Broadcast response system

• US 10,148,376 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2018
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: StratosAudio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: StratosAudio, Inc.
• Inventors: Christensen, Kelly M., Thomas, Barry D., Smyth, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ayotunde, Ayodeji O
• Application Number:
  US15/975,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20180351673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 209 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/61 Arrangements for services using the result of monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 : Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 : for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 : for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 : Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 : involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A broadcast response system provides, e.g., a radio broadcast listener with the ability to obtain media content such as music or speech while listening to the radio. The user can respond to items in the radio broadcast such as advertisements, fund raising drives, or interactive listener polls during the broadcast. Data such as song title and artist, author or publisher and the IP address for the location where the digital version of the content is stored, can be transmitted using, e.g., the RBDS/RDS data stream. A reference number representing song title and artist, author or publisher and the IP address for the location where the digital version of the content is stored can also be employed for ease of implementation. This reference number can reside in a lookup table to be accessed by broadcast response server.

Claims

1. A system enabling a portable telecommunications-enabled communications device to receive a broadcast stream comprising each specific broadcast of a uniquely identifiable broadcast segment, the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment received in association with a lookup table enabled identifier obtained from a database server, the system comprising:

one or more receiver modules associated with the portable telecommunications-enabled communications device to receive the broadcast stream, including the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment;

the portable telecommunications-enabled communications device, wherein the portable telecommunications-enabled communications device is configured to receive a data stream associated with the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment;

at least one processor on the portable telecommunications-enabled communications device configured to extract from the data stream the lookup table enabled identifier associated with the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment;

a memory on the portable telecommunications-enabled communications device configured to store the lookup table enabled identifier associated with the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment, the storing of the lookup table enabled identifier associated with the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment, organized as a list;

the portable telecommunications-enabled communications device is further configured to present the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment and to detect an input selection corresponding to the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment;

the portable telecommunications-enabled communications device is further configured to create a response packet comprising at least the lookup table enabled identifier associated with the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment; and

the portable telecommunications-enabled communications device is further configured to communicate the response packet to the database server in response to detection of the input selection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication of the response packet to the database server is accomplished by at least one of the following:

communicating wirelessly, communicating using a wired connection, communicating over the Internet, communicating using a removable memory storage device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the association of the data stream with the each specific broadcast of the uniquely identifiable broadcast segment is at least one of the following:

the data stream transmission utilizes a common communication medium with the broadcast stream, the data stream is transmitted independently from the broadcast stream.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the response packet further includes at least one of the following:

an identification of the communication device, an identification of a user of the communication device, an identification of a billing account, an identification of account details, an identification of a phone number, an identification number, an identification of a source of the broadcast stream.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more receiver modules are configured to receive the broadcast stream using at least one of the following technologies:

analog radio, digital radio, satellite radio, wireless, Internet.

6. A method of communicating between a broadcast receiving system and a database system via a computing device in communication with one or more computer readable storage medium, the method comprising:

establishing a first connection between the computing device and the broadcast receiving system, the first connection enabling transfer of identifying data that enables a unique identification of a specific occurrence of a broadcast segment received by the broadcast receiving system;

transferring via the first connection the identifying data that enables the unique identification of the specific occurrence of the broadcast segment received by the broadcast receiving system;

storing in the one or more computer readable storage medium, the identifying data that enables the unique identification of the specific occurrence of the broadcast segment received by the broadcast receiving system transferred via the first connection;

establishing a second connection between the computing device and the database system, the second connection enabling transfer of the identifying data that enables the unique identification of the specific occurrence of the broadcast segment received by the broadcast receiving system; and

transferring via the second connection, the identifying data that enables the unique identification of the specific occurrence of the broadcast segment received by the broadcast receiving system stored in the one or more computer readable storage medium.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first connection utilizes at least one of the following:

a wired connection, a wireless connection, a removable memory device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second connection utilizes at least one of the following:

a wired connection, a wireless connection, a removable memory device, a second computing device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the broadcast receiving system further receives at least one of the following:

a content provider name associated with the broadcast segment, a title associated with the broadcast segment, a broadcaster associated with the broadcast segment, an option associated with the broadcast segment, an additional identifier associated with the broadcast segment.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising transferring from the computing device to the database system at least one of the following:

an identifier associated with the computing device, an identifier associated with an account, an identifier associated with the broadcast receiving system, an identifier associated with a source of the broadcast segment.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying data includes at least one of the following:

an identification of the communications device, an identification of a user of the communication device, an identification of a billing account, an identification of account details, an identification of a phone number, an Internet Protocol address, an identification number.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the specific occurrence of the broadcast segment received is received by the broadcast receiving system using at least one of the following technologies:

analog radio, digital radio, satellite radio, Internet, wireless.

13. A method for assigning a unique identifier enabled to identify a specific occurrence of a media segment in response to a request from a first computing device, the method comprising:

receiving information corollary to the media segment from the first computing device;

assigning the unique identifier enabled to identify the specific occurrence of the media segment;

providing to the first computing device, the unique identifier enabled to identify the specific occurrence of the media segment while synchronously storing at least the unique identifier enabled to identify the specific occurrence of the media segment in a database;

transmitting to a second computing device at least the media segment and the unique identifier enabled to identify the specific occurrence of the media segment;

receiving a response to the media segment from the second computing device, the response including at least the unique identifier enabled to identify the specific occurrence of the media segment; and

accessing the database using at least the unique identifier enabled to identify the specific occurrence of the media segment received from the second computing device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier originates from a server operated by an entity that also operates the database.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier originates from a third party server operated by a first entity that is discrete from a second entity that operates the database.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending information associated with the media segment to the second computing device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the transmission of the the media segment and the unique identifier enabled to identify the specific occurrence of the media segment is accomplished using at least one of the following technologies:

analog radio, digital radio, satellite radio, Internet, wireless.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the response further includes at least one option associated with the media segment.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the response further includes a responder identification comprising at least one of the following:

an identification of the second computing device, an identification of at least one user of the second computing device, an identification of a billing account, an identification of account details, an identification of a phone number, an Internet Protocol address, an identification number.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the information corollary to the media segment contains at least one of the following:

a content provider associated with the media segment, a title associated with the media segment, a broadcast source associated with the media segment, at least one option associated with the media segment, at least one additional identifier associated with the media segment, a description associated with the media segment.