Method and system for programming a remote control unit

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein if no respective commands have dissimilar formats as determined in step (d), then returning to step (c).

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein commands are determined to have dissimilar formats when at least one of the command characteristics of each command is not within a predetermined tolerance.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein the command characteristics include the carrier frequency of the signal used to transmit the command from the input device to the controllable device.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3 wherein the command characteristics include the number of bits comprising the signal used to transmit the command from the input device to the controllable device.

Claim 7

The method of claim 3 wherein the command characteristics include the pulse width of each bit comprising the signal used to transmit the command from the input device to the controllable device.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein the code sets are stored in the input device.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein the controllable device is selected from the group consisting of a television, video cassette recorder, cable box, compact disk player, tuner, cassette player, satellite receiver, laser disk player, and an appliance.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 wherein the commands are determined to have dissimilar formats when a command exists in at least one code set but no corresponding command exists in another code set.

Claim 11

An input device operative to control operation of one of a predetermined group of controllable devices, comprising: a processing device; a memory, coupled to the processing device, storing a program module and a database including a plurality of code sets associated with a plurality of controllable devices; and the processing device, responsive to instructions from the program module, operative for: (a) displaying a device selection prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit a command selecting one of the controllable devices, and receiving a user input command selecting one of the controlable devices; (b) selecting a group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device, wherein each code set includes a plurality of commands; (c) selecting one of the plurality of commands; (d) comparing the selected command in each code set to the respective command in each other code set in the group of code sets to determine which respective commands have dissimilar formats; (e) testing the selected command from at least one candidate code set to determine whether the command in the candidate code set operates the controllable device by, displaying a first prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit the selected command for the candidate code set to the selected controllable device, displaying a second prompt asking the user to use the input device to reply whether the selected command caused the controllable device to perform a function associated with the selected command, and receiving a user input denoting an answer to the second prompt; (f) eliminating from consideration within the group of code sets those code sets in which the selected command has a format dissimilar to the format of the selected command in a tested code set that resulted in an affirmative answer to the second prompt; (g) selecting another command and return to step (d) when more than one code set remains in the group of code sets; and (h) programming the input device to control operation of the controllable device using the code set if one code remains in the group of code sets.

Claim 12

An input device operative to control operation of one of a predetermined group of controllable devices, comprising: a processing device; a memory, coupled to the processing device, storing a program module and a database including a plurality of code sets associated with a plurality of controllable devices; and the processing device, responsive to instructions from the program module, operative for: (a) displaying a device selection prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit a command selecting one of the controllable devices, and receiving a user input command selecting one of the controlable devices; (b) selecting a group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device, wherein each code set includes a plurality of commands; (c) selecting one of the plurality of commands; (d) comparing the selected command in each code set to the respective command in each other code set in the group of code sets to determine which respective commands have dissimilar formats; (e) testing the selected command from at least one candidate code set to determine whether the command in the candidate code set operates the controllable device by, displaying a first prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit the selected command for the candidate code set to the selected controllable device, displaying a second prompt asking the user to use the input device to reply whether the selected command caused the controllable device to perform a function associated with the selected command, and receiving a user input denoting an answer to the second prompt; (f) eliminating from consideration within the group of code sets those code sets in which the selected command has a format dissimilar to the format of the selected command in a tested code set that resulted in an affirmative answer to the second prompt; (g) selecting another command and return to step (d) when more than one code set remains in the group of code sets; and (h) programming the input device to control operation of the controllable device using the code set if one code remains in the group of code sets.

Claim 13

The input device of claim 10 wherein if no respective commands have dissimilar formats as determined in (d), then returning to (c).

Claim 14

The input device of claim 10 wherein the selected command is determined to have dissimilar formats within the group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device when at least one of the command characteristics of the selected command in one of the code sets is not within a predetermined tolerance defined with respect to the command characteristic for the respective command in the other code sets in the group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device.

Claim 15

The input device of claim 12 wherein the command characteristics include the carrier frequency of the signal used to transmit the command from the input device to the controllable device.

Claim 16

The input device of claim 12 wherein the command characteristics include the number of bits and the pulse width of each bit comprising the signal used to transmit the command from the input device to the controllable device.

Claim 17

The input device of claim 10 wherein the controllable device is selected from the group consisting of a television, video cassette recorder, cable box, compact disk player, tuner, cassette player, satellite receiver, laser disk player, and an appliance.

Claim 18

The input device of claim 10 wherein commands are determined to have dissimilar formats when a command exists in at least one code set but no corresponding command exists in another code set.

Claim 19

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for programming a computing device to control operation of one of a predetermined group of controllable devices, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by the computing device, perform the steps of: (a) displaying a device selection prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit a command selecting one of the controllable devices, and receiving a user input command selecting one of the controllable devices; (b) selecting a group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device, wherein each code set includes a plurality of commands; (c) selecting one of the plurality of commands; (d) comparing the selected command in each code set to the respective command in each other code set in the group of code sets to determine which respective commands have dissimilar formats; (e) testing the selected command from at least one candidate code set to determine whether the command in the candidate code set operates the controllable device by, displaying a first prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit the selected command for the candidate code set to the selected controllable device, displaying a second prompt asking the user to use the input device to reply whether the selected command caused the controllable device to perform a function associated with the selected command, and receiving a user input denoting an answer to the second prompt; (f) eliminating from consideration within the group of code sets those code sets in which the selected command has a format dissimilar to the format of the selected command in a tested code set that resulted in an affirmative answer to the second prompt; (g) selecting another command and return to step (d) when more than one code set remains in the group of code sets; and (h) programming the input device to control operation of the controllable device using the code set if one code remains in the group of code sets.

Claim 20

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for programming a computing device to control operation of one of a predetermined group of controllable devices, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by the computing device, perform the steps of: (a) displaying a device selection prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit a command selecting one of the controllable devices, and receiving a user input command selecting one of the controllable devices; (b) selecting a group of code sets that may control the selected controllable device, wherein each code set includes a plurality of commands; (c) selecting one of the plurality of commands; (d) comparing the selected command in each code set to the respective command in each other code set in the group of code sets to determine which respective commands have dissimilar formats; (e) testing the selected command from at least one candidate code set to determine whether the command in the candidate code set operates the controllable device by, displaying a first prompt asking the user to use the input device to transmit the selected command for the candidate code set to the selected controllable device, displaying a second prompt asking the user to use the input device to reply whether the selected command caused the controllable device to perform a function associated with the selected command, and receiving a user input denoting an answer to the second prompt; (f) eliminating from consideration within the group of code sets those code sets in which the selected command has a format dissimilar to the format of the selected command in a tested code set that resulted in an affirmative answer to the second prompt; (g) selecting another command and return to step (d) when more than one code set remains in the group of code sets; and (h) programming the input device to control operation of the controllable device using the code set if one code remains in the group of code sets.

Claim 21

The medium of claim 17 wherein if no respective commands have dissimilar formats as determined in step (d), then returning to step (c).

Claim 22

The medium of claim 17 wherein commands are determined to have dissimilar formats when at least one of the command characteristics of each command is not within a predetermined tolerance.

Claim 23

The medium of claim 19 wherein the command characteristics include the carrier frequency of the signal used to transmit the command from the input device to the device.

Claim 24

The medium of claim 19 wherein the command characteristics include the number of bits and the pulse width of each bit comprising the signal used to transmit the command from the input device to the controllable device.

Claim 25

The medium of claim 17 wherein the code sets are stored in a database in the memory of the input device.

Claim 26

The medium of claim 17 wherein commands are determined to have dissimilar formats when a command exists in at least one code set but no corresponding command exists in another code set.

Claim 29

A computer storage medium storing computer-readable instructions for performing the method of claim 24.

Claim 30

An input device configured to perform the method of claim 24.