Methods and systems for providing information to a plurality of set-top boxes via a personal computer using set-top box identifiers

• US 6,678,004 B1
• Filed: 08/09/1999
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Christopher J. Schultheiss, Douglas G. Brown
• Original Assignee: Christopher J. Schultheiss, Douglas G. Brown
• Inventors: Cutler, Todd D., Schultheiss, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US09/370,561
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 348/552, 348/906, 348/14.04, 348/734, 345/717, 345/718, 345/719, 725/51, 725/100, 725/109, 725/110, 725/139, 725/153, 725/141, 725/82, 725/80, 725/81, 725/79, 725/78, 725/74, 725/133, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 348/552
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

A set-top box is provided wherein an Identifier (ID) associated with the set-top box can be used to request information from a personal computer which provides the requested information to the set-top box. In particular, in a system that includes multiple set-top boxes, the ID can be used to determine which set-top box made a request and to determine which set-top box is the intended recipient of the requested information accessed by the system. For example, a request for information from a set-top box can include the ID of the set-top box. The personal computer, therefore, can use the ID to record which set-top box made the request. When the personal computer receives the information requested by the set-top box, the information and the ID of the set-top box that made the request is broadcast to all the set-top boxes. Each set-top box compares the ID broadcast with the information to its own ID to determine if the information is intended for it.

Claims

1. A method of providing information from a personal computer to a set-top box over a communications link, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for information from the set-top box at the personal computer, the personal computer and the set-top box being at a single location to which is configured for cable service, wherein the request includes an ID that identifies the set-top box;

accessing the requested information by the personal computer; and

transmitting the requested information and the ID that identifies the set-top box from the personal computer to the set-top box over the communications link, the communications link at the single location which is configured for cable service.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second request for second information from a second set-top box at the personal computer, wherein the second request includes a second ID that identifies the second set-top box;

accessing the second requested information by the personal computer; and

transmitting the second requested information and a second ID that identifies the second set-top box from the personal computer to the set-top box over the communications link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of accessing comprises the steps of:

accessing the first requested information based on a first context associated with the first set-top box; and

accessing the second requested information based on a second context associated with the second set-top box.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of accessing comprises the steps of:

combining the first request for information and the second request for information at the personal computer; and

accessing the first requested information and the second requested information by the personal computer via a network.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of accessing comprises the step of accessing the first requested information by the personal computer based on a first keyboard status and a first screen status associated with a television connected to a set-top box.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the step of broadcasting a plurality of information packets by the personal computer over the communications link, wherein at least one of the information packets includes the ID that identifies the set-top box that requested the information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of accessing comprises the step of accessing the requested information by the personal computer via a network.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

sending a power-up packet including the ID of the set-top box from the set-top box to the personal computer over the communications link from the set-top box;

recording the ID of the set-top box included in the power-up packet at the personal computer to designate the set-top box as known; and

transmitting an acknowledgement packet including the ID of the set-top box from the personal computer over the communications link to the set-top box to acknowledge receipt of the power-up packet from the set-top box.

9. A set-top box that interfaces to a television and requests information from a personal computer over a communications link all being at a single location which is configured for cable service, wherein the set-top box is identified by an associated set-top box ID, wherein the set-top box transmits requests for information and the set-top box ID to the personal computer and receives the information and an associated ID from the PC over the communications link, the communications link at the single location which is configured for cable service.

10. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the set-top box accepts the information from the personal computer if the received associated ID identifies the set-top box.

11. The set-top box of claim 10, wherein the set-top box rejects the information transmitted by the personal computer if the received associated ID does not identify the set-top box.

12. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the communications link is a coaxial cable.

13. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the set-top box is configured to be coupled to the personal computer in a house.

14. A system that provides information over a communications link, the system comprising:

a set-top box, configured to be coupled to a television, wherein the set-top box transmits requests for information intended for display on the television, wherein the set-top box has an associated ID that identifies the set-top box; and

a personal computer, configured to be coupled to a network and to the set-top box via the communications link, wherein the personal computer receives the requests for information from the set-top box, accesses the requested information and transmits the requested information and the ID associated with the set-top box to the set-top box, wherein the personal computer, the set-top box, and the communications link are at a single location which is configured for cable service.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the personal computer receives second requests for information from a second set-top box, wherein the second requests include a second associated ID that identifies the second set-top box, and wherein the personal computer accesses the second requested information and transmits the second requested information and the second ID associated with the second set-top box to the second set-top box.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the personal computer accesses the first requested information based on a first context associated with the first set-top box and accesses the second requested information based on a second context associated with the second set-top box.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein personal computer combines the first request for information and the second request for information and accesses the first requested information and the second requested information via a network.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the personal computer accesses the first requested information based on a first keyboard status and a first screen status associated with a television connected to a set-top box.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the personal computer broadcasts a plurality of information packets over the communication link, wherein at least one of the information packets includes the ID that identifies the set-top box that requested the information.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the personal computer accesses the requested information via a network if the personal computer determines that the requested information is not stored on the personal computer.

21. A set-top box that interfaces to a television and requests information from a personal computer over a communications link, the set-top box comprising:

means for transmitting requests for information and a set-top box ID to the personal computer, wherein the set-top box is identified by the set-top box ID; and

means for receiving the information and an associated ID from the PC over the communications link, wherein the personal computer, the set-top box, and the communications link are at a single location which is configured for cable service.

22. The set-top box of claim 21, wherein the set-top box accepts the information from by the personal computer if the received associated ID identifies the set-top box.

23. The set-top box of claim 22, wherein the means for receiving comprises means for rejecting the information transmitted by the personal computer if the received associated ID does not identify the set-top box.

24. The set-top box of claim 21, wherein the communications link is a coaxial cable.

25. The set-top box of claim 21, wherein the set-top box is configured to be coupled to the personal computer in a house.

26. A system that provides information over a communications link, the system comprising:

set-top box means for transmitting requests for information intended for display on a television, from the set-top box means, wherein the set-top box has an associated ID that identifies the set-top box; and

personal computer means for receiving the requests for information from the set-top box means and means for accessing the requested information and means for transmitting the requested information and the ID associated with the set-top box means from the personal computer means to the set-top box means over the communications link, wherein the personal computer, the set-top box, and the are at a single location to which cable service is provided.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the personal computer means receives second requests for information from a second set-top box means, wherein the second requests include a second associated ID that identifies the second set-top box means, and wherein the personal computer means accesses the second requested information and transmits the second requested information and the second ID associated with the second set-top box means to the second set-top box means.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the personal computer means accesses the first requested information based on a first context associated with the first set-top box means and accesses the second requested information based on a second context associated with the second set-top box means.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the personal computer means combines the first request for information and the second request for information and accesses the first requested information and the second requested information via a network.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the personal computer means accesses the first requested information based on a first keyboard status and a first screen status associated with a television connected to a set-top box.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the personal computer means broadcasts a plurality of information packets over the communication link, wherein at least one of the information packets includes the ID that identifies the set-top box means that requested the information.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the personal computer means accesses the requested information via a network if the personal computer means determines that the requested information is not stored on the personal computer means.