BROADCAST EVENT NOTIFICATIONS

• US 20160073172A1
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar UK Holdings Ltd (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Sharples, Christian
• Application Number:
  US14/479,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073172A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

Systems and methods for alerting a mobile device about a broadcast television event include pairing a mobile device with a television receiver to establish a local wireless connection between the mobile device and the television receiver. An event selection is received at the television receiver. The event selection is indicative of a program title related to a broadcast program to be alerted to the mobile device. After the television receiver determines that threshold time prior to the broadcast time of the event selection has been reached, the television receiver alerts the mobile device through the local wireless connection.

Claims

1. A television receiver for alerting a plurality of mobile devices about a broadcast television event, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

pair the plurality of mobile devices to be alerted with the television receiver;

receive an event selection, wherein the event selection is indicative of a program title related to a broadcast program to be alerted to the plurality of mobile devices;

determine a broadcast time and a broadcast channel of the broadcast program, wherein a program stream of the broadcast program is scheduled to be received at the broadcast channel during the broadcast time;

determine that a threshold time prior to the broadcast time has been reached;

after determining that the threshold time has been reached, simultaneously alert the plurality of mobile devices with

     1) a message indicating that the broadcast program is about to start and

     2) a request for user input from at least one of the plurality of mobile devices;

after alerting the plurality of mobile devices, receive the user input from at least one of the plurality of mobile devices; and

after receiving the user input, manage output of the broadcast program based on the user input.

2. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of mobile devices comprises a mobile phone or a tablet computer.

3. The television receiver of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of mobile devices are associated with a user profile;

and

the alert the plurality of mobile devices operation alerts the plurality of mobile devices associated with the user profile.

4. The television receiver of claim 1, further having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine the broadcast time of the broadcast program by looking up at least a portion of the received event selection in an electronic program guide;

display a plurality of broadcast times for the event selection; and

receive a user selection for at least one of the plurality of displayed broadcast times for alerting the plurality of mobile devices.

5. The television receiver of claim 1, further having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a subtitle related to the broadcast program in the event selection; and

look up at least one of the program title and the subtitle in the electronic program guide.

6. The television receiver of claim 1, further having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a user selection for the threshold time, wherein the threshold time is a duration of time immediately preceding the broadcast time.

7. The television receiver of claim 1, further having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive an output command selected in the user input;

receive a display device selection in the user input;

tune to the broadcast channel to receive the program stream at the broadcast time; and

output the broadcast program on the selected display device.

8. The television receiver of claim 1, further having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the broadcast channel is not being output on a display device coupled to the television receiver during the threshold time; and

after determining that the display device is not displaying the broadcast channel, alert, by the television receiver, at least one of the plurality of mobile devices based on the determination that the display device is not displaying the broadcast channel.

9. The television receiver of claim 8, wherein the display device is a predetermined display device based on a previous user input.

10. The television receiver of claim 1, further having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

send a second alert to the plurality of mobile devices if no user input is received once the broadcast time is reached, wherein the second alert comprises an updated message indicating that the broadcast program has started; and

manage output of the broadcast program based on a default mode, wherein the default mode is a predetermined operation based on a previous user input.

11. The television receiver of claim 1, further having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

alert the plurality of mobile devices at an identification number through a Bluetooth or wireless connection.

12. The television receiver of claim 1, further having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

rank the plurality of mobile devices based on a user-determined priority; and

manage output of the broadcast program based on the user input received from a highest-ranking mobile device.

13. A method for alerting mobile devices about a broadcast television event, comprising:

establishing, by a television receiver, a first communication link with a first mobile device and a second communication link with a second mobile device, wherein the first communication link comprises a local wireless connection between the first mobile device and the television receiver and the second communication link comprises a local wireless connection between the second mobile device and the television receiver;

receiving, by the television receiver, an event selection, wherein the event selection is indicative of a program title related to a broadcast program to be alerted to the first and second mobile devices;

determining, by the television receiver, that a threshold time prior to a broadcast time of the event selection has been reached; and

after determining that the threshold time prior to the broadcast time has been reached, simultaneously alerting, by the television receiver, the first mobile device through the first communication link and the second mobile device through the second communication link.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

after determining that the threshold time prior to the broadcast time has been reached, determining, by the television receiver, that a tuner of the television receiver is already tuned to a broadcast channel containing the broadcast program.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

after determining that the threshold time prior to the broadcast time has been reached, determining, by the television receiver, that a display device coupled to the television receiver is not displaying a broadcast channel scheduled to display the broadcast program at a broadcast time; and

after determining that the display device is not displaying the broadcast program, alerting, by the television receiver, at least the first mobile device based on the determination that the display device is not displaying the broadcast channel.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

outputting, by the television receiver, a user interface for presentation on a display device coupled to the television receiver, wherein the user interface comprises an event selection list including an upcoming event selection, a previously alerted event selection, and a recommended broadcast event selection.

17. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for alerting a plurality of mobile devices about a broadcast event, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

pair the plurality of mobile devices to be alerted with the television receiver;

receive an event selection, wherein the event selection is indicative of a program title related to a broadcast program to be alerted to the plurality of mobile devices;

determine a broadcast time and a broadcast channel of the broadcast program, wherein a program stream of the broadcast program is scheduled to be received at the broadcast channel during the broadcast time;

determine that a threshold time prior to the broadcast time has been reached;

after determining that the threshold time has been reached, simultaneously alert the plurality of mobile devices with

     1) a message indicating that the broadcast program is about to start and

     2) a request for user input from at least one of the plurality of mobile devices;

after alerting the plurality of mobile devices, receive the user input from at least one of the plurality of mobile devices; and

after receiving the user input, manage output of the broadcast program based on the user input.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium for alerting the plurality of mobile devices of claim 17, wherein the processor-readable instructions further comprise processor-readable instructions configured to:

receive a user input through at least one of the plurality of mobile devices to select a display device from a plurality of display devices for displaying the broadcast channel.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium for alerting the plurality of mobile devices of claim 17, wherein the processor-readable instructions further comprise processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

detect that the broadcast program is related to a series of broadcast programs; and

provide a series link for the series of broadcast programs, wherein the series link establishes recurring notifications for the series of broadcast programs.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium for alerting the plurality of mobile devices of claim 17, wherein the processor-readable instructions further comprise processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

after determining that the threshold time has been reached, determine that a display device coupled to the television receiver is not displaying the broadcast channel; and

after determining that the display device is not displaying the broadcast channel, alert at least one of the plurality of mobile devices based on the determination that the display device is not displaying the broadcast channel.