Set top box with mobile phone interface

• US 20070130592A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haeusel, Fred
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 21/42669 the medium being removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A set top box includes a mobile phone receiving bay disposed in a housing of the set top box. The receiving bay includes a device connector coupled to circuitry in the set top box and a receiving bay opening that is arranged to provide access to the device connector. The device connector is configured for removable engagement with an accessory connector disposed in a mobile phone. The device connector and accessory connector are coupled when the mobile phone is docked in the receiving bay in the set top box to thereby provide a communication interface between the set top box and mobile telephone that enables data transmission therethrough. Users interact with an electronic program guide hosted by the set top box to download media content such a music, ring tones and video to the mobile phone from a network source coupled to the set top box.

Claims

1. A method for transferring media content to a mobile phone from a set top box, comprising:

providing an EPG hosted on the set top box to enable the media content to be browsed by a user, wherein the set top box includes a mobile phone receiving bay for docking a mobile phone to the set top box so as to enable communication between the mobile phone and set top box when so docked;

receiving user input responsively to the EPG which is indicative of the user'"'"'s selection of a subset of the media content; and

downloading the selected subset of media content to the mobile phone through the set top box.

2. The method of claim 1 where the user interacts with the EPG using a remote control.

3. The method of claim 1 where the EPG includes one or more menus associated with an electronic storefront.

4. The method of claim 3 where the menus are arranged hierarchically.

5. The method of claim 1 where the EPG is arranged to facilitate the sale of media content from a media content provider.

6. The method of claim 1 where the media content includes a plurality of different types, the types being selected from music, video, pictures, ring tones, entertainment, information, news, games and data types.

7. The method of claim 1 where the media content is encoded in an encoding format.

8. The method of claim 7 where the encoding format includes a plurality of different formats, the formats selected from MPEG, Liquid Audio, MP1, MP2, MP3, MP4, AAC, WAV, WMA, 3GPP, AIFF, AU, TAC, TwinVQ, EPAC, Dolby Digital, VQF, QuickTime and RealAudio formats.

9. A set top box arranged to be coupled to a mobile phone having an accessory connector for transferring media content to the mobile phone, comprising:

a network interface for receiving media content from a network;

a mobile phone receiving bay disposed in a housing of the set top box, the receiving bay including a device connector and a receiving bay opening, the receiving bay opening providing access to the device connector, the device connector being configured for removable engagement with the accessory connector, the device connector and accessory connector providing a communication interface between the set top box and mobile telephone that allows data transmission therethrough when operatively coupled; and

an I/O interface coupled to the device connector and configured to transmit the media content to the communication interface.

10. The set top box of claim 9 where the communication interface includes a plurality of different interfaces, the interfaces selected from PS/2, serial, parallel, network, USB and FireWire interfaces.

11. The set top box of claim 9 where the mobile phone receiving bay is configured to receive a bottom end of a mobile phone.

12. The set top box of claim 9 where the mobile phone receiving bay is configured to receive a back side of a mobile phone.

13. The set top box of claim 9 where the mobile phone receiving bay is configured as a standalone device that is operatively coupled to the set top box.

14. The set top box of claim 13 where the operative coupling is implemented using a cable.

15. The set top box of claim 9 further including an adapter configured to substantially conform to the shape of the mobile phone and arranged to be removably disposed within the mobile phone receiving bay.

16. A media content download host application arranged to run on a set top box for downloading media content from a source to a mobile phone in operative communication with the STB, comprising:

an EPG object for rendering an interactive EPG interface to enable a user to browse the media content and make download selections therefrom; and

a download object for managing downloading of a subset of media content responsively to the download selection to the mobile phone.

17. The media content download host application of claim 16 in which the mobile is in operative communication with the set top box using a wireless connection.

18. The media content download host application of claim 16 in which the wireless connection is provided by one of RF, Bluetooth, 802.11, UWB, magnetic and IR links.

19. The media content download host application of claim 16 further including a billing object for managing user billing associated with the downloaded media content.

20. The media content download host application of claim 16 in which the EPG interface implements an electronic storefront for selling digital music or ring tones or video.