Patents Assigned to Universal Electronics Inc.
  • Graphical user interface for programming universal remote control devices
    Patent number: 10540888
    Abstract: A universal remote control (URC) is programmed to control a particular type and make of electronic consumer device using a graphical user interface. A plurality of images is displayed on the user-interface. Each image of the plurality of images is a digital photograph of an electronic consumer device or a remote control device usable to control the corresponding electronic consumer device. A user selects the digital photograph of the particular type and make of electronic consumer device or its corresponding remote control device. Codeset information associated with the selected device is transmitted to the URC such that the URC is programmed to control the selected device. If the codeset information is a codeset identifier, then it is displayed on the user interface. The user enters the codeset identifier into the URC such that the URC is programmed to control the selected device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel SauFu Mui
  • System and method for flexible configuration of a controlling device
    Patent number: 10509548
    Abstract: A system and method whereby an user interface editing device is used to create a user interface for a controlling device, the created user interface including user interface elements that are associated with functional operations of a virtual equivalent of an appliance. After the created user interface is transferred to the controlling device, the virtual equivalent of an appliance is caused to be linked to an intended target appliance whereupon activation of those user interface elements of the graphical user interface that were associated with functional operations of the virtual equivalent of an appliance will cause the controlling device to transmit commands to control corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Arsham Hatambeiki, Christopher A. Chambers, Han-Sheng Yuh, Steven Clegg
  • System and method for a self adaptive multi-user program guide
    Patent number: 10499111
    Abstract: A media access device such as, for example, a cable or satellite set top box (STB), a digital video recorder (DVR), a personal computer, and/or a digital media receivers automatically optimizes an order of content choices presented in a content listing, such as a program guide display, favorite channel display, and/or a recording listing display based on the past viewing and/or recording history of a current user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • Codeset communication format and related methods and structures
    Patent number: 10490064
    Abstract: A codeset is described in a Public Codeset Communication Format (PCCF) as a format block including a plurality of fields having readily decipherable values, such as ASCII character values. One field is a mark/space information field that includes a sequence of mark time indicators and space time indicators for an operational signal of the codeset. A second field is a signal characteristic information field for the operational signal. Signal characteristic information may include carrier on/off information, repeat frame information, toggle control information, and last frame information. The PCCF is a codeset interchange format of general applicability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: George Vergis
  • System and method for appliance control via a personal communication or entertainment device
    Patent number: 10489052
    Abstract: A system for use in controlling operating functions of a controllable device includes a hand-held device and an intermediate device in communication with the hand-held device and the controllable device. The hand-held device is adapted to receive a gesture based input and to transmit a signal having data representative of the gesture based input. The intermediate device has programming for translating the data representative of the gesture based input in a signal received from the hand-held device into a command signal to be communicated to the controllable device wherein the command signal has a format appropriate for controlling an operating function of the controllable device that is associated with the gesture based input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Negron, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for interacting with a program guide displayed on a portable electronic device
    Patent number: 10469786
    Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of a plurality of consumer electronic devices by displaying a plurality of broadcast channel identifiers each corresponding to a broadcast channel in a display of a controlling device adapted to command at least channel tuning operations of the plurality of consumer electronic devices. Input is accepted into the controlling device that functions to designate one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers and the controlling device uses the designation of the one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers to cause a transmission of a wireless signal from the controlling device to a one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to thereby cause the one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to tune to the broadcast channel corresponding to the designated one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Lee Haughawout, Mauro Dresti, Sandro David Klein, Alex Louie, Han-Sheng Yu, Steve LanPing Huang, Patrick H. Hayes, Weidong William Wang
  • Automatic determination and retrieval of a favorite channel
    Patent number: 10462525
    Abstract: A consumer electronic device tracks the current channel to which the electronic consumer device is tuned. The consumer electronic device determines an amount of time that the current channel remains unchanged. Based at least in part on this amount of time, the consumer electronic device determines whether the current channel should be stored as a favorite channel. When the consumer electronic device subsequently receives a favorite channel command, the consumer electronic device is caused to tune to the favorite channel that is currently stored in memory. Changing user preferences are thus automatically accommodated without manual intervention, resulting in an effortless user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Ramaiah Satish
  • System and method for reconfiguration of an entertainment system controlling device
    Patent number: 10455272
    Abstract: An entertainment device initiates a configuration process of a controlling device in response to a change in an audio visual entertainment system configuration in which at least one of a plurality devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source and at least one of the plurality of devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual output destination for the entertainment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • User interface for a remote control application
    Patent number: 10444952
    Abstract: A hand-held electronic device having a remote control application user interface that functions to displays operational mode information to a user. The graphical user interface may be used, for example, to setup the remote control application to control appliances for one or more users in one or more rooms, to perform activities, and to access favorites. The remote control application is also adapted to be upgradeable. Furthermore, the remote control application provides for the sharing of operational mode information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Steve LanPing Huang, Cheryl Scott, Wayne Scott
  • System and method for configuring the remote control functionality of a portable device
    Patent number: 10431074
    Abstract: A system and method used to configure a smart device to command functional operations of a target appliance. The smart device retrieves from a controllable appliance, such as a settop box, data indicative of a codeset identity of the target appliance wherein the codeset identity was determined during a process used to configure a conventional universal remote control to command functional operations of the target appliance and wherein the process used to configure the conventional universal remote control is performed in cooperation with the controllable appliance. A remote control application resident on the smart device then uses the data indicative of the codeset identity retrieved from the controllable appliance to also configure the smart device to command functional operations of the target appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • Apparatus, system and method for using a universal controlling device for displaying a graphical user element in a display device
    Patent number: 10417903
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method is described for controlling one or more consumer electronic devices that is performed by a smart device. The smart device causes one or more graphical elements, each for performing a particular operation to be displayed. The smart device then causes an action to be performed when the user selects one of the graphical elements, for example by pressing one of the keys on the universal controlling device or by speaking a command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Rex Xu, Jesus Perez, Jon Gallegos
  • System and method for monitoring user interactions with a universal controlling device
    Patent number: 10395517
    Abstract: Usage of a universal controlling device is monitored by determining a current operating mode of the universal controlling device, sensing an event occurring within the universal controlling device, and storing within a memory of the universal controlling device data indicative of the event occurring in the current operating mode of the universal controlling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Prahalladachar Havinal
  • System and method for providing an adaptive user interface on an electronic appliance
    Patent number: 10386805
    Abstract: A controllable device, such as a set top box, responds to a transmission received from a one of a plurality of controlling devices of differing capabilities by entering into a one of a plurality of operating modes wherein the one of the plurality of operating modes entered into corresponds to the capabilities of the controlling device from which the transmission originated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Olav B. M. Pouw, Patrick H. Hayes
  • Device that manages power provided to an object sensor
    Patent number: 10365735
    Abstract: A hand-held device with a sensor for providing a signal indicative of a position of the hand-held device relative to an object surface enables power to the sensor at a first time interval when the hand-held device is indicated to be in a position that is stationary and adjacent relative to the object surface, enables power to the sensor at a second time interval shorter than the first time interval when the hand-held device is indicated to be in a position that is moving and adjacent relative to the object surface, and enables power to the sensor at a third time interval when the hand-held device is determined to be in a position that is removed relative to the object surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Brian Gates, Jeremy K. Black
  • System and method for non-intrusive health monitoring in the home
    Patent number: 10357202
    Abstract: A hand-held device, such as a remote control, is provided for operation of a consumer appliance and is equipped with one or more biometric sensors to capture and report on the health condition of a user of the hand-held device. The data captured by such a hand-held device may be evaluated locally in the hand-held device itself or may be conveyed to a target consumer appliance either for local evaluation by that consumer appliance or for onward transmission to a central off-site monitoring service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: David Chong Cheung Hyen, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 10339797
    Abstract: In response to a detected presence of an intended target appliance within a logical topography of controllable appliances identity information associated with the intended target appliance is used to automatically add to a graphical user interface of a controlling device an icon representative of the intended target appliance and to create at a Universal Control Engine a listing of communication methods for use in controlling corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance. When the icon is later activated, the controlling device is placed into an operating state appropriate for controlling functional operations of the intended target appliance while the Universal Control Engine uses at least one of the communication methods to transmit at least one command to place the intended target appliance into a predetermined operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Arling
  • Controlling device having multiple user interfaces
    Patent number: 10333573
    Abstract: A controlling device having a plurality of user selectable operating modes, a user interface providing a plurality of function keys each operable to cause a transmission of at least one command to at least one of a plurality of appliances for commanding at least one operating function of the at least one of the plurality of appliances, and a light source for illuminating the user interface in multiple distinct colors. The light source is caused to illuminate the user interface in at least one of the multiple distinct colors as a function of a one of the plurality of operating modes in which the controlling device is currently placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick H. Hayes, Sandro David Klein
  • System and method for provision of appliance control functionality to a smart device
    Patent number: 10326875
    Abstract: A system for use in issuing commands to a plurality of appliances each of a specific one of a plurality of different appliance types includes a smart device adapted to transmit command communications and a plurality of low-energy consuming controllers each adapted to transmit a command to a one of the plurality of appliances of a specific one of the plurality of different appliance types in response to receipt of a command communication originating from the smart device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Brandt Thompson, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 10325487
    Abstract: In response to a detected presence of an intended target appliance within a logical topography of controllable appliances identity information associated with the intended target appliance is used to automatically add to a graphical user interface of a controlling device an icon representative of the intended target appliance and to create at a Universal Control Engine a listing of communication methods for use in controlling corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance. When the icon is later activated, the controlling device is placed into an operating state appropriate for controlling functional operations of the intended target appliance while the Universal Control Engine uses at least one of the communication methods to transmit at least one command to place the intended target appliance into a predetermined operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Arling
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 10325486
    Abstract: In response to a detected presence of an intended target appliance within a logical topography of controllable appliances identity information associated with the intended target appliance is used to automatically add to a graphical user interface of a controlling device an icon representative of the intended target appliance and to create at a Universal Control Engine a listing of communication methods for use in controlling corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance. When the icon is later activated, the controlling device is placed into an operating state appropriate for controlling functional operations of the intended target appliance while the Universal Control Engine uses at least one of the communication methods to transmit at least one command to place the intended target appliance into a predetermined operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Arling