Set-Top Box with Enhanced Content and System and Method for Use of Same

• US 20170347149A1
• Filed: 08/14/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Enseo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enseo, Inc.
• Inventors: Ogle, Vanessa, Wolfe, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US15/676,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20170347149A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• 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 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/633 Control signals issued by server directed to the network components or client management of faults, events, alarms in data networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A set-top box with enhanced content and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless transceiver is located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a television input, television output, a processor, and memory. The set-top box may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display. Content, such as the Internet, movies, music, or games, for example, may be imported from the programmable device and reformatted at the set-top box for display on a television via the television output, thereby creating an experience on the television parallel to the experience on the programmable device. Virtual remote control functionality may then be provided by a spoken sequence of words.

Claims

1. A set-top box comprising:

a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;

a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;

a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;

the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a television; and

the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box,

receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual remote control functionality input instructions being representations of a spoken sequence of words,

evaluating the spoken sequence of words to assign a meaning to the spoken sequence of words,

responsive to evaluating the spoken sequence of words, generate a command signal, and

send the command signal to the television.

2. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a housing-dongle combination securing the television input, the television output, the processor, memory, storage, and wireless transceiver therewith.

3. The set-top box as recited in claim 2, wherein the processor and the memory are distributed through the housing-dongle combination.

4. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device via a standard selected from the group consisting of infrared (IR), 802.11, 3G, 4G, Edge, WiFi, ZigBee, near field communications (NFC), and Bluetooth.

5. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device via a short distance data exchange standard.

6. The set-top box as recited in claim 5, wherein the short distance data exchange standard comprises Bluetooth.

7. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is at least partially internal to the housing.

8. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is at least partially external to the housing.

9. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises an antenna.

10. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches.

11. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the command signal provides remote control of the television.

12. A set-top box comprising:

a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;

a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;

a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;

the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a television;

the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box,

receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual remote control functionality input instructions being representations of a spoken sequence of words,

evaluating the spoken sequence of words to assign a meaning to the spoken sequence of words, and

responsive to evaluating the spoken sequence of words, generate a command signal, and

send the command signal to the television, the command signal providing remote control functionality of the television.

13. The set-top box as recited in claim 12, wherein the housing further comprises a housing-dongle combination securing the television input, the television output, the processor, memory, storage, and wireless transceiver therewith.

14. The set-top box as recited in claim 12, wherein the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches.

15. A set-top box comprising:

a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;

a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;

a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;

the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a television; and

the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box,

provide instructions on a touch screen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the instructions triggering a spoken sequence of words as a response,

receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual remote control functionality input instructions being representations of the spoken sequence of words,

evaluate the spoken sequence of words to assign a meaning to the spoken sequence of words,

responsive to evaluating the spoken sequence of words, generate a command signal, and

send the command signal to the television.

16. The set-top box as recited in claim 15, wherein the housing further comprises a housing-dongle combination securing the television input, the television output, the processor, memory, storage, and wireless transceiver therewith.

17. The set-top box as recited in claim 15, wherein the processor and the memory are distributed through the housing-dongle combination.

18. The set-top box as recited in claim 15, wherein the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches.

19. The set-top box as recited in claim 15, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device via a short distance data exchange standard.

20. The set-top box as recited in claim 15, wherein the command signal provides remote control functionality of the television.