MEDIA DEVICE WITH ENHANCED DATA RETRIEVAL FEATURE

• US 20100075593A1
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ingrassia, Michael Ignazio JR., Lee, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.60
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/10 characterised by the type of broadcast system
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/372 Programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/90 Wireless transmission systems

Abstract

A personal media device including a broadcast receiver that receives broadcast media and broadcast media data from a broadcast source where the broadcast media data includes a media identifier associated with the broadcast media. The media device also includes a data transceiver that sends a retrieval request to a media server for enhanced media data where the retrieval request includes the media identifier and receives the enhanced media data via a wireless data channel. The media device further includes a processor that performs a media device operation in response to the received enhanced media data.

Claims

1. A media device comprising:

a broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast media and broadcast media data from a broadcast source, the broadcast media data including a media identifier associated with the broadcast media,

a data transceiver for i) sending a retrieval request to a media server for enhanced media data, the retrieval request including the media identifier and ii) receiving the enhanced media data via a wireless data channel, and

a processor in communication with the data transceiver for performing a media device operation in response to the received enhanced media data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the broadcast receiver includes at least one of a FM and AM radio receiver.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the media includes at least one of a song and music.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the broadcast media data includes RDS data.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the RDS data includes the media identifier.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the media identifier includes a track identifier.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the track identifier includes a track title.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the track identifier includes at least one of a numeric and alpha-numeric identifier.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the track identifier includes a unique identifier.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the media includes a video, an image, audio, audio file, multimedia, movie, and television data.

11. A method for sending enhanced media data to a media device comprising:

broadcasting media and media data from a broadcast source, the broadcast media data including a media identifier associated with the broadcast media,

receiving, at a media server, a retrieval request including the media identifier for enhanced media data from the media device,

retrieving, at the media server, enhanced media data from a data store based on the media identifier, and

sending the enhanced media data to the media device at least partially via a wireless data channel to enable the media device to perform an operation in response to the enhanced media data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the broadcasting is via at least one of a FM and AM radio channel.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the media includes a video, an image, audio, audio file, multimedia, movie, and television data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the enhanced media data includes at least one of album art, an album image, an album video, song art, a song image, a song video, a ringtone, a ringtone offer, music, a music offer, artist information, artist concert information, artist trivia, song trivia, song-related information, broadcast source information, an advertisement, broadcast source contact information, promotional information, contact links to related information sources, and metadata associated with the media.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the media server includes at least one of a clearinghouse server and a broadcast source server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the clearinghouse server includes a database having enhanced media data.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the broadcast source server includes a database having enhanced media data.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the operation includes at least one of displaying an image related to the track identifier, displaying a video related to the track identifier, displaying text related to the track identifier, displaying an advertisement, displaying a ringtone offer, displaying concert information, displaying a music offer, displaying album art, displaying metadata, and displaying a link to related information.

19. A clearinghouse system comprising:

a data store for storing enhanced media data,

a media server, in communications with the data store, for i) receiving a retrieval request from a media device, the retrieval request including a media identifier, ii) retrieving a portion of the enhanced media data, the portion being associated with received media identifier, and iii) sending the portion of enhanced media data associated with the media identifier to the media device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the media server includes at least one of a clearinghouse server and a broadcast source server.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the data store includes at least one database associated with the media server.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the media identifier includes at least one of a broadcast source identifier, a track identifier, and an artist identifier.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the track identifier includes a unique identifier.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the enhanced media data includes at least one of album art, an album image, an album video, song art, a song image, a song video, a ringtone, a ringtone offer, music, a music offer, artist information, artist concert information, artist trivia, song trivia, song-related information, broadcast source information, an advertisement, broadcast source contact information, promotional information, contact links to related information sources, and metadata associated with the media.

25. An enhanced media data distribution system comprising:

a clearinghouse server for;

i) assigning a unique media identifier to a media item, ii) storing enhanced media data associated with the media identifier, and iii) sending the enhanced media data to a media device in response to a retrieval request,

a radio station server for receiving the media identifier,

a radio station transmitter for broadcasting the media item and associated media identifier,

the media device including;

a broadcast radio receiver for receiving the media item and associated media identifier,

a transceiver for i) sending a retrieval request including the media identifier to the clearinghouse server and ii) receiving the enhanced media data associated with the media identifier, and

a processor for performing a media device operation in response to the received enhanced media data.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the media identifier includes at least one of a broadcast source identifier, a track identifier, and an artist identifier.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the track identifier includes a unique identifier.

28. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by a broadcast source to cause the broadcast source to perform a method for distributing enhanced media data, the method comprising:

assigning a unique media identifier to a media item,

storing enhanced media data associated with the media identifier in a data store,

receiving the media identifier, transmitting the media and an associated media identifier to a media device via a broadcast network,

receiving, from the media device, a retrieval request including the media identifier via a data network,

sending the enhanced media data via the data network to the media device in response to the retrieval request.

29. The method of claim 28 comprising receiving from the media device at least one of media device type information and user preference information.

30. The method of claim 29 comprising processing the at least one of media device type information and user preference information and the media identifier to determine the enhanced media data for sending to the media device.