Method and system for conveying SMS messages via a TV communication infrastructure for receipt by a TV set-top box

• US 8,201,196 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Ltd. (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Comverse Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Michael, Erez, Kringel, Shlomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US10/158,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20030226143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,665 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

SMS messages are conveyed via a TV communication infrastructure for receipt by a TV set-top box having a unique ID. The SMS messages are sent by a cellular telephone to a cellular service provider and are encoded with a unique ID of a destination TV subscriber'"'"'s TV set-top box so as to be identifiable as destined for the TV communication infrastructure. After identifying that an SMS message is destined for the TV communication infrastructure, the cellular service provider forwards the SMS message to a TV communication gateway, which processes the SMS message, including identifying the unique ID of the TV subscriber'"'"'s TV set-top box, and forwards data relating to the SMS message to the TV subscriber'"'"'s TV set-top box.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a short message service (SMS) message destined to a television (TV) set-top box, wherein said SMS message includes a unique identification (ID) of said TV set-top box;

(b) storing said SMS message in a memory;

(c) cross-referencing said unique ID in a database so as to determine a unique address of said TV set-top box;

(d) extracting from said database an identification of a group member to whom said SMS message is directed;

(e) forwarding to said TV set-top box data relating to said SMS message, wherein said data includes a notification, separate from said SMS message, for alerting a user of said TV set-top box that said SMS message has arrived at a TV communication gateway;

(f) receiving a logon request that identifies said unique address of said TV set-top box; and

after receiving said logon request;

(g) obtaining said SMS message from said memory; and

(h) sending said SMS message to said TV set-top box.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data includes a content of said SMS message.

3. The method according to claim 2, further including:

scrambling said data prior to forwarding said data to said TV set-top box.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data includes coordinates for displaying said notification at a specified location on a TV set coupled to said TV set-top box.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data includes an instruction for one of illuminating an indicator lamp and displaying an indication on a display coupled to said TV set-top box.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said receiving, and cross-referencing operations is performed by a cellular service system.

7. A television (TV) communication gateway comprising:

an input port configured to receive a short message service (SMS) message destined to a TV set-top box, wherein said SMS message includes a unique identification (ID) of said TV set-top box;

a processor, coupled to said input port, configured to cross-reference said unique ID in a database so as to determine a unique address of said TV set-top box, and extract from said database an identification of a group member to whom said SMS message is directed;

a memory coupled to said processor, configured to store said SMS message;

an output port coupled to said processor, configured to forward data relating to said SMS message to said TV set-top box;

a data formatter to format said data, wherein said data includes a notification, separate from said SMS message, for alerting a user of said TV set-top box that said SMS message has arrived at said TV communication gateway; and

a logon request unit that receives and processes a logon request that identifies said unique address of said TV set-top box,

wherein, after said logon request unit receives and processes said logon request, said TV communication gateway;

obtains said SMS message from said memory; and

sends said SMS message to said TV set-top box.

8. The TV communication gateway according to claim 7, wherein said data includes a content of said SMS message.

9. The TV communication gateway according to claim 8, further including:

a scrambling unit, coupled to said processor, configured to scramble said data prior to conveying said data to said TV set-top box.

10. The TV communication gateway according to claim 7, wherein said data formatter is configured to format said data to include coordinates for displaying, in response to receipt of notification to alert said user that an SMS message has arrived, a user notice at a specified location on a TV set coupled to said TV set-top box.

11. The TV communication gateway according to claim 7, wherein said data formatter is configured to format said data to include, in response to receipt of notification to alert said user that an SMS message has arrived, an instruction for one of illuminating an indicator lamp and displaying an indication on a display coupled to said TV set-top box.

12. A non-transitory program storage medium readable by a processor, said program storage medium including instructions to:

receive a short message service (SMS) message destined to a television (TV) set-top box, wherein said SMS message includes a unique identification (ID) of said TV set-top box;

store said SMS message in a memory;

cross-reference said unique ID in a database so as to determine a unique address of said TV set-top box;

extract from said database an identification of a group member to whom said SMS message is directed;

forward to said TV set-top box data relating to said SMS message, wherein notification data separate from said SMS message is also sent to said TV set-top box prior to said SMS message in order to alert a user of said TV set-top box that said SMS message has arrived at a TV communication gateway;

receive a logon request that identifies said unique address of said TV set-top box; and

after receiving said logon request;

obtain said SMS message from said memory; and

send said SMS message to said TV set-top box.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

instructions to receive a short message service (SMS) message destined to a television (TV) set-top box, wherein said SMS message includes a unique identification (ID) of said TV set-top box;

instructions to store said SMS message in a memory;

instructions to cross-reference said unique ID in a database so as to determine a unique address of said TV set-top box;

instructions to extract from said database an identification of a group member to whom said

SMS message is directed;

instructions to forward to said TV set-top box data relating to said SMS message, wherein notification data separate from said SMS message is also sent to said TV set-top box prior to said SMS message in order to alert a user of said TV set-top box that said SMS message has arrived at a TV communication gateway;

instructions to receive a logon request that identifies said unique address of said TV set-top box; and

instructions to, after receiving said logon request;

obtain said SMS message from said memory; and

send said SMS message to said TV set-top box.