Method And System For Back Channel Communication For Set Top Box Devices

• US 20090070828A1
• Filed: 01/14/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghobrial, Ayman, Stomakhin, Ilya
• Application Number:
  US12/013,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070828A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/68
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• 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 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A set top box (STB) may be enabled to generate and communicate SMS messages over a back channel between the STB and one or more networked entities such as a satellite service provider headend and/or billing center via a coupled communication device. The SMS enabled communication device may be integrated within the STB or may be external to the STB. The SMS messages may comprise an address for one or more destination devices. In addition, the STB may receive acknowledgement messages for corresponding transmitted SMS messages and/or may receive and decode SMS messages. The SMS messages may be communicated via an integrated Bluetooth transceiver and an external cellular phone, via an integrated cellular transceiver and/or via a cable connecting an external cellular phone. The STB may be a satellite STB. The communicated SMS message may comprise billing information. The networked entity may comprise a headend and/or a billing center.

Claims

1. A method for communication, the method comprising:

generating an SMS message with a STB; and

communicating said SMS message over a back channel between said STB and a networked entity via an SMS enabled communication device communicatively coupled to said STB and said networked entity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said SMS enabled communication device communicatively coupled to STB is integrated within said STB.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said SMS enabled communication device communicatively coupled to STB is external to said STB.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising addressing said SMS message to a destination device.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving by said STB, an acknowledgement message for said communicated SMS message.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving and decoding an SMS message by said STB.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising communicating by said STB, said SMS message via an integrated Bluetooth transceiver and an external cellular phone.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising communicating said SMS message via an integrated cellular transceiver.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising communicating said SMS message via a cable connecting an external cellular phone.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said STB is a satellite STB.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communicated SMS message comprises billing information.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said networked entity comprises a headend and/or a billing center.

13. A system for communication, the system comprising:

one or more circuits comprising at least one STB circuit, operable to, at least;

generate an SMS message; and

communicate said SMS message over a back channel between an STB and a networked entity via an SMS enabled communication device communicatively coupled to said STB and said networked entity.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said SMS enabled communication device communicatively coupled to STB is integrated within said STB.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said SMS enabled communication device communicatively coupled to STB is external to said STB.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits enables addressing of said SMS message to a destination device

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits enables receipt by said STB, of an acknowledgement message for said communicated SMS message.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits enables reception and decoding of SMS messages by said STB

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits comprises an integrated Bluetooth transceiver and enables communication by said STB, of said SMS message via said integrated Bluetooth transceiver and an external cellular phone.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits comprises an integrated cellular transceiver and enables communication of said SMS message via said integrated cellular transceiver.

21. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits enables communication of said SMS message via a cable connecting an external cellular phone.

22. The system according to claim 13, wherein STB is a satellite STB.

23. The system according to claim 13, wherein said communicated SMS message comprises billing information.

24. The system according to claim 13, wherein said networked entity comprises a headend and/or a billing center.

25. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for communication, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

communicating short message service (SMS) messages with a networked entity via one or more transceivers integrated within a set top box.

26. The machine-readable storage according to claim 25, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables addressing said SMS message to a destination device, receiving by said STB, an acknowledgement message for said communicated SMS message and receiving and decoding SMS messages by said STB.

27. The machine-readable storage according to claim 25, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables communicating by said STB, said SMS message via one or more of an integrated Bluetooth transceiver and an external cellular phone, an integrated cellular transceiver and a cable connecting an external cellular phone.

28. The machine-readable storage according to claim 25, wherein said one or more transceivers comprises at least one wireless transceiver.