Set-Top Box with Enhanced Content and System and Method for Use of Same

Abstract

A set-top box with enhanced content and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless transceiver is located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a television input, television output, a processor, and memory. The set-top box may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display. Content, such as the Internet, movies, music, or games, for example, may be imported from the programmable device and reformatted at the set-top box for display on a television via the television output, thereby creating an experience on the television parallel to the experience on the programmable device. Virtual remote control functionality may then be provided by a spoken sequence of words.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A set-top box comprising:
 a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;   a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;   a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;   the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;   the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a television; and   the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
 establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box, 
 receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual remote control functionality input instructions being representations of a spoken sequence of words, 
 evaluating the spoken sequence of words to assign a meaning to the spoken sequence of words, 
 responsive to evaluating the spoken sequence of words, generate a command signal, and 
 send the command signal to the television. 
   
     
     
         2 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a housing-dongle combination securing the television input, the television output, the processor, memory, storage, and wireless transceiver therewith. 
     
     
         3 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the processor and the memory are distributed through the housing-dongle combination. 
     
     
         4 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device via a standard selected from the group consisting of infrared (IR), 802.11, 3G, 4G, Edge, WiFi, ZigBee, near field communications (NFC), and Bluetooth. 
     
     
         5 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device via a short distance data exchange standard. 
     
     
         6 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the short distance data exchange standard comprises Bluetooth. 
     
     
         7 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is at least partially internal to the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is at least partially external to the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver comprises an antenna. 
     
     
         10 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches. 
     
     
         11 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the command signal provides remote control of the television. 
     
     
         12 . A set-top box comprising:
 a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;   a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;   a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;   the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;   the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a television;   the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
 establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box, 
 receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual remote control functionality input instructions being representations of a spoken sequence of words, 
 evaluating the spoken sequence of words to assign a meaning to the spoken sequence of words, and 
 responsive to evaluating the spoken sequence of words, generate a command signal, and 
 send the command signal to the television, the command signal providing remote control functionality of the television. 
   
     
     
         13 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the housing further comprises a housing-dongle combination securing the television input, the television output, the processor, memory, storage, and wireless transceiver therewith. 
     
     
         14 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches. 
     
     
         15 . A set-top box comprising:
 a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein;   a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;   a wireless transceiver associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device;   the television input configured to receive a source signal from an external source;   the television output configured to forward a fully tuned signal to a television; and   the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
 establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the set-top box, 
 provide instructions on a touch screen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the instructions triggering a spoken sequence of words as a response, 
 receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual remote control functionality input instructions being representations of the spoken sequence of words, 
 evaluate the spoken sequence of words to assign a meaning to the spoken sequence of words, 
 responsive to evaluating the spoken sequence of words, generate a command signal, and 
 send the command signal to the television. 
   
     
     
         16 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the housing further comprises a housing-dongle combination securing the television input, the television output, the processor, memory, storage, and wireless transceiver therewith. 
     
     
         17 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the processor and the memory are distributed through the housing-dongle combination. 
     
     
         18 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches. 
     
     
         19 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device via a short distance data exchange standard. 
     
     
         20 . The set-top box as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the command signal provides remote control functionality of the television.