Set-top box proximity detection

• US 9,510,042 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Phuc H., Bruhn, Christopher William
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr, Jean D
• Application Number:
  US14/066,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20150121428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A first location of a user in a customer premises may be determined. A display is provided of a user interface that includes an adjustable element. A determination is made that the user has moved to a second location in the customer premises. The display of the user interface is adjusted such that the adjustable element is adjusted.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of data gathering computing devices programmed to provide data relating to a location of a portable user device in a customer premises, wherein the plurality of data gathering devices includes at least one of a sensor device and a wireless node; and

a display-providing computing device that includes a processor and a memory, the display-providing computing device programmed to;

receive data relating to a location of the portable user device in the customer premises from more than one of the data gathering computing devices;

based on the data received from more than one of the data gathering computing devices, determine a first location of the portable user device in the customer premises;

provide a stationary display of a user interface that includes an adjustable element;

receive additional data relating to a location of the portable user device in the customer premises from more than one of the data gathering computing devices;

based on the additional data received from more than one of the data gathering computing devices, determine that the portable user device has moved to a second location in the customer premises;

based on the second location, adjust the stationary display of the user interface such that the adjustable element is adjusted; and

determine at least one of the first location of the portable device and the second location of the portable device by using data from the sensor device relating to a presence of a user and also data from the wireless node indicating a strength of a signal from the wireless node.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to display a stream of media content received via a network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to adjust the adjustable element by at least one of re-sizing the adjustable element and changing an audio volume.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to determine at least one of the first location of the user device and the second location of the user device in part according to location data provided in the portable user device in addition to the data as well as the additional data received from more than one of the data gathering computing devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to

determine a third location of a second user device in the customer premises;

determine a priority between the first user device and the second user device; and

adjust the stationary display of the user interface such that the adjustable element is adjusted at least in part based on the priority.

6. A method, comprising:

receive data from a plurality of data gathering devices relating to a location of a portable user device in a customer premises, wherein the plurality of data gathering devices includes at least one of a sensor device and a wireless node;

based on the data received from more than one of the data gathering devices, determining a first location of the portable user device in the customer premises;

receiving additional data relating to a location of the portable user device in the customer premises from more than one of the data gathering devices;

based on the additional data received from more than one of the data gathering devices, determining that the portable user device has moved to a second location in the customer premises;

based on the second location, adjusting the stationary display of the user interface such that the adjustable element is adjusted; and

determining at least one of the first location of the portable device and the second location of the portable device by using data from the sensor device relating to a presence of a user and also data from the wireless node indicating a strength of a signal from the wireless node.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying a stream of media content received via a network.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting the adjustable element by at least one of re-sizing the adjustable element and changing an audio volume.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining at least one of the first location of the user device and the second location of the user device in part according to location data provided in the portable user device in addition to the data as well as the additional data received from more than one of the data gathering devices.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a third location of a second user device in the customer premises;

determining a priority between the first user device and the second user device; and

adjusting the stationary display of the user interface such that the adjustable element is adjusted at least in part based on the priority.

11. A system, comprising:

a plurality of data gathering computing devices programmed to provide data relating to a location of a portable user device in a customer premises; and

a display-providing computing device that includes a processor and a memory, the display-providing computing device programmed to;

receive data relating to a location of the portable user device in the customer premises from more than one of the data gathering computing devices;

based on the data received from more than one of the data gathering computing devices, determine a first location of the portable user device in the customer premises;

provide a display of a user interface that includes an adjustable element;

receive additional data relating to a location of the portable user device in the customer premises from more than one of the data gathering computing devices;

based on the additional data received from more than one of the data gathering computing devices, determine that the portable user device has moved to a second location in the customer premises;

based on the second location, adjust the display of the user interface such that the adjustable element is adjusted;

determine a third location of a second user device in the customer premises;

determine a priority between the first user device and the second user device; and

adjust the stationary display of the user interface such that the adjustable element is adjusted at least in part based on the priority.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to display a stream of media content received via a network.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to display a stream of media content received via a network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to adjust the adjustable element by at least one of re-sizing the adjustable element and changing an audio volume.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to determine at least one of the first location of the user device and the second location of the user device in part according to location data provided in the portable user device in addition to the data as well as the additional data received from more than one of the data gathering computing devices.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of data gathering devices includes at least one of a sensor device and a wireless node.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the display-providing computing device is further programmed to determine at least one of the first location of the portable device and the second location of the portable device by using at least one of data from the sensor device relating to a presence of a user and data from the wireless node indicating a strength of a signal from the wireless node.