Remote control programming system
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for programming a remote control is provided. Control data that identifies one or more mode codes is stored in a computing device that is operationally connected to a detector. A user presses a button on a source remote control to cause an input signal to be transmitted from the source remote control to be received by the detector. The detector decodes the input signal, and consults the control data to determine a particular IR code that is associated with the source remote control. The computing device may then display information identifying a particular mode code on a display to allow the user to manually program a target remote control with the particular mode code. Alternately, the computing device may transmit the particular mode code to the target remote control to allow the target remote control to automatically configure itself with the particular mode code.
1. A method for programming a target remote control, comprising:
causing display, by a computing device, of information instructing a user to select a brand of device from a displayed plurality of brands of devices;
receiving, at the computing device, input selecting a particular brand of device to be controlled from the displayed plurality of brands of devices;
receiving, at the computing device, a control signal transmitted from a source remote control;
determining a set of control codes for the device to be controlled using the particular brand of the device selected from the displayed plurality of brands of devices and the received control signal;
sending an indicator representing the determined set of control codes to a target remote control, the target remote control configuring itself using the indicator.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending user interface information that describes a user interface for the target remote control.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the user interface information is selected based, at least in part, on the indicator representing the determined set of control codes.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the user interface information is transmitted with the indicator representing the determined set of control codes.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the user interface enables a user to use the target remote control to perform operations associated with the source remote control.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicator representing the determined set of control codes is a mode code.
7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, storing instructions, which when executed by one or more processors cause:
causing display, by a computing device, of information instructing a user to select a brand of device from a displayed plurality of brands of devices;
receiving, at the computing device, input selecting a particular brand of device to be controlled from the displayed plurality of brands of devices;
receiving, at the computing device, a control signal transmitted from a source remote control;
determining a set of control codes for the device to be controlled using the particular brand of the device selected from the displayed plurality of brands of devices and the received control signal;
sending an indicator representing the determined set of control codes to a target remote control, the target remote control configuring itself using the indicator.
8. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 7 , further comprising sending user interface information that describes a user interface for the target remote control.
9. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 8 , wherein the user interface information is selected based, at least in part, on the indicator representing the determined set of control codes.
10. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 8 , wherein the user interface information is transmitted with the indicator representing the determined set of control codes.
11. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 8 , wherein the user interface enables a user to use the target remote control to perform operations associated with the source remote control.
12. The one or more non-transitory storage media of claim 7 , wherein the indicator representing the determined set of control codes is a mode code.
13. An apparatus, comprising:
a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that causes display of information instructing a user to select a brand of device from a displayed plurality of brands of devices;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives input selecting a particular brand of device to be controlled from the displayed plurality of brands of devices;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that receives a control signal transmitted from a source remote control;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that determines a set of control codes for the device to be controlled using the particular brand of the device selected from the displayed plurality of brands of devices and the received control signal;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that sends an indicator representing the determined set of control codes to a target remote control, the target remote control configuring itself using the indicator.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, that sends user interface information that describes a user interface for the target remote control.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the user interface information is selected based, at least in part, on the indicator representing the determined set of control codes.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the user interface information is transmitted with the indicator representing the determined set of control codes.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the user interface enables a user to use the target remote control to perform operations associated with the source remote control.
18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the indicator representing the determined set of control codes is a mode code.