User assistance via customer premises equipment media files

• US 8,782,730 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• 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: Kumar, Shiv, Bajpay, Paritosh, Donovan, John Michael, Ravi, Narendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, WILLIAM JW
• Application Number:
  US12/964,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20120151549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A particular customer premises equipment (CPE) device includes a display interface, a processor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory includes a plurality of media files that include user assistance information. The memory also includes instructions executable by the processor to access a media file of the plurality of media files and, in response to a user request for assistance, send content of the media file to a display device via a display interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display interface;

a processor; and

a memory of a customer premises equipment device, wherein the memory comprises;

instructions executable by the processor; and

a plurality of media files comprising user assistance information, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to perform operations including;

accessing a particular media file of the plurality of media files;

sending content of the particular media file to a display device via the display interface in response to a user request to tune to a troubleshooting television channel, wherein the particular media file indicates a set of troubleshooting steps;

performing a diagnostic test in response to the user request to tune to the troubleshooting television channel; and

storing, at the memory of the customer premises equipment device, a log associated with the user request for assistance, wherein the log includes a first subset of troubleshooting steps performed at the customer premises equipment device and a second subset of troubleshooting steps not performed at the customer premises equipment device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the customer premises equipment device is one of a set-top box device, a residential gateway, and a micro-cell device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further include accessing subscriber account information in response to the user request to tune to the troubleshooting television channel and sending to the display interface a message based on the subscriber account information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further include sending the log to a service provider.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the operations further include receiving an updated user assistance media file from the service provider, wherein the updated user assistance media file is selected based on the log and information logged at other customer premises equipment devices associated with the service provider.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user request to tune to the troubleshooting television channel is received at the customer premises equipment device from a remote control device, a voice entry, or any combination thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media files comprise a video demonstrating power cycling the customer premises equipment device, checking a connection between the customer premises equipment device and a residential gateway coupled to the customer premises equipment device, checking a connection between the residential gateway and another network device, or any combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular media file is selected based on the diagnostic test performed at the customer premises equipment device in response to the user request to tune to the troubleshooting television channel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic test comprises:

testing a picture quality of an output signal of the customer premises equipment device by displaying a video clip and prompting a user of the customer premises equipment device for input regarding an observed problem,

testing a connectivity between the customer premises equipment device and another customer premises equipment device,

testing a connectivity between the customer premises equipment device and an internet protocol television network,

testing a wireless connectivity associated with the customer premises equipment device,

testing a local area network connectivity associated with the customer premises equipment device,

testing a synchronization between audio data and video data, testing a telephone audio quality,

or any combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an audio processor, wherein the media files further comprise a benchmark audio file and wherein the diagnostic test comprises playing the benchmark audio file over a phone circuit and determining audio characteristics of the played benchmark audio file at the audio processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media files further comprise a benchmark video file and wherein performing the diagnostic test includes testing synchronization between video data of a program played at the customer premises equipment device and audio data of the program by:

playing the benchmark video file;

monitoring channel buffers for audio and video position markers that are embedded in the played benchmark video file; and

matching an audio position marker to a video position marker.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic test comprises sending a video clip to the display interface and prompting a user of the customer premises equipment device for input regarding an observed problem.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the updated user assistance media files are selected in response to a problem being identified as a frequently occurring problem, wherein the updated user assistance media files are received independently of whether a user associated with the customer premises equipment device requests assistance with the problem.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise periodically sending logs to a service provider via a push mechanism or a pull mechanism.

15. A method, comprising:

at a customer premises equipment device that stores a plurality of user assistance media files;

receiving a user request to tune to a troubleshooting television channel information;

accessing a particular user assistance media file in response to the user request to tune to the troubleshooting television channel, wherein the particular user assistance media file indicates a set of troubleshooting steps;

sending content of the particular user assistance media file to a display device;

performing a diagnostic test in response to the user request to tune to the troubleshooting television channel;

storing, at the customer premises equipment device, a log associated with the user request, wherein the log includes a first subset of troubleshooting steps performed at the customer premises equipment device and a second subset of troubleshooting steps not performed at the customer premises equipment device;

sending the log to a content server; and

receiving at the customer premises equipment device from the content server an updated media file in response to a problem being identified as a frequently occurring problem, wherein the updated media file is received independently of whether a user associated with the customer premises equipment device requests assistance with the problem.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the log indicates results of the diagnostic test, the method further comprising:

transmitting the log information to a customer assistant agent associated with a customer service provider; and

sending content of the updated media file to the display device.

17. A processor-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

at a set-top box device that stores a plurality of user assistance media files, receiving a user request to tune to a troubleshooting television channel;

accessing a particular user assistance media file in response to the user request to tune to the troubleshooting television channel, wherein the particular user assistance media file indicates a set of troubleshooting steps;

sending content of the particular user assistance media file to a display device;

performing a diagnostic test at the set-top box device in response to the user request to tune to the troubleshooting television channel;

storing log information at the set-top box, wherein the log information includes results of the diagnostic test and wherein the log information includes a first subset of troubleshooting steps performed at the set-top box and a second subset of troubleshooting steps not performed at the set-top box;

transmitting the log information to a customer service agent associated with a service provider;

receiving an updated user assistance media file from the service provider; and

sending content of the updated user assistance media file to the display device.

18. The processor-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further include:

accessing subscriber account information; and

transmitting a message based on the subscriber account information to the display device.