TV remote control signal log
View Patent ↗An interceptor detects command signals from a TV remote control and logs the signals. The signals can be correlated not just to channel number but also to programs by accessing a program/channel database. A log of channels/programs that have been viewed by, e.g., a child can thus be obtained and viewed by a parent.
1. An interceptor comprising:
a processor;
an infrared interceptor receiver receiving at least TV channel commands originating from a TV remote control, the receiver communicating the commands to the processor, wherein
the processor accesses a database to correlate the commands to TV programs, the processor generating a log of programs displayed on a TV, wherein the interceptor is synchronized with the TV or set top box (STB) providing TV signals to the TV by, when the interceptor detects a power-on signal to the TV or STB, the interceptor commanding the TV or STB to tune to a predetermined channel such that the interceptor is synchronized with the TV or STB by forcing the TV or STB into a state known to the interceptor, wherein subsequent channel up/down commands snooped from a command signal generator by the interceptor are used to ascertain corresponding channels accessed by means of the channel up/down commands, wherein the interceptor checks whether it has missed a transmission by comparing sequence numbers in transmitted packets from the command signal generator such that responsive to a determination that a sequence number of packets indicates a missing packet, the interceptor resynchronizes with the TV or STB by again commanding the TV or STB to tune to the predetermined channel.
2. The interceptor of claim 1 , wherein the processor and receiver are in an interceptor housing separate from the TV, the TV including a TV wireless command receiver separate from the interceptor receiver.
3. The interceptor of claim 1 , wherein the processor and receiver are in a TV housing, the processor being implemented by a TV processor and the receiver being implemented by a TV wireless command receiver.
4. The interceptor of claim 2 , wherein the interceptor housing does not implement a set-top box.
5. The interceptor of claim 2 , wherein the interceptor housing implements a set-top box.
6. The interceptor of claim 1 , comprising an extender receiving IR signals from a TV remote control and relaying the signals in RF to an extender on the interceptor, the extender on the interceptor transforming the signals from RF to IR.
7. A method for logging television use, comprising:
receiving, at an interceptor, channel change signals from a TV remote control;
correlating the channel change signals to TV programs; and
displaying a log of the programs to a user, wherein the interceptor is synchronized with a TV or set top box (STB) providing TV signals to the TV by, when the interceptor detects a power-on signal to the TV or STB, the interceptor commanding the TV or STB to tune to a predetermined channel such that the interceptor is synchronized with the TV or STB by forcing the TV or STB into a state known to the interceptor wherein subsequent channel up/down commands snooped from the remote control by the interceptor are used to ascertain corresponding channels accessed by means of the channel up/down commands, wherein responsive to a determination that an “acknowledge” packet sent from the TV or STB to the remote control was responsive to a packet from the command signal generator that was not detected by the interceptor, the interceptor resynchronizes by again commanding the TV or STB to tune to the predetermined channel.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the log is displayed only upon input of proper authentication information.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method is executed by a processor in a TV.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method is executed by a processor not in a TV.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method is executed by a processor in a set top box.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method is executed by a processor not in a set top box.