Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Thomas James Dubil

Yevgeniy Eugene Shteyn

Rudy Musschebroeck

Stefaan M Note

Frederik Ekkel

Diane Perry Daniel

Tanya Ornatskaya

Frank Louis Boghe

Stuart Peter McKechnie

Franciscus Cornelis Caris

An Internet service makes available control codes for use on a programmable universal remote. The remote controls CE equipment through IR or RF commands. A server supplies the control codes as XML data that gets processed at the receiver's set top box or PC, or the remote itself, for being properly installed on the remote.

Control codes for programmable remote supplied in XML format

A set top box (STB) is marketed together with a programmable remote. The remote has a dedicated button to connect the STB to a specific server on the Internet. The consumer can notify the server of his/her other CE equipment, which he/she desires to be controllable through the same remote as the one that came with the STB. The server downloads to the STB data representative of the relevant control codes. The STB is provided with means to program the remote with these codes. In return the server has obtained detailed and accurate information about this consumer's equipment. A reliable customer base can thus be built for streamlining Help Desk operations.

STB connects remote to web site for customized code downloads

A remote control device provides commands and options based on the configuration of components in a user's environment, and based on a defined user activity. A storage device contains a user profile that includes the configuration of components at the user's environment, and defined set of user activities, such as &ldquo;watching television&rdquo;, &ldquo;viewing a movie&rdquo;, &ldquo;watching a sports program&rdquo;, and so on. Each user activity has a corresponding mapping of keys on the remote control device to facilitate the user activity. When the user identifies a preferred activity, the remote control device communicates commands to the components of the system to support the activity, and subsequently communicates commands to each component corresponding to this activity. A user may define multiple user activities, and the storage device may contain configurations and activities from multiple users.

Activity-based remote control device

Growing community of inventors

Morgan Hill, CA, United States of America

Thomas James Dubil