The system, method and device for enabling remote-control of consumer electronic devices is disclosed. The system may comprise, a first communication device, a second communication device wherein the second communication device is communicatively coupled with the first communication device. The second communication device is capable of receiving one or more input control signals from the first communication device. The system further comprises, a docking station electronically coupled with the second communication device. The processor may perform demodulating and modulating of the one or more input control signals received by the second communication device from the first communication device. The processor may retrieve one or more infrared codes from a preconfigured database based upon the one or more modulated control signals and transmitting the one or more infrared codes to one or more consumer electronics device in order to remotely control the one or more consumer electronics.

A pillow remote controller using acoustic commands includes a pillow defining an open interior compartment configured for housing one or more pressure sensors electrically and operably coupled with an electronics enclosure. The electronics enclosure contains various electronic components including a power control and alarm circuit, an audio receive, de-code and function command circuit, a transmitter selector and interface circuit, and various transmitters for transmitting an operating function to an electronic product. The electronics are operable for receiving an acoustic command, de-coding the acoustic command, and providing a function command to the transmitter selector and interface circuit. The function command is interfaced with a particular type of transmitter and transmitted optically or wirelessly to the electronic product. One or more human presence sensors may be operably coupled with the power control and alarm circuit to provide an assurance of human presence before enabling operation.

Systems and methods for updating a control device may include receiving identifying information about an appliance, receiving identifying information about a component of the appliance, and sending a query to a remote server including information about the appliance and the component. The remote server may provide a response including configuration information for the control device, with a command for the appliance and a command that is specific to the component. A first input of the control device may be mapped to the command for the appliance, and a second input of the control device may be mapped to the command that is specific to the component, etc. When the second input is received, a command that is specific to the component may be generated.

An image processing terminal and a method for controlling an external device are disclosed. The image processing terminal comprises a receiving unit configured to receive a control signal including information about a normal input or a force input applied to a specific key of a remote controller; and a processor configured to control the image processing terminal or an external device connected to the image processing terminal according to the received control signal. Here, the processor controls an operation of the external device in response to the force input applied to the specific key of the remote controller, an operation of controlling the external device according to the force input applied to the specific key is different from an operation of controlling the image processing terminal or an operation of controlling the external device according to the normal input applied to the specific key.

Methods, systems, and media for controlling a remote device using a touchscreen of a mobile device in a display inhibited state are provided. In some implementations, a method for controlling media playback devices is provided, the method comprising: detecting a media playback device to be controlled; determining that a touch-sensitive display of a mobile device has entered a display inhibited state in which presentation of a plurality of user interface elements is inhibited; receiving an input from the touch-sensitive display in the display inhibited state; selecting an action of the media playback device to be performed by determining that the received input corresponds to a user interface element from the plurality of user interface elements; and transmitting an instruction to perform the selected action to the media playback device.

Apparatus, system and method for using a controlling device for receiving voice input to control the operation of voice controlled smart appliances and, more particularly, to a controlling device for recognizing voice commands and for use in routing a signal, based on voice commands from the user, to two or more voice controlled smart appliances from different consumer brand names.

A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances provides an interactive instruction set and associated programming which is downloadable to a controllable appliance having an associated display, such as an Internet enabled television. The programming is accessible by the controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions from the interactive instruction set to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for setting up the controlling device to communicate commands to another controllable device (e.g., a DVD, VCR, DVR, etc).

An electronic device and a method for controlling an external device thereof are provided. The method for controlling an external device by an electronic device includes: in response to a trigger input being sensed, determining an external device from among a plurality of external devices that is indicated by the electronic device; providing a user interface (UI) screen of an application corresponding to the external device indicated by the electronic device; and in response to a user command being input through the UI screen of the application, transmitting a control signal corresponding to the user command to the external device indicated by the electronic device.

A terminal device, network system and controlling method thereof are provided. The present invention includes an input unit configured to receive an input of a command, a controller recognizing the inputted command and detecting state information, and a communication unit transmitting the detected state information by broadcasting and receiving state information of an external device from the external device by the broadcasting, the controller comparing the detected state information to the received state information of the external device such that if a priority of the detected state information is high, the controller executes the recognized command, and if the priority of the detected state information is low, the controller does not execute the recognized command.

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.