Systems, methods and apparatus for transmitting data over a voice channel of a wireless telephone network

• US 9,743,152 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Manne, Gopi K., Beals, William Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raman, Usha
• Application Number:
  US14/512,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20150033250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• 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 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The various embodiments described herein generally provide apparatus, systems and methods which facilitate the transmission of data between a client device and a remote device over a wireless telephone network. More particularly, data from a client device is modulated into an audio signal and transmitted to a wireless telephone. The wireless telephone receives the audio signal and places a phone call to a remote device over a wireless telephone network. During the phone call, the wireless telephone transmits the audio signal across a voice channel of the wireless telephone network to the remote device. The remote device receives and decodes the audio signal to extract the transmitted data.

Claims

1. An entertainment device, comprising:

a receiver to receive video content from a content source;

a processor communicatively coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to format the video content for presentation on a presentation device and further configured to aggregate diagnostic information regarding the entertainment device and at least one other device separate from the entertainment device, the diagnostic information related to an equipment failure; and

an interface module communicatively coupled to the processor and communicatively coupleable to a wireless telephone, the interface module configured to pass data modulated into an audio signal for transmission across a voice channel of a wireless telephone network communicatively coupled between the wireless telephone and a remote server, wherein the audio signal passed by the interface module has characteristics of human speech, the characteristics of human speech including a selected frequency and a selected intensity that emulates a buzz in human speech.

2. The entertainment device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to modulate the diagnostic information into the audio signal having characteristics of human speech.

3. The entertainment device of claim 1, wherein the interface module includes a wireless transceiver configurable to communicate with the wireless telephone.

4. The entertainment device of claim 3, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured as a wireless headset that can be communicatively associated with the wireless telephone.

5. The entertainment device of claim 1, wherein the interface module includes an input port to receive a cable for communicatively coupling the interface module and the wireless telephone.

6. The entertainment device of claim 1, wherein the interface module is configured to initiate a phone call to the remote server.

7. The entertainment device of claim 1, wherein the interface module is configured to issue commands to the wireless telephone, the commands directing the wireless telephone to initiate a phone call to the remote server and directing the wireless telephone to transmit the audio signal to the remote server.

8. The entertainment device of claim 7, wherein the interface module is configured to automatically transmit the commands and the audio signal to the remote server periodically according to a schedule.

9. An entertainment device method, comprising:

receiving, at an input module of an entertainment device, video content from a content source;

formatting, with a processor communicatively coupled to the input module, the received video content for presentation on a presentation device;

aggregating, with the processor, diagnostic information regarding the entertainment device and at least one other device separate from the entertainment device, the diagnostic information related to an equipment failure;

modulating the diagnostic information into an audio signal;

passing the audio signal via an interface module communicatively coupled to the processor and communicatively coupled to a wireless telephone; and

transmitting the audio signal across a voice channel of a wireless telephone network communicatively coupled between the wireless telephone and a remote server, wherein the audio signal has characteristics of human speech, the characteristics of human speech including a selected frequency and a selected intensity that emulates a buzz in human speech.

10. The entertainment device method of claim 9, wherein passing the audio signal via the interface module includes passing the audio signal according to a Bluetooth protocol.

11. The entertainment device method of claim 9, comprising:

communicatively coupling the interface module to the wireless telephone via a cable.

12. The entertainment device method of claim 9, wherein the interface module initiates a phone call to the remote server.

13. The entertainment device method of claim 9, comprising:

issuing a first command to the wireless telephone directing the wireless telephone to initiate a phone call to the remote server; and

issuing a second command to the wireless telephone directing the wireless telephone to transmit the audio signal to the remote server.

14. The entertainment device method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the audio signal includes automatically transmitting the audio signal periodically according to a schedule.

15. A method to transmit data from an entertainment device, comprising:

aggregating, on an entertainment device, diagnostic information regarding the entertainment device and at least one other device separate from the entertainment device, the diagnostic information related to an equipment failure;

modulating the diagnostic information into an audio signal for transmission across a voice channel of a wireless telephone network, the audio signal having characteristics of human speech, wherein the characteristics of human speech include a selected frequency and a selected intensity that emulates a buzz in human speech;

communicatively coupling the entertainment device to a wireless telephone;

directing the wireless telephone to place a phone call to a remote server;

communicating the audio signal from the entertainment device to the wireless telephone; and

directing the wireless telephone to communicate the audio signal to the remote server over the voice channel of the wireless telephone network during the phone call.

16. The method to transmit data from an entertainment device of claim 15, wherein communicating the audio signal from the entertainment device to the wireless telephone includes communicating the audio signal over a wireless connection.

17. The method to transmit data from an entertainment device of claim 15, wherein communicating the audio signal from the entertainment device to the wireless telephone includes communicating the audio signal over a wired connection.