US6278499B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Two-way remote control with advertising display
Assignee: Logitech Europe SA
•
Filing: 1999-07-06
•
Granted: 2001-08-21
•
Expires: 2019-07-06
Abstract
Abstract The remote control includes a visual display, first wireless circuitry for receiving from a host device data in the form of selected information, e.g., an advertisement, to be displayed, stored or processed, second wireless circuitry for sending information, control circuitry and software for controlling operation of the remote control, and the software including and a display default routine for returning to the display the display of the selected information received by the first wireless circuitry.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul Darbee
- 👤 Brandt Thompson
- 👤 Frank O'Donnell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 14:57
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17318; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/14; G06F3/147; G09; G09F; G09F27/00; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/4104; H04N21/4126; H04N21/41265; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204; H04N21/47; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N7/162; H04N7/163
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
A remote control including electrical circuitry coupled to a power supply in a housing of said remote control, a visual display on said housing and coupled to said electrical circuitry, a keyboard on said housing and coupled to said electrical circuitry, memory means including a buffer memory, a realtime clock, means for turning on and turning off said remote control, wireless receiver means for receiving, from a host device, data, including selected information to be displayed, means for displaying said information on said visual display, wireless transmitting means for sending information input through said keyboard, control means coupled to said electrical circuitry and including software in said buffer memory for controlling the operation of said remote control and the display of selected information under command of said realtime clock, means for maintaining said selected information displayed on said visual display when said remote control is not being used by a user to perform a function, said selected information including: advertising, a subset of an electronic program guide, instructions for setting up said remote control and a user guide or a context-sensitive help menu, means for displaying said instructions for setting up said remote control or said user guide or said context-sensitive help menu on said visual display of said remote control, and, software for displaying, on said visual display, key labels for selected keys on said keyboard and for indicating which function said remote control is controlling when a user presses one of said selected keys on said keyboard of said remote control.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
A remote control including electrical circuitry coupled to a power supply in a housing of said remote control, a visual display on said housing and coupled to said electrical circuitry, a keyboard on said housing and coupled to said electrical circuitry, memory means including a buffer memory, a realtime clock, means for turning on and turning off said remote control, wireless receiver means for receiving, from a host device, data, including selected information to be displayed, means for displaying said information on said visual display, wireless transmitting means for sending information input through said keyboard, control means coupled to said electrical circuitry and including software in said buffer memory for controlling the operation of said remote control and the display of selected information under command of said realtime clock, means for maintaining said selected information displayed on said visual display when said remote control is not being used by a user to perform a function, said selected information including: advertising, a subset of an electronic program guide, instructions for setting up said remote control and a user guide or a context-sensitive help menu, means for displaying said instructions for setting up said remote control or said user guide or said context-sensitive help menu on said visual display of said remote control, and, software for displaying, on said visual display, key labels for selected keys on said keyboard and for indicating which function said remote control is controlling when a user presses one of said selected keys on said keyboard of said remote control.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein said software maintains a display of said selected information on said display even when said remote control is in a quiescent state or turned off.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein the host device is a cable decoder box.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein the host device is a satellite decoder box.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein the host device is a telephone company decoder box.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein the host device is a television set.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein the host device is a computer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein said wireless means for receiving data is constructed and arranged to receive RF data from a long range transmitting device such as a paging network, a FM/SCA, a cellular phone, PCS, or other RF transmitting device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein said wireless means is constructed and arranged to exchange information with a modem.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The remote control of claim 9 wherein said remote control has intelligence for operating said modem.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The remote control of claim 1 including means for querying the host device for date/time information.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein said display is bistable, thereby requiring no refresh buffer and requiring no power to maintain an image on said display.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein the information received from the host device is in compressed form.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein the information is in the form of drawing commands, and said software includes means for executing the drawing commands by drawing an image on said display.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
The remote control of claim 1 including means for detecting a low-battery condition.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The remote control of claim 1 including back-lighting means for illuminating said visual display.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The remote control of claim 1 including a keyboard and back-lighting means for illuminating said keyboard.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
11 words
The remote control of claim 1 including means for producing sound.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The remote control of claim 1 including means for reading the magnetic stripe on a credit card.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The remote control of claim 1 including means for interfacing with a smart card containing a computer chip.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
the remote control of claim 1 including a pointing device for moving a cursor on a host display.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein said visual display includes a touch-sensitive display screen.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The remote control of claim 1 including a touch-sensitive pad on a bottom panel of said remote control beneath said visual display.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein some of the information comprises an advertising offer, and said remote control includes input means for enabling a user to responding to said advertising offer via said wireless means using said input means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein some of the information comprises advertising, and the advertising is formatted the same way as a manner on a page on the world wide web.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein some of the information comprises executable code to be run on said remote control.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein some of the information comprises a “trailer” from an advertisement appearing on a host device, thus giving the user more time to respond to an offer in the advertisement.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein some of the information comprises games which can be played on said remote control.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein some of the information comprises codes for upgrading said remote control.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
The remote control of claim 1 being [programmed to cycle a buffer memory in a ROM/RAM circuit to display on the visual display multiple categories of information.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
44 words
The remote control of claim 1 wherein said wireless means for receiving data is constructed and arranged to receive IR data or visible light data from a IR transmitter or in a visible light signal from a TV screen or other flashing light source.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
18 words
The remote control of claim 1 including a pointing device for moving a cursor on said visual display.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
46 words
The remote control of claim 1 including a special key by which a user, upon a particular pressing of said special key, can call up said instructions for setting up said remote control or call up other menus including said help menu or said user guide.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-08-20 | 2005-02-19 | 2005-08-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-08-20 | 2009-02-19 | 2009-08-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-08-20 | 2013-02-19 | 2013-08-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |