Integrating video share and text messaging with set-top box and access point

• US 9,247,307 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, James, Lam, Jennifer K., Liu, Cheng P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alata, Yassin
• Application Number:
  US14/752,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 725/110, 725/131, 725/133, 725/139, 725/141, 725/151, 725/153, 705/412, 705/415, 340/870.02, 700/286
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

Techniques provide for converged wireline and wireless services in part by employing a set-top box (STB) with machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. The STB, associated with an access point, such as a femtocell, can be used to send/receive messages, including video, to/from user equipment (UE) via a core network. A monitoring system includes a sensor component that is triggered under specified conditions, and the STB records events in response to the trigger, where a recorded event can be sent as a message to the UE. The STB or associated remote control can indicate a received message to a user, who can view the message on the STB, remote control, or associated television. A meter component is associated with the STB via the femtocell or other desired connection. The STB can receive and store utility meter readings for validation or dispute by the user.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, by the first device from a second device, a message that comprises consumption data representing a consumption of a service associated with a utility provider identity for a defined period of time, wherein the first device and the second device are determined to be located at a defined physical location associated with a user identity, and wherein the second device is associated with a meter that is located at the defined physical location and monitors the consumption of the service; and

in response to receiving input information that indicates an accuracy of the consumption data via a user interface from the user identity, adding an accuracy indicator to a copy of the message that comprises the consumption data and is to be transmitted to a device associated with the utility provider identity to facilitate indicating to the device whether the consumption data is accurate, wherein the accuracy indicator indicates whether the consumption data presented in the message displayed is accurate.

2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is a first wireless communication device, wherein the second device is a second wireless communication device, and wherein the receiving further comprises receiving, by the first wireless communication device from the second wireless communication device, the message via a wireless communication channel facilitated by an access point device determined to be located at the defined physical location.

3. The first device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise mapping the message to a dedicated channel associated with the first device to facilitate presentation of the message by the first device via the dedicated channel.

4. The first device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise instructing that a portion of the message be displayed on a display screen associated with the first device.

5. The first device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the accuracy indicator;

generating the copy of the message comprising the accuracy indicator; and

storing the message and the copy of the message in a data store associated with the first device.

6. The first device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the copy of the message directed to the device associated with the utility provider identity to facilitate the indicating, to the device, whether the consumption data in the message is accurate.

7. The first device of claim 1, wherein the accuracy indicator is a valid indicator that indicates that the consumption data is correct.

8. The first device of claim 1, wherein the accuracy indicator is a dispute indicator that indicates there is an error in the consumption data.

9. The first device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a communication parameter in response to detection of a defined communication problem associated with the first device; and

re-configuring the first device based on the communication parameter to facilitate resolving the defined communication problem.

10. The first device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving change information relating to a change in condition detected in a defined area of the defined physical location associated with the first device, wherein the change information comprises video content that comprises visual information relating to the change in condition in the defined area; and

communicating a condition-change message that comprises the change information to a third device in response to determining a defined alert criterion is satisfied.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first communication device comprising a processor from a second communication device, a message that comprises consumption data representing a consumption of a service provided by a utility provider identity for a defined period of time, wherein the second communication device is associated with a meter that monitors the consumption data representing the consumption of the service, and wherein the first communication device, the second communication device, and the meter are located at a defined location; and

in response to receiving accuracy data that indicates an accuracy of the consumption data via a user interface, incorporating, by the first communication device, an accuracy indicator in a version of the message that comprises the consumption data and is to be sent to a provider device associated with the utility provider identity to facilitate indicating to the provider device whether the consumption data is accurate, wherein the accuracy indicator indicates whether the consumption data presented in the message is accurate.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

mapping, by the first communication device, a portion of the message to a dedicated portion of a display screen associated with the first communication device to facilitate displaying the portion of the message on the dedicated portion of the display screen.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the first communication device, the accuracy indicator;

generating, by the first communication device, the version of the message comprising the accuracy indicator; and

storing, by the first communication device, the message and the version of the message in a data store associated with the first communication device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first communication device, the version of the message to the provider device associated with the utility provider identity to facilitate the indicating, to the provider device, the accuracy of the consumption data in the version of the message.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the first communication device, a first message and a second message;

determining, by the first communication device, a first priority level associated with the first message and a second priority level associated with the second message;

determining, by the first communication device, whether the first priority level is a higher priority level as compared to the second priority level based on a comparison of the first priority level to the second priority level; and

facilitating, by the first communication device, a display of the first message with a priority indicator that indicates the first message is a higher priority message than the second message in response to determining the first priority level is the higher priority level as compared to the second priority level.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the first communication device, a priority level associated with another message received by the first communication device;

determining, by the first communication device, whether the priority level satisfies a defined threshold priority level for forwarding the other message to a third communication device; and

transmitting, by the first communication device, the other message to the third communication device in response to determining the priority level satisfies the defined threshold priority level.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating, by the first communication device, presenting of a message indicator that indicates that the message has been received by the first communication device.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating, by the first communication device, a wireless communication connection between the first communication device and the second communication device via an access point device to facilitate the receiving, by the first communication device, the message from the second communication device, wherein the wireless communication connection is facilitated via the access point device without the content share session being routed through a virtual private network tunnel to a network device of a wireless communication network.

19. A computer-readable storage device storing executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving, by a first device from a second device, a message that comprises consumption data representing a consumption of a service associated with a service provider identity for a defined period of time, wherein the second device is associated with a meter that monitors the consumption of the service and generates the consumption data representing the consumption of the service, and wherein the first device, the second device, and the meter are located within a defined region associated with a physical location; and

in response to receiving, via a user interface, accuracy data that indicates an accuracy of the consumption data, associating an accuracy indicator with a copy of a message that comprises the consumption data representing the consumption of the service for the defined period of time and is to be communicated to a provider device associated with the service provider identity to facilitate indicating to the provider device associated with the service provider identity whether the consumption data is accurate, wherein the accuracy indicator indicates whether the consumption data presented in the copy of the message is accurate.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the accuracy data;

generating the copy of the message comprising the accuracy data;

storing the message and the copy of the message in a data store associated with the first device; and

transmitting the copy of the message to the provider device associated with the service provider identity to facilitate the indicating, to the provider device, the accuracy of the consumption data in the copy of the message.