Automatic display of messages on display screen

• US 8,266,223 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daigle, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHANG, SHIRLEY X
• Application Number:
  US12/036,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20090217365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 726/7, 455/466
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/4788 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method, Internet protocol television (IPTV) enabled communication device, and computer program product for automatic message services are provided. A processor executes instructions from a memory. An input and output (I/O) device is for transmitting and receiving, respectively. A client application is stored in the memory and configured to provide the automatic message service. The client application receives input of a message to be presented at an appropriate time, receives input of an action associated with the message, receives input of a recipient for the message, and presents the message for display to the recipient at the appropriate time.

Claims

1. An internet protocol television enabled communication device, being a set top box, that provides automatic message service, comprising:

a processor for executing instructions from a memory; and

a client application stored in the memory and configured to provide automatic message service;

wherein the client application is configured to;

receive by the set top box input of associating an action with a message;

receive in a user interface of the set top box input of the message to be presented at an appropriate time on a television;

receive by the set top box input of a recipient of the message;

present by the set top box the message for display on the television to the recipient at the appropriate time; and

execute the action associated with message;

wherein in response to the client application on the set top box receiving input of a particular message having no action associated therewith, the client application on the set top box is configured to parse keywords of the particular message having no action associated therewith, determine a particular action based on parsing the keywords of the particular message, associate the particular action to the particular message; and

execute the particular action in response to the recipient selecting affirmative to the particular message; and

wherein the action associated with the message can cause the client application;

to enable and disable a device;

to enable and disable an application;

to enable and disable capabilities of the set top box;

to operatively connect to a computing device; and

to place a telephone call.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the message for the recipient is stored on a storage;

and

wherein the client application retrieves the message from the storage.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the appropriate time is a time that the message is designated to be presented for display to the recipient.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the client application communicates with a server application residing on a server to provide the automatic message service.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the client application enables a creator of the message to log in using a username and a password;

and

wherein the message presented for display to the recipient displays the creator of the message.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the client application receives a username and a password input by the recipient such that the recipient can access restricted messages for the recipient;

and

wherein the client application restricts others from accessing the restricted messages for the recipient.

7. A method for providing automatic message service on a set top box, comprising:

receiving by the set top box input of associating an action with a message;

receiving in a user interface of the set top box input of the message to be presented at an appropriate time on a television;

receiving by the set top box input of a recipient of the message; and

presenting by the set top box the message for display to the recipient at the appropriate time on the television;

wherein in response to a client application on the set top box receiving input of a particular message having no action associated therewith, the client application on the set top box is configured to parse keywords of the particular message having no action associated therewith, determine a particular action based on parsing the keywords of the particular message, associate the particular action to the particular message; and

execute the particular action in response to the recipient selecting affirmative to the particular message; and

wherein the action associated with the message can cause the client application;

to enable and disable a device;

to enable and disable an application;

to enable and disable capabilities of the set top box;

to operatively connect to a computing device; and

to place a telephone call.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing the message in a storage; and

retrieving the message from the storage.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the client application residing on the set top box interacts with a server application residing on a server to provide the automatic message service.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving input of a username and a password corresponding to a creator of the message, such that the creator of the message is identified as the message is being presented for display to the recipient on the television.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving input of a username and a password corresponding to the recipient of the message, such that the recipient can access the message for the recipient, wherein others are restricted from accessing the message for the recipient.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the appropriate time is a time that the message is designated to be presented for display to the recipient.

13. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, for providing automatic message service for a set top box, the computer program product including instructions for causing the set top box to execute a method, comprising:

receiving by the set top box input of associating an action with a message;

receiving in a user interface of the set top box input of the message to be presented at an appropriate time on a television;

receiving input of a recipient of the message; and

presenting the message for display to the recipient at the appropriate time on the television;

wherein in response to the set top box receiving input of a particular message having no action associated therewith, instructions cause the set top box to parse keywords of the particular message having no action associated therewith, determine a particular action based on parsing the keywords of the particular message, associate the particular action to the particular message; and

execute the particular action in response to the recipient selecting affirmative to the particular message; and

wherein instructions cause the set top box to enable a device, to disable the device, to enable an application, to disable the application, to enable capabilities of the set top box, to disable capabilities of the set top box, to operatively connect to a computing device, and to place a telephone call.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions for causing the set top box to execute storing the message in a storage;

and

retrieving the message from the storage.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions for causing the set top box to execute receiving input of a username and a password corresponding to a creator of the message, such that the creator of the message is identified as the message is being presented for display to the recipient on the television.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions for causing the set top box to execute receiving input of a username and a password corresponding to the recipient of the message, such that the recipient can access the message for the recipient, wherein others are restricted from accessing the message.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the appropriate time is a time that the message is designated to be presented for display to the recipient.