System and method of transmitting photographs from a set top box

• US 8,190,688 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2005
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kortum, Philip Ted, Sullivan, Marc Andrew, Williams, Alyssa Lenorah Noll, Cansler, James L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US11/179,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,514 Days
• Field of Search: 709205-206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• 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 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image

Abstract

A method of emailing photographs from a set top box is disclosed and includes presenting a menu of photographs at a television coupled to the set top box. The photographs within the menu can be highlighted using a remote control device. The method further includes presenting an email button at the television and presenting an address book. The address book contains at least one recipient email address. Further, the method includes sending an email addressed to the at least one recipient email address. In particular, the email includes a return email address that causes a response to the email to be sent to a location other than the set top box.

Claims

1. A method of emailing photographs from a set top box, the method comprising:

presenting a menu at a television coupled to the set top box, wherein the menu concurrently displays thumbnail views of photographs, a viewing window, a send button, and an email photo button;

displaying an enlarged view in the viewing window of a particular thumbnail view selected via a remote control device;

receiving, via the remote control device, an indication that the email photo button was selected while the particular thumbnail view is selected;

adding an address book to the menu in response to the indication, wherein the address book contains one or more recipient email addresses;

receiving selection of a recipient email address from the address book;

transmitting an email to the recipient email address when the send button is selected, wherein the email includes an attachment of a photograph corresponding to the particular thumbnail view and a return email address that will cause a return email to be sent to a location other than the set top box, wherein the return email address corresponds to an email address associated with a user of the set top box;

when no thumbnail view is selected via the remote control device, determining whether a timeout period has been exceeded; and

exiting the menu in response to determining that the timeout period has been exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a customer account is associated with the user of the set top box.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu includes an exit button to exit the menu.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an address book set-up screen prior to adding the address book to the menu in response to the indication.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising importing an address list to the address book via the address book set-up screen.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an additional email address via the address book set-up screen; and

adding the additional email address to the address book.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a nickname for the additional email address; and

adding the nickname to the address book.

8. A set top box, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium accessible to the processor;

a computer program stored within the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

present a menu at a television coupled to the set top box, wherein the menu concurrently displays thumbnail views of photographs, a viewing window, a send button, and an email photo button;

display an enlarged view in the viewing window of a particular thumbnail view selected via a remote control device;

receive, via the remote control device, an indication that the email photo button was selected while the particular thumbnail view is selected;

add an address book to the menu in response to the indication, wherein the address book contains one or more recipient email addresses;

receive selection of a recipient email address from the address book;

transmit an email to the recipient email address when the send button is selected, wherein the email includes an attachment of a photograph corresponding to the particular thumbnail view and a return email address that will cause a return email to be sent to a location other than the set top box, wherein the return email address corresponds to an email address associated with a user of the set top box;

when no thumbnail view is selected via the remote control device, determine whether a timeout period has been exceeded; and

exit the menu in response to determining that the timeout period has been exceeded.

9. The set top box of claim 8, further comprising instructions to present an address book set-up screen.

10. The set top box of claim 9, further comprising:

instructions to receive one or more recipient email addresses;

instructions to receive a nickname for each of the one or more recipient email addresses; and

instructions to add the one or more recipient email addresses and the corresponding nicknames to the address book.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

present a menu at a television coupled to a set top box, wherein the menu concurrently displays thumbnail views of photographs, a viewing window, a send button, and an email photo button;

display an enlarged view in the viewing window of a particular thumbnail view selected via a remote control device;

receive, via the remote control device, an indication that the email photo button was selected while the particular thumbnail view is selected;

add an address book to the menu in response to the indication, wherein the address book contains one or more recipient email addresses;

receive selection of a recipient email address from the address book;

transmit an email to the recipient email address when the send button is selected, wherein the email includes an attachment of a photograph corresponding to the particular thumbnail view and a return email address that will cause a return email to be sent to a location other than the set top box, wherein the return email address corresponds to an email address associated with a user of the set top box;

when no thumbnail view is selected via the remote control device, determine whether a timeout period has been exceeded; and

exit the menu in response to determining that the timeout period has been exceeded.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to compress a file corresponding to the photograph to create the attachment.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to exit the menu when the address book does not exist.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

enter a set-up mode after exiting the menu when the address book does not exist; and

display an option to import an address list.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

enter a set-up mode after exiting the menu when the address book does not exist; and

display an option to allow the user to input one or more email addresses.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the menu includes a set-up button to enable modification of the address book.