Voice command integration for local network connected devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11956494-B2
Application number	US-202318169554-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2023
Priority date	Aug 12, 2021
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

Various arrangements for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network are provided. In an example, a secondary television receiver receives audio data, converts the audio data into voice command data, and transmits the voice command data to a primary television receiver. In response, the primary television receiver transmits the voice command data to a voice processing server via the Internet, receives a command generated based on the voice command data, and transmits the command to the secondary television receiver. Based on the command, an operation of the secondary television receiver is controlled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network, comprising:
receiving audio data at a secondary television receiver, wherein the secondary television receiver comprises a voice command component that is executed locally;
converting the audio data into voice command data by the voice command component;
transmitting the voice command data from the secondary television receiver to a primary television receiver;
transmitting the voice command data via the Internet from the primary television receiver to a voice processing server;
receiving a command at the primary television receiver from the voice processing server, wherein the command is generated based on the voice command data;
transmitting the command from the primary television receiver to the secondary television receiver; and
controlling an operation of the secondary television receiver by the voice command component based on the command.

2. The method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the audio data at the primary television receiver from a voice enabled remote control; and
transmitting the audio data from the primary television receiver to the secondary television receiver for conversion into the voice command data.

3. The method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network of claim 1 , wherein the secondary television receiver receives the audio data from a voice enabled remote control.

4. The method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network of claim 1 , wherein:
the primary television receiver includes a television frequency tuner configured to tune to one of a plurality of frequencies corresponding to a plurality of television channels;
controlling the operation of the secondary television receiver based on the command comprises:
generating a tuning request based on the command, the tuning request including a request for the television frequency tuner to tune to a television channel; and
transmitting the tuning request from the secondary television receiver to the primary television receiver; and

the method further comprises tuning the television frequency tuner to a frequency associated with the television channel in response to the tuning request.

5. The method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network of claim 4 , further comprising:
transmitting a video stream from the primary television receiver to the secondary television receiver, the video stream being received by the television frequency tuner at the frequency associated with the television channel.

6. The method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network of claim 4 , wherein:
the primary television receiver is communicatively coupled with a satellite antenna configured to receive the plurality of frequencies; and
the method further comprises receiving a video stream from the satellite antenna at the frequency associated with the television channel.

7. The method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network of claim 1 , wherein:
the primary television receiver is connected to the secondary television receiver within a local area network separate from the Internet; and
the secondary television receiver is connected to the Internet via only the primary television receiver.

8. The method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network of claim 1 , wherein:
the primary television receiver executes a first operating system; and
the secondary television receiver executes a second operating system that is different from the first operating system and comprises the voice command component.

9. The method for facilitating smart television content receivers in a local network of claim 1 , wherein the audio data is received by the secondary television receiver in a first format and the method further comprises:
converting the audio data in the first format to a second format; and
transmitting the audio data in the second format to the voice command component.

10. A smart television system comprising:
a primary television receiver, wherein the primary television receiver is configured to:
receive voice command data;
transmit the voice command data to a voice processing server over a wide area network connection; and
receive a command input from the voice processing server, wherein the command input is generated based on the voice command data; and

a secondary television receiver comprising a voice command module, wherein the secondary television receiver is configured to:
receive audio data;
convert the audio data into the voice command data using the voice command module;
transmit the voice command data to the primary television receiver over a local area network connection separate from the wide area network connection;
receive the command input from the primary television receiver; and
control, by the voice command module, an operation of the secondary television receiver based on the command input.

11. The smart television system of claim 10 , further comprising a voice enabled remote control configured to:
capture the audio data in response to receiving a voice command initiation request; and
transmit the audio data to the secondary television receiver.

12. The smart television system of claim 10 , further comprising a voice enabled remote control, wherein:
the voice enabled remote control is configured to:
capture the audio data in response to receiving a voice command initiation request; and
transmit the audio data to the primary television receiver; and

the primary television receiver is further configured to:
receive the audio data from the voice enabled remote control; and
transmit the audio data to the secondary television receiver for conversion into the voice command data.

13. The smart television system of claim 10 , further comprising a satellite antenna communicatively coupled to the primary television receiver, wherein:
the satellite antenna is configured to provide a plurality of television channel frequencies to a television frequency tuner of the primary television receiver;
the secondary television receiver is further configured to:
generate a tuning request based on the command input, the tuning request including a request for the television frequency tuner to tune to a television channel; and
transmit the tuning request to the primary television receiver; and

the primary television receiver is further configured to:
tune, in response to receiving the tuning request from the secondary television receiver, the television frequency tuner to a television channel frequency of the plurality of television channel frequencies associated with the television channel.

14. The smart television system of claim 13 , wherein the primary television receiver is further configured to transmit a video stream to the secondary television receiver, the video stream being received by the television frequency tuner from the satellite antenna at the television channel frequency.

15. The smart television system of claim 10 , further comprising a television communicatively coupled to the secondary television receiver, wherein the secondary television receiver is configured to transmit digital data for display by the television.

16. A non-transitory processor-readable medium, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving audio data at a secon

Assignees

• Dish Network Llc

Inventors

• Tiwari Anand
• Innes David

Classifications

• H04N21/818

  OS software · CPC title

• H04N21/6143

  involving transmission via a satellite · CPC title

• H04N21/6125

  involving transmission via Internet (transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82) · CPC title

• H04N21/6118

  involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem · CPC title

• H04N21/6106

  specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network · CPC title