Systems and methods for wireless local area network based control of a set-top box device

A method comprising:

• detecting, by a set-top box device, a communication signal broadcast by a mobile phone device;
• establishing, by the set-top box device, a wireless local area network communication channel between the set-top box device and the mobile phone device in response to the detected communication signal;
• receiving, by the set-top box device, data representative of one or more control commands from the mobile phone device via the wireless local area network communication channel;
• and
• performing, by the set-top box device, at least one operation in accordance with the one or more control commands.

A system comprising:

• a user interface facility that provides a graphical user interface for display on a display screen of a mobile phone device, the graphical user interface configured to facilitate inputting of one or more control commands by a user of the mobile phone device;
• a communication facility communicatively coupled to the display facility and that establishes a wireless local area network communication channel between the mobile phone device and a set-top box device;
• and
• a control facility communicatively coupled to the communication facility and that controls at least one operation of the set-top box device via the wireless local area network communication channel and in accordance with the one or more control commands.

A system comprising:

• a monitoring facility residing within a set-top box device and that detects a communication signal broadcast by a mobile phone device;
• a communication facility communicatively coupled to the monitoring facility and that
• establishes a wireless local area network communication channel between the set-top box device and the mobile phone device in response to the detection of the communication signal by the monitoring facility, and
• receives data representative of one or more control commands from the mobile phone device via the wireless local area network communication channel;
• and
• an operation facility residing within the set-top box that performs at least one operation in accordance with the one or more control commands.

A system comprising:

• a mobile phone device;
• and
• a set-top box device selectively and communicatively coupled to the mobile phone device;
• wherein the mobile phone device is configured to
• display a graphical user interface that is configured to facilitate inputting of one or more control commands by a user of the mobile phone device,
• establish a wireless local area network communication channel with the set-top box device, and
• control at least one operation of the set-top box device via the wireless local area network communication channel and in accordance with the one or more control commands.