SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN ADAPTIVE USER INTERFACE ON AN ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE
A controllable device, such as a set top box, responds to a transmission received from a one of a plurality of controlling devices of differing capabilities by entering into a one of a plurality of operating modes wherein the one of the plurality of operating modes entered into corresponds to the capabilities of the controlling device from which the transmission originated.
1 . A method performed by a switching device that is operable to connect at least one of a plurality of source devices to a sink device, the method comprising:
detecting an infrared (IR) signal transmitted by a remote control device that is operable to control a first device among the plurality of source devices and the sink device, wherein the remote control device is programmed to transmit the IR signal in response to a user interaction with the remote control device;
in response to the detection of the IR signal, determining that the remote control device is in use; and
in response to determining that the remote control device is in use, controlling a connection between the at least one of the plurality of source devices and the sink device as a function of the detected IR signal.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the IR signal comprises a device identification code that indicates the first device and wherein controlling the connection comprises controlling the connection as a function of the device identification code.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching device comprises an audio/video switch, one of the plurality of source devices comprises a set-top-box, and the sink device comprises a television.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a universal IR receiver capable of identifying and decoding the command transmission formats of a multiplicity of manufactures.
5 . A switching device, comprising:
a plurality of audio/video (AV) ports;
a receiver; and
control logic that is operable to selectively connect at least one of a plurality of source devices to a sink device each of which is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of AV ports, the control logic being configured to:
determine that the receiver has received an infrared (IR) signal transmitted by a remote control device that is operable to control a first device among the plurality of source devices and the sink device, wherein the remote control device is programmed to transmit the IR signal in response to a user interaction with the remote control device;
in response to determining that the receiver has received the IR signal, determine that the remote control device is in use; and
in response to at least determining that the remote control device is in use, controlling a connection between the at least one of the plurality of source devices and the sink devices as a function of the detected IR signal.
6 . The switching device of claim 5 , wherein the IR signal comprises a device identification code that indicates the first device and wherein controlling the connection comprises controlling the connection as a function of the device identification code.
7 . The switching device of claim 5 , wherein the switching device comprises an audio/video switch, one of the plurality of source devices comprises a set-top-box, and the sink device comprises a television.
8 . The switching device of claim 5 , wherein the receiver comprises a universal IR receiver capable of identifying and decoding the command transmission formats of a multiplicity of manufactures.
9 . A switching device, comprising:
a plurality of audio/video (AV) ports;
a receiver; and
control logic that is operable to selectively connect at least one of a plurality of source devices to a sink device each of which is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of AV ports, the control logic being configured to:
determine that the receiver has received an infrared (IR) signal transmitted by a remote control device that is operable to control at least a source device among the plurality of source devices and the sink device, wherein the remote control device is programmed to transmit the IR signal in response to a user interaction with the remote control device;
in response to determining that the receiver has received the IR signal, determine that the remote control device is in use; and
in response to determining that the remote control device is in use:
identify the source device that is associated with the remote control device from among the plurality of source devices;
identify a first AV port from among the plurality of AV ports to which the identified source device is connected; and
connect the first AV port to the AV port to which the sink device is connected.
10 . The switching device of claim 9 , wherein the control logic is configured to identify the source device from among the plurality of source devices that is associated with the remote control device by detecting a device identification code included in the IR signal.
11 . The switching device of claim 9 , wherein one of the plurality of source devices comprises a set-top-box and the sink device comprises a television.
12 . The switching device of claim 9 , wherein the receiver comprises a universal IR receiver capable of identifying and decoding the command transmission formats of a multiplicity of manufactures.