Systems and methods for enabling concurrent user interaction with a plurality of applications executing on a computer system are disclosed. Generally, the computer system includes a video game controller, a remote control including a plurality of buttons, and a video game system communicatively coupled with the remote control and the video game controller. While presenting video game output of video game in a foreground of a display and media output of a media application on the display, the video game system may maintain a mapping indicating that a first set of the plurality of buttons is used for controlling execution of a media application. Based on receiving a signal corresponding to a push of a button of the first set, and the mapping, the video game system may control the execution of the media application while continuing to present the video game output in the foreground.

An app installed on a smart device is caused to retrieve from a cloud-server a one-time use code. The one-time use code is then provided to a controllable device and the controllable device is caused to provide the one-time use code back to the smart device. The app causes the one-time use code provided back to the smart device by the controllable device to be authenticated. In response to the one-time use code being authenticated, the controllable device is bound to the app whereupon the controllable device is controllable through use of the app.

A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user.

A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user.

A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.

A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.

A method for controlling the operation of a plurality of consumer electronic devices by displaying a plurality of broadcast channel identifiers each corresponding to a broadcast channel in a display of a controlling device adapted to command at least channel tuning operations of the plurality of consumer electronic devices. Input is accepted into the controlling device that functions to designate one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers and the controlling device uses the designation of the one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers to cause a transmission of a wireless signal from the controlling device to a one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to thereby cause the one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to tune to the broadcast channel corresponding to the designated one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers. A condition associated with at least one of the controlling device and the designated one of the plurality of broadcast channel identifiers functions to determine the one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices to which the wireless signal is transmitted.

Methods for a soft universal remote (SUR) controller are performed by systems and apparatuses. Audio/visual (A/V) devices may be controlled by hardware remote controllers that are not configured to control other devices of an audio/visual system. A SUR controller implemented by an A/V device provides consumable control signals to such other devices based on control signals from the A/V device remote controller. A SUR controller determines another device for which a received control function is directed, and transmits a generated consumable control signal for the control function of the received control signal to the other device. User interfaces are provided by SUR controllers for the configuration of SUR controllers and remote controllers, and for control of other A/V devices via the user interfaces.

This application provides a method for method for television (TV) remote keypress response based on Android operating system (OS) and a TV thereof, and includes: creating a first process when the Android OS is being initialized; executing the first process to obtain a key value of a remote key event; and performing a remote keypress operation according to the key value. The method creates and executes the first process during the initialization of the Android OS, thereby realizing responding to remote keypress during TV start-up, greatly enhancing user experience.

A system, a device, and a method for transmitting and playing interactive videos are provided. The transmitting device includes a storing unit stored an interactive video and an interactive menu information, and a communicating unit transmitting the interactive video and the interactive menu information to a viewing end device. The interactive video includes one or more interactive segments. The frame of each interactive segment includes a plurality of interactive options. The interactive menu information includes a plurality of commands relative to the interactive options respectively. The viewing end device receives a control signal corresponding to one of color function keys of a remote controller, and executes the command associated with the interactive option on the frame of the interactive segment upon receiving the control signal.