Set-top box, system and method for providing awareness in a hospitality environment

A system for providing awareness in a hospitality environment, the system comprising:

• a horizontal array of set-top boxes, each set-top box being associated with a room in the hospitality environment, each set-top box having a set-top box identification including a room identifier;
• each set-top box of the horizontal array including:
• a housing,
• a processor and memory within the housing,
• an infrared receiver associated with the housing, the infrared receiver configured to receive an infrared signal from a proximate wireless-enabled handheld device,
• a television input and a television output secured in the housing, the television input and the television output configured to respectively receive content from a source in the hospitality environment and forward content to a television,
• a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the processor, the memory, the television input, the television output, and the infrared receiver,
• the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
• responsive to receiving the infrared signal from the proximate wireless-enabled handheld device, transmit a data packet, the data packet including the receiving set-top box identification and a proximate wireless-enabled device identification;
• and
• a server located within the hospitality environment and in communication with the vertical and horizontal array of set-top boxes, the server including:
• a processor, memory, inputs, and outputs,
• a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the processor, the memory, the inputs, and the outputs,
• the inputs configured to receive the data packet from the set-top box, and
• a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
• upon receipt of the data packet from the set-top box, process the data packet to determine the set-top box identification, and
• determine the location of the proximate wireless-enabled device as being proximate to the set-top box, the location of the proximate wireless-enabled programmable device being determined following communication from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive device to the horizontal array of set-top boxes to the server.

A system for providing awareness in a hospitality environment, the system comprising:

• a vertical and horizontal array of set-top boxes, each set-top box being associated with a room in the hospitality environment, each set-top box having a set-top box identification including a room identifier;
• each set-top box of the vertical and horizontal array including:
• a housing,
• a processor and memory within the housing,
• an infrared receiver associated with the housing, the infrared receiver configured to receive an infrared blaster signal from a proximate wireless-enabled handheld device, the proximate wireless-enabled programmable device including a single button personal locator device having an infrared blaster,
• a television input and a television output secured in the housing, the television input and the television output configured to respectively receive content from a source in the hospitality environment and forward content to a television,
• a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the processor, the memory, the television input, the television output, and the infrared receiver,
• the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
• responsive to receiving the infrared signal from the proximate wireless-enabled handheld device, transmit a data packet, the data packet including the receiving set-top box identification and a proximate wireless-enabled device identification;
• and
• a server located within the hospitality environment and in communication with the vertical and horizontal array of set-top boxes, the server including:
• a processor, memory, inputs, and outputs,
• a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the processor, the memory, the inputs, and the outputs,
• the inputs configured to receive the data packet from the set-top box, and
• a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
• upon receipt of the data packet from the set-top box, process the data packet to determine the set-top box identification, and
• determine the location of the proximate wireless-enabled device as being proximate to the set-top box, the location of the proximate wireless-enabled programmable device being determined following communication from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive device to the vertical and horizontal array of set-top boxes to the server.