Network Audio Distribution System and Method

• US 20100281178A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telegraph Peak Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Terence Sean Sullivan
• Inventors: Sullivan, Terence Sean
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26616 for merging a unicast channel into a multicast channel, e.g. in a VOD application, when a client served by unicast channel catches up a multicast channel to save bandwidth data multicast over packet-switching network H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/24 Systems for the transmission of television signals using pulse code modulation H04N21/00 takes precedence

Abstract

System and methods for distributing audio content from plural audio sources to plural client terminals located on a network. The system includes an audio source interface that is coupled to receive raw audio from a first audio source, and converts the raw audio into a digital audio clip that is incorporated into a digital audio packet, which further contains a timestamp and a channel identity corresponding to the first audio source. A network audio server is coupled to receive the digital audio packet from the audio source interface, and operates to format the digital audio packet into a digital audio file that is compliant with the network, and store the digital audio file at a network address. The network audio server generates a directory packet that includes the network address of the digital audio file, the channel identity, and the timestamp, and couples the directory packet to a directory server located on the network. The directory server receives the directory packet and generates a directory stream, including at least a portion of the directory packet, and couples the directory stream through the network to a first client terminal. The first client terminal receives the directory stream and selectively identifies the directory packet according to a client profile, and subsequently communicates an audio file request through the network, requesting the digital audio file from the network audio server. Then, upon receipt of the audio file request, the audio server responds by coupling the digital audio file to the client terminal through the network.

Claims

1. A system for distributing audio content from plural audio sources to plural client terminals located on a network, comprising:

an audio source interface coupled to receive raw audio from a first audio source, and operable to convert said raw audio into a digital audio clip that is incorporated into a digital audio packet further containing a timestamp and a channel identity corresponding to said first audio source;

a network audio server coupled to receive said digital audio packet from said audio source interface, and operable to format said digital audio packet into a digital audio file that is compliant with the network, and store said digital audio file at a network address, and wherein

said network audio server is operable to generate a directory packet including said network address of said digital audio file, said channel identity, and said timestamp, and operable to couple said directory packet to a directory server located on the network, and wherein;

said directory server receives said directory packet and generates a directory stream, including at least a portion of said directory packet, and couples said directory stream through the network to a first client terminal, and wherein

said first client terminal receives said directory stream and selectively identifies said directory packet according to a client profile, and subsequently communicates an audio file request through the network, requesting said digital audio file from said network audio server, and wherein

upon receipt of said audio file request, said audio server responds by coupling said digital audio file to said client terminal through the network.

2. The system of claim 1, and wherein said client terminal receives said digital audio file, reproduces the audio content therein and displays data contained in said digital audio file.

3. The system of claim 1, and wherein said audio source interface is further coupled to receive data related to said raw audio from said an audio source, and incorporate said data into said digital audio packet.

4. The system of claim 1, and wherein said directory server generates plural directory streams for delivery to plural client terminals disposed throughout the network.

5. The system of claim 1, and wherein;

said first client terminal accumulates plural directory packets in a database and subsequently selects directory packets from said database based on predetermined selection rules indexed to the content of said directory packets.

6. The system of claim 1, and wherein said directory server is assigned a directory server name, and wherein said first client terminal is assigned a unique username that includes said directory server name.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an administrative server located on the network, for storing unique device names and network addresses for said network audio server, and said directory server.

8. The system of claim 1, and wherein said network audio server incorporates a value indicating time ordering of said directory packets and corresponding digital audio clips.

9. The system of claim 1, and wherein said directory packet includes plural additional data fields identifying;

a data type, a unique channel code, a duration of said audio clip, a name of the digital audio clip, and at least a first text tag.

10. The system of claim 1, and wherein:

said directory server inserts said directory packet into the said directory stream upon receipt thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, and wherein:

said directory server inserts said directory packet into said directory stream at a time specified by an independent software process.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second directory server adapted to generate a second directory stream, and wherein

said directory server couples said directory stream to said second directory server.

13. The system of claim 1, and wherein

said channel identity contained in said directory packet includes one or more data fields descriptive of said first audio source, selected from the following data fields;

an alpha-numeric field that uniquely defines said first audio source;

an identity of a radio frequency receiver;

a geographic descriptor;

a political jurisdiction;

a government service function code;

a code identifying an owner of said raw audio content;

a code identifying a particular communication channel, and

a unique identity of said audio source interface.

14. The system of claim 1, and wherein

said client terminal is configured in accordance with a client profile that defines said directory server as a source for system information and a source for said directory stream, including directory packet selection criteria, and can define the content and appearance of information displayed on a display in said client terminal.

15. The system of claim 14, and wherein

said client profile is stored in said directory server, and is addressed for access by said first client terminal according to a directory server name, a user name, and a profile name.

16. The system of claim 14, and wherein

said directory packet selection criteria includes plural pre-defined banks of audio sources and channel identity matching filters used to select audio files to download.

17. The system of claim 16, and wherein

said pre-defined banks of audio sources are individually selectable in said client terminal.

18. The system of claim 1, and wherein

said first client terminal sequentially identifies plural directory packets from said directory stream, and sends plural audio file requests to corresponding network audio servers, and wherein

said first client terminals reproduces plural digital audio files received in response to said plural audio file requests in time ordered sequence according to timestamps corresponding to said plural digital audio files.

19. The system of claim 1, and wherein

said audio source interface periodically queries said first audio source for audio content.

20. The system of claim 1, and wherein

said audio source interface is responsive to a squelch status of said first audio source to determine when said raw audio is available.

21. The system of claim 1, and wherein

said digital audio packet is assigned a file name by said audio source, and wherein

said file name includes plural descriptive fields selected from among the following descriptive fields:

a channel code identity;

a descriptive text tag;

a time of capture;

a duration of said digital audio clip;

an identity of said audio source interface, and

an identity of said directory server.

22. The system of claim 1, and wherein the network is the Internet, and wherein

said network address of said digital audio file is an Internet URL, and wherein

said directory server will not send an audio file URL in a said directory stream to any client terminal that is not authorized by said directory server.

23. The system of claim 22, and wherein

said network audio server requires an access code from said first client terminal prior to sending said digital audio file.

24. A method of distributing audio content from a first audio source to a first client terminal located on a network, utilizing an audio source interface, a network audio server, and a directory server, comprising the steps of:

coupling raw audio from the first audio source to the audio source interface;

converting the raw audio into a digital audio clip, and assembling a digital audio packet by the audio source interface that contains the digital audio clip, a timestamp and a channel identity corresponding to the first audio source;

coupling the digital audio packet from the audio source interface to the network audio server;

formatting the digital audio packet into a digital audio file that is network compliant by the network audio server, and storing the digital audio file at a network address, and, generating a corresponding directory packet including the network address of the digital audio file, the channel identity, and the timestamp, and, coupling the directory packet to the directory server;

generating a directory stream by the directory server that includes at least a portion of the directory packet, and coupling the directory stream to the client terminal located on the network;

receiving the directory stream by the first client terminal and selectively identifying the directory packet according to a user profile, and subsequently communicating an audio file request through the network from the first client terminal to the network audio server requesting the digital audio file, and

coupling the digital audio file from the audio server to the first client terminal in response to receipt of the audio file request.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the digital audio file by the first client terminal;

reproducing the audio content in the digital audio file by the first client terminal, and

displaying the data contained in the digital audio file.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

receiving data related to the raw audio by the audio source interface from the audio source, and

incorporating the data into the digital audio packet.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

generating plural directory streams by the directory server, and

delivering the plural directory streams to plural client terminals disposed throughout the network.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

accumulating plural directory packets in a database in the first client terminal, and

subsequently selecting directory packets from the database based on predetermined selection rules indexed to the content of the directory packets.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the directory server is assigned a directory server name, further comprising the step of:

assigning the first client terminal a unique username that includes the directory server name.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein an administrative server is located on the network, further comprising the steps of:

storing unique device names and network addresses for the network audio server, the directory server, and the first client terminal in the administrative server, and

accessing the administrative server to determine the network address according to the unique device names.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

incorporating a value indicating time ordering of creation of the digital audio clip into the directory packet by the network audio server.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

including plural additional data fields into the directory packet, identifying a data type, a unique channel code, a duration of said audio clip, a name of the digital audio clip, and at least a first text tag.

33. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

inserting the directory packet into the directory stream upon receipt thereof by the directory server.

34. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

inserting the directory packet into the directory stream at a time specified by an independent software process.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein a second directory server is disposed upon the network, further comprising the steps of:

coupling the directory stream from the directory server to the second directory server, and

generating a second directory stream to at least a second client terminal by the second directory server.

36. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

including one or more of the following data fields descriptive of said first audio source in the directory packet;

an alpha-numeric field that uniquely defines said first audio source;

an identity of a radio frequency receiver;

a geographic descriptor;

a political jurisdiction;

a government service function code;

a code identifying an owner of said raw audio content;

a code identifying a particular communication channel, and

a unique identity of said audio source interface.

37. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

assigning a client profile to the first client terminal, thereby defining the directory server as a source for the first client terminal'"'"'s directory stream, and a source for system information, and

configuring the first client terminal in accordance with the client profile, thereby establishing directory packet selection criteria and defining the content and appearance of information displayed on a display in the first client terminal.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

storing the client profile in the directory server at an address according to a directory server name, a client terminal name, and a client profile name, and

accessing the client profile by the first client terminal.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

including plural user-defined banks of audio sources and channel identity matching filters in the directory packet selection criteria, and

requesting audio content for download according to the directory packet selection criteria.

40. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

sequentially identifying plural directory packets from said directory stream by the first client terminal;

sending plural audio file requests to corresponding network audio servers;

reproducing plural digital audio files received by the first client terminal in response to the plural audio file requests in time ordered sequence according to timestamps stored in the plural digital audio files.

41. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

periodically querying the first audio source by the audio source interface for audio content.

42. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

determining the presence of raw audio in the first audio source by testing the squelch status thereof by the audio source interface.

43. The method of claim 24, wherein the network is the Internet and the network address of the digital audio file is a URL, and further comprising the step of:

declining to send audio content by the directory server to any client terminal that is not authorized by said directory server.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

requiring an access code from said first client terminal prior to sending said digital audio file from the network audio server.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

including a time of capture in the network address of the digital audio file, thereby obscuring the predictability of the network address.

46. A system for distributing audio content gathered from plural audio sources to plural client terminals, using plural packages of software processes running on one or more processors distributed about a web connected network, comprising:

a) at least a first client terminal addressable on the network to receive directory streams of directory packets, and store a portion of said directory packets in a directory index, and operable to selectively recall at least a first of said directory packets from said directory index based on selection criteria, and operable to request audio content stored on the network based on a network address within said at least a first of said directory packets;

b) plural audio source interfaces connected to receive raw audio from corresponding plural audio sources, and executing a gateway process incorporating said raw audio into digital audio packets as digital audio clips, each with a channel identity of the corresponding one of said plural audio sources;

c) a feed source administrative package, further comprising;

a file monitor process coupled to receive plural digital audio packets from at least a first of said plural audio source interfaces, and operable to format said plural digital audio packets into plural digital audio files stored at network addressable locations, and further operable to generate plural directory packets corresponding to said plural digital audio packets, each including a corresponding channel identity, and a corresponding network address, which are subsequently forwarded to at least a first predetermined transmission package;

a web server process coupled to receive audio file requests through the network from the plural client terminals, wherein each audio file request includes a network addresses of a corresponding digital audio file, and in response thereto, operable to communicate said corresponding digital audio file to the requesting client terminals;

d) a transmission package, further comprising;

a directory server process operable to receive directory packets from said feed source administrative package, store said directory packets in a directory packet database, and operable to generate at least a first directory stream, including at least a portion of said directory packets with corresponding timestamp, and couple said directory stream through the network to said at least a first client terminal, and

a first registrar process operable to maintain a database of client terminal account information for determining content and controlling delivery of directory streams of directory packets and for controlling access to said directory packet database by the plural client terminals.

47. The system of claim 46, and wherein

said first registrar process is further operable to authenticate client terminal system login requests, and also operable to provide a client terminal profile containing said selection criteria in response to a request therefore from a client terminal.

48. The system of claim 46, and wherein

said administrative package is operable to distribute directory stream provision tasks amongst plural processors within said transmission package, thereby managing network traffic and transmission package load.

49. The system of claim 46, and wherein said administrative package is operable to distribute audio content distribution tasks amongst plural feed source administrative package, thereby managing network traffic and feed source administrative package load.

50. The system of claim 46, and wherein said transmission package further comprises:

a secondary directory server process operable to receive a directory stream of packets from said directory server, store said directory packets in a secondary directory packet database, and operable to generate secondary directory streams to at least a second client terminal.

51. The system of claim 46, further comprising:

an historian process operable to searches said directory packet database in response to requests from client terminals and other processes, and provides search results thereto.

52. The system of claim 46, and wherein

said directory packets include a value indicating ordering of transmissions, and wherein

said at least a first client terminal reproduces said audio content in accordance with said value indicating ordering of transmissions.

53. The system of claim 46, and wherein;

said channel identification data in said directory packets includes data fields selected from;

an alpha-numeric field that uniquely defines said first audio source;

an identity of a radio frequency receiver;

a geographic descriptor;

a political jurisdiction;

a government service function code;

a code identifying an owner of said raw audio content;

a code identifying a particular communication channel, and

a unique identity of said audio source interface.

54. The system of claim 46, and wherein

said directory server process generates said directory stream by selectively filtering said plural directory packets in said directory packet database according to a portion of the data contained in said channel identification codes.

55. The system of claim 54, and wherein

said portion of the data contained in said channel identification codes is defined by said selection criteria.

56. The system of claim 54, and wherein

said selective filtering includes data wildcards.

57. The system of claim 46, and wherein

said at least a first client terminal selection criteria is defined by a client terminal profile.

58. The system of claim 57, and wherein

said client terminal profile determines the content and appearance of a user interface display.

59. The system of claim 57, and wherein

said client terminal profile is stored by said first registrar package, and is named according to a name of said transmission package, a name of said client terminal, and a package name.

60. The system of claim 57, and wherein

said client terminal profile defines a corresponding transmission package for said client terminal, defines said selection criteria for said client terminal, and controls the appearance of a user interface display on said client terminal.