WO2003021960A1

WO2003021960A1 - Tv system with group communication

Info

Publication number: WO2003021960A1
Application number: PCT/US2002/016984
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul G. Allen
Original assignee: Digeo, Inc.
Priority date: 2001-08-30
Filing date: 2002-05-30
Publication date: 2003-03-13

Abstract

Activation (1402) of a specifically-designated control for initiating group communication is detected. In response, an indication (1404) of at least one group with which communication may be established is displayed on a display device, such as a television or a display screen integrated with a remote control. A user selection (1406) of a particular group from the at least one group for which an indication is displayed is received. Thereafter, two-way communication between the user and each member of the selected group is established (1408).

Description

TV SYSTEM WITH GROUP COMMUNICATION

BACKGROUND FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of interactive television systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED BACKGROUND ART

Television watching is an immensely popular pastime throughout the world. Indeed, one or more televisions can be found in virtually every residence in the United States and many foreign countries. The television viewing area is often the focal point of the home, a location at which family members spend a considerable amount of time, even when not watching television.

Often, a person wishes to make telephone calls while watching television. Unfortunately, telephones and telephone directories are often located outside of the television viewing area. As a result, a person must often leave the proximity of the television to make or receive telephone calls. If the caller is watching a television program, he or she may miss a significant portion of the program by the time a telephone call has been placed or answered. This is particularly irksome if the caller wishes to discuss an ongoing television program with another individual over the telephone. Moreover, a caller is often thwarted by others in the household who need the household telephone line for telephonic or Internet use.

If the caller does not know the telephone number of a person he or she wishes to contact, the caller must conventionally search voluminous telephone directories, scraps of paper, planners, personal desktop assistants (PDA's), and the like, for the number. This further reduces the caller's time for watching the television and diminishes the television viewing experience.

In some cases, either the caller or the intended recipient of the call may not have access to a conventional telephone line. For example, many people are now using the Internet for telephonic communication. Typically, Internet-accessible telephonic connections do not operate with the same protocols as standard telephone numbers. For example, an Internet-based telephone may use an IP (Internet Protocol) address instead of a telephone number. The caller, therefore, may need to remember a somewhat complicated, strangely formatted address in order to make contact with a party using an Internet-based telephone.

The above problems are compounded when a person wishes to call a group of individuals while watching television. Audio teleconferences are sometimes arranged over dial-up phone lines using bridging services that provide the necessary equipment for the call. However, such teleconferences require advance reservations with a central operator, who arranges the teleconference. Also, each participant must dial a central number at the selected date and time for the conference. Moreover, the use of cellular telephones or speakerphones is discouraged, as these devices often cause sound disruption through echoing or sound breakup. Many telephone providers offer Three-Way Calling, which does not require advance reservations or the use of a central operator. However, such a service only allows a person to speak with a maximum of two other individuals at the same time. In addition, the problems described above are not solved by the Three-Way Calling service.

Consequently, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a system and method by which a person could communicate remotely with a group of individuals without leaving the television viewing area, either to access a telephone or to look up a telephone number. Such a system and method should be independent of the location of the household telephone and should not depend on the household's telephone line. Furthermore, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a system and method by which the person could rapidly and easily place a telephone call to a group of individuals using a wide variety of devices, including wireless and Internet-based devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Non-exhaustive embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system; FIG. 2 is an illustration of an interactive television system;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of physical components of a set top box (STB); FIGS. 4-8 illustrate various techniques for selecting groups of individuals with which to communicate;

FIG. 9 illustrates a display screen integrated with a remote control; FIG. 10 illustrates a data structure for storing group information;

FIG. 11 illustrates a data structure for associating a specifically-designated control on a remote control with a group of individuals;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the functional components of an interactive television system in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 13 is a dataflow diagram illustrating transmission of a contact list to each member of a selected group; and

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention solves the foregoing problems and disadvantages by providing a system and method for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations.

In one implementation, activation of specifically-designated control for initiating a telephone call with a group of individuals is detected. The specifically- designated control may be included within a remote control for an interactive television system. Alternatively, the control may be embodied as a selectable menu item or the like within a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by the interactive television system. In response, an indication of at least one group with which communication may be established is displayed. A user's selection of a particular group is then detected, after which two-way communication is established with each member of the selected group. In one embodiment, two-way communication can be established by transmitting a communication request to a device associated with the network address of each member of the selected group, and opening, for each member accepting the request, a communication channel between the interactive television system and the corresponding device. In another embodiment, the interactive television system includes a remote control, and a specifically-designated control on the remote control is associated with a group of individuals. Activation of the specifically-designated control is detected, and two-way communication is established between the interactive television system and the device belonging to each member of the selected group. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of programming, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , there is shown a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. In one implementation, the system 100 relies on a broadband network 101 for communication, such as a cable television network, a direct satellite broadcast (DBS) network, a private packet- switched network (e.g., intranet, extranet), or the like.

The system 100 may include a plurality of set top boxes (STBs) 102 located, for instance, at customer homes or offices. Generally, an STB 102 is a consumer electronics device that serves as a gateway between a customer's television 104 and the network 101. In alternative embodiments, an STB 102 may be embodied more generally as a personal computer (PC), an advanced television 104 with STB functionality, a personal desktop assistant (PDA), or the like.

An STB 102 receives encoded television signals and other information from the network 101 and decodes the same for display on the television 104 or other display device (such as a computer monitor). As its name implies, an STB 102 is typically located on top of, or in close proximity to, the television 104.

Each STB 102 may be distinguished from other network components by a unique identifier, number, code, or address, examples of which include an Internet Protocol (IP) address (e.g., an IPv6 address), a Media Access Control (MAC) address, or the like. Thus, video streams and other information may be transmitted from the network 101 to a specific STB 102 by specifying the corresponding address, after which the network 101 routes the transmission to its destination using conventional techniques. A remote control 106 is provided, in one configuration, for convenient remote operation of the STB 102 and the television 104. The remote control 106 may use infrared (IR), radio frequency (RF), or other wireless technologies to transmit control signals to the STB 102 and the television 104. Other remote controls are also contemplated, such as a wired or wireless mouse (not shown). Additionally, a keyboard 108 (either wireless or wired) is provided, in one embodiment, to allow a user to rapidly enter text information into the STB 102. Such text information may be used for e-mail, instant messaging (e.g. text-based chat), or the like. In various embodiments, the keyboard 108 may use infrared (IR), radio frequency (RF), or other wireless technologies to transmit keystroke data to the STB 102.

Each STB 102 may be coupled to the network 101 via a broadcast center 110. In the context of a cable network, a broadcast center 110 may be embodied as a "head-end", which is generally a centrally-located facility within a community where television programming is received from a local cable TV satellite downlink or other source and packaged together for transmission to customer homes. In one configuration, a head-end also functions as a Central Office (CO) in the telecommunication industry, routing video streams and other data to and from the various STBs 102 serviced thereby. A broadcast center 110 may also be embodied as a satellite broadcast center within a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system. A DBS system may utilize a small 18-inch satellite dish, which is an antenna for receiving a satellite broadcast signal. Each STB 102 may be integrated with a digital integrated receiver/decoder (IRD), which separates each channel, and decompresses and translates the digital signal from the satellite dish to be displayed by the television 104.

Programming for a DBS system may be distributed, for example, by multiple high-power satellites in geosynchronous orbit, each with multiple transponders. Compression (e.g., MPEG) may be used to increase the amount of programming that can be transmitted in the available bandwidth.

The broadcast centers 110 may be used to gather programming content, ensure its digital quality, and uplink the signal to the satellites. Programming may be received by the broadcast centers 110 from content providers (CNN, ESPN, HBO, TBS, etc.) via satellite, fiber optic cable and/or special digital tape. Satellitedelivered programming is typically immediately digitized, encrypted and uplinked to the orbiting satellites. The satellites retransmit the signal back down to every earth- station, e.g., every compatible DBS system receiver dish at customers' homes and businesses.

Some broadcast programs may be recorded on digital videotape in the broadcast center 110 to be broadcast later. Before any recorded programs are viewed by customers, technicians may use post-production equipment to view and analyze each tape to ensure audio and video quality. Tapes may then be loaded into a robotic tape handling systems, and playback may be triggered by a computerized signal sent from a broadcast automation system. Back-up videotape playback equipment may ensure uninterrupted transmission at all times.

Regardless of the nature of the network 101 , the broadcast centers 110 may be coupled directly to one another or through the network 101. In alternative embodiments, broadcast centers 110 may be connected via a separate network, one particular example of which is the Internet 112. The Internet 112 is a "network of networks" and is well known to those skilled in the art. Communication over the Internet 112 is accomplished using standard protocols, such as TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), and the like. A broadcast center 110 may receive television programming for distribution to the STBs 102 from one or more television programming sources 114 coupled to the network 101. Preferably, television programs are distributed in an encoded format, such as MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group). Various MPEG standards are known, such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPEG-7, and the like. Thus, the term "MPEG," as used herein, contemplates all MPEG standards. Moreover, other video encoding/compression standards exist other than MPEG, such as JPEG, JPEG-LS, H.261 , and H.263. Accordingly, the invention should not be construed as being limited only to MPEG. Broadcast centers 110 may be used to enable audio and video communications between STBs 102. Transmission between broadcast centers 110 may occur (i) via a direct peer-to-peer connection between broadcast centers 110, (ii) upstream from a first broadcast center 110 to the network 101 and then downstream to a second broadcast center 110, or (iii) via the Internet 112 or another network. For instance, a first STB 102 may send a video transmission upstream to a first broadcast center 110, then to a second broadcast center 110, and finally downstream to a second STB 102.

Broadcast centers 110 and/or STBs 102 may be linked by one or more Central Offices (COs) 120, which are nodes of a telephone network 122. The telephone network 122 may be embodied as a conventional public switched telephone network (PSTN), digital subscriber line (DSL) network, cellular network, or the like. The telephone network 122 may be coupled to a plurality of standard telephones 123, e.g. POTS. Additionally, the telephone network 122 may be in communication with a number of cellular telephones 124 via cellular telephone towers 126. Alternatively, a telephone may be configured as a "web phone", which is coupled to the Internet 112 and uses various standard protocols, such as Voice- over-IP (VoIP) for communication.

Of course, the communication system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is merely exemplary, and other types of devices and networks may be used within the scope of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an interactive television (ITV) system 200 according to an embodiment of the invention. As depicted, the system 200 may include an STB 102, a television 104 (or other display device), a remote control 106, and, in certain configurations, a keyboard 108.

The remote control 106 is provided for convenient remote operation of the STB 102 and the television 104. In one configuration, the remote control 106 includes a wireless transmitter 202 for transmitting control signals (and possibly audio/video data) to a wireless receiver 203 within the STB 102 and/or the television 104. In certain embodiments, the remote control 106 includes a wireless receiver 204 for receiving signals from a wireless transmitter 205 within the STB 102. Operational details regarding the wireless transmitters 202, 205 and wireless receivers 203, 204 are generally well known to those of skill in the art.

The remote control 106 preferably includes a number of buttons or other similar controls. For instance, the remote control 106 may include a power button 206, an up arrow button 208, a down arrow button 210, a left arrow button 212, a right arrow button 214, an "OK" button 218, channel adjustment buttons 220, volume adjustment buttons 222, alphanumeric buttons 224, a "Help" button 226, a "Friends" button 228, a "Call" button 230, a "Menu" button 232, a "Link" button 234, and the like.

In one embodiment, the remote control 106 includes a microphone 242 for capturing audio signals. The captured audio signals are preferably transmitted to the STB 102 via the wireless transmitter 202. In addition, the remote control 106 may include a speaker 244 for generating audible output from audio signals received from the STB 102 via the wireless receiver 204. In alternative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the microphone 242 and/or speaker 244 are integrated with the STB 102.

In certain embodiments, the remote control 106 further includes a video camera 246, such as a CCD (charge-coupled device) digital video camera, for capturing video signals. In one implementation, the video camera 246 is in electrical communication with the wireless transmitter 202 for sending the captured video signals to the STB 102. Alternatively, the video camera 246 may be integrated with the STB 102 or attached to the STB 102 as in the depicted embodiment. The various components of the remote control 106 may be positioned in different locations for functionality and ergonomics. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the speaker 244 may be positioned near the "top" of the remote control 106 (when viewed from the perspective of FIG. 2) and the microphone 242 may be positioned at the "bottom" of the remote control 106. Thus, in one embodiment, a user may conveniently position the speaker 244 near the user's ear and the microphone 242 near the user's mouth in order to operate the remote control 106 in the manner of a telephone. The optional keyboard 108 facilitates rapid composition of text messages.

The keyboard 108 preferably includes a plurality of standard alphanumeric keys 236. In one configuration, the keyboard 108 also includes a wireless transmitter 247, similar or identical to the wireless transmitter 202 of the remote control 106. The wireless transmitter 247 transmits keystroke data from the keyboard 108 to the STB 102. Additionally, the keyboard 108 may include one or more of the buttons illustrated on the remote control 106.

Alternatively, or in addition, a hands-free headset 248 may be coupled to the remote control 106 or the keyboard 108. The headset 248 may be coupled using a standard headset jack 250. The headset 248 may include a microphone 242 and/or speaker 244. Such a headset 248 may be used to reduce audio interference from the television 104 (improving audio quality) and to provide the convenience of hands- free operation.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a block diagram of physical components of an STB 102 according to an embodiment of the invention. As noted above, the STB 102 includes a wireless receiver 203 for receiving control signals sent by the wireless transmitter 202 in the remote control 106 and a wireless transmitter 205 for transmitting signals (such as audio/video signals) to the wireless receiver 204 in the remote control 106.

The STB 102 also includes, in one implementation, a network interface/tuner 302 for receiving television signals and/or other data from the network 101 via a broadcast center 110. The interface/tuner 302 may include conventional tuning circuitry for receiving, demodulating, and demultiplexing MPEG-encoded television signals. In certain embodiments, the interface/tuner 302 may include analog tuning circuitry for tuning to analog television signals. The interface/tuner 302 may also include conventional modem circuitry for sending or receiving data. For example, the interface/tuner 302 may conform to the DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) or DAVIC (Digital Audio- Visual Council) cable modem standards. Of course, the network interface and tuning functions could be performed by separate components within the scope of the invention.

In one configuration, one or more frequency bands (for example, from 5 to 30 MHz) may be reserved for upstream transmission. Digital modulation (for example, quadrature amplitude modulation or vestigial sideband modulation) may be used to send digital signals in the upstream transmission. Of course, upstream transmission may be accomplished differently for different networks 101. Alternative ways to accomplish upstream transmission may include, for example, using a back channel transmission, which is typically sent via an analog telephone line, ISDN, DSL, etc. The STB 102 may also include standard telephony circuitry 303 for establishing a two-way telephone connection between the STB 102 and a conventional telephone. In one embodiment, the telephony circuitry 303 transforms an audio signal received by wireless receiver 203 of the STB 102 into a telephony- grade audio signal for transmission via the telephone network 122. Likewise, the telephony circuitry 303 may receive a telephony-grade audio signal from the telephone network 122 and generate an audio signal compatible with the wireless transmitter 205 of the STB 102 for transmission to a speaker 244 in the remote control 106, STB 102, or the television 104. Alternatively, or in addition, the telephony circuitry 303 may include modem circuitry to allow audio, video, text, and control data to be transmitted via the telephone network 122.

The STB 102 may also include a codec (encoder/decoder) 304, which serves to encode audio/video signals into a network-compatible data stream for transmission over the network 101. The codec 304 also serves to decode a network-compatible data stream received from the network 101. The codec 304 may be implemented in hardware and/or software. Moreover, the codec 304 may use various algorithms, such as MPEG or Voice-over-IP (VoIP), for encoding and decoding.

The STB 102 further includes a memory device 306, such as a random access memory (RAM), for storing temporary data. In certain embodiments, the memory device 306 may include a read-only memory (ROM) for storing more permanent data, such as fixed code and configuration information.

In one embodiment, an audio/video (AA ) controller 308 is provided for converting digital audio/video signals into analog signals for playback/display on the television 104. The AA controller 308 may be implemented using one or more physical devices, such as separate graphics and sound controllers. The A/V controller 308 may include graphics hardware for performing bit-block transfers (bit- blits) and other graphical operations for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) on the television 104.

In some implementations, the STB 102 may include a storage device 310, such as a hard disk drive. The storage device 310 may be configured to store encoded television broadcasts and retrieve the same at a later time for display. The storage device 310 may be configured, in one embodiment, as a digital video recorder (DVR), enabling scheduled recording of television programs, pausing (buffering) live video, etc. The storage device 310 may also be used in various embodiments to store viewer preferences, parental lock settings, electronic program guide (EPG) data, passwords, e-mail messages, and the like. In one implementation, the storage device 310 also stores an operating system (OS) for the STB 102, such as Windows CE^® or Linux^®.

As noted above, the STB 102 may include, in certain embodiments, a microphone 242 and a speaker 244 for capturing and reproducing audio signals, respectively. The STB 102 may also include or be coupled to a video camera 246 for capturing video signals. These components may be included in lieu of or in addition to similar components in the remote control 106, keyboard 108, and/or television 104.

A CPU 312 controls the operation of the STB 102, including the other components thereof, which are coupled to the CPU 312 in one embodiment via a bus 314. The CPU 312 may be embodied as a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP) or other device known in the art. For instance, the CPU 312 may be embodied as an Intel^® x86 microprocessor. As noted above, the CPU 312 may perform logical and arithmetic operations based on program code stored within the memory 306 or the storage device 310.

Of course, FIG. 3 illustrates only one possible configuration of an STB 102. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various other architectures and components may be provided within the scope of the invention. In addition, various standard components are not illustrated in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. FIGS. 4-8 illustrate various techniques by which a user of one STB 102a may initiate communication with a group 402 of individuals at remote locations (e.g., remote STBs 102b-d). Of course, the invention is not limited to STBs 102a-d, and other communication devices may be used within the scope of the invention. The communication may include audio video, text (instant messaging), or a combination of the same, depending on the capabilities of devices involved. In some cases, different communication channels may be established with different group members.

As shown in FIG. 4, a remote control 106 may include a specifically- designated button or button sequence for initiating group communication, such as a "Friends" button 228. After a user presses the "Friends" button 228, an indication of at least one group 402 with which communication may be established is displayed in a pop-up window 404 or the like. Of course, more than one button or button sequence may be provided for initiating group communication. Alternatively, a user- interface element, such as on-screen button or control displayed on the television, may be used for the same purpose.

In one embodiment, the indication is a name or description 406 of the group 402. For example, in the depicted embodiment, various descriptions 406a-c of available groups 402 may include "Football Buddies", "Sci-Fi Friends", "Investing Club", etc.

Using the arrow buttons 208-214 of the remote control 106, a user may highlight a particular description 406 to select the corresponding group 402. Thereafter, the user may press the "Call" button 230 or the like to initiate communication with the members of the group 402. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, suppose that the user highlights the

"Football Buddies" description 406a. Thereafter, by pressing the "Call" button 230, the user may establish communication with each member in the "Football Buddies" group 402.

Of course, the pop-up window 404 need not display indications of every available group 402. In other embodiments, only an indication of a single group 402 (e.g., a single group description 406) is displayed. Thereafter, the user may scroll through other descriptions 406 using the arrow buttons 208-214 or the like. In an alternative embodiment, a specifically-designated control on remote control 106 is associated with a particular group 402 of individuals. This allows a user to bypass the display of the pop-up menu 404 and immediately establish communication with the group members by pressing only a single button. Various techniques may be provided for associating a specifically-designated control with a particular group 402. For example, in one implementation, a user may highlight a particular group 402 (such as the "Football Buddies" group 402 in FIG. 4), press the "Link" button 234, and then press one of the alphanumeric buttons 224 or other suitable buttons. Thereafter, the user may establish communication with the "Football Buddies" group 402 by merely pressing the selected alphanumeric button 224. Other methods for configuring the specifically-designated control may involve navigating menus displayed on the television 104 and the like.

In another alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the displayed indication of a group 402 may include a list 502 of the group members. For example, rather than (or in addition to) displaying a group description 406, such as "Football Buddies", for each available group 402, a list 502 of names of the individual group members may be displayed. One or more lists 502a-b may be displayed for each available group 402.

In one embodiment, communication may be established with the group members by selecting a list 502a-b of names using the arrow buttons 208-214 and pressing the "Call" button 230. In certain embodiments, a user may be able to deselect individual names within a list 502 in order to not establish communication with those members when the call button 230 is pressed.

In an alternative embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6, groups 402 need not be represented by text, such as descriptions 406 or lists 502 of names. Rather, groups 402 may be indicated by graphical icons, pictures, video clips, and the like. For example, the "Football Buddies", "Sci-Fi Friends", and "Investing Club" groups 402 of FIG. 4 may be represented by self-explanatory icons 602 (e.g., football, planet, dollar signs). A library of such icons 602 may provide a user with a variety of icons to assign to various groups 402.

As in the prior embodiments, communication may be established with the group members by selecting an icon 602a-c using the arrow buttons 208-214 and by pressing the "Call" button 230. As depicted in FIG. 7, an indication of a group 402 need not be visual. For example, when a user presses the "Friends" button 228, an audio description 702 of a group 402 may be played back on speakers 704 associated with the television 104. Other audio descriptions 702 of different groups 402 may be played back in response to the user pressing the arrow buttons 208-214. When an audio description 702 corresponding to a desired group 402 is heard, a user may press the "Call" button 230 to establish communication with that group 402. The use of audio descriptions 702 is advantageous for visually impaired individuals who may not be able to view the television 104. The audio description 702 may be a sampled audio clip of the user's voice captured by the microphone 242 shown in FIG. 3. Thus, a user may create his or her own audio descriptions 702 of groups 402. Alternatively, the audio description 702 may include pre-sampled audio clips of the names or descriptions of various standard groups 402. The speakers 704 for playing back the audio description 702 need not be located on the television 104. For example, the audio description 702 could be played back on the speaker 244 located in the remote control 106.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the specifically-designated control for initiating group communication need not be a button on the remote control 106. For example, the specifically-designated control may include a user-selectable menu item, button, or other control displayed on the television 104.

In one embodiment, a user presses a "menu" button 232 or the like to display a menu 802 on the television 104. The menu 802 may include various options 804, such as a "Call a Friend" option 804a, which may function as the specifically- designated control to display the available groups 402.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to the ability for a user to add names of individuals to a list that can be easily and rapidly accessed in order to initiate group communication. In one embodiment, the menu 802 may include a "Configure" option 804b, which allows a user to input the names and network addresses of individuals whom the user would like to contact. In addition, "Configure" option 804b may allow a user to assign group descriptions 406, edit lists 502 of names, associate icons 602 with groups 402, etc. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4-8, the indication of the groups 402 with which communication may be established is displayed on the television 104. In alternative embodiments, however, the indications may be displayed on a display screen 902 integrated with the remote control 106, as shown in FIG. 9. For example, the integrated display screen 902 may display the same group descriptions 902 shown in FIG. 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, a contact list 1000 may include, for each group member, a name 1002, a network address 1004, and group identifier 1006. The name 1002 may be the name or alias of the group member. The network address 1004 may be an address of the member's STB 102 or other communication device. For example, the network address 1004 may be an IP or MAC address, telephone number, or the like. In certain embodiments, the network address 1004 may be an IP addressed created from a telephone number according to the ENUM standard.

In alternative embodiments, multiple network addresses may be associated with each group member. These multiple addresses may be ranked to provide the order in which the STB 102a attempts to establish communication with each address. If one address is not available or the user does not respond, the STB 102a may proceed to the next address.

The group identifier 1006 may be a group name or description 404 (FIG. 4), an icon 602 (FIG. 6), audio description 702 (FIG. 7) or another code or object for identifying the group 402 with which the member is associated. As described in greater detail below, the contact list 1000 may be used by the STB 102a to display group identifiers 1006 for user selection, as previously described. Moreover, the contact list 1000 may further be used to establish communication with the members of a selected group 402.

As shown in FIG. 11 , a button map 1100 may be provided that associates specifically-designated buttons on the remote control 106 with groups 402 of individuals. The button map 110 may be used to allow one-button initiation of communication with group members. In one implementation, the button map 1100 associates button identifiers 1102 with group identifiers 1006. The button identifiers 1102 may correspond to codes, such as IR (infrared) codes, received by the STB 102a in response to a button being pressed on the remote control 106. Of course, the contact list 1000 and the button map 1100 may be combined in certain embodiments. Moreover, the contact list 1000 and the button map 1100 may be implemented using multidimensional arrays, linked lists, database tables, or other standard data structures. The contact list 1000 and the button map 1100 may be stored in a memory 306 located within the STB 102, the remote control 106, or other suitable locations.

Referring now to FIG. 12, there is shown a block diagram illustrating logical components of a system for enabling communication between a user and a group 402 of individuals in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The depicted logical components may be implemented using one or more of the physical components shown in FIG. 3. Additionally, or in the alternative, various logical components may be implemented as software modules stored in the memory 306 and/or storage device 310 and executed by the CPU 312 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that various illustrated components may be combined together or integrated with standard components in various configurations without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

In one embodiment, the user of an STB 102 first activates a specifically- designated control for initiating group communication. As described above, the specifically-designated control may be a button located on the remote control 106, such as the "Friends" button 228. The STB 102 may include a detection component 1202 which detects activation of the specifically-designated control.

In one embodiment, a display component 1204 uses the contact list 1000 to display indications of one or more available groups 402. Indications corresponding to all or a subset of the groups 402 identified in the contact list 1000 may be displayed the television 104. For each group 402, the display component 1204 displays an indication of the group 402, such as such as a description 406, list 502, icon 602, audio description 702, or the like.

Once the indications are displayed on the television 104, a selection component 1206 allows the user to select a particular group 402 with which to establish communication, as illustrated previously in FIGS. 4-7.

Once a group 402 is selected, the network addresses 1004 of the group members (as identified in the contact list 1000) are provided to the communication component 1210. The communication component 1210 then transmits a communication request to a device (e.g., STB 102) associated with each network address. The precise format of the request will vary depending on the network and network protocols being used.

For each device accepting the request, the communication component 1210 opens a communication channel between the STB 102 and the remote device. As previously noted, the communication channel may be configured for audio, video, and/or text depending on the relative capabilities of each system. For example, if both the STB 102 and the remote device provide videoconferencing capabilities, then a video communication channel may be established by default. Once communication has been established, a user's contact list 1000 (or a subset thereof) may be automatically transmitted to each member of the selected group 402, as shown in FIG. 13. For example, a portion of the user's contact list 1000 relating to selected group 402 may be sent to the group members. This allows the group members to subsequently contact the other members of group 402. Alternatively, the entire contact list 1000 may be sent, allowing the recipients to have full access to the various groups 402 of the sender.

Referring now to FIG. 14, there is shown a flowchart illustrating a method 1400 for enabling communication between a user and a group 402 of individuals at remote locations. The method 1400 begins by detecting 1402 a user's activation of a specifically-designated control for initiating group communication. Thereafter, there is displayed 1404 an indication of one or more groups 402 with which communication may be established. A user's selection of a particular group 402 from the group(s) 402 displayed is then received 1406. Finally, two-way communication is established 1408 between the user and each member of the selected group 402. Based on the foregoing, the present invention offers a number of advantages not available in conventional approaches. In accordance with the present invention, the user of an interactive television system can communicate remotely with a group of individuals without leaving the television viewing area, either to access a telephone or to look up a telephone number. Furthermore, the user can rapidly and easily place a telephone call to a group of individuals using a wide variety of devices, including wireless and Internet-based devices.

While specific embodiments and applications of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise configuration and components disclosed herein. Various modifications, changes, and variations apparent to those skilled in the art may be made in the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and systems of the present invention disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

Claims

1. A method in an interactive television system for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations, the method comprising: detecting activation of a specifically-designated control for initiating group communication; displaying an indication of at least one group with which communication may be established; receiving a user selection of a particular group from the at least one group for which an indication is displayed; and establishing two-way communication between the user and each member of the selected group via the interactive television system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises a name of each group member.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises a description of the group.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises one of a graphical icon, an image, and a video clip.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises an audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specifically-designated control comprises a button or button sequence on a remote control for the interactive television system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specifically-designated control comprises a user-interface element displayed on a display screen for the interactive television system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interactive television system comprises a television display screen, and wherein displaying comprises: displaying the indication of at least one group on the television display screen.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interactive television system comprises a remote control, the remote control comprising an integrated display screen, and wherein displaying comprises: displaying the indication of the at least one group on the display screen integrated with the remote control.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-way communication channel comprises an audio-only channel.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-way communication channel comprises an audio/video channel.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein each member of the group is associated with a different address within a network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the network address is selected from the group consisting of an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a media access control (MAC) address, a telephone number.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a cable television network, a direct satellite broadcast (DBS) network, a telephone network, a private packet-switched network, and the Internet.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein establishing comprises: transmitting a communication request to a device associated with the network address of each member of the selected group; and opening, for each group member accepting the request, a communication channel between the interactive television system and the corresponding device.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein each group is represented by a contact list comprising a name and network address of each group member.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein establishing comprises: transmitting a copy of at least a portion of the contact list to each member of the selected group.

18. A method in an interactive television system for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations, the method comprising: associating a specifically-designated control with a group of individuals, each individual having a different network address corresponding to a device; detecting activation of the specifically-designated control; and establishing two-way communication between the interactive television system and the device belonging to each member of the selected group.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein associating a specifically-designated control with a group of individuals comprises: displaying a list of individuals; receiving a user designation of a control; receiving a user selection of at least one individual to associate with the designated control.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the specifically-designated control is selected from the group consisting of a button on a remote control, a button sequence on a remote control, and a user-interface element displayed on a television.

21. A system for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations, the system comprising: a display component configured to display an indication of at least one group with which communication may be established; a detection component configured to detect activation of a specifically- designated control for initiating group communication; a selection component configured to receive a user selection of a particular group from the at least one group for which an indication is displayed; and a communication component configured to establish two-way communication between the user and each member of the selected group via the interactive television system.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the indication comprises a name of each group member.

23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the indication comprises a description of the group.

24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the indication comprises one of a graphical icon, an image, and a video clip.

25. The system of claim 21 , wherein the indication comprises an audio signal.

26. The system of claim 21 , wherein the specifically-designated control comprises a button or button sequence on a remote control for the interactive television system.

27. The system of claim 21 , wherein the specifically-designated control comprises a user-interface element displayed on a display device for the interactive television system.

28. The system of claim 21 , wherein the interactive television system further comprises a television display screen for displaying the indication of the at least one group.

29. The system of claim 21 , wherein the interactive television system comprises a remote control, the remote control comprising an integrated display screen for displaying the indication of the at least one group.

30. The system of claim 21 , wherein the two-way communication channel comprises an audio-only channel.

31. The system of claim 21 , wherein the two-way communication channel comprises an audio/video channel.

32. The system of claim 21 , wherein each member of the group is associated with a different address within a network.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the network address is selected from the group consisting of an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a media access control

(MAC) address, and a telephone number.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a cable television network, a direct satellite broadcast (DBS) network, a telephone network, a private packet-switched network, and the Internet.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the communication component further comprises: a communication component configured to transmit a communication request to a device associated with the network address of each member of the selected group and to open, for each group member accepting the request, a communication channel between the interactive television system and the corresponding device.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein each group is represented by a contact list comprising a name and network address of each group member.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising a transmission component for transmitting a copy of at least a portion of the contact list to each member of the selected group.

38. A system for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations, the system comprising: an association component configured to associate a specifically-designated control on a remote control with a group of individuals, each individual having a different network address corresponding to a device; a detection component configured to detect activation of the specifically- designated control; and a communication component for establishing two-way communication channels between the interactive television system and the device belonging to each member of the selected group.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the association component further comprises: a display component configured to display a list of individuals; and wherein the detection component is further configured to receive a user designation of a control and to receive a user selection of at least one individual to associate with the designated control.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the specifically-designated control is selected from the group consisting of a button on a remote control, a button sequence on a remote control, and a user-interface element displayed on a television.

41. A method in an interactive television system for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations, the method comprising: detecting activation of a specifically-designated control for initiating group communication, the specifically-designated control comprising a button on a remote control for the interactive television system; displaying on a television coupled to the interactive television system a description of at least one group with which communication may be established; receiving a user selection of a particular group from the at least one group for which a description is displayed; transmitting a communication request to a device associated with each member of the selected group via a communication network; and opening, for each group member accepting the request, a video communication channel between the interactive television system and the corresponding device.

42. A computer program product comprising program code for performing a method for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations, the method comprising: detecting activation of a specifically-designated control for initiating group communication; displaying an indication of at least one group with which communication may be established; receiving a user selection of a particular group from the at least one group for which an indication is displayed; and establishing two-way communication between the user and each member of the selected group via the interactive television system.

43. A system for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations, the system comprising: means for detecting activation of a specifically-designated control for initiating group communication; means for displaying an indication of at least one group with which communication may be established; means for receiving a user selection of a particular group from the at least one group for which an indication is displayed; and means for establishing two-way communication between the user and each member of the selected group via the interactive television system.

44. A system for enabling communication between a user and a group of individuals at remote locations, the system comprising: means for associating a specifically-designated control on a remote control with a group of individuals, each individual having a different network address corresponding to a device; means for detecting activation of the specifically-designated control; and means for establishing two-way communication between the interactive television system and the device belonging to each member of the selected group.