Portable contextual menu for triple play service

• US 9,094,638 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Beaton, Robert J., Furlong, Jeff, Parker, Alistair John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Angela
• Application Number:
  US11/418,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,371 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for accessing triple play services provided through a server over a network to a portable device, the method comprising: receiving a signal from a user defining respective preference levels for the triple play services; determining a location for the portable device; determining which of the triple play services are available at the location; composing a list of available services at the location, the available services in the list being ordered in accordance with the respective preference levels; and, displaying the list on a display screen of the portable device, whereby the user may access the available services by selecting from the list.

Claims

1. A method of selecting triple play services provided through a server over a network to a portable device, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from a user having user-defined, respective preference levels for the triple play services in the portable device, wherein the user-defined, respective preference levels are defined in context of importance of the triple play services to the user in particular locations without requiring the user to submit information regarding the particular locations and surrounding technology;

determining a current location of the portable device;

determining which of the triple play services are available at the current location;

composing a list of available services at the current location, the available services in the list being ordered in accordance with the user-defined, respective preference levels for the current location and the user'"'"'s proximity to the available services, wherein the list has a hierarchical menu structure that allows the user to move between menu levels while at the current location, the menu levels arranged as a sequence of physical locations to anticipate future movement of the user; and

,

displaying the list in an order of preference on a display screen of the portable device, the order of preference reflecting the user-defined, respective preference levels, whereby the user may access the available services by selecting from the list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the current location further comprises:

receiving a signal indicative of the current location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device is at least one of a wireless device, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, and a remote control unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location is at least one of a home of the user, a workplace of the user, and a location of an automobile of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a next location for the portable device; and

updating the list in accordance with the next location when the portable device is within a predetermined distance from the next location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the triple play services are one or more of a television service, a wired telephone service, a cellular telephone service, a wireless data service, a wireless email service, an Internet service, a short message service, a home security system service, a weather forecast service, and an on-line map service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) based network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is an Internet server.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the signal indicative of the current location from a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) receiver within the portable device.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining which of the triple play services are available at the location further comprises:

using the current location to look up the available services from a table of locations and available services.

11. A portable device that selects triple play services provided through a server over a network, the portable device comprising:

a processor coupled to memory, a display screen, and an input device; and

,

modules within the memory and executed by the processor the modules including;

a module that receives a signal from a user having user-defined, respective preference levels for the triple play services in the portable device, wherein the respective preference levels are defined in context of importance of the triple play services to the user in particular locations without requiring the user to submit information regarding the particular locations and surrounding technology;

a module that determines a current location for the portable device;

a module that determines which of the triple play services are available at the current location;

a module that composes a list of available services at the current location, the available services in the list being ordered in accordance with the user-defined, respective preference levels for the current location and the users proximity to the available services, wherein the list has a hierarchical menu structure that allows the user to move between menu levels while at the current location, the menu levels arranged as a sequence of physical locations to anticipate future movement of the user; and

,

a module that displays the list in an order of preference on the display screen, the order of preference reflecting the user-defined, respective preference levels, whereby the user may access the available services by selecting from the list with the input device.

12. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the module that determines the location further comprises:

a module that receives a signal indicative of the current location.

13. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the portable device is at least one of a wireless device, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, and a remote control unit.

14. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the current location is at least one of a home of the user, a workplace of the user, and a location of an automobile of the user.

15. The portable device of claim 11, further comprising:

a module that determines a next location for the portable device and updates the list in accordance with the next location when the portable device is within a predetermined distance from the next location.

16. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the triple play services are one or more of a television service, a wired telephone service, a cellular telephone service, a wireless data service, a wireless email service, an Internet service, a short message service, a home security system service, a weather forecast service, and an on-line map service.

17. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the network is an Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) based network.

18. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the server is an Internet server.

19. The portable device of claim 12, wherein the signal indicative of the current location is received from a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) receiver within the portable device.

20. The portable device of claim 12, wherein the module that determines which of the triple play services are available at the location further comprises:

a module that uses the current location to look up the available services from a table of locations and available services.