System and method for effectively managing telephone functionality by utilizing a settop box

• US 6,678,362 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hong, Yan, Fujimori, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/062,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/102.03, 379/110.01, 379/93.23, 379/142.16, 455/420, 455/462, 455/566, 725/106, 725/114, 725/131
• US Class Current: 379/102.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/215 by non-intrusive coupling means, e.g. acoustic couplers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/82 Line monitoring circuits for call progress or status discrimination for detecting caller identity H04M1/573
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party

Abstract

A system and method for effectively managing telephone functionality by utilizing a settop box may preferably include a television coupled to the settop box for displaying television programming from a television programming source, and a telephone coupled to the settop box for receiving telephone calls from a telephone network. The settop box may include a TV mute manager for controlling a television mute mode that may be activated to mute audio programming on the television when receiving incoming telephone calls. The settop box may further include a caller ID manager that controls a caller ID mode that may be activated to display caller identifications on the television when receiving incoming telephone calls. The settop box may also include a phone mute manager that controls a telephone mute mode that may be activated to mute telephone ringing when receiving incoming telephone calls.

Claims

1. A system for managing telephonic communications, comprising:

a settop box configured to communicate with a television programming source and a telephone network;

a television coupled to said settop box for displaying television programming from said television programming source;

a telephone coupled to said settop box for receiving telephone calls from said telephone network, said settop box including a TV mute manager for controlling a television mute mode that may be activated to mute audio programming on said television when receiving said telephone calls, said settop box further including a caller ID manager that controls a caller ID mode that may be activated to display caller identifications on said television when receiving said telephone calls, said settop box also including a phone mute manager that controls a telephone mute mode that may be activated to mute telephone ringing when receiving said telephone calls.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein a system user activates said TV mute mode by utilizing an input/output interface of said settop box.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein a phone manager of said settop box detects an incoming call of said telephone calls from said telephone network.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said phone manager notifies said TV mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said TV mute manager mutes said audio programming on said television after said phone manager notifies said TV mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said TV mute manager generates and transmits an audio mute signal to said television in order to mute said audio programming.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said phone manager of said settop box instructs said telephone to ring after said audio programming has been muted so that said system user is notified about said incoming call.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein a system user activates said caller ID mode by utilizing an input/output interface of said settop box.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a phone manager of said settop box detects an incoming call of said telephone calls from said telephone network.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said phone manager notifies said caller ID manager that said incoming call has been detected.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said caller ID manager displays an appropriate one of said caller identifications on a portion of a screen of said television after said phone manager notifies said caller ID manager that said incoming call has been detected.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said caller identification includes at least one of a caller name, a caller telephone number, and an incoming call icon.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said phone manager of said settop box instructs said telephone to ring after said caller ID has been displayed on said television so that said system user may screen said incoming call.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said caller ID manager displays said caller identification on a STB display on said settop box after said phone manager of said settop box instructs said telephone to ring.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said system user may utilize said settop box as a hand-free telephone device to answer said incoming call by utilizing said phone manager, speakers of said television, and a microphone device coupled to said settop box.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said system utilizes said caller ID mode at the same time as utilizing said TV mute mode.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein said system user activates said phone mute mode when said caller ID mode is activated by utilizing said input/output interface of said settop box.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said phone manager notifies said phone mute manager that said incoming call has been detected, said phone mute manager responsively muting a telephone ringing function of said telephone so that said audio programming from said television is not interrupted by said incoming call.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said phone mute manager generates and transmits a ring mute signal to said telephone when said phone manager notifies said phone mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said system user may utilize said settop box as an answering machine to record said incoming call in order to listen to said incoming call at a later time.

21. A method for managing telephonic communications, comprising the steps of:

communicating with a television programming source and a telephone network by utilizing a settop box;

displaying television programming from said television programming source on a television that is coupled to said settop box;

receiving telephone calls from said telephone network with a telephone coupled to said settop box, said settop box including a TV mute manager for controlling a television mute mode that may be activated to mute audio programming on said television when receiving said telephone calls, said settop box further including a caller ID manager that controls a caller ID mode that may be activated to display caller identifications on said television when receiving said telephone calls, said settop box also including a phone mute manager that controls a telephone mute mode that may be activated to mute telephone ringing when receiving said telephone calls.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein a system user activates said TV mute mode by utilizing an input/output interface of said settop box.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein a phone manager of said settop box detects an incoming call of said telephone calls from said telephone network.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said phone manager notifies said TV mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said TV mute manager mutes said audio programming on said television after said phone manager notifies said TV mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said TV mute manager generates and transmits an audio mute signal to said television in order to mute said audio programming.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said phone manager of said settop box instructs said telephone to ring after said audio programming has been muted so that said system user is notified about said incoming call.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein a system user activates said caller ID mode by utilizing an input/output interface of said settop box.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein a phone manager of said settop box detects an incoming call of said telephone calls from said telephone network.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said phone manager notifies said caller ID manager that said incoming call has been detected.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said caller ID manager displays an appropriate one of said caller identifications on a portion of a screen of said television after said phone manager notifies said caller ID manager that said incoming call has been detected.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said caller identification includes at least one of a caller name, a caller telephone number, and an incoming call icon.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said phone manager of said settop box instructs said telephone to ring after said caller ID has been displayed on said television so that said system user may screen said incoming call.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said caller ID manager displays said caller identification on a STB display on said settop box after said phone manager of said settop box instructs said telephone to ring.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said system user may utilize said settop box as a hand-free telephone device to answer said incoming call by utilizing said phone manager, speakers of said television, and a microphone device coupled to said settop box.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said system utilizes said caller ID mode at the same time as utilizing said TV mute mode.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein said system user activates said phone mute mode when said caller ID mode is activated by utilizing said input/output interface of said settop box.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said phone manager notifies said phone mute manager that said incoming call has been detected, said phone mute manager responsively muting a telephone ringing function of said telephone so that said audio programming from said television is not interrupted by said incoming call.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said phone mute manager generates and transmits a ring mute signal to said telephone when said phone manager notifies said phone mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said system user may utilize said settop box as an answering machine to record said incoming call in order to listen to said incoming call at a later time.

41. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for managing telephonic communications by performing the steps of:

communicating with a television programming source and a telephone network by utilizing a settop box;

displaying television programming from said television programming source on a television that is coupled to said settop box;

receiving telephone calls from said telephone network with a telephone coupled to said settop box, said settop box including a TV mute manager for controlling a television mute mode that may be activated to mute audio programming on said television when receiving said telephone calls, said settop box further including a caller ID manager that controls a caller ID mode that may be activated to display caller identifications on said television when receiving said telephone calls, said settop box also including a phone mute manager that controls a telephone mute mode that may be activated to mute telephone ringing when receiving said telephone calls.