Repeated Commands Based on Device-State Information
A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display (such as a cellular telephone) provides a wireless remote control for an entertainment device (such as a consumer-electronic device). After providing, to an audio/video (A/V) hub, user-interface activity information that specifies a change in a state of the entertainment device, the portable electronic device receives device-state information that specifies a current state of the entertainment device from the A/V hub. Until the device-state information indicates that the change in the state has occurred, the portable electronic device: provides: the user-interface activity information to the A/V hub; and receives, from the A/V hub, additional device-state information indicating whether the change in the state has occurred. In addition, the portable electronic device may provide feedback (such as a visual indicator or sensory feedback) to a user about the status of the change in the state.
1 . A portable electronic device, comprising:
a touch-sensitive display;
an antenna;
an interface circuit, coupled to the antenna, configured to communicate with an audio/video (A/V) hub; and
a control circuit, coupled to the touch-sensitive display and the interface circuit, configured to:
receive user-interface activity information specifying activation of a virtual command icon in a user interface displayed on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the activation of the virtual command icon specifies a change in a state of an entertainment device;
provide, via the interface circuit, the user-interface activity information to the A/V hub;
receive, via the interface circuit, device-state information from the A/V hub indicating whether the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred; and
when the change in the state of the entertainment device has not occurred, perform, until the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred, operations of:
providing, via the interface circuit, the user-interface activity information to the A/V hub; and
receiving, via the interface circuit, additional device-state information from the A/V hub indicating whether the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred.
2 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when the change in the state of the entertainment device has not occurred, the control circuit is configured to provide, until the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred, feedback that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented.
3 . The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein providing the feedback involves displaying a visual indicator in the user interface on the touch-sensitive display that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented.
4 . The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein providing the feedback involves providing, to the A/V hub, instructions for a visual indicator that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented; and
wherein the visual indicator is to be displayed on the entertainment device.
5 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when the control circuit receives the user-interface activity information again, the control circuit is configured to provide sensory feedback that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented.
6 . The portable electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the portable electronic device further comprises a vibration actuator coupled to the control circuit; and
wherein providing the sensory feedback involves activating the vibration actuator.
7 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit comprises:
memory configured to store a program module; and
a processor, coupled to the touch-sensitive display, the interface circuit and the memory, configured to execute the program module, wherein the program module includes instructions for operations performed by the control circuit.
8 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein entertainment device includes a television.
9 . A non-transitory computer-program product for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device, the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer-program mechanism that, when executed by the portable electronic device, causes the portable electronic device to communicate a change in a state of an entertainment device, the computer-program mechanism including:
instructions for receiving user-interface activity information specifying activation of a virtual command icon in a user interface displayed on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device, wherein the activation of the virtual command icon specifies the change in the state of an entertainment device;
instructions for providing, via an interface circuit in the portable electronic device, the user-interface activity information to an audio/video (A/V) hub;
instructions for receiving, via the interface circuit, device-state information from the A/V hub indicating whether the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred; and
instructions for performing, when the change in the state of the entertainment device has not occurred and until the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred, operations of:
providing, via the interface circuit, the user-interface activity information to the A/V hub; and
receiving, via the interface circuit, additional device-state information from the A/V hub indicating whether the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred.
10 . The computer-program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer-program mechanism further comprises instructions for providing, when the change in the state of the entertainment device has not occurred and until the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred, feedback that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented.
11 . The computer-program product of claim 10 , wherein providing the feedback involves displaying a visual indicator in the user interface on the touch-sensitive display that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented.
12 . The computer-program product of claim 10 , wherein providing the feedback involves providing, to the A/V hub, instructions for a visual indicator that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented; and
wherein the visual indicator is to be displayed on the entertainment device.
13 . The computer-program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer-program mechanism further comprises instructions for providing, when the user-interface activity information is received again, sensory feedback that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented.
14 . The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein providing the sensory feedback involves activating a vibration actuator in the portable electronic device.
15 . The computer-program product of claim 9 , wherein entertainment device includes a television.
16 . A portable-electronic-device-implemented method for communicating a change in a state of an entertainment device, wherein the method comprises:
receiving user-interface activity information specifying activation of a virtual command icon in a user interface displayed on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device, wherein the activation of the virtual command icon specifies the change in the state of an entertainment device;
providing, via an interface circuit in the portable electronic device, the user-interface activity information to an audio/video (A/V) hub;
receiving, via the interface circuit, device-state information from the A/V hub indicating whether the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred; and
using the portable electronic device, performing, when the change in the state of the entertainment device has not occurred and until the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred, operations of:
providing, via the interface circuit, the user-interface activity information to the A/V hub; and
receiving, via the interface circuit, additional device-state information from the A/V hub indicating whether the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises, when the change in the state of the entertainment device has not occurred and until the change in the state of the entertainment device has occurred, providing feedback that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein providing the feedback involves displaying a visual indicator in the user interface on the touch-sensitive display that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein providing the feedback involves providing, to the A/V hub, instructions for a visual indicator that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented; and
wherein the visual indicator is to be displayed on the entertainment device.
20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises providing, when the user-interface activity information is received again, sensory feedback that indicates that the change in the state of the entertainment device is being implemented; and
wherein providing the sensory feedback involves activating a vibration actuator in the portable electronic device.