ENHANCED SET-TOP BOX CONTROL

1 . A method for controlling a set-top box via a smart speaker, the method comprising:

receiving, at the smart speaker, an input related to the set-top box;

transmitting, to a server, a request based on the input;

retrieving, at the server and based on the request, program listing data;

identifying a command for controlling the set-top box based on the program listing data;

transmitting, from the server to the smart speaker, at least one of the program listing data and the identified command; and

transmitting, from the smart speaker to the set-top box, the identified command.

2 .- 30 . (canceled)

31 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the input is a first input and is for a program recommendation;

the request is a first request and is based on the first input;

a user profile is identified;

the program listing data is retrieved based on the first request and the user profile;

a program recommendation is generated, at the server, based on at least one of the user profile, the first request and/or the program listing data;

the program recommendation is transmitted, from the server, to the smart speaker;

the program recommendation is outputted at the smart speaker;

a second input related to the program recommendation and the set-top box is received at the smart speaker; and

the command for controlling the set-top box is identified based on the second input.

32 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the program listing data is transmitted from the server to the smart speaker; and

the command is identified at the smart speaker.

33 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the command is identified at the server; and

the command is transmitted from the server to the smart speaker.

34 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, at the smart speaker, a set-top box identifier associated with the set-top box;

transmitting, to a server, the set-top box identifier;

retrieving, at the server and based on the set-top box identifier, a control command set of one or more control commands for controlling the set-top box; and

wherein:

the identifying the command based on the program listing data comprises identifying a control command from the control command set;

the transmitting the command from the server to the smart speaker comprises transmitting the identified control command; and

the transmitting the command from the smart speaker to the set-top box comprises transmitting the identified control command from the control command set.

35 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the smart speaker, one or more control commands from a control device of the set-top box;

storing the one or more control commands, thereby creating a received control command set; and

wherein:

the identifying the command based on the program listing data comprises identifying a control command from the received control command set; and

the transmitting the command from the smart speaker to the set-top box comprises transmitting the identified control command from the received control command set.

36 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the command is received via a microphone of the smart speaker.

37 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the command is transmitted from the smart speaker to the set-top box via an infrared transmitter or a Bluetooth transmitter.

38 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the program listing data comprises one or more of date, time and/or channel information for a television program and/or a movie.

39 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises storing a representation of an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) associated with the set-top box at the server;

and wherein:

identifying a command further comprises determining, based on the stored representation of the EPG, a plurality of control commands required to complete an action at the set-top box; and

the transmitting the command from the server to the smart speaker further comprises transmitting the plurality of control commands; and

the transmitting the command from the smart speaker to the set-top box further comprises transmitting the plurality of control commands.

40 . A system for controlling a set-top box via a smart speaker, the system comprising:

a communication port; and

control circuitry configured to:

receive, at the smart speaker, an input related to the set-top box;

transmit, to a server, a request based on the input;

retrieve, at the server and based on the request, program listing data;

identify a command for controlling the set-top box based on the program listing data;

transmit, from the server to the smart speaker, at least one of the program listing data and the identified command; and

transmit, from the smart speaker to the set-top box, the identified command.

41 . The system of claim 40 , wherein:

the input is a first input and is for a program recommendation;

the request is a first request and is based on the first input;

the control circuitry is further configured to identify a user profile;

the control circuitry configured to retrieve the program listing data is further configured to retrieve the program listing based on the first request and the user profile;

the control circuitry is further configured to generate a program recommendation, at the server, based on at least one of the user profile, the first request and/or the program listing data; and

the control circuitry is further configured to:

transmit the program recommendation, from the server, to the smart speaker;

output the program recommendation at the smart speaker; and

receive a second input related to the program recommendation and the set-top box at the smart speaker; and

the control circuitry configured to identify the command for controlling the set-top box is further configured to identify the command based on the second input.

42 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

transmit the program listing data from the server to the smart speaker; and

identify the command at the smart speaker.

43 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify the command at the server; and

transmit the command from the server to the smart speaker.

44 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify, at the smart speaker, a set-top box identifier associated with the set-top box;

transmit, to a server, the set-top box identifier;

retrieve, at the server and based on the set-top box identifier, a control command set of one or more control commands for controlling the set-top box; and

wherein:

the control circuitry configured to identify the command based on the program listing data is further configured to identify a control command from the control command set;

the control circuitry configured to transmit the command, from the server to the smart speaker, is further configured to transmit the identified control command from the control command set; and

the control circuitry configured to transmit the command, from the smart speaker to the set-top box, is further configured to transmit the identified control command from the control command set.

45 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive, at the smart speaker, one or more control commands from a control device of the set-top box;

store the one or more control commands, thereby creating a received control command set; and

wherein:

the control circuitry configured to identify the command based on the program listing data is further configured to identify a control command from the received control command set; and

the control circuitry configured to transmit the command from the smart speaker to the set-top box is further configured to transmit the identified control command from the received control command set.

46 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive the command via a microphone of the smart speaker.

47 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to transmit the command from the smart speaker to the set-top box via an infrared transmitter or a Bluetooth transmitter.

48 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the control circuitry configured to retrieve the program listing data is further configured to retrieve program listing data comprising one or more of date, time and/or channel information for a television program and/or a movie.

49 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to store a representation of an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) associated with the set-top box at the server;

and wherein:

the control circuitry configured to identify a command is further configured to determine, based on the stored representation of the EPG, a plurality of control commands required to complete an action at the set-top box;

the control circuitry configured to transmit the command from the server to the smart speaker is further configured to transmit the plurality of control commands; and

the control circuitry configured to transmit the command from the smart speaker to the set-top box further is further configured to transmit the plurality of control commands.