(54) UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM
(75) Inventors: Patrick H. Hayes, Mission Viejo, CA (US); Robert A. Campbell, Costa Mesa, CA (US)
(73) Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc., Cypress, CA (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
(21) Appl. No.: 11/268,252
(22) Filed: Nov. 7, 2005
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2006/0055554 Al Mar. 16, 2006
Related U.S. Application Data
(63) Continuation of application No. 10/662,263, filed on Sep. 15, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,142,127, which is a continuation of application No. 09/796,407, filed on Feb. 28, 2001, now Pat. No. 6,657,679, which is a continuation of application No. 08/923,373, filed on Sep. 3, 1997, now Pat. No. 6,223,348.
A controlling device having keys actuatable to emit signals to a consumer appliance and a releasable media storage device having data which is readable by the controlling device. At the controlling device at least a subset of the keys of the controlling device are selectively enabled or disabled as a function of the data read from the releasable media storage device. The releasable media storage device thus limits the ability of a user to interact with the consumer appliance via actuation of certain of the subset of keys of the controlling device.
8 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
