Automatic determination and retrieval of a favorite channel
View Patent ↗A consumer electronic device tracks the current channel to which the electronic consumer device is tuned. The consumer electronic device determines an amount of time that the current channel remains unchanged. Based at least in part on this amount of time, the consumer electronic device determines whether the current channel should be stored as a favorite channel. When the consumer electronic device subsequently receives a favorite channel command, the consumer electronic device is caused to tune to the favorite channel that is currently stored in memory. Changing user preferences are thus automatically accommodated without manual intervention, resulting in an effortless user interface.
1. A non-transitory, computer readable media having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processing device of a controlling device used to transmit media selection commands to a consumer electronic device, causes the processing device of the controlling device to perform steps comprising:
storing in a memory of the controlling device in associating with a predetermined input element of the controlling device data indicative of each of a plurality of media selection commands caused to be transmitted to the consumer electronic device by the controlling device when a time between media selection commands transmitted to the consumer electronic device by the controlling device exceeds a first prescribed period of time;
ordering from first to last the data stored in the memory of the controlling device that is indicative of each of the plurality of media selection commands caused to be transmitted to the consumer electronic device by the controlling device; and
in response to each of a plurality of successive activations of the predetermined input element of the controlling device, causing the controlling device to successively transmit each of the plurality of media selection commands to the consumer electronic device according to the ordering of the data stored within the memory of the controlling device unless any one of the plurality of successive activations of the predetermined input element of the controlling device exceeds a second prescribed period of time whereupon the controlling device is caused to transmit to the consumer electronic device the one of the plurality of media selection commands corresponding to the first ordered one of the data stored within the memory of the controlling device.
2. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second prescribed period of time is modifiable by a user of the controlling device.
3. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data stored in the memory of the controlling device is ordered according to a time between media selection commands transmitted to the consumer electronic device by the controlling device as measured by the controlling device.
4. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 3 , wherein the instructions cause a timing device of the controlling device that is used to determine the time to be started in response to each of the plurality of media selection commands being transmitted to the consumer electronic device by the controlling device.
5. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first prescribed period of time is modifiable by a user of the controlling device.
6. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of media selection commands is caused to be transmitted to the consumer electronic device by the controlling device in response to an activation by a user of a channel up input element or channel down input element of the controlling device.
7. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of media selection commands is caused to be transmitted to the consumer electronic device by the controlling device in response to an activation by one or more channel number input elements of the controlling device.
8. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media selection commands are transmitted from the controlling device to the consumer device via use of an infrared communications protocol.
9. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media selection commands are transmitted from the controlling device to the consumer device via use of a radio frequency protocol.
10. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the instructions use a command code set selected from a library of command code sets stored in the memory of the controlling device when causing the transmitter to transmit the media selection commands to the electronic consumer device.
11. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the command code set selected from the library of command code sets stored in the memory of the controlling device comprises a command code set associated with a specified brand of a television.
12. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the command code set selected from the library of command code sets stored in the memory of the controlling device comprises a command code set associated with a specified brand of a set top box.
13. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions use a received input to the controlling device to select the command code set from the library of command code sets stored in the memory of the controlling device.
14. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited 13 , wherein the received input to the controlling device comprises activation of one or more input elements of the controlling device adapted to command functional operations of the electronic consumer device.
15. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined input element of the controlling device comprises a favorite channels input element.
16. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the consumer electronic device comprises a set top box.
17. The non-transitory, computer readable media a recited in claim 1 , wherein the consumer electronic device comprises a television receiver.
18. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media selection command comprises a channel tuning command.