PREEMPTIVE TUNING
First Claim
1. A method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first channel associated with a first media station, the method comprising:
- receiving, on the first channel, a wireless signal associated with the first media station;
monitoring at least one signal-quality parameter of the wireless signal, wherein the at least one signal-quality parameter includes a signal to noise ratio (SNR);
maintaining a history of the at least one signal-quality parameter, the history indicating an association between a value of the at least one signal-quality parameter and a situational parameter;
receiving, via a communications network, information associated with current situational parameters;
determining a current situational parameter based on the information; and
determining, based on a current situational parameter and the history, that a value of the at least one signal-quality parameter is expected to drop below a threshold level within a period of time; and
preemptively tuning the wireless receiver from the first media station, automatically without human action, to an alternate media station on a second channel prior to an expiration of the period of time.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A media receiver identifies attributes of a media station to which the media receiver is currently tuned. The media receiver monitors the signal quality of the media station. If the signal quality of the media station drops below a quality threshold, the receiver chooses an alternate station having similar content, and then tunes to the alternate station until the signal quality of the original station improves. When the signal quality of the original station rises above a re-tune threshold, the receiver can switch back to the original station. The receiver can monitor and record user listening patterns, station-switching patterns, and situational parameters, to identify times or locations at which station switches occur. This information can be used to select appropriate alternative stations, to perform pre-emptive station switches, and to determine when a station'"'"'s content will be buffered with the expectation that a station'"'"'s signal will drop below the quality threshold.
15 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first channel associated with a first media station, the method comprising:
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receiving, on the first channel, a wireless signal associated with the first media station; monitoring at least one signal-quality parameter of the wireless signal, wherein the at least one signal-quality parameter includes a signal to noise ratio (SNR); maintaining a history of the at least one signal-quality parameter, the history indicating an association between a value of the at least one signal-quality parameter and a situational parameter; receiving, via a communications network, information associated with current situational parameters; determining a current situational parameter based on the information; and determining, based on a current situational parameter and the history, that a value of the at least one signal-quality parameter is expected to drop below a threshold level within a period of time; and preemptively tuning the wireless receiver from the first media station, automatically without human action, to an alternate media station on a second channel prior to an expiration of the period of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A wireless receiver comprising:
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a processor; memory operably associated with the processor; a wireless receiver coupled to the processor; and a program of instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to implement a method including the following; receive a wireless signal associated with the first media station; monitor the wireless signal to determine situational parameters historically present when a signal quality of the wireless signal falls below a tune-away threshold; maintaining a history including the of the at least one signal-quality parameter, the history indicating an association between a value of the at least one signal-quality parameter and a situational parameter; determining a current situational parameter, wherein the current situational parameter includes at least one time-related parameter; and determining, based on the current situational parameter and the history, that a value of the at least one signal-quality parameter is expected to drop below the tune-away threshold within a period of time; and automatically tune the wireless receiver from the first media station to an alternate media station prior to an expiration of the period of time to. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A mobile device comprising:
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a wireless radio receiver configured to receive first media station content over an Internet Protocol (IP) broadcast channel; memory; a processor coupled to the memory and the wireless radio receiver, the processor programmed to; determine instances of signal quality degradations, wherein signal quality degradations indicate that a signal-quality parameter of the first media station has fallen below a tune-away threshold; determine times and locations of the mobile device at which the instances occurred; associate the instances with the times and the locations of the mobile device; store, in the memory, a history of the instances of signal quality degradations, including the times and the locations of the mobile device; determine a current time and a current location of the mobile device; determine that the signal quality of the first media station is expected to fall below the tune away threshold based, at least in part, on the comparison of the current time and the current location of the mobile device with the history of the instances of signal quality degradations; and preemptively tune the wireless receiver from the first media station to an alternate media station in response to determining that the signal quality of the first media station is expected to fall below the tune away threshold. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification