METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND DEVICES FOR IDENTIFYING AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO BROADCAST MEDIA CONTENT USING A MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20080020702A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Andreasson, Markus, Ekdahl, Thomas, Jonsson, Ola, Jendbro, Magnus
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0075 where the receiving frequencies of the stations are stored in a permanent memory, e.g. ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/12 Radio receiver combined with a GPS receiver

Abstract

A method for providing access to broadcast media content includes determining positioning information corresponding to a current location of a mobile terminal. Based on the determined positioning information, a channel list including available broadcast media content channel information for the current location of the mobile terminal is automatically retrieved. Related systems and devices are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to broadcast media content, the method comprising:

determining positioning information corresponding to a location of a mobile terminal; and

automatically retrieving a channel list comprising available broadcast media content channel information based on the determined positioning information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically retrieving the channel list comprises:

transmitting a channel list request including the determined positioning information to a server configured to maintain the channel list for the location of the mobile terminal; and

receiving the channel list for the location from the server responsive to transmitting the channel list request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically retrieving the channel list comprises:

at a server configured to maintain a plurality of channel lists for a corresponding plurality of locations, identifying one of the plurality of channel lists as the channel list for the location of the mobile terminal based on the determined positioning information; and

transmitting the channel list to the mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a channel list request including the determined positioning information at the server,

wherein transmitting the channel list comprises transmitting the channel list to the mobile terminal responsive to receiving the channel list request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically retrieving the channel list comprises:

automatically retrieving the channel list responsive to activation of a mobile terminal application configured to present the broadcast media content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel list comprises at least one available channel for the current location of the mobile terminal and frequency information corresponding thereto, the method further comprising:

tuning a tuner of the mobile terminal to the at least one available channel based on the corresponding frequency information to receive media content broadcast over the at least one available channel; and

presenting the received media content via a user interface of the mobile terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the channel list via the user interface of the mobile terminal; and

receiving a user selection indicating the at least one available channel from the channel list via the user interface,

wherein tuning the tuner is performed responsive to receiving the user selection.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing the frequency information corresponding to the at least one available channel in the mobile terminal as channel preset information associated with the positioning information.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a quality of service (QoS) for the received media content;

re-determining the positioning information of the mobile terminal when the QoS falls below a predetermined threshold; and

automatically retrieving a second channel list comprising available broadcast media content channel information for a location corresponding to the re-determined positioning information responsive to re-determining the positioning information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel list includes approximate geographic coverage area information corresponding to the at least one available channel included therein, the method further comprising:

re-determining the positioning information of the mobile terminal at predetermined periods of time;

comparing the re-determined positioning information of the mobile terminal to the geographic coverage area information for the at least one available channel responsive to re-determining the positioning information at the predetermined periods of time; and

automatically retrieving a second channel list comprising available broadcast media content channel information for a location corresponding to the re-determined positioning information when the re-determined positioning information indicates that the mobile terminal is within a predetermined range of an end of the geographic coverage area for the at least one available channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel list comprises information corresponding to at least one free over-the-air broadcast media content channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the broadcast media content comprises digital television, digital radio, and/or emergency information signals.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the positioning information of the mobile terminal is performed using a first mobile terminal receiver, and wherein automatically retrieving the channel list is performed using a second mobile terminal receiver.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first mobile terminal receiver comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and wherein the second mobile terminal receiver comprises a wireless local area network transceiver and/or a public land mobile network transceiver.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically retrieving the channel list comprises:

automatically performing an internet search for the channel list for the location of the mobile terminal responsive to determining the positioning information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the positioning information comprises:

identifying a cell in a network corresponding to the location of the mobile terminal,

wherein automatically retrieving the channel list comprises automatically retrieving the channel list comprising at least one channel having a geographic coverage area corresponding to the identified cell.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the positioning information comprises:

identifying a country code corresponding to the location of the mobile terminal,

wherein automatically retrieving the channel list comprises automatically retrieving the channel list comprising at least one channel having a broadcast frequency corresponding to a frequency band associated with the country code.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the positioning information comprises:

receiving a plurality of positioning signals at the mobile terminal;

calculating ranging measurements based on the plurality of positioning signals; and

determining the positioning information based on the ranging measurements.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scanning a frequency band for the available broadcast media content channel information in parallel with automatically retrieving the channel list.

20. A computer program product for providing access to broadcast media content, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code therein, the computer readable program code configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

21. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a receiver; and

a controller coupled to the receiver and configured to determine positioning information corresponding to a location of the mobile terminal and automatically retrieve a channel list comprising available broadcast media content channel information via the receiver based on the positioning information.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the receiver comprises a transceiver configured to transmit a channel list request including the positioning information to a server configured to maintain the channel list for the current location, and receive the channel list for the current location from the server responsive to transmission of the channel list request.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein the channel list request and/or the channel list comprises a short message service (SMS) and/or a multimedia message service (MMS) message.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to automatically retrieve the channel list responsive to activation of a mobile terminal application configured to present the broadcast media content.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the channel list comprises at least one available channel for the current location of the mobile terminal and frequency information corresponding thereto, the mobile terminal further comprising:

a tuner coupled to the controller and configured to be tuned to the at least one available channel based on the corresponding frequency information to receive media content broadcast over the at least one available channel; and

a user interface coupled to the controller and configured to present the received media content.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the user interface is configured to display the channel list and receive a user selection indicating the at least one available channel from the channel list, and wherein the tuner is configured to be tuned to the at least one available channel responsive to receipt of the user selection at the user interface.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 25, further comprising:

a memory device coupled to the controller and configured to store the frequency information corresponding to the at least one available channel as channel preset information associated with the positioning information.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the tuner is configured to scan a frequency band for the available broadcast channel information when the controller automatically retrieves the channel list.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a quality of service (QoS) for the received media content, re-determine the positioning information of the mobile terminal when the QoS falls below a predetermined threshold, and automatically retrieve a second channel list comprising available broadcast media content channel information for a location corresponding to the re-determined positioning information via the receiver responsive to re-determination of the positioning information.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the channel list includes approximate geographic coverage area information corresponding to at least one available channel included therein, and wherein the controller is further configured to re-determine the positioning information of the mobile terminal at predetermined periods of time, compare the re-determined positioning information of the mobile terminal to the geographic coverage area information for the at least one available channel responsive to re-determination of the positioning information, and automatically retrieve a second channel list comprising available broadcast media content channel information for a location corresponding to the re-determined positioning information via the receiver when the re-determined positioning information indicates that the mobile terminal is within a predetermined range of an end of the geographic coverage area for the at least one available channel.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the channel list comprises information corresponding to at least one free over-the-air broadcast media content channel.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the receiver comprises:

a first receiver configured to be used for determining the positioning information of the mobile terminal; and

a second receiver configured to be used for automatically retrieving the channel list.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 32, wherein the first receiver comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and wherein the second receiver comprises a wireless local area network transceiver and/or a public land mobile network transceiver.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically perform an internet search for the channel list for the current location of the mobile terminal responsive to determination of the positioning information.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the positioning information identifies a cell in a network corresponding to the current location of the mobile terminal, and wherein the channel list comprises at least one channel having a geographic coverage area corresponding to the identified cell.

36. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the positioning information identifies a country code corresponding to the current location of the mobile terminal, and wherein the channel list comprises at least one channel having a broadcast frequency corresponding to a frequency band associated with the country code.

37. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to receive a plurality of positioning signals via the receiver, calculate ranging measurements based on the plurality of positioning signals, and determine the positioning information based on the ranging measurements.

38. A system for providing access to broadcast media content, the system comprising:

a server configured to determine positioning information corresponding to a current location of a mobile terminal and automatically retrieve a channel list comprising available broadcast media content channel information for the current location of the mobile terminal based on the positioning information.