DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO A USER OF A TV SET

• US 20120110630A1
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Jat Systems 2006 Ltd.
• Original Assignee: TV Terminal Ltd.
• Inventors: Golobrodsky, Oleg, Drori, Gideon, Peterburg, Moshe, Peterburg, Yitzhak
• Granted Patent: US 10,110,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• 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 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server

Abstract

A communication device is provided for enabling a TV viewer to transmit signals towards a service provider. The communication device comprises: a user interface adapted to receive input signal from the TV viewer; a transceiver adapted to communicate wirelessly with a service provider via a remote server; and a TV interface adapted to allow forwarding of signals received from a TV source and of signals received from a service provider, towards a TV device of the TV viewer. Preferably the signals received from both sources are displayed simultaneously within different viewing windows at the screen of the TV device.

Claims

1. A communication device adapted to enable a TV viewer to transmit signals, wherein said communication device comprising:

a user interface adapted to receive input signal from said TV viewer;

a transceiver adapted to communicate wirelessly with a service provider via a virtual client entity representing said TV viewer which is adapted to allow forwarding of signals from/to said TV viewer, said virtual client entity residing at a remote server; and

a TV interface adapted to allow forwarding of signals received from a TV source and of signals received from said remote server, towards a TV device of said TV viewer.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic mixer adapted to integrate signals received from said remote server via said transceiver with TV signals broadcasted from a TV source, wherein said TV interface is further adapted to allow forwarding said integrated signals.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver is further adapted to transmit a request inputted by said TV viewer towards said remote server to enable said TV viewer to receive information from said remote server.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein said request comprises an indication for connecting the TV viewer to an Internet-based application residing at a second server.

5. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein said user interface is further adapted to receive signals conveyed by a user device, and wherein said electronic mixer is further adapted to integrate said signals received from the user device with TV signals broadcasted from a TV source.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein said transceiver further adapted to transmit signals received from said user device towards said remote server.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising storage means, and wherein said electronic mixer is further adapted to integrate signals retrieved from said storage means with TV signals broadcasted from a TV source.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a processor adapted to determine if a quality of said TV signals being received from a TV source is less than a pre-defined threshold, and if in the affirmative, to initiate conveyance of replacement signals for said low quality TV signals towards said communication device via said remote server.

23. A communication device according to claim 1, further adapted to enable accessing files that are stored on an external portable storage device by using software residing at said remote server.

24. A system for providing TV viewers with a capability to display requested information at their TV devices, the system comprises a first server adapted to host a plurality of virtual client entities each operative to represent a respective one or more TV viewers, wherein the first server is adapted to receive indications from a plurality of communication devices of claim 1, each of which is associated with a respective TV device, said indications indicate a request of a respective one or more TV viewers to be provided with information.

25. The system according to claim 24, further comprising a plurality of communication devices of claim 1, each of which is operative to wirelessly convey information generated by respective one or more TV viewers, to said first server, and to convey to their respective one or more TV viewers signals received from a TV source and signals comprising information received from said first server, in order to have the received signals displayed at the respective TV devices.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the information being conveyed towards corresponding communication devices is in a form that would allow its integration with TV broadcasts that are being received at said communication device, in order to enable displaying the integrated signal which comprises the information from said server and the broadcasted signal, at said TV device, and when said integrated signal is displayed at said TV device, neither of the individual signals received from a TV source nor signals comprising said information, are displayed at said TV device.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein said first server is adapted to retrieve information that relates to the capabilities of each of said communication devices, to enable forwarding information to each of said communication devices in a format that is compatible with the capabilities of the respective communication devices.

28. The system according to claim 24, wherein the information conveyed to the viewer of the TV device is a response to an inquiry generated by said viewer that had been forwarded to the TV broadcasting provider via said communication device and along a path which is at least partially physically different from a path along which the TV broadcasts are received at said communication device.

8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. A method for providing a viewer of a TV device with a capability to display requested information at said TV device, which method comprises the steps of:

at a first server, receiving from a communication device associated with said TV device an indication that indicates a request to be provided with information, wherein said communication device is operative to communicate wirelessly with said first server;

generating at said first server a virtual client entity representing said TV viewer which is adapted to allow forwarding of signals from/to said TV viewer;

establishing a communication path between said communication device and a source for said requested information via said first server;

forwarding requested information towards said communication device, and

enabling a display at said TV device of signals received from a TV source and of signals comprising said requested information.

12-22. -22. (canceled)