METHODS AND APPARATUS TO PROVIDE MESSAGES TO TELEVISION USERS

• US 20080181377A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Qiu, Chaoxin Charles, Scruggs, Jeffrey Lee, Cantu, Diana Maria, Lemay, John E., Lee, Jessie Tsae-Jiuan
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/14 cable networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/063 where the telephone network is a network other than PSTN/ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2356 by altering the spatial resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to provide messages to television users are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a request for a voicemail message from the television user, determining a voicemail mailbox associated with the television user, and sending at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or a voicemail message to a display device associated with the television user.

Claims

1. A method to provide voicemail messages to a television user, the method comprising:

receiving a request to access a voicemail account from the television user;

determining a voicemail mailbox associated with the television user; and

sending at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or a voicemail message to a display device associated with the television user.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the television user is an internet protocol television user.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the voicemail mailbox is a voicemail mailbox associated with at least one of a voice over internet protocol service, a mobile phone service, or a public switched telephone network service.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein sending the at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or the voicemail message to the display device associated with the television user is performed using a terminal session.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the terminal session is a remote desktop session.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining an account identifier associated with the television user.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising determining a voicemail mailbox associated with the account identifier.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising converting the voicemail message from a first format to a second format before sending the voicemail message to the television user.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating a graphical user interface associated with the list of one or more voicemail messages.

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34. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 21, wherein the terminal session is a remote desktop session.

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30. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a request to access a voicemail account from a television user;

determine a voicemail mailbox associated with the television user; and

send at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or a voicemail message to a display device associated with the television user.

31. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 30, wherein the television user is an internet protocol television user.

32. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 30, wherein the voicemail mailbox is a voicemail mailbox associated with at least one of a voice over internet protocol service, a mobile phone service, or a public switched telephone network service.

33. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 30, wherein sending the at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or the voicemail message to the display device associated with the television user is performed using a terminal session.

35. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 30, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to determine an account identifier associated with the television user.

36. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 35, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to determine a voicemail mailbox associated with the account identifier.

37. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 30, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to convert the voicemail message from a first format to a second format before sending the voicemail message to the television user.

38. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 30, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to generate a graphical user interface associated with the list of one or more voicemail messages.

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54. An apparatus for providing voicemail messages to a television user, the apparatus comprising:

a database associating an identifier associated with a television device with a voicemail mailbox;

a request receiver to receive a request for a list of voicemail message information from a television device, to determine the identifier associated with the television device, to query the database to determine the voicemail mailbox associated with the identifier; and

a message presenter to initiate a terminal session with the television device and send the list of voicemail message information to the television device via the terminal session.

55. An apparatus as defined in claim 54, wherein the request receiver is further to determine an electronic mail mailbox associated with the identifier.

56. An apparatus as defined in claim 55, further comprising

a messaging transceiver to retrieve an electronic mail message from the electronic mail mailbox, wherein the message presenter is further to send the electronic mail message to the television device via the terminal session.

57. An apparatus as defined in claim 54, further comprising a notification generator to send a notification to the television device indicating that a new voicemail message has been placed in the voicemail mailbox.

58. An apparatus as defined in claim 57, further comprising:

a notification receiver to receive a notification that a new voicemail message is available at a message provider, wherein the notification generator is further to send a notification to the television device, the notification indicating that a new voicemail message is available.

59. An apparatus as defined in claim 58, wherein the request is responsive to the notification.

60. An apparatus as defined in claim 54, wherein the television device is an internet protocol television device.

61. An apparatus as defined in claim 54, wherein the message presenter is further to send a list of electronic mail message information with the list of voicemail message information, the list of voicemail message information being associated with a user of the television device.

62. An apparatus as defined in claim 54, further comprising an administration interface to allow a user to modify the database.

63. An apparatus as defined in claim 54, wherein the database is further to provide information associated with the voicemail message provider.