Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for delivering audio content on demand

• US 20070240185A1
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weaver, Timothy H.
• Application Number:
  US11/510,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20070240185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 for digital sound signals

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for delivering audio content on demand. The methods include receiving a plurality of packets from a network, each of the packets bearing a multicast or unicast identifier corresponding to an item of audio content. The plurality of packets are stored secured from a listener on a service provider controlled partition of a local storage device. If a listener input is received indicative of the listener purchasing a right to play the item of audio content, downloading of the stored plurality of packets to a media presentation device is enabled.

Claims

1. A method for delivering on demand audio content, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of audio content for listening on demand;

receiving an input specifying delayed listening;

determining that the audio content is to commence before expiration of a predetermined time interval;

determining whether or not any inputs from other listeners have been received that also specify delayed listening of the same audio content before expiration of the predetermined time interval and;

if no such inputs from other listeners are received, then requesting a plurality of packets from the network, each of the packets bearing a unicast identifier corresponding to the selected audio content;

otherwise, requesting a plurality of packets from the network, each of the packets bearing a multicast identifier corresponding to the selected audio content;

receiving the plurality of packets; and

delivering the plurality of packets for presentation of the audio content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering the plurality of packets includes streaming the plurality of packets to a media presentation device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein streaming the plurality of packets includes streaming pre-program material to the media presentation device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the pre-program material includes any of:

an advertisement, an informational announcement, a coming attraction, a graphical display, a pictorial display, musical programming, a corporate logo, or various combinations thereof.

5. A method for delivering on demand audio content, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of audio content for listening on demand;

receiving an input specifying deferred listening;

determining that network utilization is less than a peak network utilization;

requesting the audio content;

receiving the audio content; and

delivering the audio content to a destination.

6. The method of claim 5 further including storing the audio content in a local storage device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the stored audio content includes pre-program material comprising any of:

an advertisement, an informational announcement, a coming attraction, a graphical display, a pictorial display, musical programming, a corporate logo, or various combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 6 further including providing a notification to the listener that the selected audio content is available for playing.

9. A computer program product for facilitating delivery of on demand audio content, comprising instructions for:

presenting an offer to select the audio content;

presenting options for at least two of;

immediate listening, delayed listening, and deferred listening;

receiving a selection of audio content for listening;

receiving an input specifying one of;

immediate listening, delayed listening, or deferred listening;

sending a request for the audio content, wherein the request includes an indication of the input specified; and

receiving the audio content.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions for receiving a plurality of packets from a network over a unicast path if the listener input specifies immediate listening, each of the packets bearing a unicast identifier corresponding to the listener selected audio content commencing substantially immediately.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions for determining whether or not any inputs from other listeners have been received that also specify delayed listening of the listener selected media content within the predetermined time interval if the listener input specifies delayed listening to the selected audio content such that the audio content is to commence before expiration of a predetermined time interval.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions for receiving a plurality of packets from the network if no input from other listeners has been received that specifies delayed listening, wherein each of the packets bears a unicast identifier corresponding to the selected audio content commencing before expiration of a predetermined time interval.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions for receiving a plurality of packets from the network if at least one input from another listener has been received that specifies delayed listening, wherein each of the packets bears a multicast identifier corresponding to the selected audio content commencing before expiration of a predetermined time interval.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein, if the listener input specifies deferred listening of the selected audio content wherein the audio content is delivered to the listener at a future time for subsequent listening, then the computer program product further comprises instructions for receiving a plurality of packets from the network over a unicast or multicast path at a time when network utilization is less than a peak network utilization, each of the packets bearing a unicast or multicast identifier corresponding to the selected audio content.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising instructions for storing the selected audio content in a local storage device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising instructions for providing a notification to the listener that the selected audio content is available for listening.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further including instructions for erasing the stored plurality of packets if a listener input is not received indicative of the listener purchasing a right to listen to the selected audio content.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 further including instructions for allowing the stored plurality of packets to be overwritten by a subsequent storing of a plurality of packets if a listener input is not received indicative of the listener purchasing a right to listen to the selected audio content.

19. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the received audio content includes pre-program material.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the pre-program material includes any of:

an advertisement, an informational announcement, a coming attraction, a graphical display, a pictorial display, musical programming, a corporate logo, or various combinations thereof.