Techniques for suggesting accessory devices controlled by an application executing on a mobile device are disclosed. A method includes measuring one or more sensor values using one or more sensors of a mobile device and the one or more sensor values are determined from one or more signals emitted by a first one or more accessory devices. An area of a physical space for the first one or more accessory devices can be determined based on the one or more sensor values. A second one or more accessory devices associated with the same area as the first one or more accessory devices can be suggested to a user.

An apparatus, system and method is described for controlling one or more consumer electronic devices that is performed by a smart device. The smart device causes one or more graphical elements, each for performing a particular operation to be displayed. The smart device then causes an action to be performed when the user selects one of the graphical elements, for example by pressing one of the keys on the universal controlling device or by speaking a command.

A television and system and method for providing a remote control device are disclosed. In one embodiment of the television, the television includes a processor, a memory, a tuner, a panel, and an audio driver therein in an interconnected architecture. The television may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, such as a proximate wireless-enabled interactive handheld device having a touch screen display, whereby formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions, including virtual buttons, may be transmitted to the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device for display on the touch screen display to create an experience parallel to the experience on the television. The television receives and processes virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device to control amenities associated with the television.

A set top/back box and system and method for providing a remote control device are disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more wireless transceivers are located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes television input/output, a processor, and memory. The set top/back box may establish a pairing with a programmable device, such as a proximate wireless-enabled interactive handheld device having a touch screen display, whereby formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions, including virtual buttons, may be transmitted to the programmable device for display on the touch screen display to create an experience parallel to the experience on the television. The set top/back box receives and processes virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the programmable device to control amenities associated with the set top/back box.

An electronic apparatus is provided. The electronic apparatus includes: a storage configured to store control code sets corresponding to each of a display apparatus and one or more external electronic apparatuses providing contents to the display apparatus; a communicator comprising communication circuitry configured to communicate with the display apparatus and a remote control apparatus; and a processor configured to determine a source apparatus, providing a content that is currently displayed on the display apparatus, of the display apparatus and the one or more external electronic apparatuses, and controlling the communication circuitry of the communicator to transmit a control code set corresponding to the determined source apparatus to the remote control apparatus.

An apparatus for establishing an infrared (IR) control code database in a user terminal so as to control various peripheral devices remotely by using the user terminal. An apparatus includes a first interface connected to a first device to perform communication for performing a setting process for controlling a second device, a second interface connected to the second device to perform communication for controlling operation of the second device, and a controller configured to perform control such that when the first device outputs setting screen information for selecting product type and manufacturer information of the second device, the product type and manufacturer information selected by the user is received and transmitted to the first device through the first interface and a control code set for controlling the second device is received from the first device through the first interface to establish an IR control code database in the storage.

The invention relates to a system (1) for identifying a device using a camera and for remotely controlling the identified device. The system is configured to obtain an image (21) captured with a camera. The image captures at least a surrounding of a remote controllable device (51). The system is further configured to analyze the image to recognize one or more objects (57) and/or features in the surrounding of the remote controllable device and select an identifier associated with at least one of the one or more objects and/or features from a plurality of identifiers stored in a memory. The memory comprises associations between the plurality of identifiers and remote controllable devices and the selected identifier is associated with the remote controllable device. The system is further configured to determine a control mechanism for controlling the remote controllable device and control the remote controllable device using the determined control mechanism.

Disclosed is a method for controlling a command input device. The method includes: sensing contact between a home appliance and the command input device; based on sensing the contact between the home appliance and the command input device, determining the home appliance as a target home appliance to be controlled by the command input device; and based on the determination of the home appliance as the target home appliance to be controlled by the command input device, activating a remote controller provided by the command input device and configured to control the target home appliance.

A system, method, and apparatus for controlling a plurality of devices are provided. The system includes a remote control device comprising a processor configured to generate a carousel zone comprising at least a subset of graphical icons of a plurality of graphical icons, determine a first target device and a second target device from the plurality of devices, generate a first user interface based on the first target device, the first user interface associated with a first set of commands, in response to a user input, generate a second user interface based on the second target device, the second user interface associated with a second set of commands, control the first target device based on the first set of commands, and control the second target device based on the second set of commands.

Provided is a system and method for creating a configuration for a plurality of devices. The method includes monitoring user interaction with a control device to control each of the plurality of devices, recording, while monitoring the user interaction with the control device, at least one configuration setting based on at least one user input provided to the control device, in response to further user input, storing the at least one configuration setting in at least one memory of the control device, associating a plurality of configuration settings with a scene object, the plurality of configuration settings comprising the at least one configuration setting, and in response to activation of the scene object via the control device, transmitting a plurality of control signals, the plurality of control signals based on the plurality of configuration settings and configured to control the plurality of devices.