Systems, methods and apparatus for providing an audio indicator via a remote control

摘要

Apparatus, systems and methods are described for outputting audible or visual indicators via a remote control for a controlled device. A remote control queries an associated controlled device for information. The controlled device generates a request for the remote control to activate an audio or visual indicator. The request is integrated with a response to the query that is transmitted to the remote control. The remote control outputs an audio or visual indicator responsive to the request.

主权项

1. A remote control comprising:
a sound emitting device; a battery; a wireless transceiver configured to be powered by the battery; an output interface; and control logic comprising at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the wireless transceiver and communicatively coupled to the output interface, the control logic operable to:
from a limited power mode state, automatically turn the wireless transceiver of the remote control on to a full power mode state and to initially place the wireless transceiver of the remote control into a transmit mode to transmit a query message from the remote control to a controlled device, wherein the control logic is operable perform said turning-on of the transceiver, said initial placing into transmit mode, and said transmitting of the query message without any input to said remote control by a user, and wherein the operation of turning-on of the transceiver comprises supplying additional battery power to the transceiver that initially had limited battery power supplied thereto;subsequent to initially placing the wireless transceiver into the transmit mode, automatically and without input to said remote control by the user switch the transceiver of the remote control from the transmit mode to a receive mode to thereby receive a reply message sent by the controlled device in response to the query message;identify that the reply message includes a request to activate the sound emitting device of the remote control;activate the sound emitting device of the remote control responsive to the request;subsequent to and in response to receiving the reply message, automatically return the wireless transceiver of the remote control to the limited power mode state after the reply message is received to thereby conserve power in the battery, wherein the operation of returning to the limited power mode state of the transceiver comprises removing at least some of the supply of battery power from the transceiver so that the transceiver returns to its initial state of having limited battery power supplied thereto, and said returning is performed without any input to said remote control by the user.