System and method for infrared dongle

Abstract

A method of controlling consumer devices using an infrared dongle coupled to a mobile device includes receiving power for the infrared dongle from the mobile device. The infrared dongle includes an infrared transmitter coupled to a microcontroller. One or more instructions are received in the microcontroller from the mobile device. The received one or more instructions are generated from codes stored in a memory of the mobile device. In response to the receiving, one or more infrared signals are transmitted via the infrared transmitter to at least one of the consumer devices.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . An infrared dongle for communicating with one or more consumer devices, the infrared dongle comprising:
 a connector for coupling the infrared dongle to a mobile device;   an infrared transmitter to transmit one or more infrared signals to the one or more consumer devices; and   a microcontroller coupled to the infrared transmitter to control operation of the infrared transmitter, the microcontroller being in communication with the mobile device such that the microcontroller receives one or more instructions from the mobile device, the received one or more instructions being generated from codes stored in a memory of the mobile device;   wherein in response to the microcontroller receiving the one or more instructions from the mobile device, the microcontroller causes the infrared transmitter to transmit the one or more infrared signals to the one or more consumer devices.   
     
     
         28 . A method of controlling one or more consumer devices using an infrared dongle coupled to a mobile device, the method comprising:
 receiving, in the microcontroller, one or more instructions from the mobile device, at least a portion of the one or more instructions being received in an uncompressed format, the received one or more instructions being generated from codes stored in a memory of the mobile device, further wherein the receiving the one or more instructions includes detecting using an edge detector; and   in response to the receiving, transmitting, via the infrared transmitter, one or more infrared signals to the one or more consumer devices.