System and method for interactivity between mobile stations and a television device

• US 20060225108A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Homan, Greg, Khurana, Sanjay, Murdock, Beverly Ann, Tabassi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US11/191,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20060225108A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for communicating between a television device and one or more mobile stations are provided. The television device can obtain a map identifying the location of the one or more mobile stations, which can be displayed on a television. The television device can also be used to provide dispatch communications with the one or more mobile stations. The one or more mobile stations can be part of a predefined group, such as a family. A group communication server is provided to facilitate communication between the television device and the one or more mobile stations.

Claims

1. A television device, comprising:

a first input, which receives radio frequency signals from a broadcast video head-end;

an output, which outputs video information to a television display device;

a second input, which receives information from a remote control device; and

a processor, which receives the information from the remote control device, sends a request to the broadcast video head-end based on the information received from the remote control device, and outputs a response based on information received from the broadcast video head-end, wherein the information received from the remote control device is a request for a location of a mobile station, or a request for dispatch communications with a mobile station.

2. The television device of claim 1, wherein the information received from the remote control device is a select command, and the processor determines whether a request for a location of a mobile station or a request for dispatch communications with a mobile station is identified on a graphical user interface output on the television display device when the select command is received.

3. The television device of claim 1, wherein when the information is a request for a location of a mobile station, the processor receives a location of the mobile station, receives a map corresponding to the location, and provides a map identifying the location of the mobile station to the output.

4. The television device of claim 1, wherein the request is a request for locations of a plurality of mobile stations, and the processor provides the output with a map identifying the location of each of the plurality of mobile stations.

5. The television device of claim 1, wherein the television device is an integral component of the television display device.

6. The television device of claim 1, wherein the television device is an external peripheral component, coupled to the television display device.

7. The television device of claim 1, wherein the broadcast video head-end is a cable broadcast video head-end.

8. The television device of claim 1, wherein the broadcast video head-end is a satellite broadcast video head-end.

9. The television device of claim 1, wherein the broadcast video head-end is an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) video head-end.

10. The television device of claim 1, wherein when the processor receives a request for dispatch communications with a mobile station, the processor also receives an identifier corresponding to a prerecorded audio clip to be forwarded to the mobile station during the dispatch communication.

11. A communication server for providing communications between a television device and a mobile communication device, comprising:

a television device interface, which receives a request from a television device for a location of a mobile station;

a wireless network interface, which transmits a request to a wireless network for the location of the mobile station; and

a mapping server interface, which transmits a request to a mapping server for a map corresponding to the location of the mobile station,

wherein the television device interface provides the television device with information for displaying a map identifying the location of the mobile station.

12. The communication server of claim 11, wherein the television device interface comprises a client interface component and a registration and notification component.

13. The communication server of claim 12, wherein the registration and notification component notifies the television device of received electronic mail, received text messages, or missed dispatch communications.

14. The communication server of claim 11, wherein the wireless network interface comprises:

a location gateway interface, which communicates with a location server of the wireless network; and

a dispatch communication gateway interface, which communicates with a dispatch communication gateway of the wireless network.

15. The communication server of claim 14, wherein the dispatch communication gateway interface provides the dispatch communication gateway with a prerecorded audio stream as part of a dispatch communication.

16. The communication server of claim 14, wherein the dispatch communication gateway interface provides the television device interface with information received from the dispatch communication gateway.

17. The communication server of claim 16, wherein the information received from the dispatch communication gateway includes audio and dispatch communication floor control information.

18. A method for displaying information related to a mobile station, comprising the acts of:

receiving, by a television device, a request for location information regarding a mobile station;

transmitting, by the television device to a broadcast video head-end, the request for location information;

receiving, by the television device from the broadcast video head-end, information associated with the location of the mobile station; and

displaying a map, which identifies the location of the mobile station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein when the request is for location information of a group of mobile stations, the displayed map identifies the location of each member of the group of mobile stations.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the acts of:

receiving, by the television device, a request to change a scale of displayed map;

transmitting, by the television device to the broadcast video head-end, a request for a new map;

receiving a new map from the broadcast video head-end, which corresponds to the changed scale request; and

displaying the new map, which identifies the location of the mobile station.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the acts of:

receiving, by the television device, a request to access received dispatch communications;

displaying information related to the received dispatch communications; and

outputting a selected one of the received dispatch communications.

22. Machine readable code, which is executed on a processor, comprising:

a television device graphical user interface component, which provides a graphical user interface to a display;

a television device library, which includes a location service for identifying a location of a mobile station in a wireless network; and

broadcast video communication middleware, which interfaces the television device library with a broadcast video head-end.

23. The machine readable code of claim 22, wherein the television device library further comprises a voice communication service for providing the television device graphical user interface component with information related to dispatch communications.

24. The machine readable code of claim 22, wherein the television device library further comprises a messaging service for providing the television device graphical user interface with services for sending and receiving text messages.

25. The machine readable code of claim 22, wherein the broadcast video communication middleware is an OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) compatible middleware.