Integrated telephony and video system

Abstract

An integrated telephony and video system allows a viewer of a program to selectively accept a telephone call based on caller identification information and automatically buffer the program upon acceptance of the call. When the call is terminated, the buffered program is played from the point of interruption until the buffered program is the same as the real-time program. The system may store data about the call, such as the caller identification information and length of the call. Such data may be used to determine a compression format for the buffered program. Such data may also be used to generate a list of callers for whom the user desires to be interrupted while viewing the program.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
   
   
       31 . A system for providing uninterrupted viewing of a real-time program during a telephone call from a caller to a user, the system comprising:
 means for displaying caller identification information upon receipt of the call;   means for detecting acceptance and termination of the call by the user; and   means for buffering the real-time program from the acceptance of the call and providing the buffered program to the user upon the termination of the call until the buffered program coincides with the real-time program;   wherein a portion of the real time program is not buffered by the means for buffering.   
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the portion of the real-time program that is not buffered includes any commercial advertisements in the real time program. 
   
   
       33 . A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method of providing uninterrupted viewing of a real-time program during a telephone call from a caller to a user, the method comprising the steps of:
 displaying caller identification information upon receipt of the call;   detecting acceptance of the call by the user;   buffering the real-time program from the acceptance of the call; and   playing back the buffered program to the user upon the termination of the call until the buffered program coincides with the real-time program;   wherein the instructions cause the computer to perform the play back of the buffered program in a manner faster than an original reception of the real time program; and   wherein the playing back of the buffered program in a faster manner is performed without the user having to fast forward through portions of the buffered program.   
   
   
       34 . An integrated system for providing uninterrupted viewing of a real-time program during a telephone call from a caller to a user, the system comprising:
 a display configured to display the program and caller identification information upon receipt of the call;   a speaker configured to provide audio output for the program and the call;   a microphone configured to accept audio input for the call;   a user input device configured to control viewing of the program and for accepting and terminating the call by the user;   a controller configured to detect acceptance and termination of the call by the user; and   a buffer coupled to the controller, wherein the buffer is configured to initiate buffering of the real-time program from the display of caller identification information for the call, the buffer being further configured to not buffer portions of the real-time program such that, during playback of the buffered program, the portions of the real-time program not buffered are not played back and the buffering continues until the buffered program coincides with the real-time program.   
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein portions of the real-time program not buffered by the buffer comprise commercial advertisement portions of the real-time program. 
   
   
       36 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for displaying a video input signal;   means for recording the video input signal;   means for detecting an incoming phone call; and   means for causing said means for recording to record the video input signal in the event that said detecting means detects an incoming phone call such that said displaying means are capable of displaying the recorded video input signal to a user upon termination of the phone call;   wherein said means for recording records the video input signal prior to a detection of an incoming phone call by said means for detecting, such that the recorded video input includes a portion of the video input signal recorded prior to the detection of an incoming phone call so that displaying the buffered program includes the portion of the video input signal recorded prior to the detection of the incoming phone call.   
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein said recording means comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of: a set top box, a computer system, a satellite receiver, a cable receiver, an Internet television box, a network client, and a television. 
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein said recording means is capable of initiating recording of the video input signal at a time selected from the group consisting of: upon detecting the incoming phone call, upon detecting a ring signal from the incoming phone call, upon detecting caller identification data from the incoming phone call. 
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , further comprising means for allowing a voicemail system to handle the incoming phone call in the event the user does not answer the incoming phone call. 
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , further comprising means for allowing a voicemail system to handle the incoming phone call in the event the user does not answer the incoming phone call, the voicemail system being disposed in a location selected from the group consisting of: integrated within said recording means, and external to said recording means. 
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein said detecting means further comprises means for displaying caller identification data from the incoming phone call to assist the user in selecting whether to answer the incoming phone call. 
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein said detecting means further comprises means for displaying caller identification data from the incoming phone call when the caller identification data matches a predetermined list, said caller identification data displaying means otherwise not displaying the caller identification data. 
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein said displaying means is further capable of displaying caller identification data from the incoming phone call to assist the user in selecting whether to answer the incoming phone call. 
   
   
       44 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein said displaying means is further capable of displaying caller identification data from the incoming phone call when the caller identification data matches a predetermined list, said displaying means otherwise not displaying the caller identification data.