REAL TIME VOTING REGARDING RADIO CONTENT

• US 20090112689A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Lee, Richard M., Peterson, Michael J., Syed, Faizan
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting

Abstract

A method for remotely participating in a listener survey includes receiving survey questions on an infotainment system, where the survey questions are at least partly displayed on a display portion of the infotainment system; transmitting to the survey provider a user input response to at least one of the survey questions; and receiving tabulated survey results of the survey, the results being at least partly displayed on the display portion of the infotainment system. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program and a system including a mechanism for practicing the above method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for remotely participating in a listener survey, the method comprising:

receiving survey questions on an infotainment system from a survey provider, the survey questions being at least partly displayed on a display portion of the infotainment system;

transmitting to the survey provider a user input response to at least one of the survey questions; and

receiving tabulated results of the survey, the results being at least partly displayed on the display portion of the infotainment system.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the listener survey is broadcast to the infotainment system via a wireless broadcast or a satellite broadcast.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising inputting the user input response by activating designated controls at an indicated place on the display portion of the infotainment system, by verbally communicating answers through a microphone operatively connected to the infotainment system, or by telephoning a designated telephone number.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the tabulated results of the survey include the user input response and at least one other user input response transmitted from an other infotainment system.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein receiving the survey questions, transmitting the user input response and receiving the tabulated results are concurrent with a program being broadcast by a broadcast program provider on the infotainment system, and wherein a subject matter of the survey is related to a subject matter of the program being broadcast.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising adjusting, based on the tabulated results, content of the program being broadcast.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein a subject matter of the survey is related to a topic selected from music, sports, news, human interest, weather, ethnic interest, religious interest and combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the infotainment system is installed in a vehicle selected from a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a recreational vehicle, a boat, and an airplane.

9. A computer readable medium storing a computer program, comprising:

computer readable code for receiving survey questions on an infotainment system from a survey provider, the survey questions being at least partly displayed on a display portion of the information/entertainment system;

computer readable code for transmitting to the survey provider user input responses to the survey questions; and

computer readable code for receiving tabulated results of the survey, the results being displayed at least partly on the display portion of the infotainment system.

10. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the listener survey is broadcast to the infotainment system by a wireless broadcast, a satellite broadcast or a combination thereof.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9 wherein the user input responses to the survey questions are communicated by activating designated controls at an indicated place on the display portion of the infotainment system, by verbally communicating answers through a microphone connected to the infotainment system, or by telephoning a designated telephone number.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9 wherein the tabulated results of the survey include the user input responses and at least one other user input response transmitted from an other infotainment system.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising computer readable code for broadcasting a program on the infotainment system simultaneously with receiving the survey questions, transmitting the user input responses and receiving the tabulated results of the survey, and wherein a subject matter of the survey relates to a subject matter of the program being broadcast.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising computer readable code for adjusting content of the program being broadcast based on the tabulated results.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9 wherein a subject matter of the survey is related to a topic selected from music, sports, news, human interest, weather, ethnic interest, religious interest and combinations thereof.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9 wherein the infotainment system is installed in a vehicle selected from a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a recreational vehicle, a boat, and an airplane.

17. A system for remotely participating in a listener survey, the system comprising:

means for receiving survey questions on an infotainment system, the survey questions being at least partly displayed on a display portion of the infotainment system;

means for transmitting to the survey provider a user input response to at least one of the survey questions; and

means for receiving tabulated results of the survey, the results being at least partly displayed on the display portion of the infotainment system.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein the listener survey is broadcast to the infotainment system by a wireless broadcast, a satellite broadcast, or combinations thereof.

19. The system according to claim 17 wherein the user input response is communicated by activating designated controls at an indicated place on the display portion of the infotainment system, by verbally communicating answers through a microphone operatively connected to the infotainment system, or by telephoning a designated telephone number.

20. The system according to claim 17 wherein the tabulated results of the survey include the user input response and at least one other user input response transmitted by an other infotainment system.

21. The system according to claim 17 wherein receiving the survey questions, transmitting the user input response and receiving tabulated results of the survey are concurrent with a program broadcast by a broadcast program provider on the infotainment system, and wherein a subject matter of the survey relates to a subject matter of the program being broadcast.

22. The system according to claim 21, further comprising means for adjusting, based on the tabulated results of the survey, content of the program being broadcast.

23. The system according to claim 17 wherein a subject matter of the survey is related to a topic selected from music, sports, news, human interest, weather, ethnic interest, religious interest and combinations thereof.

24. The system according to claim 17 wherein the infotainment system is installed in a vehicle selected from a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a recreational vehicle, a boat, and an airplane.