Methods and apparatus to provide messages to television users
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method to provide messages to a television user, the method comprising:
- receiving, with a processor, an incoming message from a message provider, the incoming message being at least one of a voicemail message, a text message or an electronic mail message;
accessing a datastore associating messaging accounts with television device identifiers to determine an identification of at least two television devices associated with the incoming message;
transmitting, with the processor, a notification of the incoming message to the at least two television devices for display in response to receiving the incoming message;
receiving a first request to access a voicemail account from the television user;
determining a voicemail mailbox associated with the television user;
sending at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or a voicemail message to one of the at least two television devices using a terminal session implemented in accordance with a remote desktop protocol;
receiving a second request for a contact list from the television user;
sending a third request to the message provider requesting the contact list;
receiving a first contact list from the message provider;
receiving a second contact list;
compiling at least the first contact list and the second contact list into an aggregate contact list; and
transmitting the aggregate contact list to the one of the at least two the television devices for presentation.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus to provide messages to television users are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a request for a voicemail message from the television user, determining a voicemail mailbox associated with the television user, and sending at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or a voicemail message to a display device associated with the television user.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method to provide messages to a television user, the method comprising:
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receiving, with a processor, an incoming message from a message provider, the incoming message being at least one of a voicemail message, a text message or an electronic mail message; accessing a datastore associating messaging accounts with television device identifiers to determine an identification of at least two television devices associated with the incoming message; transmitting, with the processor, a notification of the incoming message to the at least two television devices for display in response to receiving the incoming message; receiving a first request to access a voicemail account from the television user; determining a voicemail mailbox associated with the television user; sending at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or a voicemail message to one of the at least two television devices using a terminal session implemented in accordance with a remote desktop protocol; receiving a second request for a contact list from the television user; sending a third request to the message provider requesting the contact list; receiving a first contact list from the message provider; receiving a second contact list; compiling at least the first contact list and the second contact list into an aggregate contact list; and transmitting the aggregate contact list to the one of the at least two the television devices for presentation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A tangible machine readable storage medium, excluding propagating signals, comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method comprising:
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receiving an incoming message from a message provider, the incoming message being at least one of a voicemail message, a text message or an electronic mail message; accessing a datastore associating messaging accounts with television device identifiers to determine an identification of at least two television devices associated with the incoming message; transmitting a notification of the incoming message to the at least two television devices for display in response to receiving the incoming message; receiving a first request to access a voicemail account from a first television device of the at least two television devices; determining a voicemail mailbox associated with a television user; sending at least one of a list of one or more voicemail messages or a voicemail message to the first television device using a terminal session implemented in accordance with a remote desktop protocol; receiving a second request for a contact list from the first television device; sending a third request to the message provider requesting the contact list; receiving a first contact list from the message provider; receiving a second contact list from a second message provider different from the message provider; compiling at least the first contact list and the second contact list into an aggregate contact list; and transmitting the aggregate contact list to the first television device for presentation. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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a memory storing machine readable instructions; and a processor to execute the instructions to; associate an identifier associated with a television device with a voicemail mailbox and a messaging account; receive an incoming message from a message provider and to access a database to determine an identification of at least two television devices associated with the incoming message, the at least two television devices at separate physical locations, the incoming message being at least one of a voicemail message, a text message or an electronic mail message; receive a first request for a list of voicemail message information from a first of the at least two television devices; determine the identifier associated with the first television device; query the database to determine the voicemail mailbox associated with the identifier; receive a second request for a contact list from atelevision user via an internet protocol television network; send a third request for the contact list to a message provider; receive a first contact list from the message provider; receive a second contact list from a second message provider; compile at least the first contact list and the second contact list into an aggregated contact list; and initiate a terminal session with the first television device, transmit a notification of the incoming message to the at least two television devices for display in response to receiving the incoming message, send the list of voicemail message information to the first television device via the terminal session, and transmit the aggregate contact list to one of the at least two television devices associated with originating the second request. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification