METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING CONTROL OF SET-TOP BOXES

• US 20120017250A1
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Tirasirikul, Sangchai, Gopal, Rajesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,910,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/85
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An approach is provided for controlling one or more set-top boxes. Communications is established among a plurality of set-top boxes. One of the set-top boxes is designated as a master set-top box that is configured to control one or more of remaining ones of the set-top boxes. A control message is generated to configure the remaining ones of the set-top boxes as child set-top boxes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing communications among a plurality of set-top boxes;

designating one of the set-top boxes as a master set-top box that is configured to control one or more of remaining ones of the set-top boxes; and

generating a control message to configure the remaining ones of the set-top boxes as child set-top boxes.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a prompt to a user for setting a configuration parameter;

receiving an input value of configuration parameter from a user; and

selecting, at the master set-top box, one or more of the child set-top boxes to receive the configuration parameter value; and

generating a control command specifying the configuration parameter value for transmission to the selected one or more of the child set-top boxes.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input signal, at the master set-top box, for monitoring one or more of the child set-top boxes;

prompting the user for determination of the one or more of the child set-top boxes to be monitored;

receiving currently viewed programming information of the selected child set-top box;

presenting one or more command options, at the master set-top box, for selection by the user; and

determining the selected one of the command options for execution by the master set-top box in response to the received currently viewed programming information.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the master set-top box, a programming request from one of the child set-top boxes to view content;

determining that no viewing rule is violated; and

generating a response to grant permission for viewing by the one child set-top box in response to the programming request.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set-top box includes or is coupled to a digital video recorder.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the configuration parameter relates to content scheduling, user preference information for the set-top box, user preference information for the digital video recorder, or a combination thereof.

7. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

establish communications among a plurality of set-top boxes,

designate one of the set-top boxes as a master set-top box that is configured to control one or more of remaining ones of the set-top boxes, and

generate a control message to configure the remaining ones of the set-top boxes as child set-top boxes.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

generate a prompt to a user for setting a configuration parameter;

receive an input value of configuration parameter from a user; and

select, at the master set-top box, one or more of the child set-top boxes to receive the configuration parameter value; and

generate a control command specifying the configuration parameter value for transmission to the selected one or more of the child set-top boxes.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive an input signal, at the master set-top box, for monitoring one or more of the child set-top boxes;

prompt the user for determination of the one or more of the child set-top boxes to be monitored;

receive currently viewed programming information of the selected child set-top box;

present one or more command options, at the master set-top box, for selection by the user; and

determine the selected one of the command options for execution by the master set-top box in response to the received currently viewed programming information.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive, at the master set-top box, a programming request from one of the child set-top boxes to view content;

determine that no viewing rule is violated; and

generate a response to grant permission for viewing by the one child set-top box in response to the programming request.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the set-top box includes or is coupled to a digital video recorder.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the configuration parameter relates to content scheduling, user preference information for the set-top box, user preference information for the digital video recorder, or a combination thereof.

13. A method comprising:

designating, by a set-top box, a relationship with respect to a master set-top box, wherein the set-top box is configured to communicate with the master set-top box over a local area network; and

receiving a message from the master set-top box for setting a value of a configuration parameter of the set-top box.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

receiving another message from the master set-top box for monitoring of the set-top box; and

generating currently viewed programming information for transmission to the master set-top box in response to the other message.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

generating a programming request to view content on the set-top box;

initiating transmission of the programming request to the master set-top box; and

selectively receiving a response to grant permission for viewing of the content in response to the programming request.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the set-top box includes or is coupled to a digital video recorder, and the configuration parameter relates to content scheduling, user preference information for the set-top box, user preference information for the digital video recorder, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

designate, by a set-top box, a relationship with respect to a master set-top box, wherein the set-top box is configured to communicate with the master set-top box over a local area network, and

receive a message from the master set-top box for setting a value of a configuration parameter of the set-top box.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive another message from the master set-top box for monitoring of the set-top box; and

generate currently viewed programming information for transmission to the master set-top box in response to the other message.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

generate a programming request to view content on the set-top box;

initiate transmission of the programming request to the master set-top box; and

selectively receive a response to grant permission for viewing of the content in response to the programming request.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the set-top box includes or is coupled to a digital video recorder, and the configuration parameter relates to content scheduling, user preference information for the set-top box, user preference information for the digital video recorder, or a combination thereof.