Systems and methods for providing customer service features via a graphical user interface in a television receiver

• US 8,763,045 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: White, James Matthew, Taxier, Karen Michelle, Coburn, Matthew, Vanduyn, Luke
• Primary Examiner(s): CORBO, NICHOLAS T
• Application Number:
  US12/241,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1- 2, 725 4- 8, 725 39- 40, 725/51
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for graphically providing customer service features on a set top box (STB) or other television receiver in response to viewer instructions received from a remote control. Imagery including a customer service tile is presented on the display. A two-dimensional input is received from the remote control that indicates that the tile has been selected, and, in response to the received two-dimensional input, the customer service feature is provided. The customer service feature may provide information received from a remote source via a network, programming connection or other medium.

Claims

1. A method for graphically providing a customer service feature in a television receiver that is one of a plurality of television receivers, wherein the television receiver is configured to present imagery on a display in response to viewer instructions received from a remote control, the method comprising:

receiving, at the television receiver, a direct broadcast satellite signal that comprises broadcast television programming and billing information associated with each of the plurality of other television receivers, and wherein the direct broadcast satellite signal is simultaneously broadcast to each of the plurality of television receivers;

extracting, by the television receiver, billing information associated with the television receiver from the received direct broadcast satellite signal that describes particular services previously delivered to the television receiver via the direct broadcast satellite signal;

providing the imagery for output on the display, wherein the imagery comprises a plurality of tabs, each tab of the plurality of tabs comprising a plurality of tiles each describing a function performed by the television receiver, wherein a first one of the tiles corresponds to the customer service feature, wherein a second one of the tiles corresponds to an electronic programming guide feature, and wherein a third one of the tiles corresponds to search feature, and wherein each of the first, second, and third tiles are displayed upon selecting either of a first tab of the plurality of tabs or a second tab of the plurality of tabs;

receiving an input from the remote control that indicates a selection of one of the tiles; and

if the customer service feature tile is selected, in response to the received input;

providing the customer service feature associated with the selected tile from the television receiver by displaying further imagery comprising a further plurality of tiles, wherein one of the further plurality of tiles corresponds to the billing information associated with the television receiver extracted from the direct broadcast satellite signal, and wherein another one of the further plurality of tiles corresponds to a listing of currently-subscribed services,

receiving a second input from the remote control that authorizes a payment of a bill for the particular services delivered to the television receiver, and

providing payment information from the television receiver to a remote server via a connection separate from the direct broadcast satellite signal to thereby resolve the bill for the particular services delivered to the television receiver via the direct broadcast satellite signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input received from the remote control is a two-dimensional input that describes two-dimensional motion applied by the user at the remote control.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing comprises receiving the payment information via user inputs provided via the remote control.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer service information is received via a network that is separate from a programming connection that provides television programming to the television receiver, and wherein the payment information is provided from the television receiver to the remote server via the network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing comprises displaying help information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the help information is associated with a particular feature of the television receiver.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing comprises displaying services available to the television receiver.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a fourth one of the tiles corresponds to a DVR device feature.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a fifth one of the tiles corresponds to a place shifting device feature.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein another one of the further plurality of tiles corresponds to a feature that allows a user to add television services.

8. A video receiver for processing imagery comprising television programming to be presented on a display in response to viewer input signals provided from a remote control, the receiver comprising:

a receiver interface configured to receive an incoming modulated signal from a direct broadcast satellite, wherein the incoming modulated signal is a broadcast signal that comprises the television programming and customer service information associated with each of a plurality of video receivers;

a decoder configured to decode the incoming modulated signal to extract a video signal;

a wireless receiver configured to receive the viewer input signals from the remote control;

a network interface separate from the receiver interface configured to communicate on a network; and

a processor configured to extract the customer service information associated with the television receiver from the customer service information contained in the incoming modulated signal and to generate the imagery presented on the display, wherein the imagery comprises a plurality of tabs, each tab of the plurality of tabs comprising a plurality of tiles each describing a function performed by the television receiver, wherein a first one of the tiles corresponds to a customer service feature, wherein a second one of the tiles corresponds to an electronic programming guide feature, and wherein a third one of the tiles corresponds to search feature, and wherein each of the first, second, and third tiles are displayed upon selecting either of a first tab of the plurality of tabs or a second tab of the plurality of tabs, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive the viewer input signals from the remote control, and, if the customer service feature tile is selected, in response to the received viewer input signals indicating that the customer service feature tile has been selected by the viewer, to provide the customer service feature associated with the selected tile by displaying further imagery comprising a further plurality of tiles, wherein one of the further plurality of tiles corresponds to the customer service information extracted from the incoming modulated signal to the viewer, and wherein another one of the further plurality of tiles corresponds to a listing of currently-subscribed services.

9. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive the two-dimensional input signals from a wireless remote control comprising a two-dimensional input device, and wherein the two-dimensional input signals indicate movement in at least two dimensions.

10. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the two-dimensional input device is one of the group consisting of:

a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a directional pad, and a motion sensor.

11. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to identify the selected tile based upon a position of a cursor that moves on the display in response to the viewer input signals.

12. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to provide the customer service feature by displaying information received via the receiver interface.

13. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive the two-dimensional input signals from a wireless remote control comprising a two-dimensional input device, and wherein the two-dimensional input signals indicate relative movement with respect to the two-dimensional input device in at least two dimensions.

14. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive the two-dimensional input signals from a wireless remote control comprising a two-dimensional input device, and wherein the two-dimensional input signals indicate absolute movement with respect to the two-dimensional input device in at least two dimensions.

15. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the customer service information comprises billing information about a charge for particular services delivered to the video receiver via the direct broadcast satellite signal, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive a second input from the remote control that authorizes a payment of a bill for the particular services delivered to the video receiver, and to provide payment information from the television receiver to a remote server via the network interface to thereby resolve the bill for the particular services delivered to the video receiver via the direct broadcast satellite signal.