Echostar Technologies Corporation

Other

Echostar Corporation

Houston Satellite Systems, Inc.

Dish Technologies L.l.c.

Michael T Dugan

David A Kummer

Mark Gomez

William Michael Beals

Henry Gregg Martch

Daniel L Rudolph

Charles W Ergen

Adam C Morzos

Mark W Jackson

Dan J Minnick

Daniel J Minnick

Anthony George Dower, Iii

Thomas Steven Taylor

Kranti Kilaru

William Norris Moran

Alan Terry Pattison

Anand Menon

Thomas T Taylor

Joseph T Cilke

Bruce S Petrie

Tyler S Gilbert

An electronic device may derive information specific to the device, dynamically generate a matrix code that includes the information as well as user support information, and transmit the dynamically generated code to a display. When a user captures the matrix code with a reader device, the reader device may decode (or use a back end server to decode) the specific information specific and the user support information and initiate a user support request. Thus, user support for electronic devices may be facilitated utilizing dynamically generated matrix codes, such as (but not limited to) QR codes. In response to the initiated user support request, user support may then be provided for the user. Problems may be automatically taken care of for the user, tutorials may be provided for the user, one or more notifications may be provided to the user, service calls may be scheduled for the user, and so on.

Facilitating user support of electronic devices using dynamic matrix code generation

The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing the user instructional information describing the operation of their television receiving device system.

Method and apparatus for recording a video program for user instruction

A method is presented for notifying a user of a broadcast communication channel problem. At a broadcast distribution facility, a problem involving a first broadcast communication channel from the broadcast distribution facility to a broadcast communication receiver associated with the user is detected. A cause of the problem is ascertained at the facility. The broadcast distribution facility then relays an indication of the cause of the problem to the receiver over a second broadcast communication channel from the facility to the receiver. The receiver informs the user of the cause of the problem.

User notification of broadcast communication channel problems

An electronic device detects occurrence of an error condition and selects a matrix code to include in an error message to transmit to a display device based on the error condition. A reader device decodes the displayed matrix code to present information regarding resolution of the error condition. The electronic device may select the matrix code by looking up the error condition in a table or by dynamically generate the matrix code. In various implementations, the electronic device may determine that the information regarding resolution of the error condition has been utilized to unsuccessfully resolve the error condition. If so, the electronic device may select and transmit and additional matrix code that may be decoded by the reader device to access and present an additional set of information regarding resolution of the error condition or to initiate an electronic device support request.

Facilitating user support of electronic devices using matrix codes

A remote control and method of programming a remote control for controlling components in an entertainment system are disclosed. The remote control may operate in multiple modes including a limited mode that prevents the remote control from sending predetermined commands to one or more components, even when instructed to do so by the user. In addition, the remote control may issue one or more commands to each component in response to a single user input.

Methods and apparatus for simplified remote control operation of components

A television receiving device includes a memory configured to store an electronic program guide. The electronic program guide is divided into channel listings including program information corresponding to television programs being broadcast currently and to television programs scheduled for future broadcast. The device further includes a user interface configured to receive a user input and a processor in communication with the memory and the user interface. The processor is configured to output the electronic program guide to be displayed with, alternatively: 1) at least one channel listing including an expansion icon, where upon the user input indicating a selection of the expansion icon, a single channel listing expands into a plurality of channel listings, or 2) at least one channel including a collapsing icon, where upon the user input indicating a selection of the collapsing icon, a plurality of channel listings collapse into a single channel listing.

Electronic program guides, systems and methods providing a collapsible channel listing

The present invention is a method for associating remote controls and televisions. More specifically, the present invention permits delivery of television programming to multiple televisions from a television converter device. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

Pairing a remote control and a television

Remote control macro instruction operation

A remote control device is presented which includes a user interface, control logic, a memory and a transmitter. The user interface is configured to accept an input from a user. The control logic is configured to generate a random number as an address for the remote control device, and to generate a command for an electronic device based on the input from the user. The command comprises the address. The memory is configured to store the address for the remote control device. The transmitter is configured to transmit the command to the electronic device.

Remote control device and method employing random addressing

Programming of remote control operational modes

The present invention provides a method and apparatus to have a pay television distributor set timers for the user. The timers record programs either requested by the user or by the pay television distributor.

Remote setting of recording timers

A content receiver receives ordering information from a content provider for orderable content or products. The content receiver also derives information specific to the content receiver and dynamically generates a matrix code including the ordering information and the specific information. The content receiver then transmits the matrix code to a display and when the displayed matrix code is detected and decoded by a reader, the reader initiates an order for the orderable content to be transmitted to the content receiver or products. In some implementations, the orderable content may be ordered from the content provider, which may then transmit the ordered content to the content receiver. However, in other implementations the orderable content may be ordered from a third party provider. As such, the third party provider may transmit the ordered content to the content provider, which may then transmit it to the content receiver.

Ordering via dynamic matrix code generation

The present invention provides a method and device that can easily configure an entertainment system automatically or semi-automatically. The reconfiguration of the entertainment system can be achieved by cycling through the possible configurations of the entertainment system (i.e. different combinations of operational states of the components that make up the entertainment system) by changing various operational states of certain components until an operable configuration is found. The invention may be implemented in any component of the entertainment system including a set-top-box, satellite receiver or a remote control.

Growing community of inventors

Parker, CO, United States of America

Michael T Dugan