Advanced set top terminal having a program pause feature with voice-to-text conversion

• US 7,814,522 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Asmussen, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US11/859,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 725/52, 725/100, 725/105, 725/133, 725/141
• US Class Current: 725/102
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/025 Systems for the transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame transmission of digital non-picture data during the vertical blanking interval only H04N7/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A system for automatically pausing a video program in response to detection of the occurrence of a audio communications event or triggering event. In response to an incoming phone call, message, web page, or other communications information, the system pauses the video program and displays an indication of the occurrence of the audio communications event. The system also buffers the video programming while paused, permitting a user to replay missed portions of the video programming. Alternatively, the system waits for a triggering event, which includes the user'"'"'s access to the audio communications event, in order to pause the video program. The audio (voice) portion of a phone call or voice mail message is converted to text for display to a recipient of the call.

Claims

1. A method for voice-to-text conversion of real-time telephone calls during viewing of a video program, comprising:

receiving a video program;

outputting the video program for presentation on a display device;

detecting occurrence of an incoming telephone call;

detecting an off-hook condition indicating answering of the telephone call;

converting, during the telephone call, an audio portion of the telephone call to corresponding text;

displaying, during the telephone call, the corresponding text with the video program;

muting an audio portion of the video program; and

presenting the audio portion of the telephone call while displaying the corresponding text with the video program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an off-hook condition indicating answering of the telephone call automatically pauses the video program to display the corresponding text.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein automatically pausing the video program causes the video program to be transmitted to a buffer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes displaying the corresponding text in a window overlaid on the video program.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the corresponding text in memory for later use.

6. An apparatus for voice-to-text conversion of real-time telephone calls during viewing of a video program, comprising:

a module for receiving a video program and outputting the video program for presentation on a display device;

a detection module for detecting occurrence of an incoming telephone call;

an off-hook module for detecting an off-hook condition indicating answering of the telephone call;

a conversion module for converting, during the telephone call, an audio portion of the telephone call to corresponding text;

display module for displaying, during the telephone call, the corresponding text with the video program;

a means for muting an audio portion of the video program; and

a means for presenting the audio portion of the telephone call while displaying the corresponding text with the video program.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein detecting an off-hook condition indicating answering of the telephone call automatically pauses the video program to display the corresponding text.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein automatically pausing the video program causes the video program to be transmitted to a buffer.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the display module includes a module for displaying the corresponding text in a window overlaid on the video program.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a memory module for storing the corresponding text in memory for later use.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method for voice-to-text conversion of real-time telephone calls during viewing of a video program, the method including;

receiving a video program;

outputting the video program for presentation on a display device;

detecting occurrence of an incoming telephone call;

detecting an off-hook condition indicating answering of the telephone call;

converting, during the telephone call, an audio portion of the telephone call to corresponding text;

displaying, during the telephone call, the corresponding text with the video program;

muting an audio portion of the video program; and

presenting the audio portion of the telephone call while displaying the corresponding text with the video program.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein detecting an off-hook condition indicating answering of the telephone call automatically pauses the video program to display the corresponding text.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein automatically pausing the video program causes the video program to be transmitted to a buffer.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the displaying step includes displaying the corresponding text in a window overlaid on the video program.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

storing the corresponding text in memory for later use.