System and method for voice portal control of an integrated communications center

• US 7,787,749 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Beyda, William J., Caspi, Rami
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US10/384,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20040175096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 386/83, 455/466, 455/419, 725/81, 725/39, 725/109, 725/110, 725/153
• US Class Current: 386/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• 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 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system for voice portal-based control of a digital personal video stream manager (102), for example, to program a video recording device (114). Such a system includes a DPVSM control module (3304, 3306, 3308) at a server (3202) of a service provider. The DPVSM control module (3304, 3306, 3308) is adapted to respond to a user calling in a predetermined phone number and using an interactive voice response system, issue prompts and accept inputs for DPVSM control. The DPVSM control module (3304, 3306, 3308) then converts the inputs to a DPVSM Instant Message or a DPVSM e-mail control message. The DPVSM Instant Message or a DPVSM e-mail control message is then transmitted to the user'"'"'s personal computer (110), where the IM or e-mail plug in translates it and uses it to control the DPVSM (102).

Claims

1. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving voice inputs for digital personal media stream manager (DPVSM) control at a voice portal;

converting said voice inputs to one or more control commands;

forwarding commands to a DPVSM controller in a personal computer;

using said one or more control commands to control programming of a broadband video recording device operably coupled to said personal computer via a DPVSM, the DPVSM receiving said commands corresponding to said one or more control commands and using said commands to program said broadband video recording device, the DPVSM intercoupling a broadband media interface and said broadband video recording device and a home local area network subsystem and a home multimedia subsystem,

wherein said voice portal is in said computer and said computer converts said voice inputs and said using comprises said DPVSM controller transmitting one or more control commands over a local area network from said personal computer to said DPVSM.

2. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises receiving said control inputs at a voice portal server remote from said computer and converting said inputs to a control message format readable by said personal computer.

3. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said converting includes converting said inputs to one or more e-mail control messages and forwarding includes e-mailing said one or more e-mail control messages to said personal computer.

4. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said converting includes converting said inputs to one or more Instant-Messaging (IM) control messages and forwarding includes instant-messaging said one or more IM control messages to said personal computer.

5. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said one or more control commands are received at a DPVSM, said DPVSM being adapted to convert 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 a television.

6. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising using said DPVSM to control recording of broadband media using said video recording device or as digitized media files.

7. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a local area network;

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

a media connection to a broadband network, said broadband media being received over said media connection,

a television for viewing said broadband media, and

a digital personal video stream manager (DPVSM) operably coupled to said television and said local area network, said DPVSM 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 over a broadband data connection to the Internet and coupled over said local area network to said media subsystem, said network subsystem including a computer having a DPVSM controller and a memory for storing media files;

wherein said DPVSM controller is adapted to receive media files from said DPVSM via said local area network and transmit media files to said DPVSM via said local area network; and

a voice portal adapted to receive a voice portal inputs and convert received voice portal inputs into DPVSM controller inputs;

wherein said computer is adapted to receive from said voice portal forwarded said DPVSM controller inputs for controlling operation of said DPVSM,

wherein said voice portal runs on said computer and said computer converts received said voice portal inputs into said DPVSM controller inputs.

8. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said voice portal runs on a remote server, said server adapted to convert said inputs to an e-mail format and e-mail said e-mail to said computer.

9. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said voice portal runs on a remote server, said server adapted to convert said inputs to an Instant Messaging format and IM said IM message to said computer.

10. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, said media subsystem further including a video recording device, wherein said video recording device is controllable by said inputs via said DPVSM over said local area network.

11. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said computer is configured to download one or more media files from said Internet and transmit said one or more media files over said local area network to said DPVSM for viewing on said television.

12. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said local area network is a wireless local area network.

13. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said DPVSM controller is adapted to determine one or more program schedules via said Internet and control said DPVSM in supervising a recording of a program based on said schedule.

14. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said recording comprises converting said program to one or more media files and transmitting said one or more media files over said local area network to said computer.

15. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving one or more broadband media streams;

receiving voice command inputs at one or more voice portals, received said voice command inputs including media control commands;

extracting said media control commands from said voice command inputs;

forwarding said media control commands to a digital personal media stream manager (DPVSM) controller in a personal computer; and

controlling recording of said one or more broadband media streams remotely using said media control commands via a DPVSM, the DPVSM receiving media control commands corresponding to said one or more voice portal inputs and using said media control commands to control said recording, the DPVSM intercoupling a broadband media interface and a broadband recording device and a home local area network subsystem and a home multimedia subsystem,

wherein said one or more voice portals are in said computer and said computer converts said voice command inputs and using said media control commands comprises said DPVSM controller transmitting one or more media control commands over a local area network from said personal computer to said DPVSM.

16. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 15, wherein said one or more voice portal inputs are received at a server, said server converting said one or more voice portal inputs into one or more messaging control messages readable by a personal computer operably coupled to a local area network.

17. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising transmitting one or more control messages responsive to said one or more messaging control messages over said local area network to a digital personal video stream manager adapted to control a video recording device.

18. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 17, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting over a wireless local area network.

19. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 16, wherein said converting comprises converting said one or more voice portal inputs to one or more Instant Messaging (IM) messages and instant messaging said one or more IM control messages to said personal computer.

20. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 16, wherein said converting comprises converting said one or more voice portal inputs to one or more e-mail messages and e-mailing said one or more e-mail control messages to said personal computer.

21. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a voice portal system; and

a local area network;

a broadband connection for receiving one or more broadband media streams at a television;

a digital personal media stream manager (DPVSM) operably coupled to said local area network and the broadband connection and adapted to digitize said one or more broadband media streams as one or more media files and transmit said one or more media files over said local area network to a personal computer;

wherein said DPVSM includes a local area network interface for receiving media control commands from said computer and for transmitting said one or more media files via a local area network and is adapted to interface playback and recording of said one or more media files on said personal computer or said television; and

wherein said DPVSM is controllable via said media control commands extracted from one or more voice portal inputs to said voice portal system,

the telecommunications system further comprising;

an Internet connection for receiving one or more Internet media files at said personal computer,

wherein said DPVSM is adapted to interface playing back said one or more media files via said television, and

wherein said personal computer is adapted to download a program schedule for setting a video recording device via said DPVSM to record said one or more broadband media streams.

22. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 21, wherein said DPVSM includes an infrared interface for controlling said playback.

23. A telecommunications system with claim 21, wherein said voice portal system forwards DPVSM control commands to said computer for controlling said DPVSM.

24. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said computer provides said voice portal system and extracts DPVSM control commands, and said local area network is a wireless local area network.

25. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 21, wherein said voice portal inputs are received first at a remote server and converted to an e-mail format received at said personal computer.

26. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 21, wherein said voice portal inputs are received first at a remote server and converted to an Instant Messaging format received at said personal computer.