Patent ID: 8266223

Claim:
An internet protocol television enabled communication device, being a set top box, that provides automatic message service, comprising: a processor for executing instructions from a memory; and a client application stored in the memory and configured to provide automatic message service; wherein the client application is configured to: receive by the set top box input of associating an action with a message; receive in a user interface of the set top box input of the message to be presented at an appropriate time on a television; receive by the set top box input of a recipient of the message; present by the set top box the message for display on the television to the recipient at the appropriate time; and execute the action associated with message; wherein in response to the client application on the set top box receiving input of a particular message having no action associated therewith, the client application on the set top box is configured to parse keywords of the particular message having no action associated therewith, determine a particular action based on parsing the keywords of the particular message, associate the particular action to the particular message; and execute the particular action in response to the recipient selecting affirmative to the particular message; and wherein the action associated with the message can cause the client application: to enable and disable a device; to enable and disable an application; to enable and disable capabilities of the set top box; to operatively connect to a computing device; and to place a telephone call.