Method and apparatus for controlling a media device

• US 9,462,332 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W., DeLorme, David Brux
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lafontant, Gary
• Application Number:
  US13/705,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/410, 455/414.3, 455/415, 455/419, 455/425, 455/435.1, 455/343.3, 455/FOR.254, 455/556.1, 455/445, 348/569, 709/208, 713/191
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• 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 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for detecting a communication network, broadcasting a query message by way of the communication network, receiving a response message from the communication network, detecting from the response message that a media device is communicatively coupled to the communication network, receiving a key from a remote server to enable communications with the media device, detecting an event requiring use of the media device, generating a command responsive to the event, transmitting to the media device the command to direct the media device to request information from a web server executed by the processor, receiving from the media device a request for information to be provided by the web server, and transmitting to the media device by way of the web server the information requested. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable communication device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

detecting a wireless network;

transmitting a query message to the wireless network to identify devices communicatively coupled to the wireless network;

receiving a response message by way of the wireless network;

detecting, according to the response message, that a media device is communicatively coupled to the wireless network;

contacting a remote server through the wireless network;

retrieving profile information for the media device from the remote server associated with the wireless network, wherein a key for communicating with the media device is retrieved from the remote server when the remote server recognizes the media device;

obtaining configuration information for the media device based on the profile information by presenting a menu at the portable communication device to select the configuration information, wherein the configuration information determines an operative association between the media device and the portable communication device including responses to an event associated with use of the media device, wherein the event comprises an incoming communication to the portable communication device;

monitoring for the event associated with the use of the media device;

detecting the event;

determining that the configuration information for the media device includes directing event information to be presented at the media device;

responsive to detecting the event and to determining that the event information is to be presented at the media device;

transmitting, to the media device, a command that is generated according to the key for communicating with the media device, wherein the command directs the media device to request web page information related to the event from a web server executed by the processor of the portable communication device, and wherein the web page information includes information associated with the event, wherein the command includes a uniform resource locator for the media device to access a web page on the web server, wherein the web page information includes a graphical user interface for presentation by the media device, wherein the web page is executed by the web server, and wherein the web page is generated to include information associated with the event;

receiving a request for the web page information from the media device responsive to transmitting the command;

transmitting the web page information to the media device by way of the web server responsive to receiving the request, wherein the web page information directs the media device to present the information associated with the event and to present the graphical user interface;

receiving, from the media device, user generated input via the graphical user interface, wherein the response comprises a selection of an action to be performed in response to the event; and

performing the action in response to the event.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the event includes presentation of a caller identification corresponding to the incoming communications at the media device, wherein the operations further comprise:

submitting to a remote server a request for the key to enable communications with the media device; and

receiving the key from the remote server,

wherein the key enables the media device to authenticate the portable communication device.

3. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the media device comprise a set-top box, and wherein the key is used to encrypt the command transmitted to the media device.

4. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting that the media device has not been previously detected; and

storing a record that includes the key, wherein the record is associated with the wireless network with the media device.

5. The portable communication device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the key from the record without contacting the remote server responsive to a subsequent detection of one of the wireless network or the media device.

6. The portable communication device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second response message by way of the wireless network;

detecting according to the second response message that a second media device is communicatively coupled to the wireless network;

submitting to the remote server a second request for a second key to enable communications with the second media device; and

receiving from the remote server the second key.

7. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting an indicator on a display of the portable communication device responsive to detecting the media device, wherein the incoming communications comprise a text message.

8. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the web page information to the media device enables answering of the incoming communications via the media device.

9. The portable communication device of claim 1, comprising presenting a prompt for configuring a communication feature associated with the media device through the portable communication device.

10. The portable communication device of claim 9, wherein the communication feature comprises one of a caller identification feature, a media exchange feature, a call response message feature, a voicemail feature, an intercom feature, a parental control feature, a portable communication device location feature, or combinations thereof.

11. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the web page information is formatted according to an extensible markup language, and wherein the incoming communications comprise an incoming voice call.

12. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the web server comprises a hypertext transfer protocol web server application.

13. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the event further comprises one of an activity detected by the processor of the portable communication device or by a signal received by the media device from a remote controller causing the media device to transmit a message to the portable communication device descriptive of the signal generated by the remote controller.

14. The portable communication device of claim 13, wherein the activity detected by the processor further comprises user input detected by the processor.

15. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a processing system comprising a processor, a query message to identify devices communicatively coupled to a communication network;

receiving, by the processing system, a response message by way of the communication network;

detecting, by the processing system, according to the response message, that a media device is communicatively coupled to the communication network;

retrieving, by the processing system, a profile for the media device;

submitting, by the processing system, to a remote server a request for a key to enable communications with the media device;

receiving, by the processing system, the key from the remote server when the remote server recognizes the media device, wherein the key for communicating with the media device is retrieved from the remote server;

obtaining, by the processing system, configuration information for the media device based on the profile, wherein the configuration information determines responses to an event associated with use of the media device, wherein the event comprises an incoming communication to the processing system;

monitoring, by the processing system, for the event associated with use of the media device;

detecting, by the processing system, the event;

determining, by the processing system, that the configuration information for the media device includes directing event information to be presented at the media device;

responsive to detecting the event and to determining that event information is to be presented at the media device;

transmitting, by the processing system, to the media device, a command that is generated according to the key for communicating with the media device, wherein the command directs the media device to request web page information related to the event from a web server executed by the processing system, and wherein the web page information includes information associated with the event, wherein the command includes a uniform resource locator for the media device to access a web page including the web page information on the web server, wherein the web page includes a graphical user interface for presentation by the media device;

receiving, by the processing system, a request for the web page information from the media device responsive to transmitting the command;

transmitting, by the processing system, the web page information to the media device by way of the web server responsive to receiving the request, wherein the web page information directs the media device to present the information associated with the event and to present the graphical user interface; and

receiving, by the processing system, from the media device, user generated input via the graphical user interface, wherein the response comprises a selection of an action to be performed in response to the event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to receive an input from the media device and transmit the input to the communications network.

17. The method of claim 15,

wherein the incoming communications comprise one of a voice mail or an incoming phone call via the communications network.

18. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage-medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

detecting a communication network;

broadcasting a query message by way of the communication network;

receiving a response message from the communication network;

detecting from the response message that a media device is communicatively coupled to the communication network, wherein the response includes profile information for the media device;

contacting a remote server through the communication network to present a request to the remote server, wherein the request includes an identity of the media device associated with the request;

receiving a key from the remote server to enable communications with the media device when the remote server recognizes the identity of the media device;

obtaining configuration information for the media device, wherein the configuration information determines responses to an incoming communication to the processing system associated with use of the media device, wherein the incoming communication is sourced from a programmable appliance;

detecting the incoming communication to the communication network;

generating a command responsive to the incoming communication according to the configuration information, wherein the command includes a uniform resource locator for the media device to access a web page, wherein the web page includes a graphical user interface for presentation by the media device, wherein the web page is executed by a web server of the processing system, and wherein the web page is generated to include information associated with the incoming communication;

transmitting, to the media device, the command to direct the media device to request information from the web server, wherein the information describes the incoming communication, wherein the information directs the media device to present the information associated with the incoming communication via the graphical user interface;

receiving, from the media device, a request for information to be provided by the web server; and

transmitting to the media device, by way of the web server, the information requested.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the appliance and the media device are located a same premises.