Patents Assigned to Universal Electronics
  • System and method for rapid configuration of a universal controlling device
    Patent number: 11335184
    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 universal controlling device to adapt the universal controlling device to communicate with an intended target appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Kohanek, Jeremy K. Black
  • Method and apparatus for providing noise suppression to an intelligent personal assistant
    Patent number: 11335361
    Abstract: A radio frequency connection between a far field voice detection device and a further device is used to determine a first angular direction from the far field voice detection device to the further device. The determined first angular direction is then used to emphasize, during a noise processing of a plurality of sounds received via use of a plurality of microphones of the far field voice detection device, a first one of the plurality of sounds relative to a remainder of the plurality of sounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Haiming Huang, Michael Courtney, Jan van Ee, Khanh Nguyen, Jeremy Mickelsen, Arsham Hatambeiki
  • Configuring an electronic device based on a transaction
    Patent number: 11321754
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for detection of a network signal identifying an electronic device in response to a transaction initiated by an entity. For example, the network signal can be transmitted by the electronic device in response to an initial network connection. An entity identifier identifies the entity associated with initiating a transaction based on matching identifying information contained in the network signal with transaction information from a supply chain. A configurator to configure the electronic device specific to the identified entity can be based on a feature set determined by channels through which the electronic device came to an end user. The feature set programs the electronic device to interoperate with a network device in response to the initial network connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Roman Thielen, Robert Edward Taylor, Patrick James Sansonetti, Ryan Michael Melville, James Joseph Alviani
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 11322016
    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 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett
  • Apparatus, system and method for promoting apps to smart devices
    Patent number: 11317261
    Abstract: Apparatus, system and method for promoting media apps to an end user of a smart device. The smart device gathers information of apps that have been installed into the smart device and provides this information to a remote server. The remote server compares the information sent by the smart device to an identification of promoted apps received from a remote source to identify apps that are not installed in the smart device that are included in the identification of promoted apps. The remote server then notifies the smart device of which apps in the identification of promoted apps are not installed into the smart device, so that a user of the smart device may choose to have the missing app installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Arsham Hatambeiki, Jon Gallegos
  • System and method for optimized appliance control
    Patent number: 11315410
    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 26, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Arling, Brian Barnett
  • 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
  • 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
  • Television support mount
    Patent number: D951239
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Martin van Til, Niek Fox, Luigi D'Andrea