Methods, Devices, and Computer Program Products for Tracking Receipt and Determining Effectiveness of Radio Broadcast Signals

• US 20120244833A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• 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: Beattie, James Gordon Jr., Griesmer, Stephen J., Kumar, Shiv
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Receipt of a radio broadcast signal by a mobile communication device is tracked based on a signal strength measurement signal and location information. The signal strength measurement signal indicate a signal strength of the radio broadcast signal, received via a communication channel and measured at the mobile communication device, over a particular time period. The location information indicates a location of the mobile communication device within a geographic area over the particular time period. Effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal is determined with respect to receipt of the radio broadcast signal by a plurality of mobile communication devices within the geographic area over the particular time period.

Claims

1. A method for tracking receipt of a radio broadcast signal, comprising:

receiving, from a mobile communication device, a signal strength measurement signal indicating signal strength of the radio broadcast signal received at the mobile communication device via a communication channel over a particular time period;

receiving location information indicating a location of the mobile communication device within a geographic area over the particular time period; and

tracking received signal strength of the radio broadcast signal within the geographic area over the particular time period based on the received signal strength measurement signal and the received location information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal with respect to receipt of the radio broadcast signal by a plurality of mobile communication devices within the geographic area over the particular time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal comprises determining, based on the received signal strength measurements and the received location information, a density of mobile communication devices within the geographic area that receive the radio broadcast signal within the particular time period.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining effectiveness of the radio broadcast radio signal comprises determining, based on the received signal strength measurement signals, a duration of time within the particular time period that the mobile communication devices receive the radio broadcast signal.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising reporting the determined effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal to a source of radio broadcast content,

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing billing information for the source of the broadcast radio content based on the determined effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio broadcast signal is received by the mobile communication device at a frequency outside a cellular radio frequency range.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device also receives and transmits radio signals within the cellular radio frequency range, and the receipt of the radio broadcast signal outside of the cellular radio frequency range is tracked independently of communication within the cellular radio frequency range.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio broadcast signal includes an emergency broadcast signal.

10. A system for tracking receipt of a radio broadcast signal, comprising:

an input configured to;

receive, from a mobile communication device, a signal strength measurement signal indicating signal strength of the radio broadcast signal received at the mobile communication device via a communication channel over a particular time period; and

receive location information indicating a location of the mobile communication device within a geographic area over the particular time period; and

a processor configured to;

track received signal strength of the radio broadcast signal within the geographic area over the particular time period based on the received signal strength measurement signal and the received location information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor determines effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal with respect to receipt of the radio broadcast signal by a plurality of mobile communication devices within the geographic area over the particular time period.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor determines effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal by determining, based on the received signal strength measurements and the received location information, a density of mobile communication devices within the geographic area that receive the radio broadcast signal within the particular time period.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor determines effectiveness of the radio broadcast radio signal by determining, based on the received signal strength measurement signals, a duration of time within the particular time period that the mobile communication devices receive the radio broadcast signal.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising an output for reporting the determined effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal to a source of radio broadcast content.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the radio broadcast signal is received by the mobile communication device at a frequency outside a cellular radio frequency range, the mobile communication device also receives and transmits radio signals within the cellular radio frequency range, and the receipt of the radio broadcast signal outside of the cellular radio frequency range is tracked independently of communication within the cellular radio frequency range.

16. A computer program product including a storage medium upon which instructions are recorded that, when executed by a processor perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a mobile communication device, a signal strength measurement signal indicating signal strength of the radio broadcast signal received at the mobile communication device via a communication channel over a particular time period;

receiving location information indicating a location of the mobile communication device within a geographic area over the particular time period; and

tracking received signal strength of the radio broadcast signal within the geographic area over the particular time period based on the received signal strength measurement signal and the received location information.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises determining effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal with respect to receipt of the radio broadcast signal by a plurality of mobile communication devices within the geographic area over the particular time period.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein determining effectiveness of the radio broadcast signal comprises determining, based on the received signal strength measurements and the received location information, a density of mobile communication devices within the geographic area that receive the radio broadcast signal within the particular time period.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein determining effectiveness of the radio broadcast radio signal comprises determining, based on the received signal strength measurement signals, a duration of time within the particular time period that the mobile communication devices receive the radio broadcast signal.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the radio broadcast signal is received by the mobile communication device at a frequency outside a cellular radio frequency range, the mobile communication device also received and transmits radio signals within the cellular radio frequency range, and the receipt of the radio broadcast signal outside of the cellular radio frequency range is tracked independently of communication within the cellular radio frequency range.