Radio controller system and method for remote devices

Abstract

A system and method for remote device control are disclosed. A system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include a radio controlled toy and a controller for controlling the toy. In some embodiments, the controller may have an input mechanism and a housing component that defines a cavity, within which may be located a wireless wide area transceiver and a wireless local area transceiver. Some controllers may also have an operating system for the controller and an application resident on the controller and operable to convert inputs received via the input mechanism into commands for the toy. The controller may have a microprocessor operable to execute the application and to cause the commands to be communicated to the toy using the wireless local area transceiver.

1 . A radio controller system, comprising: 
 a radio-controlled toy;    a controller for controlling the toy, the controller comprising an input mechanism and a housing component that at least partially defines a cavity;    a wireless wide area transceiver located within the cavity;    a wireless local area transceiver located within the cavity;    a memory located within the cavity and storing an operating system for the controller;    an application resident on the controller and operable to convert inputs received via the input mechanism into commands for the toy and to initiate communication of the commands using the wireless local area transceiver; and    a microprocessor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to execute the application.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the radio controlled toy is selected from the group consisting of an automobile, an airplane, a blimp, a helicopter, a boat, a submarine, an animal, and a robot.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a wireless telephone.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless local area transceiver communicates using spread-spectrum radio waves in a 2.4 GHz range.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a display associated with the controller;    an image capturing device coupled to the toy; and    a toy-side wireless transceiver operable to receive commands from the controller and to send data to the controller, the data representing images captured with the image-capturing device.    
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a display associated with the controller;    a first and a second image capturing device installed at the toy; and    a wireless transceiver coupled to the toy and operable to send first and second data to the controller, the first data representing an image captured with the first image capturing device and the second data representing an image captured with the second image capturing device; and    a display manager operable to collectively present the image captured with the first image capturing device in a first image pane of the display and to present the image captured with the second image capturing device in a second image pane of the display.    
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application comprises a Java application and the operating system is selected from the group consisting of Symbian OS, Pocket PC, Linux and Palm OS.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a chipset that packages Bluetooth, 802.11(b), and GSM cellular technology into a single chipset.  
     
     
         9 . A radio controller method, comprising: 
 receiving an input that directs operation of a controllable feature in a remotely located electronic device;    initiating communication of data that represents the input to the electronic device using short-range spread-spectrum radio waves;    receiving image data from an image capturing mechanism associated with the electronic device; and    displaying an image derived from the image data.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: receiving the input via a keypad; and 
 receiving a second input that directs operation of a second controllable feature in a remotely located electronic appliance.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising receiving the input via a microphone.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 saving the image data; and    communicating the saved image data as an attachment to an electronic mail message.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 saving the image data; and    initiating communication of the saved image data via a wide area cellular network.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising encrypting the data.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising executing a local application on a wireless telephone to allow the wireless telephone to receive the input.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the electronic device comprises a surveillance system component.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising receiving an input directing operation of a second controllable feature in the remotely located electronic device.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the controllable feature comprises propulsion of the electronic device and the second controllable feature comprises steering of the electronic device.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the electronic device comprises a radio controlled toy.  
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable medium having computer-readable data to direct a wireless telephone processor to interpret user inputs into data for controlling a radio controlled device, to initiate communication of the data, to recognize data received from the radio controlled device as image data, and to initiate presentation of a rendering of the image data on a display device.  
     
     
         21 . A radio controller method, comprising: 
 presenting a graphical user interface on a display associated with a hand held computing device;    launching an application for controlling a radio controlled device from the graphical user interface; and inputting a command to the computing device for controlling the radio controlled device.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a motor associated with the radio controlled device moves in response to the input command.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising inputting a second command.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 presenting on the display an image captured by an image-capturing device coupled to the radio-controlled device.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising placing a telephone call with the hand held computing device.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the electronic device comprises a chipset that packages Bluetooth, 802.11(b), and GSM cellular technology into a single chipset; further comprising initiating communication of command data representing the input command to the radio controlled device using the 802.11(b) technology.  
     
     
         27 . A radio controlled system, comprising: 
 a radio controlled toy with an associated transceiver and image-capturing device;    the transceiver operable to send and to receive signals having frequencies around 2.4 GHz;    the image capturing device having a lens; and    a power source for the transceiver and the image-capturing device.    
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising a processor operable to determine a signal strength of the signals received by the transceiver and to determine a direction from which the signals arrived.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising a memory storing an application that may be over the air downloaded to a computing device to allow the computing device to act as a remote control for the radio controlled toy.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the radio controlled toy is operable to move, further comprising a memory operable to store data representing a movement to be made by the toy.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the radio controlled toy is operable to move, further comprising: 
 a memory operable to store data representing a movement made by the toy; and    an animator application operable to convert the stored data into an animated sequence.    
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising a speaker assembly.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising a second image capturing device and wherein the lens comprises a zoom lens.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the lens comprises a fish eye lens.  
     
     
         35 . A device controller method, comprising: 
 presenting a graphical user interface on a display associated with a computing device;    communicating with an electronic device via local area radio frequency communication;    determining that a controller file associated with the electronic device is available;    receiving the controller file;    storing the controller file in memory associated with the computing device;    launching an application associated with the controller file for controlling the electronic device; and    inputting a command to the computing device for controlling the electronic device.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 determining the presence of an unknown electronic device within a communication range of the computing device; and    receiving at the computing device a controller file for the unknown electronic device.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 inputting at the computing device an identifier for the electronic device and user authentication credentials.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the electronic device comprises a toy and the step of receiving the controller file comprises over the air downloading of a Java application.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the electronic device comprises a network capable appliance and the step of receiving the controller file comprises over the air downloading of a Java application that comprises a configuration application.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the controller file resides in a memory local to the electronic device and the controller file is received via local area radio frequency communication.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the controller file resides at a network location remote from the electronic device and the controller file is received via wide area radio frequency communication.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising an automobile, wherein the automobile includes the electronic device.