METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR BROADCASTING MEDIA CONTENT BASED ON USER INPUT

• US 20100064306A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: PERSAUD, Anthony G., PILIPSKI, Eitan, CURTIS, Walker, TIONGSON, Ed O., JOSEPH, George
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting

Abstract

Methods and systems enable mobile TV providers to select programs for broadcast based on viewer preference indications or votes. Information regarding candidate programs or content may be broadcast and displayed on mobile devices. A voting user interface may receive viewer preferences or votes and transmit vote information to the mobile TV broadcast network using a unicast network. Received voting information may be tallied to select a program or content for broadcast. Interim vote tallies may be broadcast to mobile devices until a voting session is terminated. Results of the voting session may be broadcasted followed by broadcast of the selected program.

Claims

1. A method for enabling viewer participation in mobile TV broadcast programming, comprising:

broadcasting a voting overlay content in an overhead portion of broadcast transmissions, the voting overlay content including a list of candidate programs;

receiving viewer input regarding the candidate programs via a unicast network;

selecting a content from the candidate programs based upon the received viewer input; and

broadcasting the selected program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewer input comprises votes cast for particular candidate programs.

3. The method of broadcasting of claim 2, further comprising:

tallying votes as viewer input is received;

updating the voting overlay content to include interim vote tallies; and

broadcasting the updated voting overlay content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting a message announcing the selected program.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling a broadcast time for the selected program; and

retrieving the selected program from a content database at the scheduled broadcast time

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the broadcast voting overlay content on a mobile device;

generating a display on the mobile device of the candidate programs using information obtained from the voting overlay content;

receiving a user input on the mobile device related to the display of the candidate programs;

generating a voting data message based upon the received user input; and

transmitting the voting data message to a mobile TV broadcast network via the unicast network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the unicast network is a cellular data communication network.

8. A server, comprising:

a server processor; and

a network interface coupled to the server processor and configured to connect the server processor to a network,

wherein the server processor is configured with executable software instructions to perform steps comprising;

generating a voting overlay content including a list of candidate programs;

providing the voting overlay content to a mobile TV broadcaster for broadcast in an overhead portion of broadcast transmissions,

receiving viewer input regarding the candidate programs via a unicast network;

selecting a program from the candidate programs based upon the received viewer input; and

causing the mobile TV broadcaster to broadcast the selected program.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein:

the viewer input comprises votes cast for particular candidate program; and

the server processor is configured with executable software instructions to perform further steps comprising;

tallying votes as viewer input is received;

updating the voting overlay content to include interim vote tallies; and

providing the updated voting overlay content to the mobile TV broadcaster for broadcast.

10. The server of claim 8, wherein the server processor is configured with executable software instructions to perform further steps comprising:

generating a message announcing the selected program; and

providing the message announcing the selected program to the mobile TV broadcaster for broadcast.

11. A mobile TV broadcast system, comprising:

a broadcaster configured to receive programs from a source of programs and configure the received programs for broadcast in mobile TV broadcast transmissions;

a routing server coupled to an external network and configured to receive messages from a unicast network; and

a voting server coupled to the broadcaster and to the routing server via a system network, the voting server comprising;

a processor; and

a network interface coupled to the processor and configured to connect the processor to the system network,

wherein the processor is configured with executable software instructions to perform steps comprising;

generating a voting overlay content including a list of candidate programs;

providing the voting overlay content to the broadcaster for broadcast in an overhead portion of the mobile TV broadcast transmissions,

receiving viewer input regarding the candidate programs from the routing server;

selecting a program from the candidate programs based upon the received viewer input; and

informing the broadcaster of the selected program for broadcast.

12. The mobile TV broadcast system of claim 11, wherein:

the viewer input comprises votes cast for particular candidate programs; and

the voting server processor is configured with executable software instructions to perform further steps comprising;

tallying votes as viewer input is received;

updating the voting overlay content to include interim vote tallies; and

providing the updated voting overlay content to the broadcaster for broadcast.

13. The mobile TV broadcast system of claim 11, wherein the voting server processor is configured with executable software instructions to perform further steps comprising:

generating a message announcing the selected program; and

providing the message announcing the selected program to the broadcaster for broadcast.

14. The mobile TV broadcast system of claim 11, further comprising a content database coupled to the broadcaster, wherein:

the voting server is configured with executable software instructions to schedule a broadcast time for the selected program; and

the broadcaster is further configured to retrieve the selected program from the content database at the scheduled broadcast time.

15. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a mobile TV broadcast receiver coupled to the processor;

a unicast wireless network transceiver coupled to the processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

a user input element coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured with executable software instructions to perform steps comprising;

receiving voting overlay content from an overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions;

generating an image on the display of candidate broadcast programs using information obtained from the voting overlay content;

receiving a user input from the user input element related to the image of the candidate broadcast programs;

generating a voting data message based upon the received user input; and

transmitting the voting data message to a mobile TV broadcast network via the unicast wireless network transceiver.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the unicast wireless network transceiver is a cellular data communication transceiver.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with executable software instructions to perform steps comprising:

receiving updated voting overlay content from the overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions; and

generating an image on the display of interim vote tallies for the candidate broadcast programs using information obtained from the updated voting overlay content.

18. A mobile TV broadcast system, comprising:

means for generating a voting overlay content including a list of candidate programs for broadcast;

means for broadcasting the voting overlay content in an overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions;

means for receiving viewer input regarding the candidate programs from a unicast network;

means for selecting a program from the candidate programs based upon the received viewer input; and

means for broadcasting the selected program in mobile TV broadcast transmissions.

19. The mobile TV broadcast system of claim 18, wherein the viewer input comprises votes cast for particular candidate programs, the system further comprising:

means for tallying votes as viewer input is received;

means for updating the voting overlay content to include interim vote tallies; and

means for broadcasting the updated voting overlay content in the overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions.

20. The mobile TV broadcast system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for generating a message announcing the selected program; and

means for broadcasting the message announcing the selected program in the overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions.

21. The mobile TV broadcast system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for scheduling a broadcast time for the selected program; and

means for retrieving the selected program from a content database at the scheduled broadcast time.

22. A mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving voting overlay content from an overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions;

means for generating a display of candidate broadcast program using information obtained from the voting overlay content;

means for receiving a user input from the user input element related to the display of the candidate broadcast program;

means for generating a voting data message based upon the received user input; and

means for transmitting the voting data message to a mobile TV broadcast network via the unicast wireless network.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein means for transmitting the voting data message to a mobile TV broadcast network via the unicast wireless network comprises means for transmitting the voting data message via a cellular data communication transceiver.

24. The mobile device of claim 22, further comprising:

means for receiving updated voting overlay content from the overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions; and

means for generating a display of interim vote tallies for the candidate broadcast programs using information obtained from the updated voting overlay content.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for generating a voting overlay content including a list of candidate programs;

at least one instruction for providing the voting overlay content to a mobile TV broadcaster for broadcast in an overhead portion of broadcast transmissions;

at least one instruction for receiving viewer input regarding the candidate programs via a unicast network;

at least one instruction for selecting a program from the candidate programs based upon the received viewer input; and

at least one instruction for causing a mobile TV broadcaster to broadcast the selected program.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein:

the at least one instruction for receiving viewer input regarding the candidate programs via a unicast network comprises at least one instruction for receiving viewer inputs as votes cast for particular candidate programs; and

the computer-readable medium further comprises;

at least one instruction for tallying votes as viewer input is received;

at least one instruction for updating the voting overlay content to include interim vote tallies; and

at least one instruction for providing the updated voting overlay content to the mobile TV broadcaster for broadcast.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for generating a message announcing the selected program; and

at least one instruction for providing the message announcing the selected program to the mobile TV broadcaster for broadcast.

28. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for receiving voting overlay content from an overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions;

at least one instruction for generating a display of candidate broadcast program using information obtained from the voting overlay content;

at least one instruction for receiving a user input from the user input element related to the display of the candidate broadcast program;

at least one instruction for generating a voting data message based upon the received user input; and

at least one instruction for transmitting the voting data message to a mobile TV broadcast network via a unicast wireless network.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the at least one instruction for transmitting the voting data message to a mobile TV broadcast network via a unicast wireless network comprises at least one instruction for transmitting the voting data message to a mobile TV broadcast network via a cellular data communication network

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction for receiving updated voting overlay content from the overhead portion of mobile TV broadcast transmissions; and

at least one instruction for generating a display of interim vote tallies for the candidate broadcast programs using information obtained from the updated voting overlay content.