BACKGROUND

The control of devices traditionally requires manual operation of dials, buttons, keyboards, keypads and the like. Remote controls, often configured with voice control options, can be used to control devices within a line of sight of and/or within close proximity to the remote control. However, not all devices within a network may be within the line of sight of or within close proximity to the remote control. Thus, there may either be an inability to control such devices, and/or a significant delay in controlling such devices. Additionally, a user may be unaware of devices in a network that may be operated via a remote control. These and other shortcomings are addressed by the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

It is to be understood that both the following general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive. Provided are methods and systems for using voice to control multiple devices. In an aspect, a control device (e.g., a remote control, a smartphone, a user device, etc.) can sense handling or movement of the control device and initiate a communication session with a remote computing device (e.g., server) in response to sensing the handling or movement. The control device can listen for a voice input and transmit the voice input to the remote computing device using the initiated communication session. The remote computing device may translate the voice input into a command code for one or more controllable devices (e.g., a television, a set-top box, a stereo, a game console, virtual reality systems, augmented reality systems, home automation devices, etc.). Alternatively, the control device can listen for a voice input, convert the voice input to text, associate the text to a command code for one or more controllable devices, and transmit the command code to the remote computing device. In an aspect, the remote computing device can identify at least one of the one or more controllable devices as a target device, and pass the command code back to the control device for transmission to the target device. In another aspect, the remote computing device can transmit the command code to the one or more controllable devices, thereby bypassing the control device.

Additional advantages will be set forth in part in the description which follows or may be learned by practice. The advantages will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

