Patent ID: 8239903

Claim:
A set-top box with an operating system layer operable to support cable network interconnectability and to provide an application platform comprising: one or more profiles, stored on the set-top box, each profile including personal information and personal preferences, one or more of the personal information and personal preferences used in association with a service application; a service application module, the service application module one or more of receiving an assistance request or detecting a service issue and populating an interface on the set-top box with one or more options, the one or more options including a help request, a subscription change, diagnostics or emergency assistance, the interface also capable of indicating a service issue has been detected; and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) functionality module that allows one or more SIP-based communications to be used in conjunction with the set-top box and the one or more profiles, the one or more SIP based communications running in parallel with one or more applications running on the set-top box and the one or more SIP-based communications bound to one or more additional devices, the one or more additional devices capable of forwarding diagnostic information to the service application module on the set-top box that is usable by an expert system and a diagnostic tool with one or more of diagnosing, addressing, fulfilling and repairing the service issue, the service application module is also in communication with a service provider that can farm out to one or more other providers information relating to the service issue, with one or more of the one or more other providers able to send a communication to a user associated with the set-top box, the communication including information including one or more of: availability, pricing, and a requests for more specific information about the type of service issue.