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.

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.

Abstract: A controlling device has a configurable key. An overlay, such as a sticker, is provided to the configurable key and includes an indicia representative of media content and machine readable data indicative of an identity of the media content represented by the indicia. A memory of the controlling device stores a correspondence between the configurable key and data indicative of a source of the media content. Upon activation of configured, configurable key, the controlling device uses select command codes from a library of command codes and the correspondence between the configurable key and the data indicative of the source of the media content to transmit one or more commands for causing one or more appliances to access the source of the media content.

Abstract: A system and method for managing a communication link between a consumer electronic device adapted for two-way, wireless communications with at least one peripheral. The communication link is managed using a controller that is associated with the consumer electronic device that functions to assign communication slots to the peripheral to facilitate communications between the peripheral and the consumer electronic device.

Abstract: An entertainment device is used to notify a user of 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 and/or to notify a user of a perceived problem in a configuration of a controlling device used to control functional operations of the audio visual entertainment system.

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.

Abstract: A system and method for upgrading remote control application resident on a device. To this end, a markup language file is created. The markup language file has a representation of information used to setup the remote control application to communicate with an appliance. The markup language file may be executed, on the device or an intermediate client with which the device is synchronized, to upload the representation of the information to a remote server. At the remote server, the uploaded information is used to automatically display user-selectable, downloadable data files relevant to the control of the appliance. Downloaded data files, which may include command codes and/or graphical user interface elements, may be used within the device to upgrade the ability of the remote control application to communicate with the appliance. The information uploaded to the server may also be used to generate demographic data regarding consumer preferences.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A controlling device is used to configure an appliance for wireless network communications through use of a setup wizard installed on a computing device. The setup wizard is used to obtain from a user information required to perform communications on a wireless network via a wireless network router and a digital representation of the information obtained from the user through use of the setup wizard is provided to the controlling device. The controlling device is then used to transfer the digital representation of the information to the appliance whereupon the appliance will use the digital representation of the information to configure itself for wireless network communications.

Abstract: A hand-held device, such as a remote control, has a time-limited feature, such as backlight illumination, that is caused to be activated upon the occurrence of a triggering event sensed by a triggering sensor, such as a motion sensor. The hand-held device functions to disable and/or downwardly adjust a time period during which the time-limited feature will be allowed to be active upon a future occurrence of a triggering event in response to the device determining that a predetermined number of trigger events sensed via the triggering sensor are false trigger events. The time-limited feature may be disabled by disabling the triggering sensor.

Abstract: Metadata regarding program content is created by monitoring a manner in which a first rendering of the program content is affected by a user whereupon the metadata will include data which defines one or more segments within the program content. The data within the metadata is then usable during a second rendering of the program content to inhibit, e.g., advance over during playing or omit during copying, the rendering of the one or more segments within the program content defined by the data within the metadata.

Abstract: A slave relay station is adapted to serve and/or host pages comprising a simplified graphic user interface (GUI) encoded in a widely recognized format such as, for example, HTML or WML. The GUI embodies activatable links corresponding to control functions for configured appliances. A wireless phone or other device with network access and the capability to process and present such pages, for example via a Web browser, may then be utilized to effect control of such appliances by simply navigating to the network address of the slave relay station, obtaining an appropriate GUI page, and interacting with the links.

Abstract: A bridge device, in communication with a smart device, functions to command one or more controllable appliances in response to communications received from the smart device. The bridge device also includes input elements by which the bridge device can be used to directly command common functional operations of the one or more controllable appliances. In this manner, common functional operations, such as volume control, playback pause/resume control, etc., may be made readily available without necessitating the use of the smart device, whilst the more sophisticated GUI provided by the smart device remote control app may be advantageously utilized when more complex or less frequently used command functions are to be performed.

Abstract: A smart phone device is fitted with a dual mode communications interface device having a housing wherein the housing provides access via an exterior of the smart phone device to both an infrared communications pathway and an electrical communications pathway each of which are coupled to one or more processing devices carried within the smart phone device. To this end, the communications interface device may be in the form of an audio jack having a plug receiving opening wherein the plug receiving opening is in communication with the electrical communications pathway and wherein at least a portion of the housing surrounding the plug receiving opening forms a light pipe for the infrared communications pathway.

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.

Abstract: A controlling device provides conditional access to secured content renderable by an appliance. The controlling device transmits a data frame to the appliance and encrypts at least a part of the data frame that includes data to be used by the appliance to provide access to the secured content. At the appliance a decryption key complimentary to the encryption key is used to decrypt the received the data frame. The appliance allows the secured content to be rendered only after the appliance determines that the data in the received, decrypted data frame includes the data the appliance requires to provide access to the secured content.

Abstract: A controlling device having a feature for toggling between various device mode states. The device mode state toggle feature may be implemented as a key which is preferably located with the function keys thus being spaced from the top of the controlling device. The device mode state toggle feature may be used to sequentially toggle between all device mode states of the controlling device, to toggle between a currently selected device mode state and a previously selected device mode state of the controlling device, to toggle between device mode states that have been designated by a user of the controlling device, etc. An indicia, such as a LED, key illumination, color, sound, or the like, may be utilized to provide an indication to the user as to which device mode state the controlling device is placed into when the device mode state toggle feature is activated.