Methods, systems, and products for automated control of devices
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for automated control of devices. A tag is received with Electronic Programming Guide data, and the tag includes control data. The tag is stripped from the Electronic Programming Guide data and communicated to a device.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving a tag with Electronic Programming Guide data, the tag identifying an external device and comprising control data associated with the external device that has been added to a program description in the Electronic Programming Guide data;
stripping the control data from the Electronic Programming Guide data; and
communicating the control data to the external device identified in the program description in the Electronic Programming Guide data.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the tag comprises receiving a command to adjust a temperature.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the tag comprises receiving a command to mute a ringer on the device.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the tag comprises receiving a command to add a reminder to a calendar application.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the tag comprises receiving a command to mute a commercial.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the tag comprises receiving a command to interface with a calendar application operating in the external device and to display an alert using the calendar application.
7. A method, comprising:
receiving Electronic Programming Guide data having a tag comprising home theater control data that has been added to an end of a description of a program in the Electronic Programming Guide data;
stripping the home theater control data from the description of the program in the Electronic Programming Guide data;
communicating the home theater control data to a home theater device identified in the description of the program;
failing to display the home theater control data when displaying the description of the program;
storing the Electronic Programming Guide data in memory;
receiving reminder settings from the home theater device; and
setting a reminder for an event in an Electronic Programming Guide based on the reminder settings received from the home theater device.
8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising configuring a calendar application to produce a visual notification before a start of the event.
9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising sending the Electronic Programming Guide data to a personal digital assistant.
10. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising sending the Electronic Programming Guide data to a computer.
11. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising receiving the home theater control data as a series of parameters with each parameter separated by a comma.
12. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising receiving the home theater control data as parameters that vary during the program.
13. A method, comprising:
receiving a tag that has been added to a description of a program in Electronic Programming Guide data;
stripping the tag from the description of the program in the Electronic Programming Guide data;
communicating the tag to an external consumer electronics device identified in the description of the program in the Electronic Programming Guide data; and
failing to display the tag when displaying the description of the program.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein communicating the tag comprises communicating a command to the external consumer electronics device to retrieve data associated with the tag.
15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein communicating the tag comprises communicating a command and a uniform resource locator, the command instructing the external consumer electronics device to retrieve data available at the uniform resource locator.
16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein communicating the tag comprises communicating a command and an associated parameter, the command instructing the external consumer electronics device to display a menu and the parameter indicating formatting for the menu.
17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein communicating the tag comprises communicating a command and an associated parameter, the command instructing the external consumer electronics device to display a menu and the parameter indicating when the menu is to be displayed.
18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein communicating the tag comprises communicating a command and an action, the command instructing the external consumer electronics device to display a menu and to implement the action upon selection of a menu option.
19. The method according to claim 13 , wherein communicating the tag comprises communicating an instruction to display a list of menu options.
20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising communicating a parameter that instructs the external consumer electronics device to display a result when a menu option is selected.