System and method for context-based searching and control of an integrated communications center

• US 7,536,708 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Caspi, Rami, Beyda, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US10/384,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-350, 370400-401, 370465-467, 370493-495, 725131-133, 725151-153, 725114-118, 725/110, 709/207, 709217-218, 709223-224, 348/552
• US Class Current: 725/132
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A context-based search system (3800) for control of a digital personal media stream manager (102), for example, to control the programming of a video recording device (114). Such a system may be maintained by a service provider and can identify a program and date and time without receiving complete details thereof; the DPVSM (102) can then control the recording of the program using IM or e-mail based-techniques. The context-based search system (3800) includes a message receiver (3902) for receiving the DPVSM message; one or more databases (3808, 3816) for storing keywords and program information; a confirmation message generator (3818) for informing the user of identified programming; and a DPVSM control (3820) for causing the DPVSM (102) to supervise the media recording once one of the identified results have been selected by the user.

Claims

1. A telecommunications method, comprising:

providing a digital personal video stream manager control message with one or more keywords indicating one or more multimedia programs, said digital personal video stream manager control message having incomplete program schedule information;

detecting said one or more keywords in said digital personal video stream manager control message;

accessing a database to determine a programming time of one or more programs from said digital personal video stream manager control message;

returning a confirmation message to a sender of the digital personal video stream manager control message, said confirmation message including a result of said accessing including a schedule listing of multimedia programs associated with said one or more keywords;

receiving selection of one or more scheduled multimedia programs;

converting said selection to a control message in a messaging format; and

using said control message to control programming a video recording device to record a program.

2. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said digital personal video stream manager control message is in a Short Message Service format, and Instant Messaging format, an e-mail format, or a voice portal format.

3. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said control message is in an e-mail format or an Instant Messaging format.

4. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said using comprises receiving said control message at a personal computer on a local area network and accessing a video recording device operably coupled to said local area network.

5. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 4, wherein said accessing comprises accessing via a digital personal video stream manager adapted to

receive one or more broadband media streams at a television;

digitize said one or more broadband media streams as one or more media files;

transmit said one or more media files to a personal computer; and

control playback of said one or more media files on said personal computer or said television.

6. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said local area network is a wireless local area network.

7. A telecommunications server, comprising:

a first database for storing one or more keywords related to television programming information;

a second database for storing program schedules for related television programs;

a keyword extractor for accessing said first database and extracting keywords in a received control message having incomplete program schedule information; and

a message search unit for searching said second database for programs corresponding to said keywords and determining schedule information for each identified corresponding television program; and

a digital personal video stream manager controller scheduling and setting a video recording device to record a particular program at a scheduled time identified by said message search unit in response to said keywords in said control message.

8. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 7, further including a confirmation message generator adapted to transmit a confirmation message to a sender of said control message in response to a result returned by said message search unit, said confirmation message indicating determined schedule information.

9. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 8, wherein said control message is in a Short Message Service format, and Instant Messaging format, an e-mail format, or a voice portal format.

10. A telecommunications server in accordance with claim 9, wherein said digital personal video stream manager controller is adapted to transmit one or more controls to a computer, said computer including a control unit for controlling said video recording device responsive to a result returned by said message search unit.

11. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a multimedia telecommunications system coupled through a multimedia broadband connection to a broadband network, said multimedia telecommunications system including;

a local area network;

a media subsystem coupled to receive broadband media from a connected said broadband network, said media subsystem including;

a television for viewing said broadband media; and

a digital personal video stream manager operably coupled to said television and said local area network, said digital personal video stream manager adapted to convert said broadband media to media files useable on said local area network and convert media files from said local area network to a format viewable on said television;

a network subsystem coupled through a broadband modem to said broadband network and to said digital personal video stream manager over said local area network, said network subsystem including a computer having a digital personal video stream manager controller and a memory for storing media files;

wherein said digital personal video stream manager controller is adapted to receive media files from said digital personal video stream manager via said local area network and transmit media files to said digital personal video stream manager via said local area network; and

a database server adapted to receive a digital personal video stream manager control message, said control message including one or more extractable keywords indicating one or more multimedia programs and having incomplete program schedule information, said database server identifying scheduled programs responsive to said one or more keywords and selecting scheduled programs, and transmit content of said digital personal video stream manager control message to said computer;

wherein said computer includes a messaging client and is adapted to receive said content for controlling operation of said digital personal video stream manager.

12. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, further including a video recording device controllable by said computer via said digital personal video stream manager over said local area network.

16. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said multimedia broadband connection is a settop box.

13. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a multimedia telecommunications system including;

a local area network;

a media subsystem coupled to receive broadband media, said media subsystem including;

a television for viewing said broadband media; and

a digital personal video stream manager operably coupled to said television and said local area network, said digital personal video stream manager adapted to convert said broadband media to media files useable on said local area network and convert media files from said local area network to a format viewable on said television;

a network subsystem coupled to an Internet and said local area network, said network subsystem including a computer having a digital personal video stream manager controller and a memory for storing media files;

wherein said digital personal video stream manager controller is adapted to receive media files from said digital personal video stream manager via said local area network and transmit media files to said digital personal video stream manager via said local area network;

a database server adapted to receive a user'"'"'s digital personal video stream manager control message and transmit a content of said digital personal video stream manager control message to said computer;

wherein said computer includes a messaging client and is adapted to receive said content for controlling operation of said digital personal video stream manager; and

a video recording device controllable by said computer via said digital personal video stream manager over said local area network;

wherein said database server comprises;

a first database for storing one or more keywords related to television scheduling programming information;

a second database for storing program schedules;

a keyword extractor for accessing said first database and extracting keywords in a received control message; and

a message search unit for searching said second database for programs corresponding to said keywords; and

a digital personal video stream manager controller adapted to control setting said video recording device via said digital personal video stream manager to record a particular program identified by said message search unit in response to said control message.

14. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said digital personal video stream manager control message is in a Short Message Service format, and Instant Messaging format, an e-mail format, or a voice portal format.

15. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said control message is in an e-mail format or an Instant Messaging format.