METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS TO A TELEVISION RECEIVER

• US 20120311630A1
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Tritt, Pamela Margit
• Granted Patent: US 9,167,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for allowing a customer support agent to remotely analyze a television receiver. A television receiver is communicatively coupled to a customer support center through a communication network. A customer support agent remotely accesses the television receiver and the television receiver transmits video content to the customer support center through the communication network. The video output is outputted to the customer support agent at the customer support center for analysis of the television receiver.

Claims

1. A method of processing a customer support request from a user, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a customer support system and a television receiver associated with the user via a communication network;

receiving video content from the identified television receiver at the customer support system via the connection; and

outputting the video content received from the identified television receiver to a display for presentation to an agent handling the customer support request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from a customer service agent at the customer support system;

responsive to the input, transmitting a command from the customer support system to the television receiver associated with the user over the communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the video content received from the television receiver associated with the user is a placeshifted video stream that contains television programming that is transcoded from a television broadcast received at the television receiver associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the input requests to initiate output of video on-demand (VOD) content through the television receiver.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the input initiates a diagnostic procedure executed by the television receiver associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the input requests to interact with an application operable on the television receiver associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to transmitting the command, receiving second video content at the customer support system from the television receiver via the communication network; and

outputting the second video content to the display for viewing by agent.

8. A television receiver comprising:

a hardware receiver interface that receives input video data from a television distribution network;

a hardware network interface configured to communicatively couple to a communications network; and

a processing device communicatively coupled to the receiver interface and to the network interface, the processing device configured to;

establish a connection with a customer support system via the network interface;

receive a command, via the connection, from the customer support system, the command requesting that the processing device change at least one operating parameter;

generate output video data responsive to the command; and

initiate transmission of the output video data to the customer support system via the network interface.

9. The television receiver of claim 8 further comprising a transcoding module configured to convert a broadcast video stream received via the television distribution network into the output video data, wherein the output video data is a placeshifted media stream formatted to be routable to the customer support system via the communications network.

10. The television receiver of claim 8, wherein the command requests the processing device to re-direct the presentation of the output video data to the transcoding module.

11. The television receiver of claim 10, wherein the command requests the processing device to change a channel of the broadcast video stream and thereby change the content of the output video data generated by the transcoding module for transmission to the customer support system via the communication network.

12. The television receiver of claim 10, wherein the command requests the processing device to initiate output of video on-demand (VOD) content through the television receiver.

13. The television receiver of claim 10, wherein the command requests the processing device to initiate a diagnostic procedure.

14. The television receiver of claim 10, wherein the television distribution network comprises a satellite television distribution network.

15. The television receiver of claim 10, wherein the television distribution network comprises a cable television distribution network.

16. A customer support system to allow a customer service agent to respond to a support request from a user, the system comprising:

a processing device;

a network interface responsive to the processing device to establish a connection between a customer support system and a television receiver associated with the user via a communication network and to receive video content from the television receiver associated with the user at the customer support system via the connection; and

a display interface configured to output the video content received from the identified television receiver associated with the user to a display for presentation to the customer service agent handling the support request from the user.

17. The customer support system of claim 16, further comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium that stores data associating information identifying the user with a network identifier for the television receiver associated with the user;

wherein the processing device uses the data to identify the television receiver and to establish the connection with the television receiver associated with the user using the network identifier.

18. The customer support system of claim 16, further comprising:

an input interface operable to receive an input from the customer service agent;

the processing device operable to generate a command responsive to the input and to initiate transmission of the command to the television receiver associated with the user via the connection to thereby execute the command on the television receiver associated with the user.

19. The customer support system of claim 18, wherein the video content received from the television receiver via the communication network is a placeshifted video stream that is controlled by the customer support system.

20. The customer support system of claim 18, wherein the command directs the television receiver associated with the user to initiate a diagnostic procedure through the television receiver.