System, method, mobile terminal and computer program product for providing push-to-talk chat in interactive mobile TV

• US 8,073,433 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Balestrieri, Francesco
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/398,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20070238447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,071 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.2, 455/412, 4554141-4142, 455518-519, 455/406, 704/246, 704/235, 370/328, 709/231, 725/39, 725/86, 725/106, 725/139
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

An apparatus for providing an interactive service during a broadcast service includes a transmitting element and a processing element. The transmitting element is capable of communicating broadcast content of the broadcast service to a plurality of receiving terminals. The processing element is configured to at least partially control the transmitting element. The processing element is configured to communicate with a network device in order to request a program specific group for communication of the interactive service to a receiving terminal that is a member of the program specific group. The interactive service is communicated to the receiving terminal that is a member of the program specific group with reception of the broadcast service. The content associated with the interactive service originates from the receiving terminals.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining to provide, from a network entity, a program guide including at least one program of a broadcast service including an address associated with a program specific group having members including a plurality of receiving terminals to at least one receiving terminal of the program specific group; and

determining to transmit, via a processor of the network entity, content of the broadcast service for presentation at the at least one receiving terminal along with interactive service content, wherein the interactive service content includes chat conversation content being capable of origination at one of the receiving terminals, and the content of the broadcast service being originated by the network entity, which is not a member of the program specific group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting setup of the program specific group at the network entity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving the address associated with the program specific group from the network entity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the broadcast service provides digital video broadcast data, and the method further comprises:

receiving the chat conversation content as audio from the network entity;

converting the chat conversation content to text; and

delivering the text to the at least one receiving terminal.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the broadcast service provides digital video broadcast data, and the method further comprises:

receiving the chat conversation content as audio from the network entity; and

delivering the chat conversation content to the at least one receiving terminal along with audio corresponding to the at least one program.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determining to provide, from a network entity, a program guide including at least one program of a broadcast service including an address associated with a program specific group having members including a plurality of receiving terminals to at least one receiving terminal of the program specific group; and

determining to transmit content of the broadcast service for presentation at the at least one receiving terminal along with interactive service content, wherein the interactive service content includes chat conversation content being capable of origination at one of the receiving terminals, and the content of the broadcast service being originated by the network entity, which is not a member of the program specific group.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform requesting setup of the program specific group at a network entity.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

receiving the address associated with the program specific group from the network entity.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the broadcast service provides digital video broadcast data and the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform the following steps:

receiving the chat conversation content as audio from the network entity;

converting the chat conversation content to text; and

delivering the text to the at least one receiving terminal.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the broadcast service provides digital video broadcast data and the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform the following steps:

receiving the chat conversation content as audio from the network entity; and

determining to deliver the chat conversation content to the at least one receiving terminal along with audio corresponding to the at least one program.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

control transmission of interactive service content to a first network entity and reception of the interactive service content from the first network entity in response to activation of an interface element,

determine to present the interactive service content from the first network entity along with broadcast service content,

wherein the interactive service content is shared among members of a program specific group and the broadcast service content is originated from the first network entity, which is not a member of the program specific group, and

wherein the interactive service content includes chat conversation content being capable of origination at a receiving terminal of one of the members.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the interactive chat service is received substantially simultaneous with reception of the broadcast service content.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the broadcast service content is digital video broadcast data.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to, via the computer program code, cause the apparatus to transmit the chat conversation content as audio and receive the chat conversation content as text.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to determine to transmit the chat conversation content as audio and receive the chat conversation content as audio.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to access a second network entity to determine which other mobile terminals are available to join in a chat conversation.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is in communication with the first network entity which is a chat server.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to receive the broadcast service content and the interactive service content from a digital broadcast provider.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to access a chat group via a uniform resource locator (URL) in a programming guide of the digital broadcast provider.

20. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

at least partially control a transmitter configured to communicate broadcast content of a broadcast service to members of a program specific group including a plurality of receiving terminals;

determine to provide a program guide including at least one program of the broadcast service including an address associated with the program specific group to at least one receiving terminal that is a member of the program specific group; and

determine to transmit data of the broadcast service for presentation at the at least one receiving terminal along with interactive service content, wherein the interactive service content includes chat conversation content being capable of origination at one of the receiving terminals, and the data of the broadcast service being originated by the transmitter, which is not a member of the program specific group.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the the apparatus is further caused to request setup of the program specific group at a network entity.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to receive the address associated with the program specific group from the network entity.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the broadcast service provides digital video broadcast data and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive the chat conversation content as audio from the network entity;

convert the chat conversation content to text; and

determine to deliver the text to the at least one receiving terminal.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the broadcast service provides digital video broadcast data and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive the chat conversation content as audio from the network entity; and

deliver the chat conversation content to the at least one receiving terminal along with audio corresponding to the at least one program.