Patents Assigned to Universal Electronics Inc.
  • Interactive web-based codeset selection and development tool
    Patent number: 10261816
    Abstract: A web server uses selection criteria for identifying an electronic consumer device to identify a codeset likely to be appropriate for communicating with the electronic consumer device and data indicative of at least one code of the identified codeset is provided to a remote control device whereupon the data indicative of the at least one code of the identified codeset is automatically activated by the remote control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Lee, Oscar C. Miramontes, Daniel SauFu Mui
  • Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device
    Patent number: 10254937
    Abstract: A smart device is provided with a main remote control application that may be configured using information. The main remote control application may present images of original remote controls corresponding to devices which are controllable by the configured main remote control application. In connection with a presented image of an original remote control, the display may present icons that are representative of a subset of the buttons of the original remote control. The user interface also allows a user to select amongst the images of the original remote controls to change which appliances are to be controlled via the user interface. A pop-up remote control widget may also be provided which may be invoked without switching to the main remote control application provisioned on the smart device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Marcel Hilbrink, Rex Xu, Cesar Alvarado, Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for saving and recalling state data for media and home appliances
    Patent number: 10257577
    Abstract: A set of media playback and device settings data from each home appliance of a first set of home appliances is stored on a central server and/or sent to a remote control device upon initiation of a suspend command by a user. The stored media and devices states may be used at a later time to control the first set of home appliances, or a user may, after relocating to a second set of home appliances, initiate a resume state command whereupon media playback and device settings data from the central server and/or remote control device controls each home appliance in the second set of home appliances to bring about the same or substantially similar media and device states as in the first set of home appliances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Christopher Chambers, Wayne Scott, Mark Momot
  • System and method to facilitate configuration of a controlling device
    Patent number: 10235873
    Abstract: A system and method wherein geographic data is used to configure a controlling device to control operations of a target device and/or to configure the controlling device to control tuning operations of a target device. The system additionally provides for the harmonization of controlling device configurations made on the controlling device and/or a remote computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Brandt J. Thompson, Jon Gallegos, Jason L. Godwin, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for appliance control via a network
    Patent number: 10217352
    Abstract: A first remote control application is configured to cause a smart device to transmit at least one command for controlling at least one functional operation of a controllable appliance in response to a user interface element of the smart device being activated while a second remote control application of a bridge device is configured to cause the bridge device to transmit at least one command for controlling at least one functional operation of the controllable appliance in response to receiving at the bridge device the at least one command transmitted from the smart device. The at least one command is transmitted from the smart device using a first transmission protocol and the at least one command is transmitted from the bridge device using a transmission protocol recognized by the controllable appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Jeffrey Kohanek, Norman G. Sheridan
  • System and method for providing an adaptive user interface on an electronic appliance
    Patent number: 10203668
    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: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Olav B. M. Pouw, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for setting up a universal remote control
    Patent number: 10204509
    Abstract: A system and method for using an RFID tag to automatically setup and configure a universal remote control to command appliances of various types and various manufacturers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Steve LanPing Huang, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for simplified activity based setup of a controlling device
    Patent number: 10198935
    Abstract: A controlling device having an activity mode corresponding to a controllable activity in which activation of a command key within a logical group of command keys of the controlling device causes a transmission of command data to control one or more functional operations of an intended target appliance. For a controllable activity the controlling device has a memory in which is stored a plurality of predetermined appliance to logical group of command keys mappings. To configure the controlling device for the controllable activity one or more predetermined keys of the controlling device are activated to thereby designate one or more intended target appliances for the controllable activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Kohanek, Ramzi Ammari
  • Codeset communication format and related methods and structures
    Patent number: 10192428
    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: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: George Vergis
  • System and method for appliance control via a personal communication or entertainment device
    Patent number: 10175881
    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: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Negron, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for retrieving information while commanding operation of an appliance
    Patent number: 10168869
    Abstract: When a command key of a controlling platform is activated, the platform performs an operation to initiate a playing of media content and also initiates the retrieval of information from an information source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert P. Lilleness, Han-Sheng Yuh, Weidong William Wang, Wayne Scott
  • System and method for providing an adaptive user interface on an electronic appliance
    Patent number: 10162316
    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: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Olav B. M. Pouw, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for detecting the removal of a controlling device
    Patent number: 10154307
    Abstract: A system and method for using a controllable appliance to report an inoperable state of a controlling device. The appliance is caused to repeatedly determine, at a first predetermined timed interval, if a wireless notification signal, repeatedly transmitted by the controlling device at a second predetermined timed interval, has been received from the controlling device. When the wireless notification signal has not been received from the controlling device within the first predetermined timed interval, the appliance is caused to issue a status notification that the controlling device is in an inoperable state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Gerben Meijer, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and methods for providing orientation compensation in pointing devices
    Patent number: 10147564
    Abstract: Axis orientation compensation is provided in a system in which movement of a controlling device is used to control navigational functions of a target appliance by determining which one of plural sides of the controlling device is an active side of the controlling device and by causing navigational functions of the target appliance made relative to at least one of an X, Y, and Z axis of the target appliance to be dynamically aligned with movements of the controlling device made relative to at least one of an A, B, and C axis of the controlling device as a function of the one of the plural sides of the controlling device that is determined to be the active side of the controlling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Gerben Meijer
  • Apparatus, system and method for using a universal controlling device for displaying a graphical user element in a display device
    Patent number: 10127807
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method is described for controlling one or more consumer electronic devices that is performed by a smart device in cooperation with a universal controlling device. The smart device causes a particular consumer electronic device template to be displayed to a user in response to receiving an indication of a particular key that was touched by the user on the universal controlling device. The template comprises one or more graphical elements, each for performing a particular operation in association with the particular consumer electronic device. The smart device then causes an action to be performed when the user selects one of the graphical elements by pressing one of the keys on the universal controlling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Rex Xu, Jesus Perez, Jon Gallegos
  • Controlling device having multiple user interfaces
    Patent number: 10116344
    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: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick H. Hayes, Sandro David Klein
  • System and method for using an universal remote control to access extended operational functions of a device
    Patent number: 10102739
    Abstract: A system and method for using an universal remote control to access extended operational functions of a device. A consumer causes the universal remote control to transmit a code data value selected from the library to a target device while observing the effect of the transmitted code data value on the target device. When the target device responds in a manner desired by the consumer, the consumer may tag the code data value that caused the desired effect and assign the tagged code data value to a programmable key on the universal remote control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Kimthoa Thi Nguyen
  • Dynamic linking of codesets in universal remote control devices
    Patent number: 10097784
    Abstract: A codeset having function-code combinations is provisioned on a controlling device to control functions of an intended target device. Input is provided to the controlling device which designates a function to be controlled on the intended target device. From a plurality of codes that are each associated with the designated function in a database stored in a memory of the controlling device a first code that is determined to be valid for use in controlling the designated function on the intended target device is selected. When the codeset is then provisioned on the controlling device, the provisioned codeset includes as a function-code combination thereof the designated function and the first code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: George Vergis, Sunilkumar Mankame
  • System and method for reconfiguration of an entertainment system controlling device
    Patent number: 10097877
    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: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for enhanced command input
    Patent number: 10089008
    Abstract: A portable electronic device having an input device for receiving a gesture based input from a user is used to control a navigation operation of an appliance. The portable electronic device receives via the input device the gesture based input and uses one or more parameters stored in a memory of the portable electronic device and one or more characteristics associated with the gesture based input to cause the portable electronic device to transmit a navigation step command to thereby control the navigation operation of the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Arsham Hatambeiki, Jeffrey Kohanek, Pamela Eichler Keiles, Patrick H. Hayes