System and method for effectively managing telephone functionality by utilizing a settop box

Abstract

A system and method for effectively managing telephone functionality by utilizing a settop box may preferably include a television coupled to the settop box for displaying television programming from a television programming source, and a telephone coupled to the settop box for receiving telephone calls from a telephone network. The settop box may include a TV mute manager for controlling a television mute mode that may be activated to mute audio programming on the television when receiving incoming telephone calls. The settop box may further include a caller ID manager that controls a caller ID mode that may be activated to display caller identifications on the television when receiving incoming telephone calls. The settop box may also include a phone mute manager that controls a telephone mute mode that may be activated to mute telephone ringing when receiving incoming telephone calls.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for managing telephonic communications, comprising: 
 an electronic device configured to communicate with a television programming source and a telephone network;    a television coupled to said electronic device for displaying television programming from said television programming source;    a telephone coupled to said electronic device for receiving telephone calls from said telephone network, said electronic device including a phone mute manager that controls a telephone mute mode that may be activated to mute telephone ringing when receiving said telephone calls.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said electronic device is implemented as a settop box device.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a phone manager notifies said phone mute manager that an incoming call has been detected, said phone mute manager responsively muting a telephone ringing function of said telephone so that said audio programming from said television is not interrupted by said incoming call.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein said phone mute manager generates and transmits a ring mute signal to said telephone when said phone manager notifies said phone mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a system user utilizes said electronic device as an answering machine to record an incoming call in order to listen to said incoming call at a later time.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a system user may utilize said electronic device as a hand-free telephone device to answer an incoming call by utilizing a phone manager, speakers of said television, and a microphone device coupled to said electronic device.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said electronic device functions in a caller ID mode at the same time as operating in said TV mute mode.  
     
     
         8 . A system for managing telephonic communications, comprising: 
 an electronic device configured to communicate with a television programming source and a telephone network;    a television coupled to said electronic device for displaying television programming from said television programming source;    a telephone coupled to said electronic device for receiving telephone calls from said telephone network, said electronic device including a TV mute manager for controlling a television mute mode that may be activated to mute audio programming on said television when receiving said telephone calls.    
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said electronic device is implemented as a settop box device.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein a phone manager of said electronic device detects an incoming call of said telephone calls from said telephone network, said phone manager then notifying said TV mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein said TV mute manager mutes said audio programming on said television after said phone manager notifies said TV mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said TV mute manager generates and transmits an audio mute signal to said television in order to mute said audio programming.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said phone manager of said electronic device instructs said telephone to ring after said audio programming has been muted so that a system user is notified about said incoming call.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8  wherein a system user utilizes said electronic device as an answering machine to record an incoming call in order to listen to said incoming call at a later time.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8  wherein a system user utilizes said electronic device as a hand-free telephone device to answer an incoming call by utilizing a phone manager, speakers of said television, and a microphone device coupled to said electronic device.  
     
     
         16 . A system for managing telephonic communications, comprising: 
 an electronic device configured to communicate with a television programming source and a telephone network;    a television coupled to said electronic device for displaying television programming from said television programming source;    a telephone coupled to said electronic device for receiving telephone calls from said telephone network, said electronic device including a caller ID manager that controls a caller ID mode that may be activated to display caller identifications on said television when receiving said telephone calls.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said electronic device is implemented as a settop box device.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein a phone manager of said electronic device detects an incoming call of said telephone calls from said telephone network, said phone manager then notifying said caller ID manager that said incoming call has been detected.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said caller ID manager displays an appropriate one of said caller identifications on a portion of a screen of said television after said phone manager notifies said caller ID manager that said incoming call has been detected.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said caller identification includes at least one of a caller name, a caller telephone number, and an incoming call icon.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said phone manager of said electronic device instructs said telephone to ring after said caller ID has been displayed on said television so that a system user may screen said incoming call.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein said caller ID manager displays said caller identification on a display on said electronic device after said phone manager of said electronic device instructs said telephone to ring.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16  wherein a system user may utilize said electronic device as a hand-free telephone device to answer said incoming call by utilizing a phone manager, speakers of said television, and a microphone device coupled to said electronic device.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said system utilizes said caller ID mode at the same time as utilizing a TV mute mode.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16  wherein a system user utilizes said electronic device as an answering machine to record an incoming call in order to listen to said incoming call at a later time.  
     
     
         26 . A method for managing telephonic communications, comprising the steps of: 
 communicating with a television programming source and a telephone network by utilizing an electronic device;    displaying television programming from said television programming source on a television that is coupled to said electronic device;    receiving telephone calls from said telephone network with a telephone coupled to said electronic device, said electronic device including a TV mute manager for controlling a television mute mode, said electronic device further including a caller ID manager that controls a caller ID mode, said electronic device also including a phone mute manager that controls a telephone mute mode.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said electronic device is implemented as a settop box device.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said TV mute manager controls a television mute mode that may be activated to mute audio programming on said television when receiving said telephone calls.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said caller ID manager controls a caller ID mode that may be activated to display caller identifications on said television when receiving said telephone calls.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said phone mute manager controls a telephone mute mode that may be activated to mute telephone ringing when receiving said telephone calls.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said TV mute manager mutes said audio programming on said television after said phone manager notifies said TV mute manager that said incoming call has been detected.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein said phone manager of said electronic device instructs said telephone to ring after said audio programming has been muted so that said system user is notified about said incoming call.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26  wherein a phone manager of said electronic device detects an incoming call of said telephone calls from said telephone network, said phone manager then notifying said caller ID manager that said incoming call has been detected.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein said caller ID manager displays an appropriate one of said caller identifications on a portion of a screen of said television after said phone manager notifies said caller ID manager that said incoming call has been detected.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said phone manager of said electronic device instructs said telephone to ring after said caller ID has been displayed on said television so that said system user may screen said incoming call.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 26  wherein a system user utilizes said electronic device as a hand-free telephone device to answer an incoming call by utilizing a phone manager, speakers of said television, and a microphone device coupled to said electronic device.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said electronic device utilizes said caller ID mode at the same time as utilizing said TV mute mode.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 26  wherein a phone manager notifies said phone mute manager that an incoming call has been detected, said phone mute manager responsively muting a telephone ringing function of said telephone so that audio programming from said television is not interrupted by said incoming call.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 26  wherein a system user utilizes said electronic device as an answering machine to record said incoming call in order to listen to an incoming call at a later time.  
     
     
         40 . A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for managing telephonic communications by performing the steps of: 
 communicating with a television programming source and a telephone network by utilizing an electronic device;    displaying television programming from said television programming source on a television that is coupled to said electronic device;    receiving telephone calls from said telephone network with a telephone coupled to said electronic device, said electronic device including a TV mute manager for controlling a television mute mode, said electronic device further including a caller ID manager that controls a caller ID mode, said electronic device also including a phone mute manager that controls a telephone mute mode.    
     
     
         41 . A system for managing telephonic communications, comprising: 
 means for communicating with a television programming source and a telephone network;    means for displaying television programming from said television programming source;    means for receiving telephone calls from said telephone network, said means for communicating including TV mute means for controlling a television mute mode, said means for communicating further including caller ID means for controlling a caller ID mode, said means for communicating also including phone mute means for controlling a telephone mute mode.