Methods, Systems, and Products for Discovering Electronic Devices

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products self-identify an electronic device to a remote control. The remote control queries the electronic device, and the electronic device sends a response. A collision avoidance mechanism allows difference devices to respond to the remote control.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a media device, multiple queries from different smartphones, each one of the different smartphones seeking to remotely control the media device;   determining, by the media device, responses to the multiple queries;   determining, by the media device, a hierarchy of the different smartphones; and   sending, by the media device, the responses according to the hierarchy of the different smartphones.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining a category associated with each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining the hierarchy based on the category associated with each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining a sequence associated with the different smartphones. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising determining the hierarchy based on the sequence associated with the different smartphones. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising delaying the sending of any one of the responses according to the hierarchy of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining the hierarchy based on a manufacturer of each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining the hierarchy based on a time of usage of each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining the hierarchy based on a number of interactions with each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         10 . A system, comprising:
 a hardware processor; and   a memory device, the memory device storing code, the code when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:   receiving a query from a smartphone seeking to remotely control a media device;   determining a response to the query from the smartphone;   determining a hierarchical value associated with the smartphone in a hierarchy of different smartphones; and   sending the response according to the hierarchical value associated with the smartphone.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise delaying the sending of the response according to the hierarchical value associated with the smartphone. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the hierarchical value associated with the smartphone according to a sequence associated with the different smartphones. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the hierarchy based on a manufacturer of each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the hierarchy based on a time of usage of each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the hierarchy based on a number of interactions with each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         16 . A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving a query from a smartphone seeking to remotely control a media device;   determining a response to the query from the smartphone;   determining a hierarchical value associated with the smartphone in a hierarchy of different smartphones; and   sending the response according to the hierarchical value associated with the smartphone.   
     
     
         17 . The memory device of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise delaying the sending of the response according to the hierarchical value associated with the smartphone. 
     
     
         18 . The memory device of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the hierarchical value associated with the smartphone according to a sequence associated with the different smartphones. 
     
     
         19 . The memory device of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the hierarchy based on a manufacturer of each one of the different smartphones. 
     
     
         20 . The memory device of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the hierarchy based on a time of usage of each one of the different smartphones.