Patents Assigned to Universal Electronics
  • System and method for adaptively controlling the recording of program material using a program guide
    Patent number: 8255968
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program guide (“EPG”), the EPG allowing for the controlling of recording functionality of an appliance and/or playing of media. The displayable EPG includes a listing of playable media from which the user may select a program of interest for recording or playing. The EPG may also include a display of prior recorded media for playing. Options may be presented to allow for a selection of a rendering device on which selected media is to be played.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Louie, Cesar Alvarado, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for configuration of network-capable appliances
    Patent number: 8254352
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Negron, Patrick H. Hayes
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERACTIVE APPLIANCE CONTROL
    Publication number: 20120212680
    Abstract: A controlling device interacts dynamically with a plurality of appliances using state information known to a master appliance. The master appliance conveys to the controlling device the state information and the controlling device uses the state information to dynamically configure itself to command functional operations of one or more of the plurality of appliances. The master appliance also causes a graphical representation of the current configuration of the controlling device to be displayed on a display device that is associated with the master appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Kohanek
  • System and method for adaptively controlling the recording of program material using a program guide
    Patent number: 8250608
    Abstract: In response to the establishment of a communication connection between an appliance capable of effecting a recording of a program and a portable device capable of displaying to a user in a display of the portable device a program guide including a listing for the program the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program receives data indicative of a request to record the program that is stored in a memory of the portable device via user interaction with the program guide prior to establishment of the communication connection and the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program then functions to record the program in accordance with the received data indicative of the request to record the program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick H. Hayes, Paul D. Arling, Robert P. Lilleness
  • GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE AND DATA TRANSFER METHODS IN A CONTROLLING DEVICE
    Publication number: 20120210268
    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: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Marcel Hilbrink, Rex Xu, Cesar Alvarado, Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for reduction of infrared noise during communication between consumer appliances
    Patent number: 8244136
    Abstract: A system and method for facilitating infrared (IR) communications from a first device, such as a set top box, to a second device, such as a remote control, in the presence of an IR noise generating device, such as a plasma television, by using at least one of the first device and the second device to actively reduce a level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise generating device during an IR transmission from the first device to the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Garner, Graham Williams, William L. Brown
  • System and method for activity based configuration of an entertainment system
    Patent number: 8243207
    Abstract: A command value corresponding to an activity key of a controlling device is associated with a configuration of an entertainment device in which at least one of a plurality of devices is selected as an audio visual input source device for the entertainment device and at least one of the plurality of devices is selected as an audio visual output destination device for the entertainment device. When the entertainment device receives from the controlling device a signal which includes the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device, the entertainment device accesses and uses the configuration associated with the command value corresponding to the activity key of the controlling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • CONTROLLING DEVICE WITH SELECTIVELY ILLUMINATED USER INTERFACES
    Publication number: 20120200493
    Abstract: A controlling device using a source of energy, such as light energy, to provide the controlling device with a user interface having multiple, different visual appearances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Alejandro Garfio, Cesar Alvarado
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURING THE REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONALITY OF A PORTABLE DEVICE
    Publication number: 20120200400
    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: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Patrick H. Hayes
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADAPTIVELY CONTROLLING THE RECORDING OF PROGRAM MATERIAL USING A PROGRAM GUIDE
    Publication number: 20120198499
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program guide (“EPG”), the EPG allowing for the controlling of recording functionality of an appliance and/or playing of media. The displayable EPG includes a listing of playable media from which the user may select a program of interest for recording or playing. The EPG may also include a display of prior recorded media for playing. Options may be presented to allow for a selection of a rendering device on which selected media is to be played.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Alex Louie, Cesar Alvarado, Patrick H. Hayes
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SIMPLIFIED SETUP OF A UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL
    Publication number: 20120194325
    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: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Lee Haughawout, Patrick H. Hayes
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURATION OF NETWORK-CAPABLE APPLIANCES
    Publication number: 20120188911
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Eric Negron, Patrick H. Hayes
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING DEVICE LOCATION DETERMINATION
    Publication number: 20120146761
    Abstract: A controlling device such as a remote control has programming for transmitting a signal response to a plurality of control environments, each environment including a signaling device. Each signaling device in receipt of the signal request sends a signal response having a unique ID which is chosen to be characteristically attenuated by the surroundings of the environment. Because the controlling device can only be in one environment at a given time, and given the attenuation characteristics of the signal response from each signaling device, only one signal response will be received by the controlling device in each environment. Location definitions associated with the received unique ID may be used by programming in the controlling device to recall saved devices states, commands sets, macros, and even to dynamically generate commands based on the location information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Stephan de Clerq, Christopher Chambers, Wayne Scott, Allen Yuh, Paul D. Arling, Robert Lilleness
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NON-INTRUSIVE HEALTH MONITORING IN THE HOME
    Publication number: 20120136217
    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: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: David Chong Cheung Hyen, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for controlling device location determination
    Patent number: 8180373
    Abstract: A controlling device such as a remote control has programming for transmitting a signal response to a plurality of control environments, each environment including a signaling device. Each signaling device in receipt of the signal request sends a signal response having a unique ID which is chosen to be characteristically attenuated by the surroundings of the environment. Because the controlling device can only be in one environment at a given time, and given the attenuation characteristics of the signal response from each signaling device, only one signal response will be received by the controlling device in each environment. Location definitions associated with the received unique ID may be used by programming in the controlling device to recall saved devices states, commands sets, macros, and even to dynamically generate commands based on the location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan de Clerq, Christopher Chambers, Wayne Scott, Allen Yuh, Paul D. Arling, Robert Lilleness
  • System and method for managing communication links
    Patent number: 8179892
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Alan Chambers
  • System and method for upgrading the functionality of a controlling device via a secure portable adapter device
    Patent number: 8181259
    Abstract: Secure access to a database of upgrade data is provided by storing an encryption key value in an adapter device used to interconnect a first device to be upgraded and a second device that is associated with the database of upgrade data. The second device allows access to the database of upgrade data via the adapter only once the adapter is positively authenticated by the second device through use of the encryption key value stored in the adapter device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Gerben Meijer, Jeremy Black, Patrick H. Hayes
  • System and method for upgrading the functionality of a controlling device in a secure manner
    Patent number: 8166558
    Abstract: Secure access to a database of upgrade data is provided by storing an encryption key value in a cable used to interconnect a first device and a second device that is associated with the database of upgrade data. The second device allows access to the database of upgrade data via the cable only when the cable is first positively authenticated by the second device through use of the encryption key value stored in the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Gerben Meijer, Patrick H. Hayes
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR APPLIANCE CONTROL VIA A NETWORK
    Publication number: 20120086563
    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: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Jeffrey Kohanek, Norman G. Sheridan
  • System and method for interactive appliance control
    Patent number: 8154381
    Abstract: A controlling device interacts dynamically with a plurality of appliances using state information known to a master appliance. The master appliance conveys to the controlling device the state information and the controlling device uses the state information to dynamically configure itself to command functional operations of one or more of the plurality of appliances. The master appliance also causes a graphical representation of the current configuration of the controlling device to be displayed on a display device that is associated with the master appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Kohanek