New Patent Reafirms Universal Electronics Position at Helm of Wireless Control

UEI Ahead of Technology Curve as Home Theater Grows More Complex And More Popular Patent Covers One-Step Macro Key that Sequences System Power-Ups, Controls

CYPRESS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1999--

In a move that reaffirms Universal Electronics, Inc.'s (UEI) (Nasdaq:UEIC) pioneering, leadership role in wireless handheld remote control technology, the U.S. Patent Office has granted UEI a patent covering all programmable macro -- or multifunction key sequencing -- capability packaged in a remote control, UEI announced today. If UEI elects to exercise its patent rights, the company could collect royalties from licensees who use the technology.

"This newly issued patent effectively gives UEI ownership of the technology that makes it possible for anyone to use a single macro key on a remote to fully control a home `infotainment' system of diverse components," explained UEI Chairman and CEO Camille Jayne. "On one key, the user can define and program a sequence of events -- turn the cable set-top box on, turn the TV on to channel 7, turn the VCR on to channel 3, and turn the stereo on and set the volume at level 4, for example."

Today, the sequencing macro key is a staple feature on higher-end remotes -- which UEI estimates currently make up about 15 percent of the universal remote control market. "That market will grow substantially," Jayne said. "In the age of interactive digital remotes used for everything from home theater to home banking, consumers will demand affordable wireless controls that minimize the process of powering up and controlling convergent and increasingly complex systems. What is for the moment a higher-end market niche will become mainstream."

Jayne stressed UEI's willingness to work out licensing arrangements with competitors who are using its macro key technology. "UEI has a family of more than 30 patents issued or pending, and part of our business is licensing our technology to others. This is nothing new to us. Ultimately, we're more interested in making consumers comfortable with the future direction of lifestyle technology. That way, everybody wins."

The "Universal Remote Control Device" patent was issued as number 5,959,751.

Universal Electronics, Inc., based in Cypress, Calif., builds and markets pre-programmed, easy-to-use universal remote controls principally for home entertainment equipment and the subscription broadcast market. The company's product lines under development include other wireless interface technologies, such as keyboards and touch-screen remotes. UEI sells its proprietary technologies and products to companies involved in the cable industry, private-label customers and consumer electronics manufacturers. The company also sells its remote control products to distributors and retailers in Europe, Asia, South America and Australia under the One For All(R) brand name.

CONTACT: UEI
Paul Arling, 714/820-1000
http://www.uei.com
or
PR Agency
Athena Fristoe, 909/622-1975

Me thinks that this patent won't survive even a light grilling by a patents lawyer. There have been one button macro devices around for several years.

Cheers
Marco

I seemed to have lost my page of codes that came with my "ONE FOR ALL" remote control. Can you send me the codes for a "Sharp" T.V. please? Or any info on "where" I can look on the internet to find the codes. And if you can be so kind to put it simply! I am a rookie at the computer

Jamiel...

My Cinema7 book says 0048 for Sharp TVs. Use 048 if your remote uses 3 digit codes. My ONE4All 3 remote manual lists 093,491,165,and 039 for Sharp TVs. One should work for you.

BTW, you can find codes for most ONE4All remotes at HTTP://www.oneforall.com.

Dave

Jamiel try this site

[Link: tiac.net]

in case anyone is interested in the actual patent, here's a (very ugly) URL:

Link

If that doesn't work, go to [Link: uspto.gov] and do a patent number search on 5,959,751.

Anyways, I'm not an expert on patents by any stretch, but you can see that the bulk of the patent deals with their design for a learning remote (claim 7, 8, 9). that part looks fine, they do explain why their approach to this is novel.

As for claims 1-6, it's interesting that they really don't talk about these at all outside the 'claims' section. But, of course, these claims are what their press release talks about, their so-called 'patent on macros'. Certainly, they're up to something sinister here, but I don't know what it is. One would think it would be pretty easy to produce prior art, especially for claims 1-3,5 (filing date on the patent was June 1997). My best guess for 4 and 6 is that they have to do with the 'magic' key? Who knows... the one thing I do know about patents is that having your application approved doesn't mean that all your claims will hold up in court if you try to enforce them.

so... I guess I'm still confused :( I would agree with Marco that it seems like it would never hold up - but getting a patent is a long, expensive process, and I wouldn't think a small company like UEIC would pursue it without some reason... and I'm sure they had a team of lawyers poring over this thing for years.

hm - the first link doesn't work... daniel, looks like i found a nice bad case for your bboard software :)

Well, easily fixed (both in the software and editing your message since it's WAY too long) but that URL isn't anywhere close to being "standards compliant".

Jamiel,

I, also, took a look at what I had on the Sharp TVs and found the following three digit codes:

093,165,039,153,036,189,019,220,157,179

Sincerely,
Clif

Back on the Macro patent...

Does this mean that if I create a macro on my Pronto I owe UEC money? If Philips does, do they have to pay if I tell them I didn't make any macros? I wonder if the patent applies to only hard buttons, virtual (as on the pronto's touch screen) buttons, shirt buttons (hard and soft)if they hold more than two pieces of cloth together, and belly buttons if pressing one gets you more than just a single giggle. Hmmmm...

Dave

I agree with Todd D, there is ample prior art to dismiss the majority, if not all, claims of this patent. I state as an example my sony touchscreen remote which came with my xbr2 tv, which I purchased in approximately 1993, four years prior to the filing date of this patent. It is a learning remote and has 3 macro keys, each of which can recall upto 16 codes from any device when pressed, wherein each one of those codes could have been learned from another device.

If you really want to stretch it, look at the CORE remote from CL-9 made by wozniak in the mid-eighties. It had macros and learnability, and I'm certain 1-for-all wasn't even founded at that time.

This claims of this patent simply would not hold up in court.

-robert

My Denon remote, circa 1990 has a bunch of macro keys. I wonder what these guys have been smoking, and can I get some? It is like the joke Compton's multi-media search patent of 1994 all over again...that was thrown out shortly thereafter...

Does anybody know ALL CLEAR code for Philips SBC RU440 remote, cos i "overprogrammed" it ocasianally!

I have lost the sheet with the programming numbers for my "One For All" remote control. I specifically need the numbers for the Maganovox Chasis model # 20B1-01. Serical #56661442.
Any help would be extremely helpful.
Thanks,
Monica

Does anyone recall the Memorex "Turbo 8" (?) programmable remote? I used to sell one of these with every high end C-Band satellite system that I installed. It could turn any of the number keys into macros and had a transparent cover that covered the designation area so a person could create his own button labels. I would think that the (former) existance of this remote would invalidate the above patent. If I could only find a new one of these today. It seemed far superior to the A/V Producer 8 sitting in front of me that I am trying to program for a customer. It will probably go back and go off of my acceptable equipment list.