Communicating with a remote control
A method and system to communicate with a remote control are described herein. A device mode is selected from a plurality of device modes, each of which is associated with a media device. A user makes the selection in response to a prompt received from the media device. Next, mode data, which is associated with the selected device mode, is transmitted from the media device to a remote control. The remote control includes a plurality of selectively illuminated indicators. Furthermore, predetermined indicators from the plurality of selectively illuminated indicators are illuminated in response to the transmission of the mode data.
1 . A system to communicate with a remote control, the system comprising:
a media device including a plurality of device modes and a particular device mode from the plurality of device modes to be selected by a user in response to a prompt received from the media device,
wherein the media device is to transmit mode data, which is associated with the selected device mode, to a remote control having predetermined indicators of a plurality of selectively illuminated indicators to be illuminated in response to the transmission of the mode data.
2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a display of the media device to present the prompt from the media device, wherein the user response to the prompt is received by the media device from the remote control.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined indicators of the plurality of selectively illuminated indicators are illuminated from default mode data of the media device.
4 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a media device indicator to illuminate a corresponding indicator of the remote control, wherein the corresponding illuminated indicator aids the user in finding the remote control.
5 . A method to communicate with a remote control, the method comprising:
prompting, from a media device, a selection of a particular device mode from a plurality of device modes of the media device; and
transmitting mode data associated with the selected device mode from the media device to a remote control having a plurality of selectively illuminated indicators to be illuminated in response to the transmission of the mode data.
6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:
presenting the prompt on a display of the media device; and
receiving a user response to the prompt through the remote control.
7 . A system to communicate with a remote control, the system comprising:
means for prompting, from a media device, a selection of a particular device mode from a plurality of device modes of the media device; and
means for transmitting mode data associated with the selected device mode from the media device to a remote control having a plurality of selectively illuminated indicators to be illuminated in response to the transmission of the mode data.
8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the means for prompting includes a prompt presented on a display of the media device.
9 . A tangible machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
prompt, from a media device, a selection of a particular device mode from a plurality of device modes of the media device; and
transmit mode data associated with the selected device mode from the media device to a remote control having a plurality of selectively illuminated indicators to be illuminated in response to the transmission of the mode data.
10 . The medium of claim 9 further to:
present, on a display, the prompt; and
receive a user response to the prompt through the remote control.
11 . A system to communicate with a media device, the system comprising:
a remote control having a plurality of selectively illuminated indicators,
wherein at least one of the plurality of selectively illuminated indicators is used to select a particular device mode from a plurality of device modes of a media device in response to a prompt from the media device,
wherein predetermined indicators of the plurality of selectively illuminated indicators are illuminated in response to a transmission of mode data of the media device, wherein the mode data is associated with the selected device mode.
12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the predetermined indicators include a first illuminated color while in a first selected device mode and a second illuminated color while in a second selected device mode.
13 . The system of claim 11 wherein the predetermined indicators include different illuminated symbols that correspond to different commands.
14 . The system of claim 11 wherein a layout of the predetermined indicators on the remote control corresponds with a layout of a plurality of selection keys on a display of the media device.
15 . The system of claim 11 wherein indicators of the plurality of selectively illuminated indicators are illuminated in response to a system status change.
16 . The system of claim 11 wherein the predetermined indicators include backlit buttons that remain illuminated until another device mode from the plurality of device modes is selected.
17 . The system of claim 11 wherein the predetermined indicators selectively illuminate in response to the prompt and in response to the transmission of the mode data.
18 . A method to communicate with a media device, the method comprising:
using at least one of a plurality of selectively illuminated indicators of a remote control to select a particular device mode from a plurality of device modes of a media device in response to a prompt from the media device;
receiving a transmission of mode data of the media device, wherein the mode data is associated with the selected device mode; and
illuminating predetermined indicators of the plurality of selectively illuminated indicators in response to the transmission of mode data.
19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising darkening the illumination of one of the predetermined indicators when selected by a user.
20 . The method of claim 18 further comprising lightening the illumination of one of the predetermined indicators when selected by a user.
21 . The method of claim 18 further comprising changing color of one of the predetermined indicators when selected by a user.
22 . The method of claim 18 further comprising dimly lighting non-suggested indicators of the plurality of selectively illuminated indicators in comparison to the illuminated predetermined indicators.
23 . The method of claim 18 further comprising temporarily altering the illumination of one of the predetermined indicators when selected by a user.
24 . The method of claim 18 wherein the illuminated indicators of the remote control are selected from a group of fading and turning off to preserve battery life after a predetermined amount of time without activity.
25 . The method of claim 18 wherein the illuminated indicators revive when there is an occurrence selected from a group including activating a motion sensor, pressing one of the plurality of selectively illuminated indicators, and activating a mercury switch.
26 . A system to communicate with a remote control, the system comprising:
an interface with a prompt used in selection of a device mode from a plurality of device modes, each of which is associated with a media device; and
a transmitter to transmit mode data associated with the selected device mode from the media device to a remote control, wherein predetermined indicators on the remote control are illuminated in response to transmission of the mode data.
27 . The system of claim 26 wherein the interface includes a plurality of selection keys having a layout that corresponds with a layout of the predetermined indicators on the remote control.
28 . A system to associate mode data with a device mode to communicate with a remote control, the system comprising:
a mode data generator to generate mode data corresponding to each of a plurality of device modes of a media device; and
a mode data associator to associate the generated mode data with a user-selected device mode from the plurality of device modes, wherein the associated mode data is suitable for transmission to a remote control to illuminate predetermined indicators of a plurality of remote control indicators, wherein the predetermined indicators correspond to the user-selected device mode made in response to a prompt.
29 . The system of claim 28 further comprising the media device responsive to the mode data associator and to communicate the mode data to the remote control.