Method and system for electronic communication to television

• US 8,677,418 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wong, Ling Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US13/005,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20120180092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 725/111, 725/136
• US Class Current: 725/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; tracking of instant messages H04L51/234; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• 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 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

A system and method of displaying messages at a television is described. The method of displaying messages at a television includes: establishing communication over the Internet between a television and a server. A user-generated communication is received at the television from the server. A notification is displayed on the television that the user-generated communication has been received. The user-generated communication is displayed on the television.

Claims

1. A method of displaying electronic messages at a television, said method comprising:

receiving an electronic communication originated by a mobile device at said television from a server, said communication also being sent to a computing device separate from the television, wherein;

a communication channel has been established over the internet between said television and said server; and

said electronic communication is a text message or an electronic message;

using the television to mirror the user-generated communication sent to the computing device separate from the television, whereby a user-generated communication sent from the mobile device is mirrored on the television and on the computing device separate from the television such that the television is copied on user-generated communications sent to/from the computing device and to/from the mobile device;

rendering a notification that said television has received said electronic communication;

the notification not being the electronic representation but only a representation thereof;

responsive to a selection of the notification and not before,

displaying said electronic communication on said television, wherein prior to selection of the notification with the notification displayed, no text associated with the message is presented with the notification so as to not obtrude on viewing programming presented on the TV, wherein the mobile device is a stand-alone computing device capable of network access, sending messages, receiving messages, and displaying messages, all independently of a local connection to the television.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a user display request, and wherein said displaying is in response to said user display request.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said electronic communication includes an identification of a server based alias associated with a sender of said electronic communication.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a second electronic communication from said television to said server in response to said receiving.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing said electronic communication in said television.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of incoming electronic communications;

sending a plurality of outgoing electronic communications, and

storing said plurality of incoming electronic communications and said plurality of outgoing electronic communications in said television.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving programming content at a cable host device for displaying on said television.

8. A method comprising:

establishing communication over the internet between a television and a server;

receiving a user-generated communication at said television from said server, the communication also being sent to a computing device separate from the television; and

displaying said user-generated communication on said television and using the television to mirror the user-generated communication sent to the computing device separate from the television, whereby a user-generated communication sent from a mobile device is mirrored on the television and on the computing device separate from the television such that the television is copied on user-generated communications sent to/from the computing device and to/from the mobile device, so that a user of the television is enabled to respond to the user-generated communication using the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is a stand-alone computing device capable of network access, sending messages, receiving messages, and displaying messages, all independently of a local connection to the television.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a user display request, and wherein said displaying said user-generated communication is in response to said user display request.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said user-generated communication is a text message or an electronic message.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising sending an outgoing electronic communication from said television to said server.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising storing said user-generated communication in a television storage device, and wherein said user-generated communication includes an identification of a server based alias associated with a sender of said user-generated communication.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of incoming electronic communications;

sending a plurality of outgoing electronic communications, and storing said plurality of incoming electronic communications and said plurality of outgoing electronic communications in a television memory device.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving programming information at a cable host device for viewing on said television.

15. An audio video display device (AVDD), comprising:

a display;

a processor configured for controlling the display; and

a computer readable storage medium accessible to the processor and bearing instructions which when executed by the processor configure the processor for;

receiving an electronic communication originated from a mobile device from a server over a communication channel that has been established over the internet between the AVDD and the server, said communication also being sent to a computing device separate from the AVDD, with the electronic communication being a text message or an electronic message;

using the AVDD to mirror the user-generated communication sent to the computing device separate from the AVDD, whereby a user-generated communication sent from the mobile device is mirrored on the AVDD and on the computing device separate from the AVDD such that the AVDD is copied on user-generated communications sent to/from the computing device and to/from the mobile device;

rendering a notification that the AVDD has received the electronic communication, with the notification not being the electronic representation but only a representation thereof; and

responsive to a selection of the notification and not before, displaying the electronic communication on the AVDD, wherein prior to selection of the notification with the notification displayed, no text associated with the message is presented with the notification so as to not obtrude on viewing programming presented on the AVDD wherein the mobile device is a stand-alone computing device capable of network access, sending messages, receiving messages, and displaying messages, all independently of a local connection to the AVDD.