Remote control devices have enhanced users' ability to interact with their appliances for many years. Typical remote control devices are utilized to operate various external electronic devices including, but not limited to, televisions, stereos, receivers, VCRs, DVD players, CD players, amplifiers, equalizers, tape players, cable units, lighting, window shades, and other electronic devices.
Because of the multiple electronic devices currently available within many homes and businesses today, some remote controls allow for the control of a plurality of electronic devices commonly referred to as a “universal remote control.” Many universal remote controls have “selector buttons” that are associated with the specific electronic device to be controlled by the remote control (e.g., television, VCR; DVD player, etc.). Universal remote control devices allow for the control of a plurality of external electronic devices with a single remote control, thereby eliminating the need to have a plurality of remote controls physically present within a room. However, many universal remote controls fail to work well for the myriad purposes that they are capable of, and merely result in a device that is cumbersome and not intuitive.
In addition, remote controls often control appliances using infrared (IR), radio frequency (RF), and/or other types of signals that are invisible to the human eye. As a result, it is often difficult for a user to tell whether a remote control is transmitting a signal at any given time. While some remote controls include features to alert users when a signal is being transmitted, such as flashing light emitting diodes and/or icons, such features are typically primitive, providing a user only rudimentary knowledge of what his/her remote control is doing.
While conventional remote controls may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they are addressed, from the perspectives of cost, ease of use, and expandability, they are not optimal, particularly considering the rapidly expanding range of home appliances that are capable or being remotely controlled, and the desirability to expand remote control functions to appliances that do not inherently include remote control capability. Accordingly, there exist ongoing needs to provide remote control systems that can be applied to one or more devices in a more intuitive and expandable manner.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds