System and method of message notification and access via a video distribution network

• US 8,350,887 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruce, Les D., Brandt, Jeffrey L., Sullivan, Marc A., Hubscher, Mark B., Hernandez, Carissa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US13/303,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1407, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/93.24, 379/93.05, 725/10, 725/110, 725/112, 725/109, 725/80, 725/137, 725/30, 345/334, 345/145
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0039 where the data service is provided by a stream of packets which are rendered in real time by the receiving terminal network streaming of media packets H04L65/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 21/4788 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method includes receiving, via an internet protocol television network, a broadcast signal comprising video content at a device. The device is associated with a person. The method includes receiving, via the internet protocol television network, a message notification directed to a communication address associated with the person. The message notification includes a visual indication based at least in part on the communication address. The method also includes sending a display signal to a display device. The display signal includes the broadcast signal and the visual indication.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via an internet protocol television network, a broadcast signal comprising video content at a device, wherein the device is associated with a person;

receiving, via the internet protocol television network, a message notification directed to a particular communication address associated with the person, wherein the message notification includes a visual indication based at least in part on the particular communication address; and

sending a display signal to a display device, wherein the display signal includes the broadcast signal and the visual indication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a second signal to a recording device, wherein the second signal comprises the broadcast signal without the visual indication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a control input associated with the visual indication; and

sending an interface to the display device, wherein the interface enables retrieval of a message associated with the message notification.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interface enables retrieval of other messages sent to the particular communication address in addition to the message.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the interface enables retrieval of messages sent to other communication addresses associated with the person.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the control input is received via a remote control device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a set-top box device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a message associated with the message notification is one of a voice message, a test message, a facsimile, and an electronic mail message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indication identifies a message type of a message associated with the message notification.

10. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a data stream comprising video content via an internet protocol television network;

receive, via the internet protocol television network, a message notification directed to a particular communication address associated with a person, wherein the person is associated with the system, and wherein the message notification includes a visual indication based at least in part on the communication address; and

send the visual indication to a display device for concurrent display with the video content.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a remote control interface to receive a control input associated with the visual indication from a remote control device.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a network interface to enable communication with the internet protocol television network.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to enable access to a channel designated to display a message associated with the message notification.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to initiate a call to a sender of a message associated with the message notification.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the visual indication identifies a message type of a message associated with the message notification.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the message notification is received from a unified communication server of the internet protocol television network.

17. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, via an internet protocol television network, a message notification directed to a particular communication address associated with a person, wherein the message notification includes a visual indication based at least in part on the communication address; and

send the visual indication to a display device for concurrent display with video content received via the internet protocol television network.

18. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the visual indication is determined based at least partially on subscriber configuration settings.

19. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the subscriber configuration settings are configurable via a user interface displayed at the display device.

20. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the visual indication identifies a message type of a message associated with the message notification.