BROADCAST COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING USERS WITH INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA

• US 20100194984A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kummer, David A., Minnick, Danny Jean
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/564
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A method is presented for providing information associated with a geographical area to users of broadcast communication receivers. The information, as well as an indication of the geographical area associated with the information, are transmitted to, and received by, each of the broadcast communication receivers. In each of the receivers, the indication of the geographical area is compared with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the receiver. Each of the receivers transfers the information in a video format to the user of the receiver if the geographic code indicates that the receiver is located within the geographical area.

Claims

1. A method for providing information associated with a geographical area to a user of a broadcast communication receiver, the method comprising:

receiving the information and an indication of the geographical area associated with the information into the broadcast communication receiver;

comparing the indication of the geographical area with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the associated broadcast communication receiver; and

transferring the information in a video format to a display for presentation to the user of the broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a video signal of programming concurrently with the video format of information to the display for presentation to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the video format of the information is overlaid atop the programming on the display.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a size of the programming as presented via the display is reduced to allow the video format of the information to be displayed without obscuring the programming.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the video format of the information comprises scrolling or crawling textual information.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the information comprises audio information; and

the method further comprises;

transferring the audio information to an audio speaker associated with the display for presentation to the user if the geographic code indicates that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area; and

at least reducing a volume level of audio associated with the programming while the audio information is transferred to the audio speaker.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the video signal of programming via a programming channel concurrently with the outputting of the video signal of programming.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the video signal of programming via a programming channel; and

storing the video signal of programming for subsequent outputting to the display for presentation to the user;

wherein the receiving and storing of the video signal of programming occur prior to the outputting of the video signal of programming.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a non-programming video signal concurrently with the video format of information to the display for presentation to the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the non-programming video signal comprises a video signal representing a programming guide.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

emitting an audible sound from the associated broadcast communication receiver when at least a portion of the associated broadcast communication receiver is inactive if the geographic code indicates that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area.

12. A broadcast communication system, comprising:

a broadcast communication transmitter configured to transmit video programming signals over a plurality of broadcast programming channels, information associated with a geographical area, and an indication of the geographical area; and

a plurality of broadcast communication receivers, wherein each of the broadcast communication receivers is configured to;

receive the video programming signals, the information, and the indication of the geographical area from the broadcast communication transmitter;

compare the indication of the geographical area with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the associated broadcast communication receiver; and

relay the information in a video format in combination with at least one of the video programming signals for presentation to a user of the associated broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the associated broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area.

13. The broadcast communication system of claim 12, wherein the broadcast communication transmitter is configured to transmit the information and the indication of the geographical area over a data channel separate from the plurality of broadcast programming channels.

14. The broadcast communication system of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the video programming signals is received concurrently with the information from the broadcast communication transmitter.

15. The broadcast communication system of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the video programming signals is received and stored on a storage medium within the associated broadcast communication receiver prior to receiving the information from the broadcast communication transmitter.

16. A broadcast communication receiver configured to:

receive broadcast programming signals;

output one of the broadcast programming signals for presentation to a user;

receive and store a geographic code associated with the broadcast communication receiver;

receive information associated with a geographical area and an indication of the geographical area from a broadcast communication transmitter;

compare the indication of the geographical area with the geographic code; and

output the information in a video format to the display in combination with the selected broadcast programming signal to a user of the broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area.

17. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 16, wherein the one of the broadcast programming signals is output in combination with the video format of the information while the one of the broadcast programming signals is being received at the broadcast communication receiver.

18. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 16, further comprising:

a storage medium configured to store the one of the broadcast programming signals received at the broadcast communication receiver;

wherein the one of the broadcast programming signals is supplied from the storage medium when the one of the broadcast programming signals is output in combination with the video format of the information.

19. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 16, further comprising:

an audible alarm circuit configured to emit an audible sound while the broadcast communication receiver is in a standby mode in response to the geographic code indicating that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area.

20. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 16, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user selection indicating at least one of multiple information types;

wherein the information is transferred for presentation to the user of the broadcast programming receiver in response to the geographic code indicating that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area only if the information belongs to the selected one of the multiple information types.