Set-top box with enhanced features and system and method for use of same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12425664-B2
Application number	US-202418408148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2024
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A set-top box with enhanced features and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the set-top box, the set-top box is deployed to provide an interactive portal in a hospitality establishment having multiple rooms, such as a hotel. The set-top box generates a default interactive portal as well as a guest-specific interactive portal, which is generated from a guest configuration profile having information including guest identification, a guest channel preference presentation, and a guest service preference presentation with guest account information. The guest configuration profile may also enable the creation of a local area wireless network with substantially the same behavior as the guest's home wireless network. The guest configuration profile may further enable the control of in-room amenities, such as temperature control, lighting, shades, and availability, for example.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for configuring an in-room amenity proximate to a set-top box, the system comprising:
a programming interface configured to communicate with the set-top box having a processor and non-transitory memory disposed in an interconnected busing architecture; and
the programming interface including non-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitory memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the system to:
receive a guest configuration profile at the set-top box, and
in response to receiving the guest configuration profile, wirelessly control the in-room amenity based on the guest configuration profile;

the guest configuration profile controlling the in-room amenity based on a guest amenity profile derived from at least one of a home amenity belonging to a guest and a previous stay amenity relative to the guest;
the in-room amenity being selected from the group consisting of lighting, temperature control, window shades, and guest availability;
the home amenity belonging to the guest being selected from the group consisting of lighting, temperature control, window shades, and guest availability; and
the previous stay amenity being selected from the group consisting of lighting, temperature control, window shades, and guest availability.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the in-room amenity comprises an identical functionality to the home amenity.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the in-room amenity comprises an identical functionality to the previous stay amenity.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the guest configuration profile further controls the in-room amenity based on one of a location of a hospitality establishment having the set-top box therein and a location of a room, having the set-top box therein, in the hospitality establishment.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the guest configuration profile further controls the in-room amenity based on at least one of time of day and season.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the guest configuration profile control of the in-room amenity further comprises providing a setting to the in-room amenity.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the guest configuration profile control of the in-room amenity further comprises providing a lighting setting to a lighting control panel.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the guest configuration profile control of the in-room amenity further comprises providing a temperature setting to a temperature control unit.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the guest configuration profile control of the in-room amenity further comprises providing a shade setting to a shade control unit.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the guest configuration profile control of the in-room amenity further comprises providing a do not disturb setting to a door control unit.

11. A system for configuring an in-room amenity proximate to a set-top box, the system comprising:
a programming interface configured to communicate with the set-top box having a processor and non-transitory memory disposed in an interconnected busing architecture; and
the programming interface including non-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitory memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the system to:
receive a guest configuration profile at the set-top box
in response to receiving the guest configuration profile, wirelessly control the in-room amenity based on the guest configuration profile, and
monitor guest interaction with the in-room amenity;

the guest configuration profile controlling the in-room amenity based on a guest amenity profile derived from at least one of a home amenity belonging to a guest and a previous stay amenity relative to the guest;
the in-room amenity being selected from the group consisting of lighting, temperature control, window shades, and guest availability;
the home amenity belonging to the guest being selected from the group consisting of lighting, temperature control, window shades, and guest availability; and
the previous stay amenity being selected from the group consisting of lighting, temperature control, window shades, and guest availability.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory memory further comprises processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
record the guest interaction data relative to guest interaction with the in-room amenity.

13. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory memory further comprises processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to transmit the guest interaction data to a server.

14. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the guest amenity profile of the guest configuration profile is refined based on the guest interaction data.

15. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein a transceiver coupled to the interconnected busing architecture utilizes wireless signals selected from the group of wireless protocols consisting of 802.11, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 3G, 4G, Edge, WiFi, ZigBee, near field communications (NFC), Bluetooth, and infrared (IR).

16. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to receive the guest configuration profile via signal input.

Assignees

• Enseo Llc

Inventors

• Miller Thomas R
• Ogle Vanessa
• Hixon Charles T
• Smith Craig D

Classifications

• H04N21/4131

  home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices (home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807) · CPC title

• H04N21/8146

  involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics · CPC title

• H04N21/8126

  involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts · CPC title

• H04N21/43615

  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 title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title