Telephonically programmable apparatus

Claim 1

In a video recorder control device of the type having an alterable memory for storing parameters related to the operation of said video recorder, apparatus for remotely configuring such memory, comprising: means for electrically coupling said control device to a first terminal end of a telephone system having a touch tone transceiver connected thereto; a computer system connected to a second terminal end of said telephone system; a source of audio messages connected to said second terminal end of the telephone system; and an application program resident in the computer, operative, upon said first terminal end of the telephone system being connected to said second terminal end, to select certain of said audio messages for transmission to said second terminal end of the telephone system so that they may be telephonically received at the first terminal end and will direct the operator at the first terminal end to provide information relating to the nature of the operating environment of said video recorder through touch tone responses to cause said computer to generate and transmit signals from said second terminal end to said control device which will program said alterable memory of said device with the parameters required for a control program enabling said control device to properly operate said video recorder.

Claim 8

The method of configuring a programmable control device for use with a video recorder connected to a multichannel programming source, comprising: connecting a programmable memory of the control device to a first terminal of a telephone system; connecting a touch tone telephone transceiver to said first terminal of said telephonic system; using said touch tone codes to connect said first terminal to a second terminal of said telephonic system; transmitting a series of audio inquiries from said second terminal to said first terminal; manually inputting responses to said audio inquiries onto the keys of said touch tone transceiver; using said responses to formulate configuring signals for said programmable memory of the control device including data relating to the relationship between the codes entered into the programmable device by an operator and the channel designations of said multichannel source; and transmitting said configuring signals to the memory of the device through the telephonic system.

Claim 9

The method of configuring a programmable control device for use with a video recorder connected to a multichannel programming source, comprising: connecting a programmable memory of the control device to a first terminal of a telephone system; connecting a touch tone telephone transceiver to said first terminal of said telephonic system; using said touch tone codes to connect said first terminal to a second terminal of said telephonic system; transmitting a series of audio inquiries from said second terminal to said first terminal; manually inputting responses to said audio inquiries onto the keys of said touch tone transceiver; using said responses to formulate configuring signals for said programmable memory of the control device including data relating to the relationship between the codes entered into the programmable device by an operator and the channel designations of said multichannel source; and transmitting said configuring signals to the memory of the device through the telephonic system.