TECHNIQUES FOR CALL INTEGRATION WITH A TELEVISION SET-TOP BOX (STB)

• US 20140230001A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandt, Jeffrey L., Sullivan, Marc, Bruce, Les, Edwards, Greg W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,538,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/6181 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

Abstract

Techniques for call integration are provided. Call logs associated with multiple voice accounts are acquired and integrated as an integrated call log. The integrated call log is presented at a display. A user can take a variety of actions on the integrated call log as a whole or on individual entries within the integrated call log.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a set-top box comprising a processor, a first call log from a first voice account in response to a first request to acquire call logs from a plurality of voice accounts;

obtaining, by the set-top box, a second call log from a second voice account in response to the first request;

integrating, by the set-top box, the first call log of the first voice account and the second call log of the second voice account into an integrated call log, wherein the first voice account is associated with a first type of voice device and the second voice account is associated with a second type of voice device;

presenting, by the set-top box, the integrated call log on a display; and

initiating, by the set-top box, a call based on a call entry selected from the integrated call log by sending a second request to a remote voice integration service, wherein the remote voice integration service selects a first device of the first type of voice device to initiate the call with a second device of the second type of voice device, and wherein the first device comprises the set-top box and the second device comprises a mobile phone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first voice account is associated with a different voice device from that associated with the second voice account.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an account selection in connection with the call entry indicating an instruction to use the first voice account or the second voice account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is associated with the call entry.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the remote voice integration service to initiate the call responsive to recognizing the first voice account is associated with a different voice device than that which is associated with the second voice account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first call log for the first voice account and the second call log for the second voice account are obtained from the remote voice integration service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first call log further comprises communicating with a device associated with the first voice account to obtain the first call log associated with the first voice account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated call log is presented with icons to distinguish call entries for different voice accounts including the first voice account and the second voice account.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first communication device comprising a processor, a request to acquire a plurality of call logs of a corresponding plurality of voice accounts;

obtaining, by the first communication device, the plurality of call logs of the corresponding plurality of voice accounts;

generating, by the first communication device, an integrated call log based on combination of the plurality of call logs;

receiving, by the first communication device, a selection of a call entry from the integrated call log;

initiating, by the first communication device, a call to a second communication device associated with the call entry, wherein the first communication device comprises a first type of voice device, wherein the second communication device comprises a second type of voice device, and wherein the first type of voice device differs from the second type of voice device; and

initiating, by the first communication device, communications with the second communication responsive to the second communication device answering the call.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of call logs is obtained from a plurality of communication devices.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising supplying authentication information to the plurality of communication device to obtain the plurality of call logs from the plurality of communication devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first communication device comprises a set-top box, and wherein the second communication device comprises a mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the call is initiated over one of cellular communication system, a satellite communication system, a wireline communication system, or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a request to retrieve voice messages associated with the plurality of voice accounts.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising deleting one of the voice messages in response to receiving an instruction.

16. A machine-readable storage device comprising instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

combining a plurality of call logs associated with a plurality of voice accounts of different devices into an integrated call log;

presenting the integrated call log on a display in a manner that distinguishes each call log entry according to the different devices;

receiving a selection of a call log entry of the integrated call log; and

initiating a call from a first communication device to a second communication device associated with the call entry, wherein the first communication device comprises a first type of communication device, wherein the second communication device comprises a second type of communication device, and wherein the first type of communication device differs from the second type of communication device.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of call logs is obtained from a plurality of communication devices.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the first communication and the second communication device are included in the plurality of communication devices.

19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise supplying authentication information to the plurality of communication device to obtain the plurality of call logs from the plurality of communication devices.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the integrated call log is presented with icons to distinguish call log entries of the first communication device from call log entries of the second communication device.