US-12621517-B2 - System and method for reconfiguration of an entertainment system controlling device

Abstract

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.

Inventors

• Paul D. Arling
• Patrick H. Hayes

Assignees

• UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230626

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A method performed by a media switch device having a plurality of ports, comprising: causing a first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in a memory of the media switch device as being coupled to a source device; causing a second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in the memory of the media switch device as being coupled to a sink device; while operating in a setup mode of operation, receiving a first signal from a remote control, the first signal having data representative of a first key of the remote control, and causing an association to be stored in the memory of the media switch device between the data representative of the first key, the first one of the plurality of ports, and the second one of the plurality of ports; and while subsequently operating in a normal mode of operation, receiving a second signal from the remote control, the second signal having data representative of the first key of the remote control, and responding to the receipt of the second signal by using the association stored in the memory of the media switch device between the data representative of the first key, the first one of the plurality of ports, and the second one of the plurality of ports to automatically cause the source device to be coupled to the sink device via use of the first one of the plurality of ports and the second one of the plurality of ports of the switching device.
2. 2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media switch device utilizes user input to cause the first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in a memory of the media switch device as being coupled to the source device.
3. 3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media switch device utilizes user input to cause the second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in the memory of the media switch device as being coupled to the sink device.
4. 4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media switch device automatically causes the first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in the memory of the media switch device as being coupled to the source device.
5. 5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media switch device automatically causes the second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in the memory of the media switch device as being coupled to the sink device.
6. 6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media switch device utilizes user input to cause the first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be associated in the memory of the media switch device with the data representative of the first key.
7. 7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media switch device utilizes user input to cause the second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be associated in the memory of the media switch device with the data representative of the first key.
8. 8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media switch device automatically causes the first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be associated in the memory of the media switch device with the data representative of the first key.
9. 9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media switch device automatically causes the second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be associated in the memory of the media switch device with the data representative of the first key.
10. 10 . A non-transitory, computer readable media having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a media switch device having a plurality of ports, causing the media switch device to perform steps comprising: causing a first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in a memory of the media switch device as being coupled to a source device; causing a second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in the memory of the media switch device as being coupled to a sink device; while operating in a setup mode of operation, receiving a first signal from a remote control, the first signal having data representative of a first key of the remote control, and causing an association to be stored in the memory of the media switch device between the data representative of the first key, the first one of the plurality of ports, and the second one of the plurality of ports; and while subsequently operating in a normal mode of operation, receiving a second signal from the remote control, the second signal having data representative of the first key of the remote control, and responding to the receipt of the second signal by using the association stored in the memory of the media switch device between the data representative of the first key, the first one of the plurality of ports, and the second one of the plurality of ports to automatically cause the source device to be coupled to the sink device via use of the first one of the plurality of ports and the second one of the plurality of ports of the switching device.
11. 11 . The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the media switch device to utilize user input to cause the first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in a memory of the media switch device as being coupled to the source device.
12. 12 . The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the media switch device to utilize user input to cause the second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in the memory of the media switch device as being coupled to the sink device.
13. 13 . The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the media switch device to automatically cause the first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in the memory of the media switch device as being coupled to the source device.
14. 14 . The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the media switch device to automatically cause the second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be designated in the memory of the media switch device as being coupled to the sink device.
15. 15 . The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the media switch device to utilize user input to cause the first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be associated in the memory of the media switch device with the data representative of the first key.
16. 16 . The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the media switch device to utilize user input to cause the second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be associated in the memory of the media switch device with the data representative of the first key.
17. 17 . The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the media switch device to automatically cause the first one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be associated in the memory of the media switch device with the data representative of the first key.
18. 18 . The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the media switch device to automatically cause the second one of the plurality of ports of the media switch device to be associated in the memory of the media switch device with the data representative of the first key.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA This application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/977,685, filed on Oct. 31, 2022, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/330,923, filed on May 26, 2021, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/584,088, filed on Sep. 26, 2019, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/381,278, filed on Apr. 11, 2019, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/045,309, filed on Jul. 25, 2018, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/786,852, filed on Oct. 18, 2017, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/167,619, filed on Jan. 29, 2014, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/785,015, filed on Mar. 5, 2013, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/621,277, filed on Nov. 18, 2009, which application claims the benefit of and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/569,121 filed Sep. 29, 2009, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in the entirety. BACKGROUND Home entertainment systems in which multiple media sources and multiple media rendering devices are coupled through a central routing device such as an AV receiver are well known in the art, as are universal controlling devices adaptable to issue commands to a multiplicity of appliances of different manufacture and/or type and which are frequently associated with such home entertainment systems. As these home entertainment systems become increasingly complex due to the proliferation of media formats, appliance types, etc., the user actions required to configure a home entertainment system to match a desired activity such as watching TV or listening to music have become increasing onerous and error prone. Various methods have been proposed for automating all or part of these configuration operations, for example through use of controlling device based macro sequences such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,751 or state-based control such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,784,805. However, such methods may themselves be subject to error when equipment configurations or connections are not as expected, leading only to further user frustration. SUMMARY This disclosure relates generally to improved methods for configuring a multi-input and/or multi-output home entertainment system to match a user's desired activities and/or to a method for configuring a controlling device. In such systems, the outputs and inputs of the various components are generally routed to and switched through one central device such as an AV receiver. The inventive methods described herein comprise a cooperative effort between the AV receiver and an associated universal controlling device such as a remote control in which activation of an activity key or button on the controlling device results in transmission of a signal to the AV receiver to initiate certain previously defined configuration actions, which actions may be conditioned upon the AV receiver's determination of the current status of connected devices. In addition, certain controlling device command transmissions to other appliances in the home entertainment system may also be initiated as a result of said activity key activation, either unilaterally by the controlling device or at the request of the AV receiver. Since the AV receiver has access to appliance status information not available to the controlling device (by virtue of the AV receiver's physical connection to those appliances), and the controlling device in turn has access to appliance command functions not available to the AV receiver, the cooperative execution of an activity configuration request in this manner may result in more reliable and user-friendly system operation. In addition, since prior art initial user set up of AV receivers is generally GUI based and includes assignment of user-friendly names to source and destination appliances (for example, “DVD” in place of “Video input 3”), a user's initial specification of desired activity configurations may be facilitated by the use of these features when configuring activities. A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the subject disclosure will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth illustrative embodiments and which are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the subject disclosure may be employed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the various aspects of the subject disclosure, reference may be had to preferred embodiments shown in the attach