Method and Apparatus for Accessing Information Identified from a Broadcast Audio Signal

• US 20100157744A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Urso, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/6
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/85 which are mobile communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85

Abstract

A method and device for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal receives a broadcast audio signal from a receiver such as a radio or television. Identifiers such as telephone numbers, URLs, e-mail addresses, and keywords are recognized and stored for immediate or later use by a user. An external network device identified by a recognized identifier is accessed based on user selection of a recognized identifier.

Claims

1. A method for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal, the method comprising:

receiving the broadcast audio signal;

recognizing an identifier in perceptible speech of the broadcast audio signal;

storing data representative of the recognized identifier; and

accessing an external network device identified by the identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a URL.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises an e-mail address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a keyword.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of recognizing is in response to user input.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing is in response to user input selecting an identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of accessing is in response to user input selecting an identifier.

9. A device for storing information related to the content of an audio signal, the device comprising:

an audio receiver configured to receive a broadcast audio signal;

an identifier recognition module in communication with the audio receiver, the identifier recognition module configured to recognize an identifier in perceptible speech of the broadcast audio signal;

a memory in communication with the identifier recognition module, the memory configured to store data representative of the recognized identifier; and

an access module in communication with the memory, the access module configured to access an external network device identified by the identifier.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the identifier comprises a URL.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number.

12. The device of claim 9 wherein the identifier comprises an e-mail address.

13. The device of claim 9 wherein the identifier comprises a keyword.

14. The device of claim 9 further comprising a user interface configured to receive a user input.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the user input is representative of a user selection of an identifier.

16. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal, the computer executable instructions defining steps comprising:

receiving the broadcast audio signal;

recognizing an identifier in perceptible speech of the broadcast audio signal;

storing data representative of the recognized identifier; and

accessing an external network device identified by the identifier.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the identifier comprises a URL.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the identifier comprises an e-mail address.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the identifier comprises a keyword.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the step of recognizing is in response to user input.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the step of storing is in response to user input selecting an identifier.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the step of accessing is in response to user input selecting an identifier.

24. An apparatus for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the broadcast audio signal;

means for recognizing an identifier in perceptible speech of the broadcast audio signal;

means for storing data representative of the recognized identifier; and

means for accessing an external network device identified by the identifier.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the identifier comprises a URL.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the identifier comprises an e-mail address.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the identifier comprises a keyword.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising means for receiving a user input.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the user input is representative of a user selection of an identifier.