Automated content delivery to distributed media outlets

• US 20130238754A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Clear Channel Management Services LP (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferry, Matthew M., Fulbright, John W., Basu, Kohinoor
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

A method can include sending a request to a media content provider requesting media content and receiving the media content and instructions from the media provider. The instructions can be utilized by the media provider to broadcast the media content. The media provider can store the received media content in a database process the instructions then distribute the media content and the instructions to distributed media outlets. The media content provider can receive information indicating that the media content was broadcast by the distributed media outlets according to the instructions.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method comprising:

receiving at an enterprise hub coupled to a communications network;

media content from a content provider, the media content to be broadcast by a distributed media outlet;

linked instructions from the content provider, the linked instructions linked to the media content;

transmitting the media content and the linked instructions to the distributed media outlet, wherein the media outlet inserts the media content into a transaction deliver system in accordance with the linked instructions; and

receiving, at the enterprise hub, information indicating that the media content was broadcast by the distributed media outlet in accordance with the linked instructions.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the transaction delivery system comprises a traffic and billing system.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the information comprises a stream comprising a broadcast record indicating content currently being broadcast by the distributed media outlet.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

transmitting the broadcast record from the enterprise hub to the content provider using the communications network.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

processing the linked instructions at the enterprise hub to determine the distributed media outlet to which the enterprise hub is to transmit the media content.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

processing the linked instructions at the enterprise hub to determine when the enterprise hub is to transmit the media content.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

associating, at the enterprise hub, a unique identifier with the media content;

distributing the unique identifier with the media content to the distributed media outlet; and

wherein the information indicating that the media content was broadcast comprises the unique identifier associated with the media content.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

validating the linked instructions prior to transmitting the linked instructions to the distributed media outlet.

29. A device comprising:

a memory storing a program of instructions configured to be executed by a processor;

a physical communications interface; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the physical communications interface;

the processor configured by the program of instructions to implement a method comprising;

receiving at an enterprise hub coupled to a communications network;

media content sent from a content provider, the media content to be broadcast by a distributed media outlet;

linked instructions from the content provider, the linked instructions linked to the media content;

transmitting the media content and the linked instructions to the distributed media outlet, wherein the media outlet inserts the media content into a transaction deliver system in accordance with the linked instructions; and

receiving, at the enterprise hub, information indicating that the media content was broadcast by the distributed media outlet in accordance with the linked instructions.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the transaction delivery system comprises a traffic and billing system.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the information comprises a stream comprising a broadcast record indicating content currently being broadcast by the distributed media outlet.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the method implemented by the processor further comprises:

transmitting the broadcast record from the enterprise hub to the content provider using the communications network.

33. The device of claim 29, wherein the method implemented by the processor further comprises:

processing the linked instructions at the enterprise hub to determine the distributed media outlet to which the enterprise hub is to transmit the media content.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the method implemented by the processor further comprises:

processing the linked instructions at the enterprise hub to determine when the enterprise hub is to transmit the media content.

35. The device of claim 29, wherein the method implemented by the processor further comprises:

associating, at the enterprise hub, a unique identifier with the media content;

distributing the unique identifier with the media content to the distributed media outlet; and

wherein the information indicating that the media content was broadcast comprises the unique identifier associated with the media content.

36. The device of claim 29, wherein the method implemented by the processor further comprises:

validating the linked instructions prior to transmitting the linked instructions to the distributed media outlet.

39. The device of claim 29, wherein the method implemented by the processor further comprises:

validating the linked instructions prior to transmitting the linked instructions to the distributed media outlet.

40. The device of claim 29, wherein the method implemented by the processor further comprises:

validating the linked instructions prior to transmitting the linked instructions to the distributed media outlet.

37. A system comprising:

a plurality of distributed media outlets coupled to a communications network; and

an enterprise hub coupled to the communications network, the enterprise hub configured to;

receive, via the communications network, media content and linked instructions from a content provider;

determine which media content is to be delivered to which of the plurality of distributed media outlets;

transmit the media content and the linked instructions to the plurality of distributed media outlets in accordance with the determination; and

wherein the plurality of distributed media outlets are configured to;

receive the media content and the linked instructions;

broadcast the media content in accordance with the linked instructions;

provide the enterprise hub with information indicating that the media content was broadcast in accordance with the linked instructions.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the enterprise hub is further configured to:

receive the information indicating that the media content was broadcast in accordance with the linked instructions; and

transmit, to the content provider, a record indicating that the media content was broadcast in accordance with the linked instructions.