System and method for rapid configuration of a universal controlling device

1. A universal controlling device, comprising:

a memory in which is stored a plurality of command code data sets for a plurality of devices;

a transmission circuit;

a processing unit in communication with the memory and the transmission circuit which uses one or more of the command code data sets stored in the memory to cause the transmission circuit to transmit commands to control functional operations of one or more of the plurality of devices;

a key matrix in communication with the processing unit comprising a setup input element used to place the universal controlling device into a setup operating mode of the universal controlling device, a plurality of command input elements each used to cause the universal controlling device to transmit commands to control functional operations of one or more of the plurality of devices when the controlling device is in a one of a plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device, and a plurality of quick setup input elements used in connection with the setup operating mode of the universal controlling device wherein each of the plurality of quick setup input elements is mapped to only one of a group of command code data sets within the plurality of command code data sets and wherein the group of command code data sets has been predetermined to be applicable to at least a common one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device; and

programming executable by the processing unit which, in response to activation of a one of the plurality of the quick setup input elements while in the setup operating mode of the universal remote control, causes the processing unit to establish an association between the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device and the one of the command code data sets of the group of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements such that, in response to the universal controlling device being subsequently placed into the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device, each of the command input elements will be associated with a corresponding command code data from the one of the command code data sets and a subsequent activation of a one of the command input elements will cause the processing unit to use the corresponding command code data when transmitting via the transmission circuit commands to control functional operations of a one of the plurality of devices.

2. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the programming requires simultaneous activation of the setup input element and the one of the plurality of quick setup input elements for at least a predetermined period of time before the processing unit establishes an association between the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device and the one of the command code data sets of the group of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements.

3. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the key matrix comprises a plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements used to place the universal controlling device into a corresponding one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device.

4. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the programming causes the processing unit to use an activation of a one of the plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements when establishing an association between the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device and the one of the command code data sets of the group of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements.

5. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 4 , wherein the program requires activation of the one of the plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements prior to a simultaneous activation of the setup input element and the one of the plurality of quick setup input elements before the processing unit establishes an association between the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device and the one of the command code data sets of the group of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements.

6. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device comprises an appliance control operating mode in which activations of the command input elements cause transmission of commands to control functional operations of a television device.

7. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device comprises an appliance control operating mode in which activations of the command input elements cause transmission of commands to control functional operations of a set top box device.

8. A universal controlling device, comprising:

a memory in which is stored a plurality of command code data sets for a plurality of devices;

a transmission circuit;

a processing unit in communication with the memory and the transmission circuit which uses one or more of the command code data sets stored in the memory to cause the transmission circuit to transmit commands to control functional operations of one or more of the plurality of devices;

a key matrix in communication with the processing unit comprising a setup input element used to place the universal controlling device into a setup operating mode of the universal controlling device, a plurality of command input elements each used to cause the universal controlling device to transmit commands to control functional operations of one or more of the plurality of devices when the controlling device is in a one of a plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device, and a plurality of quick setup input elements used in connection with the setup operating mode of the universal controlling device wherein each of the plurality of quick setup input elements is mapped to only one of a group of command code data sets within the plurality of command code data sets and wherein the group of command code data sets has been predetermined to be applicable to at least a common one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device; and

programming executable by the processing unit which, in response to activation of the setup input element, causes the processing unit to determine if a one of the plurality of the quick setup input elements or a one of the plurality of command input elements has been activated and, if it is determined that a one of the plurality of quick setup input elements has been activated, causes the processing unit to establish an association between the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device and the one of the command code data sets of the group of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements such that, in response to the universal controlling device being subsequently placed into the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device, each of the command input elements will be associated with a corresponding command code data from the one of the command code data sets and a subsequent activation of a one of the command input elements will cause the processing unit to use the corresponding command code data when transmitting via the transmission circuit commands to control functional operations of a one of the plurality of devices and, if it is determined that one of the command input elements has been activated, causes the processing unit to use a command code data from a one of the plurality of command code data sets that was previously associated with a current appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device and the activated one of the command input elements to transmit a command via the transmission circuit to control a functional operation of a one of the plurality of devices.

9. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the key matrix comprises a plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements used to place the universal controlling device into a corresponding one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device.

10. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the programming causes the processing unit to use an activation of a one of the plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements when establishing an association between the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device and the one of the command code data sets of the group of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements.

11. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device comprises an appliance control operating mode in which activations of the command input elements cause transmission of commands to control functional operations of a television device.

12. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device comprises an appliance control operating mode in which activations of the command input elements cause transmission of commands to control functional operations of a set top box device.

13. A universal controlling device, comprising:

a memory in which is stored a plurality of command code data sets for a plurality of devices;

a bi-directional communication circuit;

a processing unit in communication with the memory and the bi-directional communication circuit which uses one or more of the command code data sets stored in the memory to cause the bi-directional communication circuit to transmit commands to control functional operations of one or more of the plurality of devices;

a key matrix in communication with the processing unit comprising a setup input element used to place the universal controlling device into a setup operating mode of the universal controlling device, a plurality of command input elements each used to cause the universal controlling device to transmit commands to control functional operations of one or more of the plurality of devices when the controlling device is in a one of a plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device, and a plurality of quick setup input elements used in connection with the setup operating mode of the universal controlling device wherein each of the plurality of quick setup input elements is mapped to only one of a group of command code data sets within the plurality of command code data sets and wherein the group of command code data sets has been predetermined to be applicable to at least a common one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device; and

programming executable by the processing unit which, in response to activation of the setup input element and a one of the plurality of the quick setup input elements, causes the processing unit to use a command code data within the one of the command code data sets of the group of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements to cause the bi-directional communication circuit to transmit a response-eliciting command to a one of the plurality of devices and, upon receiving via the bi-directional communication circuit a response from the one of the plurality of devices to the response-eliciting command, causes the processing device to establish an association between the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device and the one of the command code data sets of the group of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements such that, in response to the universal controlling device being subsequently placed into the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device, each of the command input elements will be associated with a corresponding command code data from the one of the command code data sets and a subsequent activation of a one of the command input elements will cause the processing unit to use the corresponding command code data when transmitting via the transmission circuit commands to control functional operations of a one of the plurality of devices.

14. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the command input elements are each used to cause a transmission of a command to cause the one of the plurality of devices to tune to a designated channel.

15. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device comprises an appliance control operating mode in which activations of the command input elements cause transmission of commands to control functional operations of a television device.

16. The universal controlling device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the at least one common appliance control operating mode of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device comprises an appliance control operating mode in which activations of the command input elements cause transmission of commands to control functional operations of a set top box device.

17. A universal controlling device, comprising:

a memory in which is stored a plurality of command code data sets for a plurality of devices;

a transmission circuit;

a processing unit in communication with the memory and the transmission circuit which uses one or more of the command code data sets stored in the memory to cause the transmission circuit to transmit commands to control functional operations of one or more of the plurality of devices;

a key matrix in communication with the processing unit comprising a setup input element used to place the universal controlling device into a setup operating mode of the universal controlling device, a plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements used to place the universal controlling device into a corresponding one of a plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device, a plurality of command input elements each used to cause the universal controlling device to transmit commands to control functional operations of one or more of the plurality of devices when the controlling device is in a one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device, and a plurality of quick setup input elements used in connection with the setup operating mode of the universal controlling device wherein each of the plurality of quick setup input elements is mapped to only one command code data set in each of a plurality of groups of command code data sets within the plurality of command code data sets and wherein each of the plurality of groups of command code data sets includes command code data sets from the plurality of command code data sets that have been predetermined to be applicable to a common one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device; and

programming executable by the processing unit which, in response to activation of a one of the plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements, the setup input element, and a one of the plurality of the quick setup input elements, causes the processing unit to establish an association between the appliance control operating mode of the universal controlling device corresponding to the activated one of the plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements and the command code data set of the one of the plurality of groups of command code data sets that is mapped to the activated one of the plurality of quick setup input elements for the common one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device corresponding to the activated one of the plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements such that, in response to the universal controlling device being subsequently placed into the one of the plurality of appliance control operating modes of the universal controlling device corresponding to the activated one of the plurality of appliance control operating mode input elements, each of the command input elements will be associated with a corresponding command code data from the command code data set and a subsequent activation of a one of the command input elements will cause the processing unit to use the corresponding command code data when transmitting via the transmission circuit commands to control functional operations of a one of the plurality of devices.