Commercial television-interfacing dongle and system and method for use of same
A commercial television-interfacing dongle 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, memory, a control interface, and a universal serial bus (USB) interface. The control interface and the USB interface connect to the commercial television. The commercial television interfacing dongle may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display and receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device. Following receipt and processing of the virtual remote control functionality input instructions, the commercial television-interfacing dongle sends a command to the commercial television via a commercial television control protocol.
1. A commercial television-interfacing dongle for mechanically connecting to a commercial television, the commercial television-interfacing dongle comprising:
a housing securing a processor, memory, and storage therein;
a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting 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;
a control interface associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the control interface configured to mechanically couple to a commercial television control port of the commercial television;
a universal serial bus (USB) interface associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the USB interface configured to mechanically couple to the commercial television and provide power therefrom to the commercial television-interfacing dongle;
the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to, upon connection of the control interface and USB interface to the commercial television:
specify a search operation to identify the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, wherein the search operation utilizes the wireless transceiver to wirelessly identify the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,
establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the commercial television-interfacing dongle,
send formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions to the proximate wireless-enabled programmable interactive device, wherein the formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions are operable to provide a program guide related to the content on the commercial television,
provide instructions for virtual buttons on a touch screen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual buttons being associated with the commercial television,
receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, and
send a remote control command to the commercial television via a commercial television control protocol; and
a configuration profile associated with the memory and processor-executable instructions that enables the commercial television-interfacing dongle to control the commercial television;
wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to alternate between providing the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device the formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions, and providing the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device the instructions for virtual buttons.
2. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control interface further comprises a self-diagnosis interface.
3. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control interface is selected from the group of self-diagnosis interfaces consisting of RJ25 ports, RS232 ports, RS422 ports, RS485 ports, mulitple portocol interaces (MPIs), and multiple telvision interfaces (MTIs).
4. The commercial television-interfacing dongle 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 commercial television-interfacing dongle 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 commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 5 , wherein the short distance data exchange standard comprises Bluetooth.
7. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the transceiver comprises an antenna.
8. The commercial television-interfacing dongle 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, and smart phones.
9. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to:
provide the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device shared screen instructions that place the formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience and virtual buttons on a split screen.
10. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to:
receive application-based audiovisual experience instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and, based on the application-based audiovisual experience instructions, provide formatted parallel application-based audiovisual experience instructions via the control interface.
11. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the program guide is stored in the storage.
12. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to:
periodically receive wireless updates via the wireless transceiver to the program guide.
13. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the program guide further comprises substantially continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming and scheduling information for current and upcoming programming to be received by the commercial television from an external source.
14. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to:
wirelessly access an account related to a user of the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device; and
provide the control interface account instructions that place the formatted account audiovisual experience instructions on the commercial television.
15. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to:
provide advertising instructions via the control interface to the commercial television to superimpose advertising content onto a portion of a screen of the commercial television.
16. A commercial television-interfacing dongle for mechanically connecting to a commercial television, the commercial television-interfacing dongle comprising:
a housing securing a processor, memory, and storage therein;
a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting 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;
a control interface associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the control interface configured to mechanically couple to a commercial television control port of the commercial television;
a universal serial bus (USB) interface associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the USB interface configured to mechanically couple to the commercial television and provide power therefrom to the commercial television-interfacing dongle;
the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to, upon connection of the control interface and USB interface to the commercial television:
send formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions to the proximate wireless-enabled programmable interactive device, wherein the formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions are operable to provide a program guide related to the content on the commercial television,
provide instructions for virtual buttons on a touch screen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual buttons being associated with the commercial television,
receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, and
send a remote control command to the commercial television via a commercial television control protocol; and
a configuration profile associated with the memory and processor-executable instructions that enables the commercial television-interfacing dongle to control the commercial television;
wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to alternate between providing the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device the formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions, and providing the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device the instructions for virtual buttons.
17. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 16 , wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to:
provide advertising instructions via the control interface to the commercial television to superimpose advertising content onto a portion of a screen of the commercial television.
18. A commercial television-interfacing dongle for mechanically connecting to a commercial television, the commercial television-interfacing dongle comprising:
a housing securing a processor, memory, and storage therein;
a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting 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;
a control interface associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the control interface configured to mechanically couple to a commercial television control port of the commercial television;
a universal serial bus (USB) interface associated with the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the USB interface configured to mechanically couple to the commercial television to provide structural support to the commercial television-interfacing dongle and provide power therefrom to the commercial television-interfacing dongle;
the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to, upon connection of the control interface and USB interface to the commercial television:
specify a search operation to identify the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, wherein the search operation utilizes the wireless transceiver to wirelessly identify the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,
establish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the commercial television-interfacing dongle,
send formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions to the proximate wireless-enabled programmable interactive device, wherein the formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions are operable to provide a program guide related to the content on the commercial television,
provide instructions for virtual buttons on a touch screen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, the virtual buttons being associated with the commercial television,
receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,
send a remote control command to the commercial television via a commercial television control protocol, and
provide advertising instructions via the control interface to the commercial television to superimpose advertising content onto a portion of a screen of the commercial television; and
a configuration profile associated with the memory and processor-executable instructions that enables the commercial television-interfacing dongle to control the commercial television, the configuration profile being a non-set-top box, functionality-facing platform, the configuration profile being associated with a room in a lodging establishment wherein the commercial television-interfacing dongle is located;
wherein the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed cause the processor to alternate between providing the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device the formatted auxiliary audiovisual experience instructions, and providing the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device the instructions for virtual buttons.
19. The commercial television-interfacing dongle as recited in claim 18 , wherein the program guide further comprises substantially continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming and scheduling information for current and upcoming programming to be received by the commercial television from an external source.