The TiVo (http://tivo.com) box is probably the most well-known DVR set-top box around today.  The TiVo is a network-aware device and additionally allows custom applications written using its SDK to run within the TiVo box, using a TV screen as a display.  The TiVo Channels application is a mashup of BroadWorks and TiVo, using the TiVo SDK and the BroadWorks Xsi interface.  The application uses the internet to retrieve call history for a BroadWorks-based subscriber and allows for click-to-call from call history lists.

Benefits

Probably the most intuitive mashup of a set-top box and voice service would be a discreet, on-screen notification of an incoming call while a family is watching TV.  A family member would then have the ability to use the remote to send that call to voicemail.  The basic application design in this mashup would be identical to the one described here, where an application would be using the Xsi to talk to BroadWorks, and then communicates with the TiVo box using its’ API.

At the time of the TiVo Channels application development, incoming call notifications were 1 month away from being available over the Xsi and we chose not to use a legacy BroadWorks interface to show call notification.  Therefore, the TiVo Channels application displays call history and click-to-call capabilities on a TiVo using the Xsi.

A mashup application of TV and voice, via the extremely simple BroadWorks Xsi, has instant relevance in any residential service offering.  That is the slant of this application --  to make the reader aware of the possibilities.

Design

The TiVo SDK (http://tivohme.sourceforge.net) runs in a TiVO HME (Home Media Engine) server/pc.  This box is on the same LAN as the TiVo set-top box.  The TiVo SDK is a Java-based API, thus this application is written as a Java application.  When the TiVO box is first set up, it discovers this HME pc, and will show all HME-based applications running on this PC.

Our mashup Java application listens for events sent from the TiVo box to the TiVo Bananas UI toolkit and will access the BroadWorks Xsi (using HTTP or HTTPS) to retrieve call history for the configured subscriber.  Using the TiVo remote, you can navigate between placed, missed or received calls.   One can also click a number from the call history list and have BroadWorks issue a click-2-dial to that number.

Technical Specifications