Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-05
2001-03-27
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S173000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208341
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a handheld remote control device for control of electronic equipment, in particular for control of home theater equipment. The device has a program mode that enables the user to create macro's.
BACKGROUND ART
Examples of a state of the art programmable remote control device are the RC2000 and RC2000MkII, both of Marantz, a subsidiary of Philips Electronics. These devices have the ability to learn commands for typical control functions, and to associate a respective one of the device's buttons with a respective one of the commands learned. The devices can also be programmed to store macros. A macro is a string of commands that describe a series of specific steps to be carried out in sequence. A macro is assigned to a particular button. After the device is put into the macro-creation mode, the user must enter the sequence of steps to be carried out under the macro. Entering a step corresponds to pressing one of the buttons that have already been programmed for a single command. The device has a GUI that gives the user visual feedback during programming. A GUI is an interactive user-interface with graphical representations.
For more information on the operation of the Marantz device see, e.g., the Software Upgrade Booklet for the DVX8000 Multimedia Home Theater of Philips Electronics, pages 25-31, and the User Guide 206W851260 for the RC2000MkII model, pages 22-32, herein incorporated by reference.
For more information on programming of universal remote controls see, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/907,284, now allowed, of Philips Electronics, and herein incorporated by reference.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The user can program a macro on the known devices and store it under any of four hard keys. A macro hard key can be programmed to store up to 20 steps. Revising of a programmed macro can be done in several ways: by overwriting one or more steps already entered, inserting a step at a specific position in the sequence, or deleting a step entered previously. The Marantz RC2000 remote control device has been welcomed enthusiastically in the home theater world. See, for example, the November 1996 issue. pp.40-42, and the winter 1996 issue, pp. 123-126, of the magazine “Home Theater”. However, programming the known devices is not that simple and requires an effort well beyond that what the average consumer is willing to spend. An object of the invention is therefore to improve upon the user-friendliness of the known universal remote control devices, especially those for operating a consumer environment such as a home theater.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To this end, the invention provides a remote control device for control of electronic equipment. The remote has a display for display of a GUI with a plurality of user-selectable options. The remote enables the user to program a macro. The macro comprises a sequence of multiple ones of the control options of the GUI. The GUI enables the user to view the sequence as a scrollable list of steps. The GUI enables the user to edit the list by selecting at least one specific one of the steps and moving it up or down the list.
In this manner, the user can, if so desired, create any permutation of the sequence in an intuitive fashion. Preferably, the remote of the invention has the control options organized in a hierarchy of panels for individual display on the GUI. The user can program a macro that has one or more steps that lets the GUI jump to one or more specific ones of the panels during execution of the macro. This approach lets the user intervene with the macro execution or manually add steps during execution of an individual macro. However, it may be more convenient to have the jump to a specific panel as the last step in the macro. Preferably, the remote has a touch screen for enabling user-selection of the options. All major user control functions can thus be presented through graphical representations clustered in a logical or intuitive manner, not displaying more than what is necessary at the moment of interaction with a particular panel setting the context.
In the preferred embodiment, the remote according to invention allows its users to create an arbitrary number of macros with each up to 255 steps. Each step or action can be an IR (or RF) code, a 0.1 to 99.9 second delay, a reference to any other button, key or apparatus listed on the remote's GUI or a jump to any panel of the GUI. The user can create a macro by pushing a sequence of buttons and keys. The device records the sequence in the order of the steps entered. Afterwards, the user can view the macro as a scrollable list of steps, add more steps, select and delete steps, select and move steps up or down the macro, and select and adjust the value of delay steps. The visual feedback and editing capabilities are believed to be unique for an AV remote control. The remote for a home theater is thus provided with a macro creation/editing mode that has authoring tools accessible via the remote's GUI. One of the editing tools lets the user move a selected macro step visibly up or down the list of steps on the GUI. This authoring tool in the remote of the invention greatly improves the ergonomic character and user-friendliness and is believed to eventually support wider acceptance of home theater equipment.
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patent: 5767458 (1998-06-01), Koolen
patent: 5767919 (1998-06-01), Lee et al.
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Software Upgrade Booklet for the DVX8000 Multimedia Home Theater of Philips Electronics, pp. 25-31.
User Guide 206W851260 for the RC2000MkII model, pp. 22-32.
Nov. 1996 issue, pp.40-42 of the magazine “Home Theater”.
Winter 1996 issue, pp. 123-126, of the magazine “Home Theater”.
Moore Paul S.
Roberts Guy J.
Van Ee Jan
Bayerl Raymond J.
Thai Cuong T.
U. S. Philips Corporation
Verdonk Peter
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