Method of programming a universal remote control

1. A method for setting up a Remote Control that includes a keyboard, a processor, a memory, and a transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:

entering, via the keyboard and processor, a configuration mode;

accepting, via the keyboard and processor, an identifier-entry; and

scanning, via the processor and memory, though remote control code-sets in a database stored in the memory of the Remote Control, wherein the step of scanning comprises:

in case that the identifier-entry is a brand-identifier that identifies a brand, (i) iterating, via the processor and memory, through the remote control code-sets corresponding to the brand and (ii) testing said remote control code-sets by sending, via the transmitter, to a Consumer Electronic device for a given iteration, one or more specific control code functions of a corresponding remote control code-set, and

in case that the identifier-entry is a code-set-identifier that identifies a single remote control code-set which in not pointed to by a brand-identifier, testing the single remote control code-set corresponding to the code-set-identifier by sending, via the transmitter, to the Consumer Electronic device one or more specific control code functions of the corresponding single remote control code-set.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the iteration through remote control code-sets corresponding to the brand continues (i) until a user approval of a remote control code-set is entered, via the keyboard, or (ii) until all the remote control code-sets corresponding to the brand have been tested.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of checking, via the processor, memory, and keyboard, for user approval of a remote control code-set and installing, via the processor and memory, the user approved remote control code-set for use by the Remote Control.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of testing a remote control code-set comprises the following steps:

sending, via the transmitter, a remote control signal of the remote control code-set;

checking, via the processor, memory, and keyboard, for a user reaction; and

in case of a user reaction, enabling, via the processor, memory, and transmitter, to test keys of the Remote Control for the remote control code-set.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of accepting, via the keyboard and processor, a device type entry.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein if no user approval of a remote control code set has been entered, via the keyboard, during the step of scanning, a further scanning step is performed, scanning through further remote control code-sets.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising enabling, via the processor and memory, the use of a numerical keyboard for entering a brand-identifier comprising letters.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a numbering convention is used to distinguish between brand-identifiers and code-set-identifiers.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier-entry is a “wild card” code, and upon detecting, via the processor and keyboard, that the “wild card” code is entered, scanning further comprises iterating through all code sets for at least a device type.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with a computer program that comprises computer program code executable by a processor to perform the steps of setting up a Remote Control of claim 1 .

11. A method for setting up a Remote Control that includes a keyboard, a processor, a memory, and a transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:

entering, via the keyboard and processor, a configuration mode;

scanning, via the processor and memory, though remote control code-sets in a database stored in the memory of the Remote Control;

testing, via the keyboard, if individuals keys of a code set send, via the transmitter, correct codes and receiving, via the keyboard, user-feedback on the correct and/or incorrect working of the tested keys;

replacing, via the processor and memory, non-working codes with codes from at least a further remote control code-set; and

combining, via the processor and memory, correct working codes from the scanned remote control code-sets into a new custom configuration code set and installing, via the processor and memory, the combined correct working codes of the new custom configuration code set for use by the remote control.

12. The method according to claim 11 , where codes from the same remote control code-set are assigned to keys belonging to a certain key-group.

13. The method according to claim 11 , where based on the testing step, the user-feedback is used to limit or extend a number of remote control code-sets that are scanned through.

14. Remote Control comprising:

means for entering a configuration mode;

means for accepting an identifier-entry; and

means for scanning though remote control code-sets in a database stored in a memory of the Remote Control wherein the means for scanning are adapted for:

in case that the identifier-entry is a brand-identifier that identifies a brand, (i) iterating through the remote control code-sets corresponding to the brand and (ii) testing said remote control code-sets by sending to a Consumer Electronic device for a given iteration, one of more specific control code functions of a corresponding remote control code-set; and

in case that the identifier-entry is a code-set-identifier that identifies a single remote control code-set which is not pointed to by a brand-identifier, testing the single remote control code-set corresponding to the code-set-identifier by sending to the Consumer Electronic device one or more specific control code functions of the corresponding single remote control code-set.

15. Remote Control comprising:

means for entering a configuration mode;

means for scanning though remote control code-sets in a database stored in the memory of the Remote Control;

means for testing if individuals keys of a code set send correct codes and receiving user-feedback on the correct and/or incorrect working of the tested keys;

means for replacing non-working codes with codes from at least a further remote control code-set; and

means for combining correct working codes from the scanned remote control code-sets into a new custom configuration code set and for installing the combined correct working codes of the new custom configuration code set for use by the remote control.