SYSTEM FOR PRESENTING STATUS INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A MEDIA CONTENT PROCESSOR

• US 20090064240A1
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• 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: WHITE, SCOTT
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• 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 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device having a controller adapted to monitor one or more activities taking place at a media content processor, and present an iconic symbol in a graphical user interface window adjusted according to the one or more activities being monitored. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium operating in a computing device, comprising computer instructions for:

establishing communications with a Set-Top Box (STB) receiver;

receiving from the STB receiver information associated with one or more content management activities taking place at the STB receiver;

presenting an iconic symbol in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window of the computing device; and

adjusting the iconic symbol in the GUI window according to the one or more content management activities.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computing device corresponds to one among a computer and a portable communication device.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more content management activities comprise at least one among a recording status of a media program recorded by a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) service managed by the STB receiver, a download status of media content supplied by a Video on Demand (VoD) service, and an operational status of the STB receiver.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

constructing a message associated with at least one of the one or more content management activities; and

presenting the message in a pop-up GUI window positioned near the iconic symbol.

5. The storage medium of claim 4, comprising computer instructions for:

detecting a pointer of a mouse in a vicinity of a location of the iconic symbol in the GUI window; and

presenting the pop-up GUI window with the message response to said detection.

6. The storage medium of claim 4, comprising computer instructions for:

detecting one or more events from information associated with the one or more content management activities;

constructing the message according to the one or more events; and

presenting the pop-up GUI window with the message response to said detection.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

constructing a plurality of messages associated with the one or more content management activities;

storing an archive of the plurality of message, each with a time stamp; and

presenting the plurality of messages responsive to detecting a selection of the iconic symbol.

8. The storage medium of claim 4, comprising computer instructions for:

detecting a selection of the pop-up GUI window by a mouse pointer; and

launching an application associated with the message.

9. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the iconic symbol is a representation of the STB receiver, and wherein the iconic symbol is positioned in a system tray of an operating system of the computing device.

10. A computing device, comprising a controller adapted to:

monitor one or more activities taking place at a media content processor; and

present an iconic symbol in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) window adjusted according to the one or more activities being monitored.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the computing device corresponds to at least one among a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, and a computer, and wherein the media content processor corresponds to one among a satellite media content process, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media content processor, and a cable TV media content processor.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the one or more activities comprise at least one among a recording status of a media program recorded by a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) service managed by the media content processor, a download status of media content received by the media content processor from a Video on Demand (VoD) source, and an operational status of the media content processor.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to:

construct a message associated with at least one of the one or more activities being monitored; and

present the message in a pop-up GUI window associated with the iconic symbol.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a pointer in a vicinity of a location of the iconic symbol; and

present the pop-up GUI window with the message response to said detection.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect an event from the one or more activities being monitored;

construct the message according to the event; and

present the pop-up GUI window with the message response to said detection.

16. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to:

receive a message from the media content processor; and

present the message in a pop-up GUI window.

17. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to:

construct a plurality of messages associated with the one or more activities being monitored; and

store an archive of the plurality of message, each with a time stamp.

18. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a selection of the pop-up GUI window; and

launch an application to manage one or more services of the media content processor.

19. A content media processor, comprising a controller adapted to transmit to a computing device one or more activities taking place at the media content processor to present at the computing device an iconic symbol adjusted according to the one or more activities.

20. The content media processor of claim 19, wherein the computing device corresponds to at least one among a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, and a computer, and wherein the media content processor corresponds to one among a satellite media content process, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media content processor, and a cable TV media content processor.

21. The content media processor of claim 19, wherein the one or more activities comprise at least one among a recording status of a media program recorded by a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) service managed by the media content processor, a download status of media content received by the media content processor from a Video on Demand (VoD) source, and an operational status of the media content processor.

22. The content media processor of claim 19, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit a message to the computing device which is presented by the computing device in a pop-up GUI window associated with the iconic symbol.

23. The content media processor of claim 22, wherein the controller is adapted to:

monitor one or more events associated with the one or more activities being monitored;

detect at least one of the one or more events; and

generate the message responsive to said detection.

24. The content media processor of claim 19, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit the one or more activities to the computing device by way of a portal.