Television – Receiver circuitry – Remote control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-21
2002-08-20
Miller, John W. (Department: 2614)
Television
Receiver circuitry
Remote control
C348S901000, C348S134000, C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S870030, C725S039000, C725S040000, C725S131000, C725S132000, C725S133000, C341S175000, C341S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06437836
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to wireless remote control systems for controlling receiver devices, and in particular to a handheld device for displaying information and transmitting codes to a remote receiver device to cause said device to tune to a selected program.
2. Related Art
Remote controls have been available since the late 1950s, beginning with the single button “Cyclops” from RCA in 1959. Since then, both form and function have evolved beyond the original single button which controlled power and channel scrolling. Over time, remote controls and the consumer appliances which they control have experienced an exponential increase in complexity.
Resulting from the recognition of the problems associated with the growth in the number of remote controls around the home and their growing complexity, different attempts have been made to unify these devices and simplify their interfaces. In 1986, Steve Wozniak, a founder of Apple Computer, formed a company called Cloud
9
which attempted to build a universal remote control that would work with every electronic device. Cloud
9
eventually released a product called “CORE”, which ultimately did not succeed in the consumer market due to the difficulty users had in remembering the functionality of programmed buttons.
These devices attempted to solve. a fundamental problem with consumer appliances; as appliances offer greater interactivity with users, the remote control in its present form will be unable to support these new innovations. These efforts ultimately failed due to the complexity of the remote control; instead of taking the complex functionality of a remote control and simplifying its use, these units took a complex remote control and made it more complex.
Today, remote controls can be classified into two distinct categories: “bundled” remote controls (included with consumer devices such as stereos and televisions) and aftermarket universal remote controls. “Bundled” remote controls typically serve to control only the component with which it was packaged.
Universal remote controls are available in a wide range of prices and features. Most are sold for under $50 and come configured for use with a wide range of standard components. Some of these remote controls possess the ability to learn new infrared codes as well. However, there is little value added by these devices apart from the ability to consolidate multiple remote controls into a single device. Downfalls include a loss of features which were available on the old remote control which are not available on the universal remote, a larger set of arcane buttons to search through, and difficulty adding new remote control emulation without the instruction book.
One device found at the high end of universal remote controls is the RR-990 (and its British counterpart, the Remote Angel IR-01) developed by Rotel. The RR-990 is a preprogrammed device which is also capable of learning new IR codes. The user interface is implemented entirely in software with a reasonable level of user customization. User input is accepted exclusively through an LCD touchscreen. The RR-990 can operate in two modes: one which provides access to all buttons and another which presents only basic functions. The RR-990 provides an advanced visual interface, but users complain that use of the LCD touchscreen for commonly used features is difficult.
The Marantz RC-2000 is another popular device which allows for automated key sequences through macros and a large number of user programmable buttons. Marantz also attempts to move some of the interface toward a software look-and-feel by using an LCD character display.
Perhaps the most advanced, and most costly, universal remote control is the Lexicon
700
t
. The
700
t
presents the user with a touch screen remote control which employs icons to navigate the interface of this computer-like device. Although fully customizable, the device must be programmed by a technician.
In the related art described above, a universal remote control's ability to operate with a plurality of consumer electronics devices is encoded into the remote control unit at the time of manufacture. As a result, the introduction of new consumer electronics devices (televisions, VCRs) operating with new coding schemes may lead to incompatibilities with the existing universal remote control. This gives rise to a problem in that existing universal remote control units may become obsolete. The related art also requires the programming of universal remote controls by the end user in such a manner which requires the end user to try multiple codes associated with a particular manufacturer to operate the target consumer electronics device.
Further, unique specialized functionality is often sacrificed on universal remote controls so that features may be included which are most commonly found in the greatest set of consumer electronics devices. When remote controls are designed to meet the needs of the lowest common denominator, the end-user may lose specialized functionality unique to their specific consumer electronic device.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), also referred to as “miniature palmtop computers,” define a group of computers and technologies emphasizing information portability. PDAs often incorporate mobile communications capabilities. Seeking to break the barriers which currently hinder the applicability and ease of use of current desktop and laptop computers, PDAs come packaged with a variety of “functional” applications (e.g. calendar, phone book, to do list).
The technologies underlying PDAs were first developed in the late 1980's as a digital, technology driven response to the tremendous growth in the market for personal organizers. PDAs have since developed down two competing designs: keyboard systems, such as the Sharp Wizard, and pen based systems, such as the PalmPilot.
Pen based PDA's were first debuted around 1993 with the introduction of the AT&T EO Personal Computer. Other systems include the Apple Newton MessagePad, the Tandy Zoomer, the IBM-BellSouth-Mitsubishi Simon and the Motorola Envoy. Many of these systems employed handwriting recognition technology for input; however, the systems required such precision that the units were nearly unusable in ordinary working conditions.
The PalmPilot was introduced in 1996 at an industry trade show. Separating the PalmPilot from its many competitors were the following features:
Lightweight (5.7 ounces) and compact design (3.1″×4.6″×0.6″)
Single-button synchronization of data with a personal computer
Highly accurate handwriting recognition based upon Graffitti® technology
The Palm III offered an update to the original PalmPilot series of PDAs by adding built-in infrared capabilities and extended memory. Trade press has also reported on the development of a new addition to the PalmPilot series called the “Razor”. Slated for introduction at the beginning of 1999, the Razor will bring color capabilities to the PalmPilot series, as well as Web browsing, a new form factor, and additional connectivity features.
In the Spring of 1998, Microsoft and a number of different hardware companies offered devices running Windows CE for palm computers. The devices offer similar capabilities, features, and functionality to the PalmPilot series of PDAs.
Electronic Program Guides (EPGs), offering television program listings in an electronic format, have evolved from traditional print media sources such as TV Guide and listings found in local newspapers.
Electronic Program Guides (EPGs) are known for providing listings of scheduled programming. On-screen listings are one form of EPGs provided by cable/satellite/broadcast service providers offering differing levels of service. Some services, such as the Prevue Channel, simply provide a rolling grid of listings. Services such as this do not allow for any level of interaction by the user. These services are typically provided free of charge with basic cable.
More advanced services, such as those prov
Daley Peter
Huang Eugene
Greenberg & Traurig, LLP
Miller John W.
Natnael Paulos
Navispace, Inc.
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