Patents Assigned to Universal Electronics Inc.
  • System and method for appliance control via a personal communication or entertainment device
    Patent number: 9503562
    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: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Negron, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for simplified setup of a universal remote control
    Patent number: 9489835
    Abstract: A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user. Appropriate set up data, generally in the form of command library codes, is displayed to the user by the interactive instruction set and associated programming for entry and trial by the user in set up of the desired appliance(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Lee Haughawout, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for configuring the remote control functionality of a portable device
    Patent number: 9478125
    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 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett, Jesus Perez
  • System and method for enhanced command input
    Patent number: 9477402
    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: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Arsham Hatambeiki, Jeffrey Kohanek, Pamela Eichler Keiles, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for using image data in connection with configuring a universal controlling device
    Patent number: 9462035
    Abstract: Data indicative of topography of an object of interest is received at a recognition system having an associated database in which is stored topography data for a plurality of reference objects each of which is cross-referenced to configuration information for a universal controlling device. The reference system uses the received data and the topography data for the plurality of reference objects to discern one or more reference objects as being a match for the object of interest. At least a subset of the configuration information that has been cross-referenced to the one or more reference objects discerned by the recognition system as being a match for the object of interest is then used to configure the universal controlling device to enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to one or more target appliances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Lim, Joseph Lee Haughawout
  • System and method for facilitating configuration of a controlling device via a 3D sync signal
    Patent number: 9456204
    Abstract: A controlling device is configures to control functional operations of an appliance by using a 3D sync signal transmitted to synchronize a wearable 3D viewing apparatus with a device adapted to render 3D media to select from a library of command codes a command code set appropriate for controlling functional operations of the appliance. The command codes within the command code set selected from the library of command codes are assigned to respective keys of the controlling device whereupon a subsequent activation of one or more of the respective keys of the controlling device will cause the controlling device to issue a command transmission via use of one or more of the command codes within the command code set selected from the library of command codes to thereby control one or more functional operations of the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Graham Williams, Jeremy K. Black
  • System and method for configuring the remote control functionality of a portable device
    Patent number: 9454899
    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: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for configuration of network-capable appliances
    Patent number: 9450814
    Abstract: A controlling device is used to configure a target device for wireless network communications through use of a setup wizard. The setup wizard is used to obtain information required to perform communications on a wireless network via a wireless network router and a digital representation of the information obtained through use of the setup wizard is provided to the target device via use of the controlling device. The target device will use the digital representation of the information to configure itself for wireless network communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Negron, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 9449500
    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: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Paul D. Arling
  • System and method for reconfiguration of an entertainment system controlling device
    Patent number: 9451314
    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: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for configuring the remote control functionality of a portable device
    Patent number: 9437102
    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: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for configuring the remote control functionality of a portable device
    Patent number: 9437104
    Abstract: A server device receives identity data retrieved from an appliance through use of a physical and logical interconnection referenced to a standard. The identity data is used at the server device to identify within a database having a plurality of appliance records, each of which is cross-referenced to an appliance, an appliance record having data in one or more record fields which matches the identity data retrieved from the appliance. A codeset identifier associated with the identified appliance record is then used to select from a plurality of codesets a codeset for use in configuring the portable device to command functional operations of the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett, Norman G. Sheridan, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 9437105
    Abstract: A device receives a request from a controlling device, such as a remote control, smart phone, or the like, where the request is intended to have one or more target devices perform one or more functional operations. The device responds to the request by applying the optimum methodology to propagate one or more commands to each intended target appliance to cause each intended target appliance to perform the intended one or more functional operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Paul D. Arling
  • System and method for universal 3D viewing device
    Patent number: 9424768
    Abstract: A signal format definition data appropriate for a rendering device used to present alternate-frame sequencing based 3D material is identified and the identified signal format definition data is thereafter used to decode received synchronization signals associated with the rendering device. A shutter of a universal viewing device may thus be controlled as a function of the decoded synchronization signals associated with the rendering device to thereby allow for viewing of the alternate-frame sequencing based 3D material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Patrick H. Hayes, Jeremy K. Black
  • System and method for setting up a universal remote control
    Patent number: 9412261
    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 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Steve LanPing Huang, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method to facilitate configuration of a controlling device
    Patent number: 9406223
    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: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Brandt J. Thompson, Jon Gallegos, Jason L. Godwin, Patrick H. Hayes
  • Graphical user interface and data transfer methods in a controlling device
    Patent number: 9405447
    Abstract: A smart device is provided with a main remote control application that may be configured using information obtained from a QR code. 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: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Marcel Hilbrink, Rex Xu, Cesar Alvarado, Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for rapid configuration of a universal controlling device
    Patent number: 9398242
    Abstract: A universal controlling device is provided with one or more buttons which, when activated in a set up mode, serves to initiate a rapid configuration of the controlling device to utilize one of a group of pre-selected command data sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Kohanek, Jeremy K. Black
  • System and method for using an universal remote control to access extended operational functions of a device
    Patent number: 9396649
    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: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Kimthoa Thi Nguyen
  • System and method for configuring controlling device functionality
    Patent number: 9380250
    Abstract: A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Brian Barnett, Arsham Hatambeiki, Rex Xu, Jesus Perez