System and method for set-top box call connection

• US 9,197,757 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: LaFreniere, Gary W., Emerson, David, Rondeau, David, Goergen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US12/201,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,643 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS

Abstract

A system for initiating a voice call includes a set-top box operable to control a selection of a television channel for display on a television. The set-top box is further operable to initiate a voice call between a first telephone and a second telephone. The first telephone is associated with a first telephone network and the second telephone is associated with a second telephone network. The system includes a remote control in communication with the set-top box. The remote control is operable to receive a first input associated with the selection of the television channel from a user and a second input associated with the voice call. The voice call is initiated by the set-top box in response to the second input being received by the set-top box.

Claims

1. A system for initiating a voice call, the system comprising:

a set-top box operable to control a selection of a television channel for display on a television, the set-top box being further operable to initiate the voice call between a first telephone and a second telephone, wherein the set-top box is configured to extract contact information via text recognition of displayed media content of a media segment and execute instructions to maintain and update a directory of telephone numbers with the contact information extracted from the media segment received at the set-top box; and

a remote control in communication with the set-top box, the remote control operable to receive an input associated with the selection of the television channel from a user, the remote control further comprising a call button, and wherein the set-top box is configured to initiate a call to a telephone number appearing on the television during the media segment based on the extracted contact information and in response to receiving a signal from the remote control while the media segment is displayed, wherein the signal is generated in response to the user pressing and holding the call button on the remote control during a time the telephone number appears on the television.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set-top box includes a digital telephony client, the digital telephony client operable to initiate the voice call.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the set-top box includes a digital telephony client, the digital telephony client operable to initiate the voice call and request that a call control server ring both a called party number and a calling party number.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising automatically dialing a first predetermined speed dial number in response to an indication indicating a first predetermined motion pattern movement of the remote control.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising automatically dialing a second predetermined speed dial number in response to the indication indicating a second predetermined motion pattern movement of the remote control.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first predetermined speed dial number is a voicemail number and wherein first predetermined motion pattern is moving the remote control to the right following a missed call.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote control further comprises a light emission device, and wherein the set-top box is configured to enable the user to select the telephone number for initiating the voice call using the light emission device of the remote control.

8. A method for initiating a voice call, the method comprising:

configuring, using a processor, a set-top box to control a selection of a television program for display on a display device;

extracting, using a processor, contact information via text recognition of displayed media content of a media segment;

updating, using a processor, a directory of telephone numbers with the contact information extracted from the media segment received at the set-top box; and

configuring, using the processor, the set top box to initiate a call to a telephone number appearing on the display device during the media segment based on the extracted contact information and in response to receiving a signal from a remote control associated with the set top box while the media segment is displayed, wherein the signal is generated in response to a user pressing and holding a call button during a time the telephone number appears on the display device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising automatically dialing a first predetermined speed dial number in response to an indication indicating a first predetermined motion pattern movement of the remote control.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising automatically dialing a second predetermined speed dial number in response to the indication indicating a second predetermined motion pattern movement of the remote control.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first predetermined speed dial number is a voicemail number and wherein first predetermined motion pattern is moving the remote control to the right following a missed call.

12. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions to configure a set top box to:

extract a communication identifier via text recognition of displayed media content of a media segment;

update a directory of telephone numbers with the communication identifier extracted from the media segment; and

initiate a communication to the communication identifier appearing on a screen during the media segment and in response to receiving a signal from a remote control of the set top box while the media segment is displayed, wherein the signal is generated in response to a user pressing and holding a call button during a time the communication identifier appears on the screen.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer executable instructions further comprises instructions to automatically dial a first predetermined speed dial number in response to an indication indicating a first predetermined motion pattern movement of the remote control.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer executable instructions further comprises instructions to automatically dial a second predetermined speed dial number in response to the indication indicating a second predetermined motion pattern movement of the remote control.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the first predetermined speed dial number is a voicemail number and wherein first predetermined motion pattern is moving the remote control to the right following a missed call.