Patents Assigned to Universal Electronics Inc.
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 11308796
    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: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 11295606
    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: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 11295605
    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: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett
  • System and methods for providing orientation compensation in pointing devices
    Patent number: 11295904
    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: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Gerben Meijer
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 11295603
    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: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett
  • Star cluster codeset database for universal remote control devices
    Patent number: 11270577
    Abstract: A keycode data structure includes a device type byte, a set of keycodes, system code information, a system data byte, a protocol pointer that points to a protocol table and a number of flagbytes that are used to index a particular key among the keycodes. The keycode data structure also contains a plurality of keycode data structure pointers (KDSPs). Keycode data structures are linked together using KDSPs. A special value in the keycode data structure is used to indicate that the keycode data structure contains multiple KDSPs. The number of pointers is stored in a particular location of the keycode data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Oscar C. Miramontes
  • System and method for voice actuated configuration of a controlling device
    Patent number: 11264018
    Abstract: A speech recognition engine is provided voice data indicative of at least a brand of a target appliance. The speech recognition engine uses the voice data indicative of at least a brand of the target appliance to identify within a library of codesets at least one codeset that is cross-referenced to the brand of the target appliance. The at least one codeset so identified is then caused to be provisioned to the controlling device for use in commanding functional operations of the target appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Lim
  • Dynamic linking of codesets in universal remote control devices
    Patent number: 11259067
    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: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: George Vergis, Sunilkumar Mankame
  • System and methods for enhanced remote control functionality
    Patent number: 11257359
    Abstract: A hand-held device having a touch sensitive surface uses a relative distance from an origin location to each of a plurality of touch zones of the touch sensitive surface activated by a user to select a one of the plurality of touch zones as being intended for activation by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Arsham Hatambeiki, Jeffrey Kohanek, Naimisaranya D. Busek
  • System and method for reconfiguration of an entertainment system controlling device
    Patent number: 11252463
    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: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for configuration of macro commands in a controlling device
    Patent number: 11237536
    Abstract: A system displays a representation of an original equipment remote control device for a target device to be controlled using a macro button of a configurable controlling device. The displayed representation of the original equipment remote control device includes representations of buttons that would be used on the original equipment remote control device to control controllable functions of the target device. The system accepts input by which one or more of the displayed representations of buttons are selected. The macro button is then configured whereby an activation of the macro button will cause a transmission of commands from the configurable controlling device to control those controllable functions of the target devices that correspond to the one or more of the displayed representations of buttons that were selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Rex Xu, Cesar Alvarado
  • Device that manages power provided to an object sensor
    Patent number: 11209917
    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: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Brian Gates, Jeremy K. Black
  • System and method for non-intrusive health monitoring in the home
    Patent number: 11197638
    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: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: David Chong Cheung Hyen, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for presenting program guide information in an electronic portable device
    Patent number: 11190852
    Abstract: A controlling device is provided with the ability to present personalized program guide information by using personal preferences provided to a home computing device. The personal preferences are used to filter program guide data received at the home computing device whereby the program guide data will include only programming information for user-specified sources of programming for each of plural, different user-specified periods of time. The filtered program guide data is then downloaded to the controlling device from the home computing device for use in connection with an application of the controlling device that functions to display program guide information within a display of the controlling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • Automatic determination and retrieval of a favorite channel
    Patent number: 11184674
    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: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Ramaiah Satish
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 11170636
    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: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 11145189
    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: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Arling
  • System and method for flexible configuration of a controlling device
    Patent number: 11119637
    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: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Arsham Hatambeiki, Christopher A. Chambers, Han-Sheng Yuh, Steven Clegg
  • Sound bar support bracket
    Patent number: D939480
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Martin van Til, Niek Fox, Luigi D'Andrea
  • Television stand
    Patent number: D948489
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Martin van Til, Niek Fox, Luigi D'Andrea