Automatic messaging in response to television viewing

• US 7,054,654 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: McConnell, Von K., Sladek, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US10/785,267
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 380/210, 725/53, 725/35, 370/260, 370/352, 370/432
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

An automatic messaging system, in which, when a person tunes to a particular television station, a video server sends an SMS message indicating the station being watched. The video server could be a host device, such as a cable-TV receiver or satellite receiver that serves the television, or could take other forms.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

when a person tunes a television to a given station, a video server responsively sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message to a designated destination, indicating what station is being watched,

wherein sending an SMS message to a designated destination comprises sending the SMS message to a parent of the person.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video server comprises a host device serving the television.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the host device comprises a cable-TV receiver.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the host device comprises a satellite-TV receiver.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the person tunes the television by tuning the host device.