Tiered subscription broadcast system

• US 20070140318A1
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin Hellman
• Original Assignee: Martin Hellman
• Inventors: Hellman, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,627,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/130
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/21 Billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations

Abstract

A broadcast system is disclosed that allows a broadcaster to provide multiple levels of subscription services. Subscribers have the option of listening to fewer (or no) commercials if they pay a higher fee, or listening to more commercials if they pay a lower (or no) fee. Commercials can be demographically targeted, cannot be skipped, and can be audited for billing purposes.

Claims

1. A broadcast system comprising:

a transmitter which is configured to generate and transmit one or more multiplexed signals containing at least;

program content for one or more programs;

additional information; and

receiver commands;

a plurality of receivers at least a portion of which are configured to;

receive said transmitted multiplexed signal;

demodulate at least a portion of said program content;

demodulate at least a portion of said additional information;

store at least a portion of said additional information;

demodulate at least a portion of said receiver commands; and

in response to at least some of said demodulated receiver commands substitute at least portions of said stored additional information for portions of said demodulated program content.

2. A broadcast system as in claim 1 in which said additional information comprises advertising.

3. A broadcast system as in claim 1 in which said additional information comprises program content.

4. A broadcast system as in claim 1 in which said program content includes multiple programs.

5. A broadcast system as in claim 1 in which:

at least some of said receivers are configured to specify a current program channel;

some of said receivers specifying a current program channel are configured to reproduce all program content transmitted on said current program channel; and

some others of said receivers specifying a current program channel are configured to reproduce at least a portion of said stored portions of said additional information and to reproduce less than all of said program content transmitted on said current program channel.

17. The broadcast system of claim 1 in which at least a portion of said additional information or said receiver commands or both are encoded with an erasure-correcting code.

18. The broadcast system of claim 17 in which the data protected by said erasure-correcting code is transmitted in segments, at least one of said segments being transmitted at two or more points in time with a time separation between the two or more transmissions.

19. The broadcast system of claim 18 in which the time separation(s) between said two or more points in time are at least partially randomized.

6. A broadcast system comprising:

a plurality of receivers with a plurality of tiers of receiver privileges;

a transmitter which generates and transmits program content, additional information, and receiver commands;

memory at receivers of selected tiers of receiver privileges for storing at least a portion of said additional information; and

a controller at receivers of said selected tiers for substituting selected portions of said stored additional information for portions of said program content in response to said receiver commands.

7. A broadcast system as in claim 6 in which said additional information comprises advertising.

8. A broadcast system as in claim 6 in which said receiver commands include demographic related receiver commands whereby different additional information is selected for different subsets of receivers responsive to said demographic related receiver commands.

9. A broadcast system as in claim 7 in which said receiver commands include demographic related receiver commands whereby different commercials are selected for different subsets of receivers responsive to said demographic related receiver commands.

10. A broadcast system comprising:

a transmitter which transmits at least program content, advertising content, and demographically related receiver commands;

a plurality of receivers, at least some of which include;

memory for storing selected portions of said advertising content; and

a controller for

selecting portions of said stored advertising content in response to said demographic related receiver commands; and

substituting said selected portions of said advertising material for a portion of said program content.

11. A broadcast system comprising:

a broadcaster which transmits at least program content, advertising content, and demographically related receiver commands;

a plurality of receivers, at least some of which include;

means for receiving at least a portion of said program content, at least a portion of said advertising content, and at least a portion of said demographically related receiver commands;

means for communicating information to said broadcaster;

memory for storing selected portions of said advertising content;

and a receiver controller for

selecting portions of said stored advertising content in response to said demographically related receiver commands; and

adding or substituting the selected portions of said stored advertising material into a portion of said program content;

in which said demographically related receiver commands depend at least in part on the information communicated to said broadcaster.

12. The broadcast system of claim 11 in which said broadcast system is a tiered subscription broadcast system.

13. A broadcast system comprising:

a broadcaster which transmits at least program content, advertising content, and demographically related receiver commands;

a demographic information aggregator which transmits information to said broadcaster;

a plurality of receivers, at least some of which include;

means for receiving at least a portion of said program content, at least a portion of said advertising content, and at least a portion of said demographically related receiver commands;

memory for storing selected portions of said advertising content; and

a receiver controller for

selecting portions of said stored advertising content in response to said demographically related receiver commands; and

adding or substituting the selected portions of said stored advertising material into a portion of said program content;

in which said demographically related receiver commands depend at least in part on the information transmitted by said demographic information aggregator to said broadcaster.

14. The broadcast system of claim 13 in which said broadcast system is a tiered subscription broadcast system.

15. The broadcast system of claim 13 in which said information transmitted by said demographic information aggregator to said broadcaster depends at least in part on Internet based observations.

16. The broadcast system of claim 14 in which said information transmitted by said demographic information aggregator to said broadcaster depends at least in part on Internet based observations of subscriber behavior.

20. A transmitter configured to be used in a broadcast system comprising:

said transmitter which is configured to generate and transmit one or more multiplexed signals containing at least;

program content;

additional information; and

receiver commands;

a plurality of receivers at least a portion of which are configured to

receive said transmitted multiplexed signal;

demodulate at least a portion of said program content;

demodulate at least a portion of said additional information;

store at least a portion of said additional information;

demodulate at least a portion of said receiver commands; and

in response to at least some of said demodulated receiver commands substitute at least portions of said stored additional information for portions of said demodulated program content; and

in which;

at least a portion of said receiver commands specify portions of said stored additional information to be substituted for portions of said demodulated program content; and

at least one of said receivers;

checks whether the specified portions of additional information are accessible by said receiver;

substitutes the specified portions of additional information for at least portions of said demodulated program content if the check is affirmative;

substitutes other portions of additional information if the check is negative; and

in which

said other portions of additional information are related to said specified portions of additional information.

21. The transmitter of claim 20 in which said other portions of additional information and said specified portions of additional information are related commercials.

22. A receiver configured to be used in a broadcast system comprising:

a transmitter which is configured to generate and transmit one or more multiplexed signals containing at least;

program content;

additional information; and

receiver commands;

said receiver configured to;

receive said transmitted multiplexed signal;

demodulate at least a portion of said program content;

demodulate at least a portion of said additional information;

store at least a portion of said additional information;

demodulate at least a portion of said receiver commands; and

in response to at least some of said demodulated receiver commands substitute at least portions of said stored additional information for portions of said demodulated program content; and

in which

at least a portion of said receiver commands specify portions of the stored additional information to be substituted for at least portions of said demodulated program content; and

said receiver;

checks whether the specified portions of additional information are accessible by said receiver;

substitutes the specified portions of additional information for portions of said demodulated program content if said check is affirmative;

substitutes other portions of additional information if said check is negative; and

in which

said other portions of additional information are related to said specified portions of additional information.

23. The receiver of claim 22 in which said other portions of additional information and said specified portions of additional information are related commercials.