Method using a set-top box communicating between a remote data network and a wireless communication network

• US 20060135059A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hill, George E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4183 providing its own processing capabilities, e.g. external module for video decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for connecting a set-top box (STB) to the Internet over existing and future wireless networks, combining television with wireless Internet access. A conventional television is used in combination with a STB that has a wireless or wired keyboard, a power supply, and audio/visual connections for connecting the STB to the television. In an embodiment, a wireless telephone is placed in a docking station on top of the STB, providing the user with both data (when docked) and voice capabilities (when being used simply for telephone calls). CDMA, CDPD, or other wireless technologies may used for connection to the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a remote data network and a set-top box via a wireless communications device with a data modem, comprising:

inserting the wireless communications device in a docking station of the set-top box before triggering the wireless communications device to enter a data transmission mode;

sending a command instructing the wireless communications device to connect to the remote data network in the data transmission mode;

upon connecting to the remote data network, receiving from the remote data network a data stream including a data packet;

filtering the data stream responsive to receiving a first string, to suppress a number of bytes associated with the data packet; and

after suppressing the number of bytes associated with the data packet, transmitting the data stream to the set-top box.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet including the number of bytes is not acceptable to the set-top box, so that filtering the data stream suppresses the unacceptable bytes of the data packet from transmission to the set-top box.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering takes place with respect to the first string of the data packet to suppress the number of bytes associated with the first string.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device is a wireless telephone and the set-top box includes a docking station in which the wireless telephone is inserted.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing the data stream for display on a television set connected to the set-top box.

6. A system for communicating between a remote data network and a set-top box over a wireless communications network, where the set-top box is connected to a conventional television set, comprising:

a wireless communications device including a wireless modem that receives and transmits data packets directly to the wireless communications network, wherein the wireless communications network is interfaced with the remote data network via a gateway; and

an interface device acting between the wireless communications device and the set-top box for filtering a data stream between the wireless communications device and the set-top box to suppress a data string comprising a predetermined number of bytes associated with the data stream and thereafter to transmit the data stream to the set-top box, so as to prevent the suppressed data string from passing to the set-top box.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless communications device is a wireless telephone.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless modem is a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) modem.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless modem is a code division multiple access (CDMA) modem.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising a docking station in the set-top box in which the wireless communications device may be inserted, wherein the wireless communications device may be used for voice communications when not inserted into the docking station.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the interface device filters the first string of the data packet to suppress the predetermined number of bytes arriving in the first string.

12. A set-top box for communicating over a wireless communications network between a remote data network and a conventional television set connected to the set-top box, the set-top box comprising:

a docking station in which a wireless communications device may be inserted, wherein the wireless communications device may be used for voice communications when not inserted into the docking station;

a wireless modem connected to the docking station for receiving and transmitting data packets between the wireless communications network and a wireless communications device in the docking station;

a video board; and

an interface device associated with the docking station and comprising a programmable micro-controller chip configured to interface the wireless modem to the video board, the interface device analyzing the data stream after receiving a first string of the data stream to suppress a predetermined number of bytes associated with the first string, thereby filtering the data stream between a wireless communications device in the docking station and the set-top box to suppress the predetermined number of bytes after receiving a first data string associated with the data stream.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless modem is a code division multiple access (CDMA) modem.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless modem is a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) modem.