to FIG 9 during the physical key selection process any keys which are to support shifted functions are designated via a click able check box in the Selected Physical Key table In the specific example show
7. executable instruc tions that are to be stored in the memory of the controlling device It is also requires that the layout of the intended keyboard for the controlling device be manually created keeping in mind the proposed command code library and features to be supported by the controlling device Manually performing these tasks suffers the disadvantage of failing to create a controlling device that adequately balances the needs of an end user against the development cost of the controlling device SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To overcome this disadvantage the subject invention provides a system and method for creating a controlling device The controlling device is created by a user specify ing one or more operating criteria for the controlling device By way of example operating criteria may include the intended market for the controlling device the intended end use of the controlling device the types of devices the controlling device is intended to control the functions intended to be supported within the controlling device the 10 15 20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 size of the memory within the controlling device and or the processor chip within the controlling device From the specified criteria the system will select execut able instructions from a library of executable instructions and command code sets from a library of command code sets that are to be stored in the memory of the controlling d
8. having a memory comprising accepting via a user interface input that functions to specify a plurality of different controllable devices whereby command code sets from a library of com mand code sets that are remote from the controlling device and which are appropriate for commanding operations of the plurality of different controllable devices are selected as a function of the input for inclusion into a build adapted to be downloaded into the memory of the controlling device displaying via the user interface an estimated memory utilization of the build displaying via the user interface an option which is selectable to enable modification of which command code sets are included in the build to thereby modify the estimated memory utilization of the build and displaying via the user interface an option which is selectable to cause downloading of the build for inclu sion into the memory of the controlling device 12 2 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the command codes selected are appropriate for commanding devices within a geographic region 3 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the command 5 codes selected cover an install base of a type of consumer appliance 4 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the build further comprises instructions for operating the controlling device 5 The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the build further comprises a mapping between keys of the remote control and command
9. home appliances The features of the control ling device such as favorite key setup macro key setup etc are performed in accordance with executable instructions that are used to control the operation of the controlling device itself The command code library and executable instructions are stored in the memory e g RAM ROM EEPROM associated with the controlling device Examples of controlling devices include universal remote controls personal digital assistants PDAs expanded function cel lular telephones and home computers As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art the command codes that comprise the command code library may be transmitted from the controlling device to the consumer appliances by any suitable wired or wireless transmission means such as IR radio frequency RF or the like More specifically the method that is the subject of the invention is performed in connection with a computer that is under the control of computer executable instructions The computer need not be limited to a personal computer but may include hand held devices multiprocessor systems microprocessor based or programmable consumer electronics minicomputers mainframe computers and the like The computer executable instructions may include routines programs objects components and or data struc tures that perform particular tasks While described in the context of a single computer the computer executable instructions
10. illus trated in FIGS 1 3 FIG 12 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user can edit the individual command code sets to US 6 785 579 B2 3 be included in the controlling device to be created in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 and FIG 13 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user can edit key code and switch assignments in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to the figures wherein like reference numer als refer to like elements there is illustrated a system and method for creating a controlling device The system and method may be used to establish a command code library executable instructions which implement specific features and keyboard layout for the controlling device Generally the command code library features and keyboard layout are established as a function of the intended end use of the controlling device as well as the processor type and memory size to be included in the controlling device The command code library comprises a plurality of com mand codes grouped in command code sets that may be transmitted from the controlling device in response to activation of a command key to remotely control the opera tion of one or more consumer appliances Consumer appli ances that are especially adapted for remote control include TVs VCRs DVD players thermostats fans entry systems and other like
11. a United States Patent Huang et al US006785579B2 US 6 785 579 B2 Aug 31 2004 10 Patent No 45 Date of Patent 54 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING A 56 References Cited CONTROLLING DEVICE U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 75 Inventors Steve Lan Ping Huang Placentia CA US Kim Thoa Thi Nguyen Yorba 4 866 434 A 9 1989 Keenan 340 825 72 Linda CA US Han Sheng Yuh 5 909 183 A 6 1999 Borgstahl et al 340 825 22 Walnut CA US JianJun Cao 6 127 941 A 10 2000 Van Ryzin 340 825 69 Cypress CA US My Thien Do 6 608 638 8 2008 Kodosky et al 345 771 Anaheim CA US dass 73 Assignee Universal Electronics Inc Cypress cited by examiner CA US Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this oe patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 by 0 days 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Gary R Jarosik 57 ABSTRACT 21 Appl No 10 463 153 A system and method for creating a controlling device In 22 Filed Jun 17 2003 response to a user specifying one or more operating criteria 65 Prior Publication Data for the controlling device the system selects executable instructions from a library of executable instructions and US 2003 0233664 A1 Dec 18 2003 command code sets from a library of command code sets Related U S Application Data that are to be stored in the memory of the controlling device App In addition the system us
12. al For controlling the operation of the different types of consumer appliances a command code library is stored in the memory of the controlling device As will be appreciated a command code library is required since different consumer appliances and or consumer appliances manufactured by different manufacturers typically have dif ferent coding formats by which the command codes are transmitted Within the command code library the command codes that are transmitted using a common coding format 1 commands for commanding the operations of a given type of consumer appliance of a given consumer appliance manufacturer are grouped into a command code set It is also known in the art to store executable instructions in the memory of a controlling device for use in controlling the operation and features of the controlling device By way of example U S Pat Nos 5 959 751 and 6 014 092 disclose a universal remote control having executable instructions that allow a user to assign one or more command codes to a selected key In accordance with this described feature activation of the selected key will cause the controlling device to transmit to the consumer appliances the command code s that have been assigned to the selected key Presently creating a controlling device is a time consum ing and therefore costly endeavor In this regard creating a controlling device requires the manual selection of the command codes and programming of the
13. available modes for the controlling device As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art the placing of the controlling device into a particular mode causes the controlling device to access designated command code sets from the command code library stored in the memory of the controlling device The controlling device may be placed into a particular mode in response to the activation of a mode key placed on the keyboard of the controlling device To select which physical mode keys the controlling device will support as illustrated in the exemplary screen shot of FIG 6 the user can either drag a mode from the suggested modes list and drop the mode to the assigned mode keys list or select one or more of the modes in the suggested modes list and click on the add button Once the user has selected which physical mode keys the device will include the user then selects which types of consumer appliances will be capable of being controlled when a particular physical mode key is activated By way of example and as illustrated in the screen shot of FIG 7 the controlling device can be configured such that it will access the command code set s in its memory that are capable of commanding the operation of a cable converter video accessory and or satellite receiver when the cable mode key is activated The types of consumer appliances that may be assigned to mode keys are preferably divided into consumer appliance
14. command code set having a common ID number e g 123 such that the inclusion of both under the mode would result in a controlling device that would not being able to reconcile the entry of the common ID number during the TV mode set up process To finish the initial process of selecting the command codes that are to be included in the command code library the user is prompted to select a desired market coverage An exemplary screen shot of an appropriate prompt is illustrated in FIG 8 The market coverage is the percentage of the installed base of a type of consumer appliance that the controlling device is expected to support The user is expected to select a desired market coverage for each type of product in each mode that the user previously selected By way of example if the user selects 95 for consumer appliances of the type TV the user is requesting that the computer include enough command code sets in the com mand code library such that 95 out of every 100 TV sets currently in use by consumers in the selected target market region e g USA would be expected to be operable using the controlling device For use in this process the database also maintains an approximate percentage of the installed base of the consumer appliances that a given command code set is expected to operationally control To arrive at the command code library that has the desired market coverage the command code library is initially created
15. ction Library Search FIG 11 U S Patent Selector Help Aug 31 2004 Sheet 8 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 Fully Automated System Tool ID Selector Cable Converters M CD Players M Home Automation M Digital Audio Tape M Audio Cassette Decks M Laser Disk Players M Miscellaneous Audio M Video Accessories M Phonographs M Audio Amp Tuners M Satellite Receivers M Tvs M VCRs M DVD Players 55 ger E 4 Y 71A0689 _1 0353 CJA0854 A0321 _1 0372 1408635 3 A0165 140374 C A0880 E 1A0211 JA0382 1003 0246 0465 141018 A0521 _1 0504 1073 0674 2140522 0133 0552 0264 _1 0582 0143 140606 A0356 0623 0011 0647 A0031 CJA0652 A0085 _ 0661 A0092 CJa0663 A0106 CJA0668 0111 _1 0726 A0116 JA0733 0131 0765 0141 140795 0206 L 140802 0226 _1 0813 0251 0814 0257 240823 0272 180829 A0282 C1A0834 A0297 JA0837 A0302 150843 Estimated Load For Help press F1 FIG l2 U S Patent Aug 31 2004 Sheet 9 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 Keyboard Matrix Setting Key Code and Switches Assignment Key Lists INPUT gt 0 5 0 SAT ca Ds 1 serup own 5 pr 2 pwR Rew upp fore J JE ji
16. d by the user e g high end low end and USA Asia Europe The pre configured mapping is displayed to the user in an the initial outron set up screen The user may opt to use the suggested mapping or may move delete device functions using for example standard drag and drop GUI techniques More specifically the illustration of FIG 10 depicts physical keys configured for the controlling device in the left hand column with the command functions currently assigned to each key for each device type selected by the user The column on the extreme right shows the additional command functions still available but not assigned for the device type selected in the example the A or amplifier device type By way of further example a designer who wants to change the amplifier device to support input selects in place of digit keys can grab DPO through DP9 in column A and drag them over to the available but unselected list This action leaves keys DPO through DP9 blank in the A column 1 no functions assigned thereto The user can then select input switching functions from the pool of available functions e g CD and TAPE and drag them into the now blank spaces to map these functions to the selected keys The ability to interactively assign functions to command keys on a device ID by device ID basis is also desirable For example a particular model or brand of consumer appliance may require a function that is so
17. e product The selected keys will be the physical keys on the remote Available Keys Selected Physical Keys Key Label Outron Name Key Label K A B BYPASS A B J EVoLUN Keys Vj KA KEY AKY C KI CHANNEL Keys CH K ALL LIGHTS OFF O K POWER PWR K ALL LIGHT ON ALN C KENTER K AM AMK CANTERA on v KLPAST FORWARD FO gt VT KT REWIND REW K ARM ARM Ki REWI K ASPECT ASP K AUTO TRACK ATK K AUDIO AUD K AUX AUX P Hold Ctri to select multiple keys Check boxes to assign secondary shifted keys setup Outrons 4 Next gt FIG 9 U S Patent Aug 31 2004 Sheet 7 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 Physical Keys Outrons J K L N Confirm Cancel K oPo oro peo Joro oro foro Dro oro DPO 1 DP1 pe _ opr ort opi opr npr Mode Device K m DP2 0 2 2 pp2 3 0 5 oes ops 0 3 oes pps KISEL INPUT SELECT ee eae ops DP4 0 4 0 4 KISUR SURROUND MODE K DPs 0 5 0 5 0 5 DPS OP5 DPS DP5 KISDF SURROUND ON 6 0 6 pee ope ope 0 6 ore 0 6 ore 050 SURROUND CEN oez 07 07 opz oP7 KISU SURROUND CEN Kops ope DPB opse opa DPB DPB KIBLc lt Ps 0 81 gt BALANCE VL KlDaA DELAY KlwurMu MUT MUT K CNM CENTER MODE
18. eature whereby a specific device is desig nated as the master audio control across modes of operation such as TV VCR and Cable The remote will always send that device s volume command codes in response to activation of audio command keys no matter which of the modes the remote is in Blink Back feature whereby a LED blinks the device ID number to which the remote is currently set Library Search feature whereby the library of command codes can be searched and used to determine if a command code set is appropriate for operating a given consumer appliance Master Reset feature whereby the remote control can be returned to its default operating mode With respect to the optional features that may be added to the remote control certain of the check boxes related to the features may be disabled by the computer based upon the processor chip and memory chip selectable by the user e g the mode LED feature or certain features that require an EEPROM In addition since some features are related to other features the computer will select related features automatically for the user e g a product should have the channel scan feature if the favorite channel scan feature is selected Certain of the features will ask the user to set up the mode keys and or group of keys a feature should be locked to In this regard locking means that the function or operation mapped to a command key will operate across all or some of the mode
19. es for each mode key Choose Group to select individual types Mode Key CABLE Group Group Name CABLE VIDEO Group AUDIO Group Default ID C0003 Change Cable Converter C MODE Video Accessories N MODE Satellite Receivers S MODE a Rule Each Mode Key must have device types Click Next to set up next Mode assigned from the same group and cannot have device types from multiple groups lt Back FIG 7 U S Patent Aug 31 2004 Sheet 6 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 VY Step 5 Load cd Step 4 Logical Devices Step 1 Project Setup Step 2 Market and Platform Y Step J Mode Keys Y ID Market Coverage Selection Please select the market coverage percentage for each device type Note Device Type Market Coverage 1 To select different ID s coverage percentage A Type 99 double click the Percentage column for a Type 99 Drop Down box D Type 2 Only one Dedicated Device is allowed and the 99 device will only contain its default ID 99 K Type 2 1 Type Dedicated Mode lt 3 Click Load User ID List button to import your ID load Default Mode This is the mode the remote control will default to upon power on Mode Key VIDEO v Key Selection Physical Key Selection Please select keys for th
20. es the criteria to suggest command 63 Continuation of application No 09 716 888 filed on Nov key command code mappings for use within the controlling 20 2000 now Pat No 6 640 144 device The user may interact with the system to modify the 7 selected executable instructions command code sets and oN me 7 command key command code mappings When stored in the 700 83 700 84 359 148 379 7102 01 379 102 02 memory of the controlling device the executable instruc 379 102 03 341 23 345 171 345 172 tions are to be used to perform various operations and 345 158 345 740 345 741 345 2 1 345 2 3 functions within the controlling device and the command 345 68 345 169 Codes are to be transmitted from the controlling device to 58 Field of Search 700 65 2 66 command the operation of controllable devices in response 700 83 84 359 148 379 102 01 102 02 102 03 341 23 345 171 172 158 740 741 2 1 2 3 168 169 to activation of one or more of the command keys 12 Claims 9 Drawing Sheets EIL Stepi Project Setup 1 Assign Project Nome 2 Choose Project directory NEXT Market m Product 4 lion Type Chip Size Selection V 1 1016 8K 15K USA EURO ASIA Selection 8K i5K 18k 24k 2 and OTHER High End or Low End 32k x 32k NEXT BACK Choose Physical Modes 1o 8 modes NEXT
21. evice In addition the system will suggest command key command code mappings for use within the controlling device The user may interact with the system to modify the selected executable instructions command code sets and command key command code mappings When stored in the memory of the controlling device the executable instructions are to be used to perform various operations and functions within the controlling device and the command codes are to be transmitted from the controlling device to command the operation of different types of controllable devices in response to activation of one or more of the command keys A better understanding of the objects advantages features properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accom panying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment and which are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to a preferred embodiment shown in the following drawings in which FIGS 1 3 illustrate a flow chart diagram of an exemplary method by which a controlling device can be created FIG 4 illustrates an exemplary screen shot by which a user can designate a project name for the controlling device to be created in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 FIG 5 illustrates an exem
22. for this Project CAPROJECTS Ld Note a new directory will be created under this path with the name of the product FIG 4 Step 1 Project Setup Step 5 Load A Market and Platform Step 3 Mode Keys Y Step 4 Logical Devices Product Target Market Which region is the target market USA EUR O ASIA OTHER Please choose the Product Type 2 Hi End Product Low End Product 01016 Chip 01424 Chip 8k 15K 16K 24K 01532 Chip 32K 44 24K 44 QFP 16 44 QFP 32 32 SOP 24K 32 SOP 16K 32 SOP Please select the Chip Family and for this product FIG 5 U S Patent Aug 31 2004 Sheet 5 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 Step 1 Project Setup Step 2 Market and Platform Step 3 Mode Keys 4 Logical Devices gs 5 Load Mode Key Setup Please assign physical Mode Keys for the product Suggested Modes Assigned Mode Keys CABLE CABLE Ej TV TV vcr Gl DVD EAUX ci SAT Gi cb Ci AMP S VCR C TUN Gi VIDEO Ci AUDIO C VIDEO lt lt REMOVE Gi AUX Hints Drag Drop to Add Remove Mode Double click to modify Mode name Key Hold Ctrl key to select multiple FIG 6 Step 1 Project Setup Step 2 Market and Platform Step 3 Mode Keys Y Step 4 Logical Devices Step 5 Load Assign Device Type to Mode Keys Please select the typ
23. he command code set that has the highest popularity should be used as the default command code set for the device type s This default configuration of the controlling device may be altered by a user through commonly known set up procedures Once the above described process is completed for all of the selected types of consumer appliances in all of the selected modes the command codes that meet the various criteria entered by the user will be those command codes that comprise the command code library It will be appreciated that upon completion of this process the command code library created by the computer will include command code sets capable of commanding the operation of consumer appliances of specified types typically used in a specified region with a selected approximate percentage of market coverage for the consumer appliances within the specified region In addition to creating the command code library the user is also guided through steps for creating the keyboard to be included with the controlling device To this end the user is presented with a screen an example of which is illustrated in FIG 9 by which the user can drag and drop select and add etc the desired physical keys from an available key list to a selected physical key list When the controlling device is to be a universal remote control it is preferred that some physical keys be pre selected and in the selected physical key list e g digit ke
24. is to be placed into the memory of the controlling device By way of example selection by the user of USA as a target market will cause the computer to select those command codes from the database that are used to control the operation of consumer appliances typically found in the United States North America The selection of the target market may also be used by the computer to provide an initial suggested mapping of command codes to command keys that will be placed on the controlling device The selection by the user of a low end or high end product is also used by the computer to select a subset of executable instructions from the database corresponding to a typical feature set for that class of product for possible storage in the memory of the controlling device This selection may also be used by the computer to provide an initial suggested mapping of command codes to command keys The desig nation of a low end device versus a high end device merely refers to the intended end use of the controlling device As will be appreciated the intended end use of the controlling device has an impact on the number of features and com mand code command key sets that the controlling device is expected to support By way of example a high end device e g a remote control to be used in connection with a home theater would be expected to have command code command key sets for commanding the performance of a greater number of operations by the c
25. may be distributed among a plurality of com puters connected via a network such as the Internet For performing the tasks in accordance with the computer executable instructions the computer includes a display a processing unit a system memory and a system bus that couples the system memory to the processing unit A mouse keyboard touch pad joy stick or like type of input device may be used to enter information into the computer The system memory may include computer readable media such as a ROM and or RAM The computer readable media may also include a hard disk a magnetic disk and or an optical disk The computer readable media provides non volatile storage of the computer executable instructions data structures program modules and other data needed to oper ate the computer In addition the computer readable media provides a database that has a plurality of command codes 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 for controlling the operation of a plurality of different consumer appliances for a plurality of different manufactur ers and executable instructions by which the operation and features of a controlling device may be controlled The hard disk magnetic disk and optical disk have associated drives that are connected to the system bus by a hard disk drive interface a magnetic disk drive interface and an optical disk drive interface respectively To create a controlling device as illu
26. n the Fast Forward Rewind Play Stop Pause and Record keys are so designated Referring now to FIG 10 it will be noted that these key labels are repeated at the end of the Outron Assignment table shaded to allow suitable secondary functions to be assigned to them After the user has completed the mapping of functions to command keys signified to the computer by the user click ing on the confirm icon the user is prompted to indicate which features are desirable to be included in the controlling device As illustrated in FIG 11 selection of the features may be accomplished by interacting with check boxes or the like displayed to the user The computer may cause certain features to be pre selected as a function of the criteria previously established for the device e g high end low end Preferably all default features are pre selected for all products Examples of default features include but are not limited to Direct Set up feature whereby the user may set up a remote control to match the customer s devices Using the keypad the user enters an ID code corresponding to the brand and model for each device type supported by the operating modes of the remote Mode Mover feature whereby a mode key can be reas signed to a different device type than its default For example a user with no cable box but two VCRs might want to reassign the cable mode key to place the remote in a second VCR mode Audio Lock f
27. ntended to control For reasons that will be explained in greater detail below it is also preferred that command code sets within a group be arranged in a sequential order based upon the descending popularity of the consumer appliances intended to be controlled by each command code set Such popularity order may be determined from installed base data consumer surveys sales statistics or the like In a preferred embodiment this order is maintained via a sepa rate cross reference to permit adjustments to be made from time to time as popularity changes This additionally allows separate lists to be maintained for each market since a given command code set may not enjoy equal popularity in every geographical region When a sequential assignment of ID numbers to com mand code sets within a device type group is used types of consumer appliances within a single group can be selected for inclusion under a single physical mode key without creating an ambiguity However since the selection of types of consumer appliances from different device type groups can create problems in the set up mode of the controlling device the computer should prevent users from placing device types from different groups under a single mode key during the controlling device creation process For example the computer should not allow a user to mix TVs and audio devices under a single TV mode key as it is likely that both the TV group and the audio group will have a
28. ode SLEEP feature by which the remote emulates a sleep command by sending Power Off after a set interval Interval is selected by user in 15 minute increments by repeated presses of the key The selection by the user of a feature will cause the computer to select from the database for storing in the memory of the controlling device the executable instructions needed by the controlling device to perform the selected feature In connection with selecting the features desired to be included in the controlling device the user may choose to configure the physical keyboard matrix Although the com puter automatically assigns a physical crosspoint in the key matrix to every key selected as part of the process described in connection with FIG 9 it is sometimes desirable to assign specific keys to particular locations in the matrix in order optimize printed circuit board layout and mechanical design To this end the user can be presented with a key matrix display an example of which is shown in FIG 13 by which the user can drag and drop the previously selected physical keys to arrange the location of the physical keys on the printed circuit board which will form part of the controlling device At this time the user can also command the com puter to build the command code library executable instruc tions needed to operate the controlling device and perform the selected features the device IDs and the command code command key ma
29. of which command code sets are included in the build to thereby modify the estimated memory utilization of the build and displaying via the network enabled user interface an option which is selectable to cause downloading of the build for inclusion into the memory of the controlling device 11 The method as in claim 10 wherein the network enabled computing interface comprises a graphical user interface 12 The method as in claim 11 wherein the user interface is located remotely from the instructions 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
30. onsumer appliances and support more features than would a low end device e g a remote control to be packed in the box of a cheap television While the memory selected by the user will influence the amount of information that may be stored in the controlling device the type of processor chip selected by the user for use in the controlling device will also influence which features US 6 785 579 B2 5 the computer may select for inclusion in the controlling device For example if the chip selected by the user has a QFP pin layout having 44 pins the controlling device can support a mode LED feature If however the chip selected by the user has a SOP pin layout having 32 pins the controlling device cannot support a mode LED feature since the SOP chip will have an insufficient number of I O pins to control the operation of the LEDs needed to support the mode LED feature As will be understood the mode LED feature is used to flash illuminate a LED on the controlling device to provide a user with an indication of the current mode of operation of the controlling device Thus in the case of a selected SOP processor chip the computer will not permit selection for inclusion in the memory of the control ling device those executable instructions needed to imple ment the mode LED feature For determining which modes of operation the controlling device will support the user is prompted to select one or more modes from a displayed list of
31. otating Macros Channel Scan EEPROM Selection Optional Feature Fav Channel Scan NONE 128 Bytes 512 Selections Select desired Upgrade Bytes 1K Bytes 2K features for the product Learner Bytes Modem Back Light Mopde Light ID Lock UEI Sleep Double REC Key User Reset Video Lock Shift 1 time Shift Lock Dedicated Keys Dedicated Device Factory Test Channel Control Lock CH Simulation Lock Step8 Build 1 Configure Key Matrix for PCR 2 Build Project Image HAS ERROR Building Image BUILD OK O FIG 2 U S Patent Aug 31 2004 Sheet 3 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 BUILD OK Has Space Left Increase Project Load No Reduce Project Size Go Back to Previous Steps or Remove ID Load Increase Project Size Go Back to Previous Steps or Add ID Load BACK to Previous Steps DONE ID Selector Add Remove Individual Ids from each device type Step9 Finish Display Project Configuration FIG 3 U S Patent Aug 31 2004 Sheet 4 of 9 US 6 785 579 B2 Step 1 Project Setup Step 2 Market and Platform Step 3 Mode Keys 4 Logica Devices Step 5 Load 1 Get Started with the UEls Fully Automated System Tool FAST Welcome to FAST Please follow the steps to customize your new product Please give a name for your new product RELAY Please choose a directory
32. plary screen shot of a graphical user interface GUI by which the user selects criteria for creating the controlling device in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 FIG 6 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user selects the operating modes of the controlling device to be created in accordance with the method illus trated in FIGS 1 3 FIG 7 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user selects consumer appliance types for the operating modes of the controlling device to be created in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 FIG 8 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user selects a market coverage for the consumer appliance types and specifies a power on default for the operating modes of the controlling device to be created in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 FIG 9 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user selects the physical keys for the controlling device to be created in accordance with the method illus trated in FIGS 1 3 FIG 10 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user maps the physical keys to functions in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 FIG 11 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user selects features to be supported by the executable instructions to be included in the controlling device to be created in accordance with the method
33. ps that have been created by the above described processes which will be stored in the memory of the controlling device During the build the computer may provide an indication as to an estimated memory utilization or load that would result from storing the build on the selected chip s If the load on the memory is too great the user may elect to include a larger memory in the controlling device and or elect to remove certain command code sets and or features from the build If the memory has load to spare the user can elect to add command code sets and or add features to the build In this case the user may also elect to reduce the amount of memory in the controlling device The user can effect this by returning to any of the steps previously described in conjunction with FIGS 5 through 11 iteratively or by customizing the load by adding or removing command code sets to the build by device ID for the various modes to be included in the controlling device as is illustrated by way of example in FIG 12 US 6 785 579 B2 11 When the build is complete the build may be downloaded to the memory of a controlling device having the desired microprocessor memory and keyboard matrix to thereby provide a controlling device having the desired command code library and features for the intended end use of the controlling device Thus it will be appreciated that the described system and method allows a designer to interac tively make t
34. r consumer appliance type is to have a dedicated command code set To this end the user may selected that that desired type of device is to be operated in the dedicated mode In connection with this selection the user will designate one unchangeable command code set preferably by its assigned ID number for inclusion in the command code library for the given type of device For example if the controlling device is to be shipped with a specific product e g VCR the command code library for the mode corresponding to the type of device may be configured to include only the command code set s that control the operation of the specific product In this manner a dedicated VCR universal TV and universal cable box command code library for a controlling device can be created by the computer For designating which type of device s the controlling device will be configured to control when it is first powered up the user may also be provided with the ability to select a default mode and default command code set for each device type in the selected modes The selection of a default mode may be made using the screen shown in FIG 8 VIDEO in the example shown and default command code set s for each mode may be made using the screen shown in FIG 7 Cable mode default to device ID C0003 in the example shown If the user does not designate a command code set to be used as the default command code set for the device type s in the selected modes t
35. radeoffs between chip size features coverage number of keys etc during the design of a controlling device Furthermore the resultant executable instructions and command code library are built from an erector set of standardized pretested and prequalified modules with little or no human intervention or programming required thereby greatly improving the reliability of the final product while simultaneously reducing development and testing time In this manner the described system and method allows a controlling device to be created that is best suited for its intended end use while being developed with a savings in both time and cost All patents discussed in this document are hereby incor porated by reference in their entirety While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure For example the processes described with respect to computer executable instructions can be per formed in hardware without departing from the spirit of the invention Accordingly the particular arrangement disclosed is meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof What is claimed is 1 A method for creating a controlling device
36. s of the controlling device Examples of features that may be included in a controlling device include but are not limited to CHANNEL SCAN feature whereby pressing a special SCAN key starts the remote sending Channel Up once every 3 seconds until any other key is pressed MACRO feature whereby a command key on remote can be programmed to cause the sending of one or more command codes 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 FAVORITE CHANNEL SCAN feature by which a user can pre program the unit with his favorite channels which can then be scanned through ID LOCK feature primarily used in OEM or Cable markets Allows a particular device code e g a specific model cable box to be set up at the factory or by the installer and locked in so the end user cannot change the set up for that specific mode ILLUMINATED KEYPAD feature for controlling key pad illumination KEYMOVER feature whereby a key on the keypad can be reassigned to send a different code LEARNING feature by which a remote can be taught a new key function by the user usually by placing his original unit close to the learning remote and pressing the button he wants it to learn POWER TOGGLE feature by which the Power key only turns power off Power is turned on by pressing any digit key i e selecting the channel desired SHIFT feature by which one or more keys can be assigned a secondary command c
37. strated in FIGS 1 3 the user will cause certain command codes and executable instructions to be selected from the database for storage in the memory of the controlling device as well as select the desired processor chip memory and keyboard layout for the controlling device To gain access to the computer and the database a user may first be required to log in to the computer by providing a recognized ID and password Once a user has gained access to the computer the computer preferably prompts the user for a project name The project name may include by way of example a file name and a file directory In this manner the project can be stored and in the future accessed and or edited as desired An example of a prompting screen is illustrated in FIG 4 For use in the process of creating the controlling device the computer prompts the user for information pertaining to the intended end use and desired characteristics of the controlling device to be created The initial information requested of the user may include but is not limited to the desired target market region the desired product type and the desired processor chip to be included in the controlling device as seen in the exemplary screen shot of FIG 5 The selection of a target market region e g USA Europe or Asia is used by the computer to select a subset of the plurality of the command codes stored in the database for possible inclusion in the command code library that
38. with the command code sets from the database that are capable of commanding the operation of the consumer appliances of the selected type s within the selected market region This command code library is then pared down to arrive at the selected percentage of coverage for the selected device type s Specifically command code sets are elimi nated from the command code library for each device type in a descending order as a function of their assigned popu larity i e by eliminating the command codes correspond ing to less popular devices If the user has manually edited the list of command codes as will be described in more detail later overriding the automatic selection process the user will be notified for US 6 785 579 B2 7 example by highlighting an consumer appliance type field In this manner the user will be informed that a manual selection of command code sets for inclusion exclusion in the command code library is in effect The manual selection of command code sets may be intermixed with the auto mated method described above with some device types configured manually and others automatically It is also possible for an explicit user provided list of ID numbers to be used to create the command code library via the load user ID list icon shown in FIG 8 When establishing the market coverage for types of consumer appliances capable of being commanded by the controlling device a user may also select that a particula
39. ys volume keys channel keys and a power key The available key list may include all possible keys or may be limited by the computer as a 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8 function of whether the device was designated to be a high end or a low end device Once the physical keys have been defined as described above activation of the setup outrons icons will take the user to the setup outrons screen an example of which is illustrated in FIG 10 An outron is a tag that is assigned to a physical key e g FFD for the physical key which is to be labeled Fast Forward or PWR for the physical key that is to be labeled Power on the completed remote control It will be appreciated that on the final remote control product these labels may take the form of shapes or icons in place of alphanumerics such as gt gt for Fast Forward The outron tags are used to associate each physical key with its specific command function for each of the consumer appliance types selected by the user in the manner described below To set up the outrons the user will interact with the computer to assign or map device functions i e acts to be performed in response to the receipt of a command code to the physical keys previously designated for the controlling device To this end the database preferably has a pre configured mapping for each device type given the criteria selecte
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