System and method of message notification and access via a video distribution network

• US 8,089,503 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruce, Les D., Brandt, Jeffrey L., Sullivan, Marc A., Hubscher, Mark B., Hernandez, Carissa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/592,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1407, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/93.24, 379/93.05, 725/10, 725/110, 725/112, 725/109, 725/80, 725/137, 725/30, 345/334, 345/145
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0039 where the data service is provided by a stream of packets which are rendered in real time by the receiving terminal network streaming of media packets H04L65/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and systems of message notification and access via a video distribution network are disclosed. A method may include receiving, via an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network, a data stream including video content. The method may also include receiving, via the IPTV network, a notification of a message directed to a communication address associated with a subscriber. The method may also include selecting a first visual message indication based at least partially on the communication address.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, via an internet protocol television network, a data stream comprising video content;

receiving, via the internet protocol television network, a notification of a message directed to a communication address associated with a subscriber; and

selecting a first visual message indication based at least partially on the communication address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the video content and the first visual message indication to a display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first visual message indication comprises:

determining to which of a plurality of communication addresses associated with the subscriber the message is directed; and

selecting a visual indication that identifies the communication address uniquely among the plurality of communication addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual message indication is selected based on a type of the message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual message indication is selected based on an urgency of the message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual message indication is selected based on subscriber configuration settings.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the subscriber configuration settings are configurable via a user interface displayed at a display device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the subscriber configuration settings are configurable via a user interface accessible via the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the video content to a video recording device, without the first visual message indication.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the message via the internet protocol television network and sending the message to a display device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising authenticating an identity of the subscriber before sending the message to the display device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein authenticating the identity of the subscriber comprises receiving an authentication token from the subscriber.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the authentication token is an identification used to access messages via a communication device associated with the communication address.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication address is a voice over internet protocol communication address.

15. A set top box device, comprising:

at least one network interface to receive via an internet protocol television network a data stream including video content and a notification of a message directed to a communication address of a subscriber;

logic to select a first visual message indicator based at least partially on the communication address.

16. The set top box device of claim 15, wherein the logic selects the first visual message indicator based at least partially on content of the message.

17. The set top box device of claim 15, wherein the network interface receives content of the message via the internet protocol television network.

18. The set top box device of claim 17, further comprising at least one output to send the video content and the first visual message indicator to a display device.

19. The set top box device of claim 18, wherein the at least one output sends the content of the message to the display device.

20. The set top box device of claim 15, further comprising a user interface module to receive control input from a user via a graphical user interface.

21. The set top box device of claim 20, wherein the control input includes a command to display contents of a plurality of messages one after another, without further control input.

22. The set top box device of claim 20, wherein the control input includes a command to initiate a call to a sender of the message.

23. The set top box device of claim 15, further comprising a memory to store user configuration settings, wherein the logic accesses the user configuration settings to select the first visual message indication.

24. The set top box device of claim 23, wherein the user configuration settings include a different visual message indication for each communication address of the subscriber.

25. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions executable by the processor to;

send video content received via an access network of an internet protocol television system to a display device; and

send a message notification indicator to the display device for concurrent display with the video content in response to a message notification received via the access network of the internet protocol television system, wherein the message notification indicator is selected based at least partially on the communication address of a destination device of the incoming message and a type of the incoming message.

26. The user interface of claim 25, wherein the message notification indicator overlays at least a portion of the video content.

27. The user interface of claim 25, wherein the message notification indicator is selected further based on an urgency of the message.

28. The user interface of claim 25, wherein the message notification indicator is selected further based on subscriber configuration settings.

29. The user interface of claim 25, further comprising content of the message.

30. The user interface of claim 29, further comprising a message duration indicator.

31. The user interface of claim 25, further comprising one or more graphical message playback controls.

32. The user interface of claim 31, wherein the graphical user interface controls include an initiate call to message sender selection.

33. A computer readable medium tangibly embodying instructions to manipulate a computing platform to:

receive, via an internet protocol television network, an internet protocol television data stream comprising video content;

receive, via the internet protocol television network, a notification of a message directed to a communication address associated with a subscriber; and

send a first display signal to display the video content and a first visual message indication, wherein the first visual message indication is selected based at least partially on the communication address.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the first visual message indication is selected based at least partially on a type of the message.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the first visual message indication is selected based at least partially on an urgency of the message.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the first visual message indication is selected based at least partially on subscriber configuration settings.

37. A method of message notification via a cable television network, comprising:

receiving user selection of at least one message indicator, wherein each message indicator of the at least one message indicator is associated with a communication address associated with a subscriber;

receiving, via the cable television network, a broadcast signal comprising video content;

receiving, via the cable television network, a notification of a message directed to a particular communication address associated with corresponding subscriber;

selecting a first visual message indication based at least partially on a particular message indicator associated with the particular communication address; and

sending the first visual message indication to a display device for concurrent display with the video content.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first visual message indication is selected based on subscriber configuration settings.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the subscriber configuration settings are configurable via a user interface accessible via the Internet.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising receiving the message via the cable television network and sending the message to a display device.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising authenticating an identity of the subscriber before sending the message to the display device.