System and method for set-top-box messaging display

• US 10,631,062 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2019
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perftech Inc. (Perftech Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Perftech Inc. (Perftech Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Donzis, Lewis T., Donzis, Henry M., Baron, Peter W., Murphy, John A., Schmidt, Jonathan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Telan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US16/445,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20190306585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

In a set-top-box system, messages from a service provider are stored and delayed until activity from a set-top-box remote is detected. Messages are then generated and provided to a television associated with the set-top-box. Delaying of the message display until set-top-box activity is detected allows short display times, thus preventing burn-in on some television screens, while providing a greater likelihood that messages will be viewed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving a plurality of messages from a memory of a set top box responsive to a detection of a remote activity of a remote associated with the set-top-box;

providing the plurality of messages to a display in response to the detected remote activity and after a predefined period of quiescence beginning after the detected remote activity, wherein a sequence of the plurality of messages is determined by a message priority assigned to each of the plurality of messages, and wherein at least one message having a higher message priority than the other of the plurality of messages is displayed before the other of the plurality of the messages, and redisplayed repeatedly until a confirmation code is received indicating the at least one message has been acknowledged; and

periodically providing the at least one of the plurality of messages to the display for a first time period, without user acknowledgement, and removing the at least one of the plurality of messages from the display for a second time period which is a longer time than the first time period, until additional activity of the remote is detected and an acknowledgement signal is received in the set-top-box from the remote.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting activity of the remote by receiving a signal from the remote in the set-top-box.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein, the signal comprises a control signal for at least one set-top-box function.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the plurality of messages in the memory of the set-top-box.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of the plurality of messages is designated by a service provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of messages are received from the service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the plurality of messages in the memory of the set-top-box until activity of the remote is detected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein content of at least one of the plurality of messages displayed comprises actions required.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of the plurality of messages is determined by an order in which the plurality of messages are received into the set-top-box.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the first time period during which at least one of the plurality of messages are displayed and the second time period during which the at least one of the plurality of messages are removed from being displayed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the remote activity comprises detecting an initial remote activity, and wherein the predefined period of quiescence begins after the initial remote activity.

12. A set-top-box, comprising:

a memory;

a remote interface that receives control signals from at least one remote; and

at least one processor that;

retrieves a plurality of messages from the memory of the set top box responsive to detected remote activity of the at least one remote;

generates a display message comprising the plurality of messages;

provides the plurality of messages to a display in response to the detected remote activity and after a predefined period of quiescence beginning after the detected remote activity, wherein a sequence of the plurality of messages is determined by a message priority assigned to each of the plurality of messages, and wherein at least one message having a higher message priority than the other of the plurality of messages is displayed, and redisplayed repeatedly until a confirmation code is received indicating the at least one message has been acknowledged; and

periodically provides the at least one of the plurality of messages to the display for a first time period, without user acknowledgement, and removes the at least one of the plurality of messages from the display for a second time period which is a longer time than the first time period, until additional activity of the remote is detected and an acknowledgement signal is received in the set-top-box from the remote.

13. The set-top-box of claim 12, wherein the memory stores message content until activity of the at least one remote is detected.

14. The set-top-box of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor provides the plurality of messages to the display.

15. The set-top-box of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor establishes the first time period during which at least one of the plurality of messages are displayed and the second time period during which the at least one of the plurality of messages are removed from being displayed.

16. The set-top-box of claim 12, wherein content of at least one of the plurality of messages displayed comprises actions required.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by a processor, that, when executed, cause the processor to:

retrieve a plurality of messages from a memory of a set top box responsive to a detection of a remote activity of a remote associated with the set-top-box;

generate a plurality of display messages in response to the detected remote activity; and

provide the plurality of messages to a display in response to the detected remote activity and after a predefined period of quiescence beginning after the detected remote activity, wherein a sequence of the plurality of messages is determined by a message priority assigned to each of the plurality of messages, and wherein at least one message having a higher message priority than the other of the plurality of messages is displayed before the other of the plurality of the messages, and redisplayed repeatedly until a confirmation code is received indicating the at least one message has been acknowledged; and

periodically provide at least one of the plurality of messages to the display for a first time period, without user acknowledgement, and remove the at least one of the plurality of messages from the display for a second time period which is a longer time than the first time period, until additional activity of the remote is detected and an acknowledgement signal is received in the set-top-box from the remote.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the processor, that, when executed, cause the processor to store the plurality of messages in the memory of the set-top-box until the remote activity of the remote is detected.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the processor, that, when executed, cause the processor to establish a first time period during which at least one of the plurality of messages are displayed and a second time period during which the at least one of the plurality of messages are removed from being displayed.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein content of at least one message of the plurality of messages displayed comprises actions required.