Communications via a media content device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9414213-B2
Application number	US-201414587500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2014
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Various aspects are described that may provide various communications services. These services may provide for the ability of a user to initiate or request a communication with a third party, such as an emergency service party or a vendor, using a network-coupled device that may be pre-associated with a physical address.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, via a network, content for display by a display device, the content comprising a plurality of portions;
receiving, via the network, a plurality of predetermined data tags separate from the content, wherein each of the plurality of predetermined data tags is associated with a different one of the plurality of portions of the content;
detecting a request;
selecting a first data tag, from the plurality of predetermined data tags, that is associated with one of the plurality of portions of the content that is being displayed by the display device at a time of the request;
determining, by at least one computing device, a first contact destination based at least in part on the first data tag; and
initiating a communication involving the first contact destination.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a second contact destination based at least in part on a source of the request, wherein the initiating the communication comprises requesting a telephone call to be set up between a telephone number associated with the first contact destination and a telephone number associated with the second contact destination.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a second contact destination based at least in part on a source of the request, wherein the initiating the communication comprises requesting the first contact destination to call a telephone number associated with the second contact destination.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first contact destination comprises a telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the content by the display device.

6. A method, comprising:
sending, by at least one computing device, content via a network to at least one user device comprising a first user device, the content comprising a plurality of portions;
determining, by the at least one computing device, a plurality of data tags, separate from the content, wherein each of the plurality of data tags is associated with a different one of the plurality of portions of the content;
selecting a first data tag, from the plurality of data tags, that is associated with one of the plurality of portions of the content that is being sent via the network to the first user device at a time of a request from the first user device;
determining, by the at least one computing device, a first contact destination based at least in part on the first data tag; and
initiating a communication involving the first contact destination.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining a second contact destination based at least in part on a source of the request, wherein the initiating the communication comprises requesting a telephone call to be set up between a telephone number associated with the first contact destination and a telephone number associated with the second contact destination.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first contact destination comprises an email address, and wherein the initiating the communication comprises sending an email to the email address.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first contact destination comprises an instant messaging user ID, and wherein the initiating the communication comprises sending an instant message to the instant messaging user ID.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the content comprises receiving the content as a first data stream and the receiving the plurality of predetermined data tags comprises receiving the plurality of predetermined data tags as a second data stream.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the content comprises receiving the content as a first data file and the receiving the plurality of predetermined data tags comprises receiving the plurality of predetermined data tags as a second data file.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the first contact destination based at least in part on the first data tag comprises looking up the first contact destination in an association table using the first data tag to determine the first contact destination.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing, responsive to the request, the display device to display a user interface that displays a first message received from the first contact destination, and through which a user may input a second message; and
sending the second message to the first contact destination.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first contact destination comprises an email address, and the initiating the communication comprises sending an email to the email address.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining the first contact destination comprises looking up the first contact destination in an association table using the first data tag to determine the first contact destination.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Athias Franklyn

Classifications

• H04M2203/2016

  Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber · CPC title

• H04M3/42059

  Making use of the calling party identifier · CPC title

• H04W4/90 Primary

  Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] · CPC title

• H04M3/5116

  for emergency applications · CPC title

• H04M7/0024

  Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services (arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012) · CPC title