Remote control programming system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for programming a remote control is provided. Control data that identifies one or more mode codes is stored in a computing device that is operationally connected to a detector. A user presses a button on a source remote control to cause an input signal to be transmitted from the source remote control to be received by the detector. The detector decodes the input signal, and consults the control data to determine a particular IR code that is associated with the source remote control. The computing device may then display information identifying a particular mode code on a display to allow the user to manually program a target remote control with the particular mode code. Alternately, the computing device may transmit the particular mode code to the target remote control to allow the target remote control to automatically configure itself with the particular mode code.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first interface, implemented at least partially by computing hardware, configured to receive user interface information describing a first pre-configured user interface associated with a first remote control for controlling a first electronic device, a second pre-configured user interface associated with a second remote control for controlling a second electronic device, and a user-configured user interface for controlling multiple electronic devices;   a user interface subsystem, implemented at least partially by computing hardware, configured to displaying the first pre-configured user interface, the second pre-configured user interface, and the user-configured user interface;   a device control subsystem configured to:
 emulate functionality of the first remote control to control the first electronic device based on first commands submitted via the first pre-configured user interface; 
 emulate functionality of the second remote control to control the second electronic device based on second commands submitted via the second pre-configured user interface; 
 control the multiple electronic devices based on multiple commands submitted via the user-configured user interface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first device and the second device are in a home entertainment center, and the multiple devices include any device in the home entertainment center. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple electronic devices include the first electronic device and the second electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the user-configured interface is configured by user input at a computing device separate from the remote control prior to the remote control receiving the user interface information. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the device controlling subsystem comprises a signal transmission subsystem configured to control the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and the multiple electronic devices by transmitting control codes specifying the first commands, the second commands, and the multiple commands, respectively. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the control codes include a complex code specifying a macro operation, the complex code including multiple control codes specifying multiple individual operations. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first interface is further configured to receive data specifying control codes for each of the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and the multiple electronic devices. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first interface is further configured to receive codes for each of the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and the multiple electronic devices, the apparatus comprising a configuration subsystem configured to self-configure the apparatus based on the codes. 
     
     
         9 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:
 receiving, at a remote control device, user interface information describing a first pre-configured user interface associated with a first remote control for controlling a first electronic device, a second pre-configured user interface associated with a second remote control for controlling a second electronic device, and a user-configured user interface for controlling multiple electronic devices;   emulating functionality of the first remote control to control the first electronic device based on displaying, at the remote control device, the first pre-configured user interface;   emulating functionality of the second remote control to control the second electronic device based on displaying, at the remote control device, the second pre-configured user interface;   controlling the multiple electronic devices based on displaying, at the remote control device, the user-configured user interface.   
     
     
         10 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 9 , wherein the first device and the second device are in a home entertainment center, and the multiple devices include any device in the home entertainment center. 
     
     
         11 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 9 , wherein the multiple electronic devices include the first electronic device and the second electronic device. 
     
     
         12 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 9 , wherein the user-configured interface is configured by user input at a computing device separate from the remote control prior to the remote control receiving the user interface information. 
     
     
         13 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 9 , wherein controlling a given device of the first electronic device, the second electronic device, or the multiple electronic devices comprises transmitting control codes associated with the given device, the control codes specifying commands to perform operations at the given device, the corresponding displayed user interface for controlling the given device enabling submission of the commands. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 13 , wherein the control codes include a complex code specifying a macro operation, the complex code including multiple control codes specifying multiple individual operations. 
     
     
         15 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause receiving, at the remote control device, data specifying control codes for each of the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and the multiple electronic devices. 
     
     
         16 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause receiving, at the remote control device, codes for each of the first electronic device, the second electronic device, and the multiple electronic devices, the remote control device configuring itself based on the codes. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a remote control device, user interface information describing at least: a first pre-configured user interface associated with a first remote control for controlling a first electronic device, a second pre-configured user interface associated with a second remote control for controlling a second electronic device, and a user-configured user interface for controlling multiple electronic devices;   emulating functionality of the first remote control to control the first electronic device based on displaying, at the remote control device, the first pre-configured user interface;   emulating functionality of the second remote control to control the second electronic device based on displaying, at the remote control device, the second pre-configured user interface;   controlling the multiple electronic devices based on displaying, at the remote control device, the user-configured user interface.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the user-configured interface is configured by user input at a computing device separate from the remote control device prior to the remote control device receiving the user interface information. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein controlling a given device of the first electronic device, the second electronic device, or the multiple electronic devices comprises transmitting control codes associated with the given device, the control codes specifying commands to perform operations at the given device, the corresponding displayed user interface for controlling the given device enabling submission of the commands. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the control codes include a complex code specifying a macro operation, the complex code including multiple control codes specifying multiple individual operations.