A slave relay station is adapted to serve and/or host pages comprising a simplified graphic user interface (GUI) encoded in a widely recognized format such as, for example, HTML or WML. The GUI embodies activatable links corresponding to control functions for configured appliances. A wireless phone or other device with network access and the capability to process and present such pages, for example via a Web browser, may then be utilized to effect control of such appliances by simply navigating to the network address of the slave relay station, obtaining an appropriate GUI page, and interacting with the links.

A remote control device sends a patterned infrared signal to the display device. A display device receives the patterned infrared signal by using a plurality of infrared receivers. The display device obtains a projection pattern of the patterned infrared signal on a display screen. The display device determines a pointing position of the remote control device on the display screen based on the projection pattern. The display device displays a prompt mark in the pointing position of the display screen, where the prompt mark is used to prompt a user with the pointing position of the remote control device on the display screen.

An application control system and method is adapted for use with an entertainment system of a type including a display such as a monitor or TV and having display functions. A control device may be conveniently held by a user and employs an imager. The control system and method images the screen of the TV or other display to detect distinctive markers displayed on the screen. This information is transmitted to the entertainment system for control of an application or is used by the control device to control an application.

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 system for locking a remote-control device blocks a remote-control device from sending signals related to user input until a code to unlock the remote-control device is received. The system for locking a remote-control device receives an indication that the remote-control device should be locked and locks the remote-control device. The system for locking a remote-control device receives user input and determines whether the user input included a predetermined code. Based on a determination that the user input included the predetermined code, the system for locking a remote-control device unlocks the remote-control device.

A controlling device has a configurable key. An insert is provided to the configurable key and includes an indicium representative of a media content provider. An image of the indicium or an image of a QR code associated with the indicium is used to assign one or more commands to the configurable key. The one or more commands are used to cause a controllable device to tune to a channel on which the media content provider is being broadcast, to invoke an app associated with the media content provider, to access a website associated with the media content provider, and the like.

Systems and methods for providing a universal remote control are disclosed. Control schemes for a plurality of remotely-controlled devices may be stored in memory of the universal remote control, where each of the control schemes includes a set of commands for a corresponding one of the remotely-controlled devices. Instructions for each command corresponding to one or more signals for the corresponding remotely-controlled device may be encoded. Based on a current orientation of a mobile device relative to a location of the remotely-controlled devices in a real-world environment, one of the remotely-controlled devices may be identified as being selected. Based on the stored control scheme for the selected remotely-controlled device a display for the mobile device may be generated, wherein the generated display includes the set of commands corresponding to the selected remotely-controlled device. A selection from the generated display of commands may be received. The selection corresponding to one or more signals based on the control scheme for the selected remotely-controlled device may be identified. The identified signals may be transmitted to the selected remotely-controlled device, wherein the transmitted signals include instructions executable by the selected remotely-controlled device to perform the selected command.

The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, an electronic device, and a program that enables an operation in a natural manner for switching between and remotely operating various control target devices. A plurality of control target devices emits infrared light codes each including a unique ID in a predetermined pattern. A user holds a controller and directs an infrared light receiving unit toward a control target device. At this time, a control state is established for the control target device specified by an infrared light code received by the controller. After the control state has been established, when a user rotates a main body of the controller, a control parameter in accordance with the amount of rotation is calculated, and a control command in accordance with the control parameter is transmitted to the control target device to control the control target device. The present disclosure can be applied to a remote controller.

An entertainment device initiates a configuration process of a controlling device in response to a change in an audio visual entertainment system configuration in which at least one of a plurality devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source and at least one of the plurality of devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual output destination for the entertainment device.

A codeset having function-code combinations is provisioned on a controlling device to control functions of an intended target device. Input is provided to the controlling device which designates a function to be controlled on the intended target device. From a plurality of codes that are each associated with the designated function in a database stored in a memory of the controlling device a first code that is determined to be valid for use in controlling the designated function on the intended target device is selected. When the codeset is then provisioned on the controlling device, the provisioned codeset includes as a function-code combination thereof the designated function and the first code.