System and method for set-top box base station integration

• US 9,866,911 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: LaFreniere, Gary W., Emerson, David, Rondeau, David, Goergen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US14/936,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A system for conducting a voice call includes a set-top box operable to control the selection of a television channel for display on a television. The set-top box is also operable to initiate a voice call in response to a selection of a user-interface displayed on the television. The system also includes a wireless set in communication with the set-top box, the wireless set operable to establish a portion of the voice path for the voice call. Signaling for the voice call is initiated by the set-top box.

Claims

1. A system for conducting a voice call, the system comprising:

a remote control; and

a set-top box in communication with the remote control, the set top box being configured to;

control selection of a television channel for display on a television;

receive input from the remote control, the input indicating that a user desires to conduct a telephone call with an other party; and

communicate, via an Internet Protocol gateway, with a call control server, using one or more Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages, to establish a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection with the call control server to provide communication for a voice call between the user and the other party, by;

establishing a first call between the call control server and a first user device associated with the other party, using at least one first SIP message of the one or more SIP messages;

automatically selecting a second user device from a plurality of second user devices to connect to the voice call, the second user device selected from the plurality of second user devices being separate from either the set-top box or the remote control, wherein the set-top box automatically determines the second device to select based in part on a location of the selected second user device;

establishing a VoIP call between the call control server and the second user device selected from a plurality of second user devices associated with the user, using at least one second SIP message of the one or more SIP messages; and

connecting the first call and the VoIP call to establish a direct call connection between the first user device associated with the other party and the second user device associated with the user, wherein the set-top box determines the second device to select based in part on an identity of the user interacting with the set-top box, wherein the identity of the user interacting with the set-top box is determined based on known viewing patterns of the user, and wherein the selected second device is associated with the identified user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the call control server is in communication with a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and wherein the call control server establishes a VoIP connection with the user and a PSTN connection with the other party, and connects the VoIP connection with the PSTN connection to establish the voice call.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice call is established between a telephone of the user and a telephone of the other party.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control comprises a microphone to provide voice communication between the user and the set top box.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set top box further comprises a volume control, the volume control operable to automatically reduce the volume of an audio output of the television in response to the connection of the voice call.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the set top box further comprises a noise cancellation generator, the noise cancellation generator operable to generate a noise cancellation signal in response to the connection of the voice call and an audio output of the television.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the set top box is further operable to modify an audio-visual output of the television in response to the connection of the voice call.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the set top box is further operable to modify a television input feed received by the set-top box for display on the television.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the set-top box is further operable to generate an output for communication over the television network in response to the connection of the voice call.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected second device is located in a same room as the set-top box.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the set-top box determines the second device to select based in part on a location of the user of the second device, wherein the location of the user is detected by determining that the set-top box is being accessed, and wherein the selected second device is located in a same room as the set-top box that is being accessed.

12. A method of establishing a voice call, the method comprising:

controlling, with a set top box, selection of a television channel for display on a television, based on input received from a remote control;

receiving, with the set top box, input from the remote control, the input indicating that a user desires to conduct a telephone call with an other party; and

communicating, by the set top box via an Internet Protocol gateway, with a call control server, using one or more Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages, to establish a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection with the call control server to provide communication for a voice call between the user and the other party, by;

establishing a first call between the call control server and a first user device associated with the other party, using at least one first SIP message of the one or more SIP messages;

automatically selecting a second user device from a plurality of second user devices to connect to the voice call, the second user device selected from the plurality of second user devices being separate from either the set-top box or the remote control, wherein the set-top box automatically determines the second device to select based in part on a location of the selected second user device;

establishing a VoIP call between the call control server and the second user device selected from a plurality of second user devices associated with the user, using at least one second SIP message of the one or more SIP messages; and

connecting the first call and the VoIP call to establish a direct call connection between the first user device associated with the other party and the second user device associated with the user, wherein the set-top box determines the second device to select based in part on an identity of the user interacting with the set-top box, wherein the identity of the user interacting with the set-top box is determined based on known viewing patterns of the user, and wherein the selected second device is associated with the identified user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the call control server is in communication with a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the method further comprising:

establishing, with the call control server, a VoIP connection with the user and a PSTN connection with the other party; and

connecting the VoIP connection with the PSTN connection to establish the voice call.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the voice call is established between a telephone of the user and a telephone of the other party.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote control comprises a microphone to provide voice communication between the user and the set top box.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the set top box further comprises a volume control, the method comprising automatically reducing, with the volume control, the volume of an audio output of the television in response to the connection of the voice call.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the set top box further comprises a noise cancellation generator, the method further comprising generating, with the noise cancellation generator, a noise cancellation signal in response to the connection of the voice call and an audio output of the television.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising modifying an audio-visual output of the television in response to the connection of the voice call.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising modifying a television input feed received by the set-top box for display on the television.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating an output for communication over the television network in response to the connection of the voice call.