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

• US 9,712,880 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• 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:
  US14/970,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 725110, 725131, 725133, 725139, 725141, 725151, 725153, 705412, 705415, 34087002, 700286
• 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, from a second device, a message that comprises consumption data representing a consumption of a service associated with a service provider identity, wherein the first device and the second device are located at a location, and wherein the second device is associated with a meter device that is located at the 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 a user identity, adding, by the first device, 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 service provider identity, wherein the accuracy indicator indicates, to the device, whether the consumption data presented in the copy of the message is accurate.

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. The first device of claim 4, wherein the receiving the accuracy indicator further comprises receiving the accuracy indicator from another device that is connected to the first device via a wireless communication channel.

6. The first device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the copy of the message directed to the device associated with the service 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 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving supplemental information via the user interface, wherein the supplemental information indicates a reason that the consumption data is determined to be erroneous; and

adding the supplemental information to the copy of the message.

10. 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.

11. A method, comprising:

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

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

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

mapping, by the first device, a portion of the message to a dedicated interface associated with the first device to facilitate presenting the portion of the message via the dedicated interface.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the first device, the accuracy indicator;

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

communicating, by the first device, the version of the message to the third device associated with the service provider identity to facilitate the indicating, to the third device, whether the consumption information presented in the version of the message is accurate.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the first device, a second message;

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

determining, by the first device, whether the second priority level higher than the first priority level based on a comparison of the second priority level to the first priority level; and

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

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

provisioning, by the first device, a communication path preference to facilitate communicating messages between the first device and the second device via a communication path associated with an access point device located at the defined location;

communicating a portion of the messages via the communication path, in response to determining the access point device is available; and

communicating another portion of the messages via a different communication path associated with a different access point device, in response to determining that the access point device is not available.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

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

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

communicating, by the first device, the other message to the fourth 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 device, a wireless communication connection between the first device and the second device via an access point device to facilitate the receiving, by the first device, the message from the second 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.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

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

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

19. A machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving, by a first device from a second device, a message that comprises consumption data representing a consumption of a product associated with a provider identity, wherein the second device is associated with a meter device that monitors the consumption of the product and generates the consumption data representing the consumption of the product, and wherein the first device, the second device, and the meter device are located within a defined region associated with a 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 product and is to be communicated to a provider device associated with the provider identity, wherein the accuracy indicator indicates, to the provider device, 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 via the user interface;

generating the copy of the message comprising the accuracy indicator, wherein the accuracy indicator is determined based on 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 provider identity to facilitate the indicating, to the provider device, the accuracy of the consumption data in the copy of the message.