Method and system of controlling operation of customer access point with remote control

• US 20060205410A1
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Black, Neville A.
• Application Number:
  US11/075,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20060205410A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A method and system of controlling a customer access point with a remote control. The method and system including displaying control features on a user interface of the remote control for use in controlling operation of the customer access point.

Claims

1. A method of operating a customer access point, the method comprising:

associating a remote control with a user, the remote control configured to transmit signals to facilitate control of the customer access point; and

controlling a service associated with the customer access point as a function of the user associated with the remote control.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the service is automatically controlled as a function of the user without requiring user interaction.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a user interface on the remote control to facilitate transmitting signals from the remote control for controlling the customer access point.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising displaying the user interface on a mobile phone.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising associating the user with a mobile phone identifier associated with the mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining the mobile phone identifier to be a mobile phone number through which voice calls are communicated to the mobile phone.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the customer access point is a settop box (STB) with an electronic programming guide (EPG) having selectable services, and wherein the method further comprises associating the remote control user interface with the EPG so that the user may select features from the remote control interface to control services associated with the EPG.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of the services associated with the EPG relates to video on demand (VOD), and wherein the method further comprises selecting videos from the remote control interface to add to a personal VOD folder associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising automatically displaying the personal VOD folder associated with the user on the remote control interface as a function of signals transmitted from the remote control so as to customize the remote control interface to the user.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising automatically displaying the personal VOD folder associated with the user on the customer access point as a function of signals transmitted from the remote control so as to customize the customer access point to the user.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the customer access point is a digital video recorder (DVR), and wherein the method further comprises associating the remote control user interface with the DVR so that the user may select features from the remote control interface to control services associated with the DVR.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising selecting recordings from the remote control interface to add to a personal DVR folder associated with the user.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising automatically displaying the personal DVR folder associated with the user on the remote control interface as a function of signals transmitted from the remote control so as to customize the remote control interface to the user.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising automatically displaying the personal DVR folder associated with the user on the customer access point as a function of signals transmitted from the remote control so as to customize the customer access point to the user.

15. The method of claim 3 further comprising directly transmitting the signals from the remote control to the customer access points as a function of inputs received through the remote control user interface.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising directly transmitting the signals from the remote control to the customer access point by emitting infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) from the remote control and receiving the signals with the customer access point.

17. The method of claim 3 further comprising indirectly transmitting the signals from the remote control to the customer access point as a function of inputs received through the remote control user interface.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising indirectly transmitting the signals from the remote control to the customer access point by emitting signals from the remote control over a network to a provider network associated with the customer access point.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising emitting the signals over a mobile phone network to the provider network.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising emitting the signals over a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) network to the provider network.

21. The method of claim 3 further comprising providing data to the remote control to facilitate displaying the user interface on the remote control.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing the data to the remote control with signals emitted from the customer access point.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing the data to the remote control with signals emitted from a network associated with the remote control and not the customer access point.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing the data to the remote control with signals emitted over a cellular phone network.

25. A method of selecting programs for viewing on a television, the method comprising:

providing signals to a mobile phone having a user interface for displaying a menu on the mobile phone interface through which a user selects a program for viewing on the television.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising providing the signals to the mobile phone over a mobile phone network.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising providing the signals to the mobile phone over a cellular phone network.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising providing the signals to the mobile phone from a settop box (STB) associated with the television.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising customizing the menu to the user based on signals emitted from the mobile phone so as to customize the menu to the user.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising customizing the menu based on a telephone number associated with the mobile phone.

31. The method of claim 25 further comprising transmitting a control signal from the mobile phone to tune the television to the selected program based on inputs received through the mobile phone interface.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising transmitting the control signal from the mobile phone directly to a settop box (STB) associated with the television to control the STB to tune the television to the selected program.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising transmitting the control signal from the mobile phone by way of a mobile phone network to a settop box (STB) associated with the television to control the STB to tune the television to the selected program.

34. A method of controlling a settop box (STB), the method comprising:

providing user interface signals to a mobile phone for displaying a user interface on the mobile phone through which a user selects inputs for controlling operation of the STB; and

transmitting signals from the mobile phone based on inputs received through the mobile phone interface for controlling operation of the STB.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising transmitting signals from the mobile phone to control a channel tuned to by the STB.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising transmitting signals from the mobile phone to control programs recoded on a recorder associated with the STB.

37. The method of claim 34 further comprising automatically customizing the user interface based on a user of the mobile phone so as to customize the user interface to the user.

38. A system of providing services to at least one customer access point, the system comprising:

a provider configured to transmit signals to the customer access point related to services associated therewith;

a remote control configured to remotely control operation of the customer access point according to user inputs received through a remote control user interface; and

wherein the provider is further configured to transmit interface signals for controlling information displayed on the remote control user interface such that the inputs received through the remote control user interface to control operation of the customer access point are a function of the interface signals trasnmit by the provider.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the provider is a cable provider configured to provide cable services.

40. The system of claim 38 wherein the remote control is a mobile phone.

41. The system of claim 38 wherein the remote control is a personal data assistant (PDA).

42. The system of claim 38 wherein the customer access point is a settop box (STB) such that channels tuned to by the STB are controlled by the remote control.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the STB includes a digital video recorder (DVR) such that recording on the DVR is controlled by the remote control.

44. The system of claim 38 wherein the remote control user interface is customized as a function of a phone number associated with the remote control.

45. The system of claim 38 wherein remote control user interface is customized as a function of a user thereof.

46. The system of claim 38 wherein the remote control is configured to transmit signals directly to the customer access point to control the operation thereof.

47. The system of claim 38 wherein the remote control is configured to transmit signals over a phone network to control the operation of the customer access point.