Set-top box with enhanced behavioral controls and system and method for use of same

• US 10,390,079 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enseo, LLC (Enseo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Enseo, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Thomas R., Ogle, Vanessa, Wolfe, Edward H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US15/969,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20180324487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00507 keyless data carrier having more than one function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00825 remotely by lines or wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• 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 21/42204 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 21/43615 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 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A set-top box with enhanced behavioral controls and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the set-top box, a wireless transceiver is located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a television input, a television output, a processor, and memory. The set-top box may pair with an electronic door locking apparatus coupled to a door that is room-colocated with the set-top box in a hospitality establishment. The set-top box may then receive a status signal from the electronic door locking apparatus relative to the open/closed status of the door and locked/unlocked status of the door.

Claims

1. A set-top box comprising:

a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;

a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;

a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;

the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a display; and

the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

pair with an electronic door locking apparatus coupled to a door, the door locking apparatus being room-colocated with the set-top box in a hospitality establishment, and

receive a status signal from the electronic door locking apparatus, the status signal being relative to the open/closed status of the door and locked/unlocked status of the door.

2. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the status signal is further relative to a do not disturb status of the door.

3. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the status signal is further relative to a power state of the electronic door locking apparatus.

4. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to forward a fully tuned signal to the display including a status indicator based on the received status signal.

5. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to forward a status indicator based on the received status signal to a remote server.

6. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

specify a search operation to identify a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, wherein the search operation utilizes the wireless transceiver to wirelessly identify the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box;

send formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions to the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, wherein the formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions are configured to provide a downstream parallel experience related to the content on the television;

provide instructions for virtual buttons on a touch screen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual buttons being associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

evaluate the functionality input instructions to assign a meaning;

generate a command signal; and

send the command signal to the electronic door locking apparatus.

7. The set-top box as recited in claim 6, wherein the command signal relates to causing the electronic door locking apparatus to unlock the door.

8. The set-top box as recited in claim 6, wherein the command signal relates to causing the electronic door locking apparatus to alternate the do not disturb status.

9. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive and process server control functionality input instructions from a remote server;

evaluate the functionality input instructions to assign a meaning;

generate a command signal; and

send the command signal to the electronic door locking apparatus.

10. The set-top box as recited in claim 9, wherein the command signal relates to re-programming the electronic door locking apparatus.

11. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive and process keycard data from the electronic door locking apparatus;

evaluate the keycard data to determine access rights;

generate a command signal relative to the access rights; and

send the command signal to the electronic door locking apparatus.

12. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the hospitality establishment is selected from the group consisting of furnished multi-family residences, dormitories, lodging establishments, hotels, hospitals, and multi-unit environments.

13. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the display further comprises a device selected from the group consisting of electronic visual display devices and televisions.

14. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a housing-dongle combination securing the television input, the television output, the processor, memory, storage, and wireless transceiver therewith.

15. The set-top box as recited in claim 12, wherein the processor and the memory are distributed through the housing-dongle combination.

16. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with the electronic door locking apparatus via a standard selected from the group consisting of infrared (IR), 802.11, 3G, 4G, Edge, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, near field communications (NFC), Bluetooth, and Bluetooth low energy.

17. The set-top box as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with the electronic door locking apparatus via a short distance data exchange standard.

18. A set-top box comprising:

a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;

a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;

a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;

the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a display; and

the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

pair with an electronic door locking apparatus coupled to a door, the door locking apparatus being room-colocated with the set-top box in a hospitality establishment,

receive a status signal from the electronic door locking apparatus, the status signal being relative to the open/closed status of the door and locked/unlocked status of the door,

send the status signal to a remote server,

specify a search operation to identify a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, wherein the search operation utilizes the wireless transceiver to wirelessly identify the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,

establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box,

receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,

evaluate the functionality input instructions to assign a meaning,

generate a command signal, and

send the command signal to the electronic door locking apparatus.

19. The set-top box as recited in claim 18, wherein the command signal relates to signaling selected from the group consisting of causing the electronic door locking apparatus to unlock the door and causing the electronic door locking apparatus to alternate the do not disturb status.

20. A set-top box comprising:

a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;

a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;

a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;

the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;

the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a display; and

the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

pair with an electronic door locking apparatus coupled to a door, the door locking apparatus being room-colocated with the set-top box in a hospitality establishment,

receive a status signal from the electronic door locking apparatus, the status signal being relative to the open/closed status of the door and locked/unlocked status of the door,

send the status signal to a remote server,

specify a search operation to identify a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, wherein the search operation utilizes the wireless transceiver to wirelessly identify the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,

establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box,

send formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions to the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, wherein the formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions are configured to provide a downstream parallel experience related to the content on the television,

provide instructions for virtual buttons on a touch screen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual buttons being associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,

receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,

evaluate the functionality input instructions to assign a meaning,

generate a command signal, and

send the command signal to the electronic door locking apparatus.