SYSTEM FOR BROADCAST INFORMATION DATABASE

• US 20100205223A1
• Filed: 02/10/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Janus, Jeffrey, Gersabeck, David, Millington, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter

Abstract

A database system includes a processor configured to receive broadcasts according to a plurality of broadcast formats. The processor determines broadcast information associated with each received broadcast. The processor stores a database entry for each received broadcast within a database stored in the memory. Each database entry is indicative of the broadcast information associated the received broadcast. The processor continuously populates the database with broadcast information associated with received broadcasts. The database is user-accessible, allowing database entries to be viewed and altered. Ratings for various broadcast information are user-provided allowing preferred broadcast content to be user-designated based on the broadcast information. The ratings are used to notify a user of preferred broadcast content being broadcast according to at least one of the broadcast formats allowing the user to select receipt of the preferred broadcast content while available.

Claims

1. A database system comprising:

a memory configured to store a database; and

a processor configured to;

receive a plurality of broadcasts each transmitted according to at least one of a plurality of broadcast formats;

determine broadcast information associated with a first broadcast transmitted according to a first one of the plurality of broadcast formats;

determine broadcast information associated with a second broadcast transmitted according to a second one of the plurality of broadcast formats;

store a first entry in the database, where the first entry is indicative of the broadcast information associated with the first broadcast; and

store a second entry in the database, where the second entry is indicative of the broadcast information associated with the second broadcast.

2. The database system of claim 1, where the processor is further configured to store the first entry in the database based on predetermined criteria.

3. The database system of claim 1, where the processor is further configured to generate notification of receipt of the first broadcast transmitted according to the first one of the plurality of broadcast formats based on predetermined criteria when a third broadcast is being transmitted as audio output according to a broadcast format different than the first broadcast format.

4. The database system of claim 3, where the predetermined criteria is a first rating associated with the first broadcast and a second rating associated with the third broadcast;

and

where the processor is further configured to generate notification of receipt the first broadcast when the first rating is greater than the second rating.

5. The database system of claim 1, where the processor is further configured to update at least one frequency field contained in the entry each time the first broadcast is received according to any of the plurality of broadcast formats.

6. The database system of claim 1, where the processor is further configured to store the second entry when the broadcast information associated with the second broadcast is related to the broadcast information associated with the first broadcast.

7. The database system of claim 1, where the processor is further configured to determine broadcast information of each received one of the plurality of broadcasts transmitted from each respective broadcast source of each one of the plurality of broadcast formats.

8. The database system of claim 1, where the processor is further configured to provide access to the database to a user through a user interface module;

where the database access is selection of database entries; and

where the selection of database entries is limited based on user input.

9. A method of operating a broadcast information database, the method comprising:

receiving broadcasts being transmitted according to one of a plurality of broadcast formats;

determining broadcast information associated with a first received broadcast according to a first one of the plurality of broadcast formats;

determining broadcast information associated with a second received broadcast according to a second one of the plurality of broadcast formats;

storing a first database entry indicative of the broadcast information associated with the first received broadcast; and

storing a second database entry indicative of the broadcast information associated with the second received broadcast.

10. The method of claim 9, where storing a first database entry further comprises storing the first database entry indicative of the broadcast information associated with the first received broadcast based on predetermined criteria.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising generating notification of receipt of the first received broadcast based on predetermined criteria when a third received broadcast is being transmitted as audio output according to a broadcast format different than the broadcast format of the first broadcast.

12. The method of claim 11, where the predetermined criteria is a first rating associated with the first received broadcast and a second rating associated with the third received broadcast;

and

where generating notification of receipt of the first received broadcast comprises generating notification of receipt of the first received broadcast when the first rating is greater than the second rating.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising updating at least one frequency field contained in the database entry each time the first received broadcast is received according to any of the plurality of broadcast formats.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein storing a second database entry comprises storing the second database entry indicative of the broadcast information associated with the second received broadcast when the broadcast information associated with the second received broadcast is related to the broadcast information associated with the first received broadcast.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining broadcast information of each received one of the plurality of broadcasts transmitted from each respective broadcast source of each one of the plurality of broadcast formats.

16. The method of claim 9 where the processor is configured to provide access to the database to a user through a user interface module;

where the database access is selection of database entries; and

where the selection of database entries is limited based on user input.

17. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions executable with a processor, the computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions executable to receive a plurality of broadcasts each transmitted according to at least one of a plurality of broadcast formats;

instructions executable to determine broadcast information associated with a first received broadcast according to a first one of the plurality of broadcast formats;

instructions executable to determine broadcast information associated with a second received broadcast according to a second one of the plurality of broadcast formats;

instructions executable to store a first database entry indicative of the broadcast content of the first received broadcast; and

instructions executable to store a second database entry indicative of the broadcast content of the second received broadcast.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions executable to store the database entry indicative of the broadcast information associated with the first received broadcast based on predetermined criteria.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions executable to generate notification of receipt of the first received broadcast based on predetermined criteria when a third received broadcast is being transmitted as audio output according to a broadcast format different than the first one of the plurality of broadcast formats.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 where the predetermined criteria is a first rating associated with the first received broadcast and a second rating associated with the second received broadcast;

and

where the computer-readable medium further comprises instructions executable to generate notification of receipt of the first received broadcast when the first rating is greater than the second rating.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions executable to update at least one frequency field contained in the database entry each time the first received broadcast is received according to any of the plurality of broadcast formats.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions executable to store the second database entry when the broadcast information associated with the second received broadcast is related to the broadcast information associated with the first received broadcast.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions executable to determine broadcast information of each received one of the plurality of broadcasts transmitted from each respective broadcast source of each one of the plurality of broadcast formats.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions executable to provide access to the database to a user through a user interface module;

where the database access is selection of database entries; and

where the selection of database entries is limited based on user input.

25. A broadcast information database system comprising:

means for determining broadcast information associated with a first broadcast transmitted according to a first broadcast format and broadcast information associated with a second broadcast transmitted according to a second broadcast format; and

means for storing a first database entry indicative of the broadcast information associated with the first broadcast and a second database entry indicative of the broadcast information associated with the second broadcast.