Remote control unit for a programmable multimedia controller

摘要

In one embodiment, a menu is semi-transparently overlaid upon a portion of a video being shown on a television coupled to a programmable multimedia controller. The menu has a plurality of selectable options and a selection cursor disposed on one of the plurality of selectable options. Input is received from a user on the remote control unit indicating a direction. In response to the input indicating the direction, the selection cursor is moved in a corresponding direction within the semi-transparently overlaid menu to bring the selection cursor to be disposed on a designated selectable option to permit selection of the designated selectable option. In response to selection of the designated selectable option, the programmable multimedia controller issues one or more control commands to a lighting system, a heating ventilation and air/conditioning (HVAC) system, and/or to an automatic shade system, to control operation of lighting, HVAC or window shades.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving input from a user on a remote control unit within a structure; determining a location of the remote control unit within the structure; in response to the determined location of the remote control unit being more proximate to a first television located within a first room of the structure than to a second television located within a second room of the structure, automatically displaying a menuing system of a controller having a plurality of selectable options on the first television, rather than on the second television, absent any user specification of the first television; and in response to the determined location of the remote control unit being changed to be more proximate to the second television than the first television, automatically displaying the menuing system of the controller on the second television rather than on the first television, absent any user specification of the second television, wherein the controller is separate from the first and second televisions, and the selectable options of the menuing system of the controller include selectable options that control operation of one or more devices separate from the controller and the first and second televisions, the devices being part of an audio/video system, a lighting system, a heating ventilation and air/conditioning (HVAC) system, and/or an automatic shade system coupled to the controller.