System and method for reconfiguration of an entertainment system controlling device

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

0001This application claims the benefit of and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/569,121 filed Sep. 29, 2009.

BACKGROUND

0002Home 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. 6,784,805. 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 OF THE INVENTION

0003This invention relates generally to improved methods for configuring a multi-input and/or multi-output home entertainment system to match a user's desired activities. 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 <b>3</b>”), a user's initial specification of desired activity configurations may be facilitated by the use of these features when configuring activities.

0004A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention 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 invention may be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0005For a better understanding of the various aspects of the invention, reference may be had to preferred embodiments shown in the attached drawings in which:

0006<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> illustrates an exemplary system in which the methods of the instant invention may be practiced;

0007<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> further illustrates an exemplary controlling device of the system of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>;

0008<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates a block diagram of exemplary components of the exemplary controlling device of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>;

0009<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> illustrates a block diagram of exemplary components of an AV receiver of the system of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>;

0010<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> illustrates an exemplary activity configuration setup process in accordance with the methods of this invention;

0011<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> illustrates an exemplary activity switching process in accordance with the methods of this invention;

0012<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> illustrates a second exemplary activity configuration setup process in accordance with the methods of this invention;

0013<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> illustrates an exemplary display prompting a user to reconfigure a controlling device upon changing an appliance to be controlled; and

0014<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref> illustrates exemplary help information which may be presented to a user when it is detected that an appliance is not responding correctly to command requests.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0015Turning now to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, there is illustrated an exemplary home entertainment system in which the audio/video outputs of a group of various media source appliances such as for example a set top box (“STB”) <b>104</b>, a first DVD player <b>106</b>, a second DVD player <b>108</b>, a game console <b>110</b>, and a CD changer <b>112</b> are all connected as inputs to an AV receiver <b>102</b>. AV receiver <b>102</b> in turn functions to switch the currently desired input media stream to one or more designated outputs of AV receiver <b>102</b> which are, in turn, connected to various audio and/or video rendering devices such as TV <b>114</b>, projector <b>118</b>, and/or loudspeakers <b>116</b>; all as is well known in the art. In some embodiments AV to receiver <b>102</b> may also include a network interface <b>12</b>Q, for example Ethernet, for the routing of streaming media input/output from or to other areas of the home. When included, such a network interface may also be available for Internet access, download of firmware updates and/or other data into AV receiver <b>102</b>, etc., again as well known in the art. Also illustrated is a universal controlling device <b>100</b> which is capable of transmitting commands to the appliances, using any convenient IR, RF, Point-to-Point, or networked protocol, to cause the appliances to perform operational functions. While illustrated in the context of a home entertainment system, it is to be understood that appliances controllable by universal controlling device <b>100</b> may include, but need not be limited to, televisions, VCRs, DVRs, DVD players, cable or satellite converter set-top boxes (“STBs”), amplifiers, AV receivers, CD players, game consoles, home lighting, drapery, fans, HVAC systems, thermostats, personal computers, etc. In a preferred embodiment, controlling device <b>100</b> supports bidirectional communication <b>130</b> with AV receiver <b>102</b> via any convenient IR or RF protocol.

0016In an exemplary embodiment, controlling device <b>100</b> may be further adapted to function in cooperation with AV receiver <b>102</b> to configure the illustrative entertainment system in accordance with a user's desired activities. To this end, as illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, an exemplary controlling device may be provisioned with a series of activity selection keys or buttons <b>200</b> with designations such as, for example, “Watch TV”, “Watch a Movie”, “Listen to Music”, “Play a Game”, etc. Activation of such an activity selection key may cause AV receiver <b>102</b> and/or controlling device <b>100</b> to cooperatively place the exemplary home entertainment system into a user-specified state which has been associated with that activity, as will be described in further detail hereafter.

0017Turning now to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>, for use in commanding the functional operations of one or more appliances, the controlling device <b>100</b> may include, as needed for a particular application, a processor <b>300</b> coupled to a ROM memory <b>304</b>, a RAM memory <b>305</b>, a key matrix <b>316</b> (e.g., hard keys, soft keys such as a touch sensitive surface overlaid on a liquid crystal (LCD), and/or an electroluminescent (EL) display), transmission circuit(s) and/or transceiver circuits) <b>310</b> (e.g., IR and/or RF), a non-volatile read/write memory <b>306</b>, a means <b>302</b> to provide feedback to the user (e.g., one or more LEDs, display, speaker, and/or the like), an input/output port <b>318</b> such as a serial interface, USB port, modem, Zigbee, WiFi, or Bluetooth transceiver, etc., and clock and timer logic <b>312</b> with associated crystal or resonator <b>314</b>.

0018As will be understood by those skilled in the art, some or all of the memories <b>304</b>, <b>305</b>, <b>306</b> may include executable instructions (collectively, the controlling device program memory) that are intended to be executed by the processor <b>300</b> to control the operation of the remote control <b>100</b>, as well as data which serves to define to the operational software the necessary control protocols and command values for use in transmitting command signals to controllable appliances (collectively, the command data). In this manner, the processor <b>300</b> may be programmed to control the various electronic components within the remote control <b>100</b>, e.g., to monitor the key matrix <b>316</b>, to cause the transmission of signals, etc. The non-volatile read/write memory <b>306</b>, for example an EEPROM, battery-backed up RAM, FLASH, Smart Card, memory stick, or the like, may additionally be provided to store setup data and parameters as necessary. While the memory <b>304</b> is illustrated and described as a ROM memory, memory <b>304</b> can also be comprised of any type of readable media, such as ROM, FLASH, EEPROM, or the like. Preferably, the memories <b>304</b> and <b>305</b> are non-volatile or battery-backed such that data is not required to be reloaded after battery changes. In addition, the memories <b>304</b>, <b>305</b> and <b>306</b> may take the form of a chip, a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, and/or the like. Still further, it will be appreciated that some or all of the illustrated memory devices may be physically combined (for example, a single FLASH memory may be logically partitioned into different portions to support the functionality of memories <b>304</b> and <b>306</b> respectively), and/or may be physically, incorporated within the same IC chip as the microprocessor <b>300</b> (a so called “microcontroller”) and, as such, they are shown separately in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> only for the sake of clarity.

0019To cause the controlling device <b>100</b> to perform an action, the controlling device <b>100</b> is adapted to be responsive to events, such as a sensed user interaction with the key matrix <b>316</b>, etc. In response to an event, appropriate instructions within the program memory (hereafter the “controlling device operating program”) may be executed. For example, when a function key is actuated on the controlling device <b>100</b>, the controlling device <b>100</b> may retrieve from the command data stored in memory <b>304</b>, <b>305</b>, <b>306</b> a command value and control protocol corresponding to the actuated function key and, where necessary, current device mode and transmit that command to an intended target appliance, e.g., STB <b>104</b>, in a format recognizable by that appliance to thereby control one or more functional operations of that appliance. It will be appreciated that the operating program can be used not only to cause the transmission of commands and/or data to the appliances, but also to perform local operations. While not limiting, local operations that may be performed by the controlling device <b>100</b> may include displaying information/data, favorite channel setup, macro key setup, function key relocation, etc. Examples of local operations can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,48′1,256, 5,959,751, and 6,014,092.

0020For selecting sets of command data to be associated with the appliances to be controlled data may be provided to controlling device <b>100</b> that serves to identify each intended target appliance by its make, and/or model, and/or type. Such data allows the controlling device <b>100</b> to identify the appropriate command data set within a library of command data that is to be used to transmit recognizable commands in formats appropriate for such identified appliances. Such a library of command data may be preprogrammed in controlling device <b>100</b>, downloaded into controlling device <b>100</b> as part of the setup process, or a combination thereof. The library of command data may represent a plurality of controllable appliances of different types and manufacture, a plurality of controllable appliances of the same type but different manufacture, a plurality of appliances of the same manufacture but different type or model, etc., or any combination thereof as appropriate for a given embodiment. In certain embodiments, such data used to identify an appropriate command data set may take the form of a numeric setup code (obtained, for example, from a printed list of manufacturer names and/or models with corresponding code numbers, from a support Web site, etc.) which may be entered via activation of those keys that are also used to cause the transmission of commands to an appliance, preferably the keys that are labeled with numerals.

0021Alternative device setup procedures known in the art include scanning bar codes, RFTD tags, or other indicia; sequentially transmitting a predetermined command in different formats until a target appliance response is detected; interaction with a Web site culminating in downloading of command data and/or setup codes to the controlling device, etc. Further, in embodiments such as that illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, set up of a controlling device <b>100</b> may be performed interactively in conjunction with AV receiver <b>102</b>, using a connected device such as TV <b>114</b> for GUI display and a database of codes and/or brand and model information stored locally on AV receiver <b>102</b> or located remotely on a PC or Web server and accessed via network connection <b>120</b>. Since such methods for setting up a controlling device to command the operation of specific home appliances are well-known, these will not be described in greater detail herein. Nevertheless, for additional information pertaining to setup procedures, the reader may turn, for example, to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,959,810, 5,614,906, or 6,225,938 or to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/915,562, all of like assignee and all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

0022With reference to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, an exemplary AV receiver <b>102</b> may include, as needed for a particular application, a control processor <b>400</b> coupled to a memory <b>402</b> which may comprise any combination of ROM, RAM, and/or non-volatile read write memory; video and audio processing sections <b>404</b>, <b>406</b>; a tuner <b>408</b> for reception of radio broadcast channels; a front panel <b>410</b> including user controls and/or a display; a remote control interface <b>412</b> for communicating with a controlling device (e.g. <b>100</b>); a network interface <b>414</b> for communication with a local and/or wide area network; audio inputs <b>420</b><i>a </i>through <b>420</b><i>c</i>; video inputs <b>424</b><i>a </i>through <b>424</b><i>c</i>; AV inputs <b>422</b><i>a </i>through <b>422</b><i>c</i>; audio outputs <b>430</b><i>a</i>, <b>430</b><i>b</i>; and video outputs <b>434</b><i>a </i>and <b>434</b><i>b</i>. As will be appreciated, audio and video inputs and outputs (which may be more or less in number than illustrated) may comprise analog or digital signals and exemplary AV receiver <b>102</b> may be provisioned with analog-to-digital (ADC) converters, digital-to-analog (DAC) converters, video decoders, HDMI encoder/decoders, CODECS, format converters, etc., all as necessary to implement the input/output switching and routing functionality. It will be further appreciated that the functionality of video and audio processing blocks <b>404</b> and <b>408</b> may be implemented in separate components such as a specialized digital signal processors (DSP), may be implemented as part of control processor <b>400</b>, or any combination thereof, and that portions of memory <b>402</b> may be allocated to or associated with audio and video processing blocks <b>404</b>,<b>408</b>.

0023It will also be appreciated that some or all of the memory elements <b>402</b> may take the form of a chip, a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, FLASH memory, and/or the like, and that all or portion of the memory <b>402</b> may be physically incorporated within the same IC chip as the control processor <b>400</b> and/or audio or video processing blocks <b>404</b>,<b>406</b> and, as such, memory <b>402</b> is shown separately in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> only for the sake of clarity.

0024As will be understood by those skilled in the art, some or all of the memory <b>402</b> may include executable instructions that are intended to be executed by the processor <b>400</b> to control the operation of the AV receiver <b>102</b> (hereafter, the “AV receiver operating program”). In this manner, the processor <b>400</b> may be programmed to control the various electronic components within the AV receiver, e.g., to monitor the front panel <b>410</b> and or remote control interface <b>412</b>, to cause the routing of video and/or audio signals between the various inputs and outputs, to control selection of radio broadcast channel by tuner <b>408</b>, to control volume and equalization settings of audio outputs <b>430</b><i>a </i>and <b>430</b><i>b</i>, etc. Further, the AV receiver operating program, in conjunction with video processing block <b>404</b>, may provide GUT-based setup menus for AV receiver functions such as input and output assignments, levels, balances, equalization, etc., via a connected video monitor device such as for example TV <b>114</b>. Since such GUI-based AV receiver setup is well known in the art, for the sake of brevity it will not be described further herein, however if greater detail is desired regarding such features and functionality the interested reader may reference, for example, a document such as the Denon AV Surround Receiver STR-DA5500ES Owner's Manual (D&amp;M Holdings Inc. publication number 5411 10255 000D).

0025In addition, in an exemplary embodiment described herein the AV receiver operating program may include programming which functions in cooperation with controlling device <b>100</b> to define and subsequently execute user-desired configuration of the home entertainment system in accordance with various activities.

0026With reference to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, after completing the initial set up of AV receiver <b>102</b>, for example as described in the above referenced Denon STR-DA5500ES User's Manual, a user may wish to configure the functionality of the activity buttons <b>200</b> of controlling device <b>100</b>. To this end, she may place the AV receiver into an activity setup mode via, for example by a sequence of keypresses on controlling device <b>100</b>, use of navigation keys <b>210</b> of controlling device <b>100</b> to select a menu item displayed on TV <b>114</b>, or such other action as may be appropriate for a particular embodiment. Upon entering activity setup mode, the AV receiver operating program may display an exemplary initial status message <b>530</b> on TV <b>114</b> prompting the user to select an activity to configure. The AV receiver operating program thereafter waits at step <b>502</b> for user input, i.e. activation of one of the activity buttons <b>200</b> of controlling device <b>100</b>. In the illustrated example, the to user may select button <b>202</b> labeled “Watch a Movie”, resulting in communication by the controlling device <b>100</b> of an appropriate key command value to AV receiver <b>102</b>. Upon receipt of the “Watch a Movie” activity command, at step <b>504</b> the AV receiver operating program may display a listing <b>532</b> of available source devices that are known to be connected to inputs <b>422</b>, <b>424</b> of AV receiver <b>102</b>. In this context it will be appreciated that the earlier-mentioned initial setup procedures of AV receiver may include user labeling/identification of the devices connected to the various inputs together with a selection of compatible command data sets within universal controlling device <b>100</b>, and the resulting user friendly labels such as “DVD player”, “Projector”, etc. may be used thereafter in the generation of displays such as that illustrated at <b>532</b>. Additionally, the displayed listing may be further tailored by the AV receiver operating program to include only those currently-configured devices known to be compatible with the specified activity—for example, for the presently illustrated “Watch a Movie” activity devices which are incapable of sourcing a video stream, such as CD player <b>112</b> or tuner <b>408</b> may be omitted from the list presented to the user. At step <b>506</b>, the user may employ navigation keys <b>210</b> of controlling device <b>100</b> to move a cursor <b>536</b> and select desired source device(s). One or more source devices may be selected, as indicated for example by indicia <b>534</b>. In the event more than one source device is designated, the user may be prompted at activity execution time to select the desired source, as will be described in further detail hereafter in conjunction with <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>.

0027Upon completion of source device selection, at step <b>508</b> a list <b>538</b> of possible destination devices may be displayed for user selection at step <b>510</b> in a similar manner to that described above. Once again, the list of devices may be tailored by the AV receiver operating program to include, in this case, only those currently-configured devices known to be capable of rendering the designated input media stream(s). Although not shown, it will be appreciated that other configuration options may also be presented to the user in certain embodiments, for example, selection of a destination for audio output. Once all user selections have been made, at step <b>512</b> the activity configuration parameters may be finalized and stored in AV receiver memory <b>402</b> for future use in configuring the home entertainment system when the indicated activity is called for, e.g., the final configuration is stored and associated with the received key command value corresponding to the activity key that was activated at the start of the configuration process. Thereafter, the AV receiver operating program may display a completion message <b>540</b>, including in this example a reminder <b>542</b> that final source selection will be required at execution time. At step <b>516</b>, the user indicates whether she wishes to set up another activity, in which case processing returns to initial step <b>502</b>. If not, activity setup is complete and the AV receiver operating program exits setup mode and returns to normal operation.

0028The execution of an exemplary activity configuration request will now be discussed in conjunction with <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>. Upon actuation of an activity button on controlling device <b>100</b>, for example <b>202</b> “Watch a Movie” and receipt of the resulting appropriate key command value communication by AV receiver <b>102</b>, assuming the AV receiver operating program is in the normal operation state (i.e. not in setup mode as described previously), at step <b>602</b> the AV receiver operating program first determines if the activity by the key command value received from the controlling device has in fact been configured. If not, at step <b>624</b> an error message is displayed, for example on TV <b>114</b>, prompting the user to first configure that activity, and the activity request is ignored. If the activity has been configured, at step <b>604</b> the AV receiver operating program next determines from the configuration associated with the received key command value if multiple sources were configured. If so, at step <b>606</b> the options are displayed as illustrated at <b>630</b> and the user is prompted to select a desired source device, for example, by using the navigation and selection keys of the controlling device to highlight and select the desired source device. As will be appreciated, if only one source device was configured at setup time, this step may be skipped. Once a source device has been designated, at step <b>608</b> the AV receiver operating program selects the audio, video and/or AV inputs associated with the designated source device. At step <b>610</b>, the AV receiver operating program determines if the selected source device is powered on, for example by detecting presence or absence of audio/video signal, sensing HDMI status, etc. as appropriate for the device connection in question. Alternatives such as power sensing, etc. may also be available in certain embodiments. If the selected source device is not powered on, in a preferred embodiment at step <b>612</b> a request may issued to controlling device <b>100</b> via bidirectional communication link <b>130</b> to transmit a “power on” command to the source appliance. As will be appreciated, such a request would include data that functions to indicate to the controlling device <b>100</b> the intended target appliance for the “power on” command. Thereafter, at step <b>614</b> the AV receiver operating program determines if multiple destinations were configured. If so, at step <b>616</b> the options are displayed as illustrated at <b>632</b> and the user prompted to select a desired destination device as described above. Again, if only one destination device was configured at setup time, this step may be skipped. At step <b>618</b>, the AV receiver operating program determines if the selected destination device is powered on, for example by sensing HDMI status. Alternatives such as detection of AV signals from an auxiliary output of a rendering device, power sensing, etc. may also be available in certain embodiments. If the selected destination device is not powered on, in a preferred embodiment at step <b>620</b> a request may be issued to controlling device <b>100</b> via bidirectional communication link <b>130</b> to transmit a “power on” command to the destination appliance.

0029While initiation of a “Watch a Movie” activity via key <b>202</b> may result in automatic configuration of keys of the controlling device, e.g., transport keys <b>240</b> may be configured to transmit commands in a format compatible with whichever of appliances <b>104</b>, <b>106</b>, <b>108</b> have been pre-configured as the media source within the remote control when in the “Watch a Movie” activity mode, in the event that multiple possible sources (or destinations) are possible in the “Watch a Movie” activity mode (which does not allow for a pre-configuration of the keys of the controlling device to a particular appliance), at step <b>622</b> data indicative of the appliances to be controlled in the currently selected activity mode may be transferred over bidirectional communication link <b>130</b> from the AV receiver operating program to controlling device <b>100</b> to cause the controlling device to configure itself to match the activity and selected source and destination appliances. It will also be appreciated that keys of the controlling device <b>100</b> may, in whole or in part, be matched to an intended target appliance as a result of receipt of the aforementioned requests to power-on a device and, as such, step <b>622</b> can be skipped if this data has already been provided to the controlling device by the AV receiver.

0030Although not illustrated in the example of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>, in certain embodiments additional appliance configuration may be initiated by the AV receiver operating program and/or the controlling device operating program and performed by controlling device <b>100</b>, for example issuance of commands for selection of an appropriate input on TV <b>114</b> or projector <b>118</b>, adjustment of video aspect ratio or picture settings to optimize presentation of the selected source material, etc. Also, additional actions may be initiated by the AV receiver operating program and/or the controlling device operating program with respect to appliances not participating in an activity. For example, initiation of a “Listen to Music” activity may cause the controlling device itself, or result in the issuance of requests to controlling device, to power off video display devices such as TV <b>114</b> or projector <b>118</b>.

0031In addition to the interactions with AV receiver <b>102</b> described above, in certain embodiments the activation of an activity selection button <b>200</b> may also invoke a conventional controlling device-based macro command sequence as is known in the art and described, for example, in the previously referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,751. Such macro sequences may be programmed by a user to, for example, adjust lighting levels, control drapes, etc. to create an environment suitable for the commanded activity, as well as to perform additional entertainment appliance configuration functions if desired.

0032Turning now to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>, in an alternative embodiment, a PC based activity setup application may be offered in place of or as an alternative to the AV receiver GUI based setup previously described above in conjunction with <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>. Such a PC based setup option may comprise a locally installed application program, a Web application, or a combination thereof. As illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>, the PC based setup application may comprise a GUI <b>700</b> which offers a series of drop-down menus <b>702</b>, <b>704</b> from which the various configuration options may be selected. In the illustrative example, separate panels <b>706</b> and <b>708</b> allow selection and configuration of sources and outputs of an activity and selection and assignment of appliance/controlling device key functionality for that activity, respectively. As will be understood by those of skill in the art, in general two drop-down menus such as <b>710</b> and <b>716</b> may not be active the same time, they are however illustrated as such in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> to assist in a better understanding of the PC application. Drop down menu panel <b>706</b> may offer AV receiver related activity configuration choices similar to those previously described in conjunction with <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, and, to avoid repetition, these will not be repeated. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, drop down menu panel <b>708</b> allows the controlling device key groups for volume control, channel changing and transport to be pre-configured as appropriate. As an aid to the user, in some embodiments an image <b>712</b> of controlling device <b>100</b> may be displayed with the affected key group highlighted—for example, when the drop down menu <b>710</b> for transport keys is active, this group of keys <b>714</b> may be highlighted in displayed image <b>712</b>. In some embodiments, default key assignments may be dynamically established and displayed in panel <b>708</b> by the PC application based upon the current activity configuration settings. By way of example, if audio output for an activity is assigned to a set of speakers <b>718</b> connected to the output of AV receiver, the default volume key assignment <b>722</b> may be the AV receiver, whereas if the audio output for the same activity were to be assigned to the TV device <b>720</b>, the default volume control key assignment may be the TV device. In this context, it will be appreciated that in certain embodiments provision may be made for uploading existing activity configuration settings from an AV receiver into the PC application for editing, by a user, in which instance the existing values may become the default settings. It will be appreciated that in instances where more than one input or output device has been selected for an activity and the final choice is to be made at execution time as previously described, some or all of the drop down menu items in key configuration panel <b>708</b> may be omitted or replaced with generic designators such as “Audio destination device” or “Video source”, etc.

0033Once all aspects of the activities match a user's requirements, the user may cause the resulting configuration data to be downloaded into the exemplary AV receiver <b>102</b>, for example via network interface <b>120</b> if both the PC and AV receiver are connected to the same network. Alternatively, configuration data may be uploaded to a remote server for subsequent download to the AV receiver, copied to a memory stick or smart card for physical transfer, etc. Additionally, controlling device <b>100</b> may be coupled to the PC and become the repository for some or all of the configuration data, either for later transfer to AV receiver <b>102</b>, or for direct action by controlling device <b>100</b>.

0034In certain embodiments, the operating software of AV receiver <b>102</b> may be adapted to detect changes in connected appliances, for example by monitoring disconnection/reconnection of interface cabling, by observing changes in source or sink equipment identity or capability data reported Over an HDMI or other digital connection, by noting an alteration in the bit rate or format of an input data stream, by detecting connection of an interface cable or presence of a new audio/video signal at a previously unused AV receiver input, or any other appropriate method. In such instances, the operating software of AV receiver <b>102</b> may cause to be displayed on a connected appliance, for example TV <b>144</b>, a reminder message to the user that controlling device <b>100</b> may require to be set up to operate the newly-configured appliance. Display of such a reminder message may be immediate upon detection of the change, may occur upon receipt of the next user command from controlling device <b>100</b>, or may be deferred until the newly added or changed appliance is selected as an input or output, either directly or as a participant in an activity. As illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref>, such a reminder message <b>800</b> may offer a choice <b>802</b> of immediately entering an interactive setup mode in which a database of command data sets and/or brand and model information stored locally on AV receiver or located remotely on a PC or Web server may be searched and an appropriate command data set identified to or downloaded into controlling device <b>100</b>; or display of the reminder may be cancelled <b>806</b> or deferred <b>804</b>.

0035In a further embodiment, the operating software of controlling device <b>100</b> may be adapted to always echo certain commands to AV receiver <b>104</b>, that is, upon actuation of certain functional keys, controlling device <b>100</b> may sequentially transmit first a keypress notification to AV receiver <b>104</b> and thereafter the appropriate command data in the format recognizable by the current target appliance. Using the received keypress notification data, the operating software of AV receiver <b>104</b> may be adapted to monitor the AV inputs and outputs for the expected result of a user appliance command. If the expected result does not occur, an error message may be displayed to prompt the user to retry the command, check the operating mode of controlling device <b>100</b>, etc. For example, if the currently selected activity is “Watch a Movie” and the operating software of AV receiver <b>104</b> is notified by controlling device <b>100</b> that the “Play” key <b>204</b> has been actuated, the operating software of AV receiver <b>104</b> may inspect the DVD player input to discern if a corresponding change in AV input data has occurred, for example an audio component has become present in a digital data stream where there was none before. Alternatively, the operating software may monitor the reported user activity on controlling device <b>100</b> for patterns indicative of a problem. For example, repeated actuation of the “Play” key <b>204</b> within a short space of time may indicate that an expected appliance response has not occurred. In either case, a message such as illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref> may be presented on a connected display such as TV <b>114</b> to assist the user in resolving the problem.

0036While various concepts have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those concepts could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. For example, while described in the context of an AV receiver acting a central switching point for content streams in a home entertainment system, it will be appreciated that any other suitably equipped device, for example an advanced cable or satellite STB, a personal computer, etc., may be substituted for an AV receiver in the practice of the instant invention. Further, while a preferred embodiment described above comprises a controlling device capable of bidirectional communication with an AV receiver or other central switching device, it will be appreciate that many of the steps of the inventive methods may also be practiced in a system comprising a controlling device which is in unidirectional (inward) communication with the central switching device, in which case certain controlling device actions may be initiated autonomously as macro sequences using, for example, discrete appliance commands as are know in the art. Furthermore, in the case of a unidirectional controlling device, it is contemplated that, in lieu of receiving appliance indicating data from the AV receiver, the controlling device may be programmed whereby activation of a particular device mode key, e.g., cable, DVD, game player, etc., is used by the controlling device to configure groups of keys of the controlling device to communicate commands to a one of plural possible sources and/or destination appliances in a give activity mode, for example by activating the desired mode key(s) within a predetermined period of time after activation of the activity mode key when used to place the controlling device and AV receiver into that activity mode. Activation of a device mode key in this manner may also be used to cause the transmission of data to the AV receiver to thereby cause the AV receiver to select one of multiple possible sources and/or destinations in lieu of the menu navigation/selection method that was also previously described.

0037Still further, while described in the context of functional modules and illustrated using block diagram format, it is to be understood that, unless otherwise stated to the contrary, one or more of the described functions and/or features may be integrated in a single physical device and/or a software module, or one or more functions and/or features may be implemented in separate physical devices or software modules. It will also be appreciated that a detailed discussion of the actual implementation of each module is not necessary for an enabling understanding of the invention. Rather, the actual implementation of such modules would be well within the routine skill of an engineer, given the disclosure herein of the attributes, functionality, and inter-relationship of the various functional modules in the system. Therefore, a person skilled in the art, applying ordinary skill, will be able to practice the invention set forth in the claims without undue experimentation. It will be additionally appreciated that the particular concepts disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.

0038All patents cited within this document are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.