Cross-platform messaging

• US 9,838,747 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Olague, Craig Alan, Archer, Kuan Hidalgo, Chilvers, Jr., Henry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Kiet
• Application Number:
  US15/244,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 455415, 455466, 455567, 455406, 455564, 715739, 715752, 725 31, 725109, 725 32, 725 46, 725 9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for displaying a short message service (SMS) message on user media equipment, in which the user media equipment includes a set-top box and a display. In some embodiments, the set-top box receives an SMS message, wherein the SMS message includes information identifying a triggering event for displaying the SMS message. The SMS message is stored until the occurrence and detection of the identified triggering event. In response to detecting the occurrence of the identified triggering event, the SMS message is displayed on at least a portion of the display of the user media equipment.

Claims

1. A method for causing an electronic message, written by a user of a mobile device, to be displayed on a user equipment device, the method comprising:

receiving, with the user equipment device, from a remote server at which the electronic message is stored, the electronic message written by the user of the mobile device, wherein the electronic message includes control information that identifies a triggering event associated with display of the electronic message, and wherein the identified triggering event is independent of user action and is associated with at least one of a user profile and specified content being displayed on the display;

storing the received electronic message in a storage device at the user equipment device;

retrieving an identifier of a video that is generated for display on a display of the user equipment device;

comparing the retrieved identifier of the video to an identifier of the specified content associated with the triggering event;

determining, based on the comparing, that the retrieved identifier of the video matches the identifier of the specified content; and

in response to determining that the retrieved identifier matches the identifier of the specified content, causing at least a portion of the electronic message to be displayed on at least a portion of the display of the user equipment device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

the at least a portion of the display comprises a pop-up window, and

causing the received electronic message to be displayed comprises causing the electronic message to be displayed in the pop-up window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

an interactive media guidance application is implemented on the user equipment device,

the at least a portion of the display is at least a portion of an interactive media guidance application display, and

causing the received electronic message to be displayed comprises causing the received electronic message to be displayed in the at least a portion of the interactive media guidance application display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

the electronic message includes control information in any one of content of the electronic message, routing information of the electronic message, or metadata of the electronic message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

the at least a portion of the display comprises an overlay window, and

causing the received electronic message to be displayed comprises causing the received electronic message to be displayed in the overlay window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic message is an extended short message service (SMS) message, and

the user equipment device is a set-top box.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

the electronic message comprises information identifying one or more intended recipients of the electronic message, and

receiving the electronic message comprises determining that at least one of the intended recipients of the electronic message is the user equipment device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message, and

receiving the electronic message comprises:

receiving a plurality of electronic messages; and

concatenating the received plurality of electronic messages to create the electronic message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message, and

further comprising:

receiving a user response to the displayed electronic message; and

sending the user response from the user equipment device to a sender of the displayed electronic message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile corresponds to the user of the mobile device or a user of the user equipment device.

11. A system for causing an electronic message, written by a user of a mobile device, to be displayed on a user equipment device, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

receive the electronic message written by the user of the mobile device, wherein the electronic message includes control information that identifies a triggering event associated with display of the electronic message, and wherein the identified triggering event is independent of user action and is associated with at least one of a user profile and specified content being displayed on the display;

store the received electronic message in a storage device at the user equipment device;

retrieve an identifier of a video that is generated for display on a display of the user equipment device;

compare the retrieved identifier of the video to an identifier of the specified content associated with the triggering event;

determine, based on the comparing, that the retrieved identifier of the video matches the identifier of the specified content; and

in response to determining that the retrieved identifier matches the identifier of the specified content, cause at least a portion of the electronic message to be displayed on at least a portion of the display of the user equipment device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

the at least a portion of the display comprises a pop-up window, and

the control circuitry is further configured to cause the electronic message to be displayed in the pop-up window.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

an interactive media guidance application is implemented on the user equipment device,

the at least a portion of the display is at least a portion of an interactive media guidance application display, and

the control circuitry is further configured to cause the received electronic message to be displayed in the at least a portion of the interactive media guidance application display.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message, and

the electronic message includes control information in any one of content of the electronic message, routing information of the electronic message, or metadata of the electronic message.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

the at least a portion of the display comprises an overlay window, and

the control circuitry is further configured to cause the received electronic message to be displayed in the overlay window.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the electronic message is an extended short message service (SMS) message, and

the user equipment device is a set-top box.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message,

the electronic message comprises information identifying one or more intended recipients of the electronic message, and

the control circuitry is further configured to determine that at least one of the intended recipients of the electronic message is the user equipment device.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message, and

the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a plurality of electronic messages; and

concatenate the received plurality of electronic messages to create the electronic message.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein

the electronic message is a short message service (SMS) message, and

the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a user response to the displayed electronic message; and

send the user response from the user equipment device to a sender of the displayed electronic message.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the user profile corresponds to the user of the mobile device or a user of the user equipment device.