Internet radio receiver with linear tuning interface

• US 20020073171A1
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DigiMedia Tech, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: iM Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Scott, Bolas, Mark T., McDowall, Ian E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,920,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/77 using carrier waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for supplying streaming media or other media sources to clients, said system providing for selection of internet based audio content providers based on arbitrarily assigned numbers that function as proxies for the URL or IP address of the audio content providers.

Claims

1. A method for selectively connecting to an audio content netcaster in a device capable of receiving audio content from a plurality of audio content netcasters and outputting said audio content received from said plurality of audio content netcasters, each audio content netcaster having a URL, the device capable of connecting to the audio content netcaster with the URL, said method comprising the steps of:

providing each audio content netcaster with a unique frequency proxy;

storing the frequency proxy and URL of said plurality of audio content netcasters;

selecting a desired audio content netcaster by selecting the frequency proxy of the desired audio content netcaster;

recalling the URL associated with the selected frequency proxy; and

connecting to the desired audio content netcaster with the URL associated with selected frequency proxy.

2. A method for selectively connecting to an audio content netcaster in a device capable of receiving audio content from a plurality of audio content netcasters and outputting said audio content received from said plurality of audio content netcasters, each audio content netcaster having a URL, the device capable of connecting to the audio content netcaster with the URL, said method comprising the steps of:

providing each audio content netcaster with a unique frequency proxy;

storing the frequency proxy and URL of said plurality of audio content netcasters;

selecting a desired frequency proxy;

if the selected frequency proxy is associated with any of the plurality of audio content netcasters, then recalling the URL associated with the selected frequency proxy and connecting to the audio content netcaster with the URL associated with selected frequency proxy; and

if the selected frequency proxy is not associated with any of the plurality of audio content netcasters, then outputting an audio clip.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if the device fails to connect to the audio content netcaster with the URL, then outputting the audio clip.

4. A method for selectively connecting to an audio source in a device capable of receiving audio content from a plurality of audio content netcasters and from AM/FM radio sources and outputting said audio content received, each audio content netcaster having a URL, the device capable of connecting to the audio content netcaster with the URL, the device capable of tuning to the AM/FM sources, said method comprising the steps of:

providing each audio content netcaster with an arbitrary station number;

storing the arbitrary station number and URL of said plurality of audio content netcasters;

selecting an audio source;

if the selected audio source is one of the plurality of audio content netcasters, then further selecting a desired arbitrary station number, and if the desired arbitrary station number is associated with any of the plurality of audio content netcasters then recalling the URL associated with the selected arbitrary station number and connecting to the audio content netcaster with the URL associated with selected arbitrary station number, and if the selected arbitrary station number is not associated with any of the plurality of audio content netcasters, then outputting an audio clip; and

if the selected audio source is any of the AM/FM sources, then tuning to the AM/FM sources.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the arbitrary station numbers fall within a range of numbers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the range of numbers does not overlap with the range of numbers allocated to designating AM/FM radio stations.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the range of numbers allocated to designating the plurality of audio content netcasters is 109.0 to 529.9.

8. A device for receiving audio content from an audio content netcaster and outputting the audio content received from the audio content netcaster, the audio content netcaster having a URL, the device capable of communicating with the audio content netcaster with the URL, said device comprising:

memory;

a database of frequency proxies stored in the memory;

a display for displaying the frequency proxies;

a tuning input device for selecting a desired frequency proxy from the database of frequency proxies;

wherein upon a user selecting the desired frequency proxy, the device is programmed to recall the URL of the audio content netcaster associated with the desired frequency proxy and communicate with the audio content netcaster; and

wherein upon the user selecting the frequency proxy not associated with any audio content netcaster, the device is programmed to output an audio clip.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein upon the device failing to connect to the audio content netcaster with the URL, the device is programmed to output the audio clip.

10. A device for selectively receiving audio content from a plurality of audio content sources, including audio content netcaster servers and AM/FM radiobroadcasters, and outputting said audio content selectively received from the audio sources, each audio content netcaster having a URL, the device capable of communicating with the audio content netcaster with the URL via the internet, the device capable of tuning to the AM/FM sources with radio tuning means, said device comprising:

memory;

a database of frequency proxies stored in the memory;

a band selector for selecting between AM/FM radio sources and the plurality of audio content netcasters;

a tuning selector for selecting a desired frequency proxy from the database of frequency proxies;

a display for displaying the frequency proxies and the selected audio content source;

wherein upon the user selecting the AM/FM audio source with the band selector and the tuning selector, the device tunes to the audio source with said tuning means;

wherein upon the user selecting the frequency proxy with the band selector and tuning selector, the device is programmed to recall the URL of the audio content netcaster associated with the selected frequency proxy and communicate with the desired audio content netcaster; and

wherein upon the user selecting the frequency proxy not associated with an audio content netcaster, the device is programmed to output an audio clip.

11. A system for delivering audio content over the internet to an internet radio, wherein a plurality of audio content providers are capable of providing audio content to an internet radio which is connected to the internet, wherein each audio content provider is characterized by a unique internet identifiers, said system comprising;

a server for managing connections between a plurality of internet radios to audio content providers;

a database of unique internet identifiers and arbitrarily selected numbers, wherein the arbitrarily selected numbers are assigned to correspond to the unique internet identifiers;

wherein the server, in response to input from an internet radio indicating input of one of the arbitrarily selected numbers, redirects the internet appliance to the unique internet identifier of the corresponding audio content provider.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the arbitrarily selected numbers are chosen from the range of 108.0 through 529.9

14. The system claim 13 additionally comprising broadcast radio receiving circuitry capable of receiving FM broadcasts, wherein said broadcast radio receiving circuit is operable through operation of the selector upon input by the user of a number associated with an FM broadcast frequency.

13. A system for receiving audio content over the internet on an internet radio from a plurality of audio content providers which are capable of providing audio content to an internet radio which is connected to the internet, wherein each audio content provider is characterized by a unique internet identifier, and wherein the internet radio is capable of connection to a server for managing connections between the internet radio and the plurality of audio content providers, and said server is operable to access a database of unique internet identifiers and arbitrarily selected numbers, wherein the arbitrarily selected numbers are assigned to correspond to the unique internet identifiers, said system comprising;

an internet radio and an associated numeric display and a selector for inputting a desired audio content provider by adjusting the display to indicate a number, wherein the internet radio is programmed to communicate the user-selected number to the server, receive a unique internet identifier from the server where said unique internet identifier corresponds to the desired audio content provider, and thereafter negotiate a connection to the desired audio content provider.