Universal Remote Control Service Discovery and Command Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulty in managing multiple control target devices due to the need for separate information processing apparatuses, and struggle to grasp the services provided by each device, leading to challenges in transmitting appropriate commands.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with an input section, communication section, service information-acquisition section, and notification section that identifies and notifies control target devices of available services, allowing users to select and transmit commands effectively, even for unknown services and content formats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If one information processing apparatus is provided for each control target device, then the control command can be transmitted accurately, but the number of apparatuses to manage increases and management becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple control functions into a single universal remote control apparatus. The control apparatus includes a service information acquisition section that automatically obtains service information from multiple different control target devices, and a notification section that displays this information to the user. This allows one apparatus to control multiple devices without requiring separate remotes for each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The control apparatus is designed with universal functionality to control various types of control target devices (TVs, audio equipment, etc.). The service information acquisition section can adapt to different device types by automatically acquiring their specific service information, making the single apparatus universally applicable across multiple device categories.
2Device complexity
If a universal remote control is used to manage multiple control target devices, then the number of apparatuses to manage is reduced, but it becomes difficult to grasp the services available in each control target device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the service information acquisition section automatically obtains service information from control target devices and feeds it back to the user through the notification section. This feedback loop ensures that users can see what services are available on each device without needing to remember or manually input this information.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification section acts as an intermediary between the control target devices and the user. It receives service information from various devices and presents it in a unified, easy-to-understand format, bridging the gap between multiple devices with different service types and the user who needs to select appropriate services.
3Measurement precision
If service information is manually input for each control target device, then the service information can be accurately recorded, but the operation becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The service information acquisition section enables control target devices to self-report their service information automatically. Instead of requiring manual input from the user, each device provides its own service information through the communication section, making the information acquisition process automatic and device-driven rather than user-driven.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically acquiring service information from control target devices before the user needs to use it. The service information acquisition section proactively obtains and stores service information, so when the user needs to control a device, the information is already available and does not need to be manually entered or searched for.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a remote commander including an input section which accepts input of operation information from a user, a communication section which communicates with a control target device via a radio signal, a service information-acquisition section which acquires, from the control target device via the communication section, service identification information for identifying each of one or a plurality of services which the control target device is capable of providing the remote commander with, and a notification section which selects any of one or a plurality of pieces of the service identification information acquired by the service information-acquisition section based on the operation information, the input of which is accepted by the input section, and which notifies the control target device of the selected service identification information via the communication section.