System and method for creating a controlling device
Contents
1. Key Mover Macros Rotating Macros Channel Scan Fav Channel Scan Upgrade Learner 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 Faclory Test Channel Control Lock FIG 2 Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 3 of 9 US 2003 0233664 1 BUILD OK 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 ADD IDs Previous Steps DONE ID Selector Add Remove Individual Ids from each device type Step9 Finish Display Project Configuration FIG 3 Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 4 of 9 US 2003 0233664 1 Step 1 Project Setup Step 2 Market and Platform Step 3 Mode Keys Y Step 4 Logical Devices 5 Load Cet 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 for this Project CAPROJECTS Note new directory will be created under this path with the name of the product Product Target Market Which region is the target market USA E2. 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 designation of a low end device versus a high end device merely refers to the intended end use of the control ling device As will be appreciated the intended end use of the controlling device has an impact on the number of features and command code command key sets that the controling 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 consumer 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 0028 While the memory selected by the user will influ ence 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 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 pi
3. 7 0 0 7 forz 7 o7 RJSU SURROUND CEN DP8 ops 0 8 pPa ops 0 8 0 8 0 8 ora KlBc KluP9 0 9 0 9 pps 0 9 joro 0 9 opo 0 9 oes 0 9 812 BALANCE K vr we we ue we jw DELAY Kw M v v fv vw fvw KlDA DELAY MUT MUT MUT MUT MUT MUT MUT MUT MUT MUI MUI K CNM K CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH REAR LEVEL CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH CH K RR REAR LEVEL K PWR PWR PWR PWR PWR PWR PWR PWR PWR 58 SURROUND RICH ENT ENTER ENT ENT ENT ENT 58 SURROUND RICH RCL RECALL LST KISF SURROUND LEFT K FFD FAST FORWARD FFD FFD FFD ro FFD K SF SURROUND LEFT REW REWIND REW REW REW REW REW LOGIC K PLA PLAY PLA PLA KISUP SURROUND SOU K STP STOP STP STP 57 57 87 K 8ND BAND PAU PAUSE PAU PAU PAU PAU PAU __ K TST TONE REC RECORD REC z K LON LOUDNESS K EFD FAST FORWARD 5 7107 K BBT BASS BOOST K REW REWIND DIRECT PLA PLAY K EF EFFECT STP STOP K EF EFFECT PAU PAUSE KJoYT DELAY TIME K REC RECORD 777 co Direct Set EEPROM 2 NONE Default Set up up Mode Mover
4. Key Label K A B BYPASS A B OW VOLUMN Keys K A KEY AKY KI CHANNEL Keys CH K ALL LIGHTS OFF POWER PWR K ALL LIGHT ON gt gt EK K AM AMK KJ ANGLE ue v KLFAST FORWARD 3 K ANTENNA ANT VT KTREWIND 2222 RE K ARM ARM RATKIPLAY PLAY K ASPECT ASP ATN K AUTO TRACK ATK A KPa K AUDIO AUD KJ AUX Cor Hold Ctrl to select multiple keys Check boxes to assign secondary shifted keys Setup Outrons FIG 9 US 2003 0233664 A1 Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 7 of 9 US 2003 0233664 1 7 Physical Keys Outrons A C D H K L M N Confirm L Concel DPO Joro foro oro oro 0 0 oro opo DPO I pe o opt opr loe opi opi Mode Device a K DP2 DP2 DP 0 2 0 2 0 2 fore lope 0 2 oe2 Outron Taber la K DP3 DP3 ops 0 5 jopa 0 5 opa 0 5 0 3 oes KISEL INPUT SELECT 0 4 ope ops 0 4 0 4 ops fors ops _ 024 oP4 KISUR SURROUND K DP5 DP5 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 DPS DP5 DP5 K SDF SURROUND ON K DP6 0 6 DP6 0 6 DP6 DP6 DP6 0 6 OPE DPG 0 6 150 SURROUND CEN K DP7 DP op __ 7 __ 0
5. being developed with a savings in both time and cost 0066 All patents discussed in this document are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety 0067 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 performed in hardware without departing from the spirit of the invention Accordingly the particular arrange ment 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 Computer readable instructions for interacting with a system having programming used to create a controlling device having a memory wherein the instructions perform steps comprising accepting user input which specifies a target market region in which the controlling device is to be used the user input being provided to the system to cause the programming to select command code sets from a library of command code sets as a function of the specified target market region and displaying an estimated memory utilization of the selected command code sets as determined by the programming of the system 2 The compute
6. 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 execut able 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 0005 Presently creating a controlling device is a time consuming and therefore costly endeavor In this regard creating a controlling device requires the manual selection of the command codes and programming of the executable instructions 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 bal ances the needs of an end user against the development cost of the controlling device SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0006 To overcome this disadvantage the subject inven tion 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 c
7. keys list or select one or more of the modes in the suggested modes list and click on the add button 0030 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 Dec 18 2003 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 0031 The types of consumer appliances that may be assigned to mode keys are preferably divided into consumer appliance 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 0032 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 maintained in the database and when a
8. sequential assignment of ID numbers to command 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 mode key as it is likely that both the TV group and the audio group will have a command code set having a common ID number e g 123 such that the inclusion of both under the TV 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 0034 finish the initial process of selecting the com mand codes that are to be included in the command code US 2003 0233664 Al 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 mark
9. 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 itera tively or by customizing the load by adding or removing command code sets to the build by device ID for the Dec 18 2003 various modes to be included in the controlling device as is illustrated by way of example in FIG 12 0065 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 tradeoffs 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
10. uses the criteria to 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 instruc tions 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 controllable devices in response to activation of one or more of the command keys USA EURO ASIA Market Selection and OTHER Product Type Selection High End or Low End Chip Size Model 1 1016 8 15 2 1424 16K 24K Chip Size Selection 8K 15K 16k 24k 42k 3 1532 16 24 32K NI Step3 Mode Keys Choose Physical Modes up to 8 modes NEXT EXT Step4 Logical Devices Available Mode Names TV CABLE VCR CD SAT AMP TUN AUDIO VIDEO DVD AUX Available Device Group CABLE VCR and CD mode Assign logical devices to More Modes to assign NO Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 1 of 9 US 2003 0233664 1 Create New Project l Step1 Project Setup 1 Assign Project Name 2 Choose Project directory Step2 Market and Platform CHOOSE Chip Size Model 1016 8K 1
11. 40031 0652 M Satellite Receivers 1 0085 L 140661 MIs 140092 27740663 140106 0668 M VCRs 240111 140726 M DVD Players 140116 140733 7 A0131 120765 1 0141 0793 140206 140802 140226 JA0813 140251 140814 140257 1 0823 140272 1 0829 40282 140834 140297 140837 L 3A0843 Estimated Load C ae 89 82 _ For Help press F1 FIG 12 Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 9 of 9 US 2003 0233664 1 Keyboard Matrix Setting Key Code and Switches Assignment x Key Lists INPUT gt 0 1 JAMES MER ONES NR o 0 57 ora aux 06 05 U 1 1 pps ext Rt Ret ser U afpwr Rew upp pe i 7 077 op ors 0 5 oro 0 s c eau J JL 1L free J a Jt JL JL Drag and Drop a key to assign keyscan code to asin lt m 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 15 US 2003 0233664 Al SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING A CONTROLLIN
12. 5K 2 1424 16K 24K 3 1532 16 24K 32K Market Selection USA EURO ASIA and OTHER Product Type Selection High End Low End Chip Size Selection BK 15K 16k 24k 52k Available Mode Names TV CABLE VCR CD Step3 Mode Keys SAT AMP TUN AUDIO ONE Physica Modes to 8 modes VIDEO DVD AUX Available Device Group Step4 Logical Devices TV CABLE VCR and CD NEN Assign logical devices to mode More Modes to assign NO NEXT STEP 6 FIG Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 2 of 9 BACK to Step4 Step 5 Load Coverage 1 Select Market Coverage for each device type or use user load 2 Select Default Mode NEXT Step6 Key Selections Select physical function ASSIGN keys 2 Check selected physical keys to assign Secondary keys NEXT Step7 Feature Selections EEPROM Selection NONE 128 Bytes 512 Bytes 1K Bytes 2K Bytes Optional Feature Selections Select desired features for the product Step8 Build 1 Configure Key Motrix for PCR 2 Build Project Image HAS ERROR Building Image BUILD OK Load Coverage 5 99 of each Market Available Optional Features CH Simulation Lock US 2003 0233664 A1 Function Assignment RE Pick functions to physical keys for each device type DONE
13. FIG Mode Keys Step 4 Logical Devices Step 5 Load Coverage Step 8 Key Selection Remote Feature Selection Audio Lock 2 Blink Back Please select features for your product Some features require the EEPROM Library Search Master Reset Size in Bytes key Movers V Upgrade MID Locks EEPROM required Optional Features 128 512 1K v Macros viRototing Macros MICH Scan CH Scan C tearners Modem C Light Mode Light Sleep DBL REC Key User Reset Video Lock 1 Time Shift Lock Dedicated Keys M Dedicoted Device v Factory Test Channel Control Lock Up Down Simulation w Lock Step 7 Feature Selection FIG Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 8 of 9 US 2003 0233664 1 Fully Automated System Too ID Selector i i mEn Selector View Help 2015 4 same 54 2 5 EE 40165 A0374 740880 23 40211 1 0382 1003 M Home Automation 140246 140465 1018 M Digital Audio Tape 1 0521 1 0504 L1A1073 M Audio Cassette Decks 2 15 40525 M Laser Disk Players M Miscellaneous Audio Zt A0387 M Video Accessories 0356 140623 M Phonographs 140011 140647 M Audio Amp Tuners 7
14. G DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 0001 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 0002 Controlling devices are known in the art For example U S 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 signal 0003 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 appreci ated a command code library is required since different consumer appliances and or consumer appliances manufac tured by different manufacturers typically have different coding formats by which the command codes are transmit ted Within the command code library the command codes that are transmitted using a common coding format i e commands for commanding the operations of a given type of consumer appliance of a given consumer appliance manu facturer are grouped into a command code set 0004 It is also known in the art to store executable instructions in the memory of a controlling device
15. UR ASIA OTHER Please choose the Product Type 2 Hi End Product Low End Product Chip 01424 Chip 8k 15K 16K 24K eal 01532 Chip 2 32K 44 QFP Q 24K 44 QFP 16K 44 QFP Q2k 32 50 24K 32 SOP 16K 32 SOP lt Back Next gt Please select the Chip Family and for this product FIG 5 Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 5 of 9 US 2003 0233664 1 Step 1 Project Setup Step 2 Market and Platform Step 3 Mode Keys Step 4 Logical Devices fStop 5 Load Mode Key Setup Please assign physical Mode Keys for the product Assigned Mode Keys Suggested Modes CABLE E TV B i DVD a 0 5 cb C Ci VCR TUN GJ VIDEO 8 lt lt REMOVE ici Double click to modify Mode name Key Hold Ctrl key to select multiple Hints Drag Drop to Add Remove Mode FIG 6 7 Step 5 Load Step 4 Logical Devices Step Project Setup 2 Market and Platform Step 3 Mode Keys Assign Device Type to Mode Keys Please select the types for each mode key T Choose Group to select individual types Mode Key CABLE Group TV Group Name CABLE VIDEO Group AUDIO Group Default 1D 0003 Change Cable Converter C MODE Video Accessories MODE Gil Satellit
16. US 20030233664A1 a2 Patent Application Publication Pub No US 2003 0233664 1 United States Huang et al 43 Pub Date Dec 18 2003 54 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING A CONTROLLING DEVICE 75 Inventors Steve Lan Ping Huang Placentia CA US Kim Thoa Thi Nguyen Yorba Linda CA US Han Sheng Yuh Walnut CA US JianJun Cao Cypress CA US My Thien Do Anaheim CA US Correspondence Address GREENBERG TRAURIG 77 WEST WACKER DRIVE CHICAGO IL 60601 1732 US 73 Assignee Universal Electronics Inc Cypress CA 21 Appl 10 463 153 22 Filed Jun 17 2003 Related U S Application Data 63 Continuation of application No 09 716 888 filed on Nov 20 2000 now Pat No 6 640 144 Create New Project Step1 Project Setup 1 Assign Project Name 2 Choose Project directory NEXT Step2 Market and Platform CHOOSE Publication Classification D Int CII 05 19 18 GO6F 3 00 HO4N 5 445 GO6F 13 00 7 173 AUS CIs 725 132 725 37 725 139 57 ABSTRACT system and method for creating a controlling device In response to a user specifying one or more operating criteria for the controlling device the system selects executable 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 device In addition the system
17. a command code library executable instructions which implement specific features and keyboard layout for the controlling device Generally the command code library features and key board 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 0022 The command code library comprises a plurality of command 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 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 Iular 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
18. and code sets from a library of com mand code sets that are remote from the controlling device are selected as a function of the input and a display to present an estimated memory utilization of the selected command code sets to the user 9 The system as in claim 8 wherein the user interface is remotely located with respect to the computer readable media 10 The system as in claim 8 wherein the display further presents information to the user that the selected command code sets are available for inclusion in the memory of the controlling device when the estimated memory utilization of the selected command code sets indicates that the memory can accommodate the selected command code sets 11 The system in claim 8 wherein the computer readable media comprises a network enabled software application such that a plurality of users may access the software application substantially simultaneously 12 The system as in claim 11 wherein the software application is Internet accessible 13 A method for creating a controlling device having a memory comprising displaying a user interface to accept input that specifies a target market region in which the controlling device is to be used whereby command code sets from a library of command code sets that are remote from the con trolling device are selected as a function of the input and displaying to the user that the selected command code sets are available for inclusion in the memory o
19. 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 0041 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 selected 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 US 2003 0233664 Al to use the suggested mapping or may move delete device functions using for example standard drag and drop GUI techniques 0042 More specifically the illustration of FIG 10 depicts physical keys configured for the controlling device in the left hand column with the command functions cur rently 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 ty
20. ating mode 0051 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 modes of the controlling device Examples of features that may be included in a controlling device include but are not limited to 0052 CHANNEL SCAN feature whereby press ing a special SCAN key starts the remote sending Channel Up once every 3 seconds until any other key is pressed 0053 MACRO feature whereby a command key on remote can be programmed to cause the sending of one or more command codes 0054 FAVORITE CHANNEL SCAN feature by which a user can pre program the unit with his favorite channels which can then be scanned through 0055 ID LOCK feature primarily used in OEM or Cable markets Allows a particu
21. 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 the model number manufacturer of the consumer appliance that the command code set corresponding to the ID number is intended 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 0033 When a
22. 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 0009 For a better understanding of the invention refer ence may be had to a preferred embodiment shown in the following drawings in which 0010 FIGS 1 3 illustrate a flow chart diagram of an exemplary method by which a controlling device can be created 0011 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 illus trated in FIGS 1 3 0012 FIG 5 illustrates an exemplary 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 0013 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 illustrated in FIGS 1 3 0014 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 0015 FIG 8 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user selects a market coverage for the consumer appliance t
23. e Receivers S MODE Rule Each Mode Key must hove device types Click Next to set up next Mode assigned from the same group and cannot hove device types from multiple groups FIG 7 Patent Application Publication Dec 18 2003 Sheet 6 of 9 Step 1 Project Setup Step 2 Market and Platform Step J Mode Keys 4 Logical Devices 5 Load 10 Market Coverage Selection Please select the market coverage percentage for each device type Note 1 To select different ID s coverage percentage double click the Percentage column for a Drop Down box Market Coverage Device Type A Type 2 Only one Dedicated Device is allowed and the device will only contain its default ID 3 Click Load User ID List button to import your ID load Mode lt 9 Default Mode 75 2 This is the mode the remote control will default R on a to upon power on yp S gt Mode Key FIG 8 57 57 V 2 Step 2 Market and Platform Mode Keys Logical Devices Step 5 Load Coverage Step 6 Key Selection Physical Key Selection Please select keys for the product The selected keys will be the physical keys on the remote Available Keys Selected Physical Keys Key Label Joutron Name 4
24. e 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 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 shown 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 a
25. ersal cable box command code library for a controlling device can be created by the computer 0038 For designating which type of device s the con trolling device will be configured to control when it is first powered up the user may also be provided with the ability Dec 18 2003 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 the com mand 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 proce dures 0039 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 commandin
26. et 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 command 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 0035 To arrive at the command code library that has the desired market coverage the command code library is initially created 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 eliminated from the command code library for each device type in a descending order as a function of their assigned popularity 1 by eliminating the command codes corresponding to less popular devices 0036 Ifthe user has manually edited the list of command codes as will be described in more detail later overriding the automatic selection proces
27. f the con trolling device when an estimated memory utilization of the selected command code sets indicates that the memory can accommodate the selected command code sets 14 The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising displaying the estimated memory utilization of the selected command code sets 15 A method for providing user access to instructions for use in creating a controlling device having a memory comprising Dec 18 2003 providing a network enabled computing interface to remotely access a computer readable media embodying said instructions and performing at least one of the following steps via said network enabled computing interface accepting user input that specifies a target market region in which the controlling device is to be used receiving user selected command code sets from a library of command code sets that is remote from the control ling device as a function of the specified target market region reporting an estimated memory utilization of the selected command code sets and notifying the user that the selected command code sets have been prepared for inclusion in the memory of the controlling device 16 The method as in claim 15 wherein the network enabled computing interface comprises a graphical user interface 17 The method as in claim 16 wherein the user interface is located remotely from the computer readable media 18 Computer readable instructions for interacting with a s
28. 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 0023 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 electron ics minicomputers mainframe computers and the like The computer executable instructions may include routines pro Dec 18 2003 grams objects components and or data structures that perform particular tasks While described in the context of a single computer the computer executable instructions may be distributed among a plurality of computers connected via a network such as the Internet 0024 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 Amouse 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
29. g 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 0040 In addition to creating the command code library the user is also guided through steps for creating the key board 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 keys 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 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
30. gh the computer 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 desir able 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 computer to build the command code library executable instructions needed to operate the controlling device and perform the selected features the device IDs and the command code command key maps that have been created by the above described processes which will be stored in the memory of the controlling device 0064 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
31. lar device code e g US 2003 0233664 Al 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 0056 ILLUMINATED KEYPAD feature for con trolling keypad illumination 0057 KEYMOVER feature whereby a key on the keypad can be reassigned to send a different code 0058 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 0059 POWER TOGGLE feature by which the Power key only turns power off Power is turned on by pressing any digit key Le selecting the channel desired 0060 SHIFT feature by which one or more keys can be assigned a secondary command code 0061 SLEEP feature by which the remote emu lates 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 0062 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 0063 connection with selecting the features desired to be included in the controlling device the user may choose to configure the physical keyboard matrix Althou
32. mple of a prompting screen is illustrated in FIG 4 0026 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 informa tion 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 con trolling 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 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 opera tion 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 US 2003 0233664 Al 0027 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
33. ns 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 controlling device those executable instructions needed to implement the mode LED feature 0029 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 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
34. nstructions perform the further step of accept ing user input to assign command codes from the selected command code sets to keys of the controlling device
35. ontrolling 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 Dec 18 2003 controlling device is intended to control the functions intended to be supported within the controlling device the size of the memory within the controlling device and or the processor chip within the controlling device 0007 From the specified criteria the system will select executable instructions from a library of executable instruc tions and command code sets from a library of command code sets that are to be stored in the memory of the controlling device 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 execut able instructions are to be used to perform various opera tions 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 0008 A better understanding of the objects advantages features properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed
36. pe 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 0043 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 critical to the use of that consumer appliance that for that device ID only the function 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 0044 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 th
37. 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 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 0025 To create a controlling device as illustrated 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 exa
38. r readable instructions as in claim 1 wherein the instructions perform the further step of display ing a graphical user interface for accepting user input 3 The computer readable instructions as in claim 2 wherein the graphical user interface comprises a menu displaying selectable target market regions 4 The computer readable instructions as in claim 1 wherein the instructions perform the further step of display ing selectable memory sizes such that a selected memory size is provided to the system for use by the programming in determining the estimated memory utilization US 2003 0233664 Al 5 The computer readable instructions as in claim 1 wherein the instructions perform the further step of accept ing user input to remove command codes from the selected command code sets 6 The computer readable instructions as in claim 1 wherein the instructions perform the further step of accept ing user input to add command codes to the selected command code sets 7 The computer readable instructions as in claim 1 wherein the instructions perform the further step of accept ing user input to assign command codes from the selected command code sets to keys of the controlling device 8 A system for creating a controlling device having a memory comprising a user interface in communication with a computer read able media to accept input that specifies a target market region in which the controlling device is to be used whereby comm
39. s the user will be notified for 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 0037 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 particular 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 univ
40. s a function of the criteria previously established for the device e g high end low Dec 18 2003 end Preferably all default features are pre selected for all products Examples of default features include but are not limited to 0045 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 0046 Mode Mover feature whereby a mode key can be reassigned 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 0047 Audio Lock feature whereby a specific device is designated 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 0048 Blink Back feature whereby a LED blinks the device ID number to which the remote is cur rently set 0049 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 0050 Master Reset feature whereby the remote control can be returned to its default oper
41. ypes 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 0016 FIG 9 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user selects the physical keys for the US 2003 0233664 Al controlling device to be created in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 0017 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 0018 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 illus trated in FIGS 1 3 0019 FIG 12 illustrates an exemplary screen shot of a GUI by which the user can edit the individual command code sets to be included in the controlling device to be created in accordance with the method illustrated in FIGS 1 3 and 0020 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 0021 Turning now to the figures wherein like reference numerals 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
42. ystem having programming used to create a controlling device having a memory wherein the instructions perform steps comprising accepting user input which functions to specify to the programming of the system which command code sets from a library of command code sets to select and displaying an estimated memory utilization of the selected command code sets as determined by the programming of the system 19 The computer readable instructions as in claim 18 wherein the instructions perform the further step of display ing a graphical user interface for accepting user input 20 The computer readable instructions as in claim 19 wherein the graphical user interface comprises a menu displaying selectable target appliances 21 The computer readable instructions as in claim 20 wherein the instructions perform the further step of display ing selectable memory sizes such that a selected memory size is provided to the system for use by the programming in determining the estimated memory utilization 22 The computer readable instructions as in claim 20 wherein the instructions perform the further step of accept ing user input to remove command codes from the selected command code sets 23 The computer readable instructions as in claim 20 wherein the instructions perform the further step of accept ing user input to add command codes to the selected command code sets 24 The computer readable instructions as in claim 20 wherein the i
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