Satellite audio broadcasting system
First Claim
1. A radio network programming and advertising system, comprising,a network uplink facility at a first location for transmitting network programs, advertising and other information via a communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit and for receiving and processing information relating to local broadcasting of the programs and advertising,a plurality of local radio station downlink affiliate facilities at various locations remote from the uplink facility for receiving satellite transmissions originating at the uplink facility and for locally broadcasting network programs and advertising and local programming,the network uplink facility including means for transmitting both audio, with programs and advertising, and digital databursts at intervals, containing data pertinent to the audio and to the operation of the downlink facilities, up to the satellite,each downlink facility including means for receiving the satellite transmissions from the uplink facility and for converting them into useable form, including means for separating the databursts from the audio, and microprocessor and memory means for receiving, processing and storing the databurst information, correlator means for receiving the actual local broadcast of the downlink radio station and for receiving the network audio program and advertising transmitted from the uplink facility and for comparing them and for noting periods when the local broadcast departs from the network audio and recording such periods of departure, via the microprocessor and memory means,both the downlink and the uplink facilities including modem means for telephone communication between the uplink and the downlink facilities,the uplink facility including a data management computer connected to the uplink facility modem means, and a computer terminal and memory connected to the data management computer, and including data transfer means for initiating connection through the modem means and telephone lines between the downlink microprocessor and the data management computer and for causing the downlink microprocessor and memory means to transfer stored data relating to periods of departure of the downlink broadcast from the network audio, into the data management computer of the uplink facility, andthe uplink facility further including automatic billing and payment means associated with the data managment computer for automatically computing bills to advertisers for the local broadcasting of their advertisements and for automatically computing payments due each local station downlink facility for the broadcasting of such advertising, both in accordance with and reflecting said noted periods of departure of each downlink affiliate station from the network audio and whether and to what extent network advertising has been omitted from each local station broadcast.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A satellite audio broadcasting system for network programming and broad-based advertising includes a network uplink facility and a plurality of local radio station downlink facilities. The system permits pre-empting of network audio by the local station at any time, but automatically and constantly monitors the local broadcast, comparing it to the network audio, and automatically records any periods of departure. Computers are employed at uplink and downlinks, and from time to time the uplink causes each downlink to transfer to it all data relating to such periods of departure for the subject period of time. Using the data this uplink can automatically compute billing to advertisers and payments to subscriber local stations based on the amount of advertising actually broadcast by the stations. Verification is thereby fully automatic and is substantially tamper-proof. Digital databursts preferably are transmitted via the satellite along with the network audio for separation, decoding and use at the downlink. Such data may contain, for example, a program pre-schedule for the coming day and/or simultaneous identifying information at the time a program or advertising is aired, for downlink logging, and individual accessing codes for network control or communication with specific downlink affiliates.
306 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A radio network programming and advertising system, comprising,
a network uplink facility at a first location for transmitting network programs, advertising and other information via a communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit and for receiving and processing information relating to local broadcasting of the programs and advertising, a plurality of local radio station downlink affiliate facilities at various locations remote from the uplink facility for receiving satellite transmissions originating at the uplink facility and for locally broadcasting network programs and advertising and local programming, the network uplink facility including means for transmitting both audio, with programs and advertising, and digital databursts at intervals, containing data pertinent to the audio and to the operation of the downlink facilities, up to the satellite, each downlink facility including means for receiving the satellite transmissions from the uplink facility and for converting them into useable form, including means for separating the databursts from the audio, and microprocessor and memory means for receiving, processing and storing the databurst information, correlator means for receiving the actual local broadcast of the downlink radio station and for receiving the network audio program and advertising transmitted from the uplink facility and for comparing them and for noting periods when the local broadcast departs from the network audio and recording such periods of departure, via the microprocessor and memory means, both the downlink and the uplink facilities including modem means for telephone communication between the uplink and the downlink facilities, the uplink facility including a data management computer connected to the uplink facility modem means, and a computer terminal and memory connected to the data management computer, and including data transfer means for initiating connection through the modem means and telephone lines between the downlink microprocessor and the data management computer and for causing the downlink microprocessor and memory means to transfer stored data relating to periods of departure of the downlink broadcast from the network audio, into the data management computer of the uplink facility, and the uplink facility further including automatic billing and payment means associated with the data managment computer for automatically computing bills to advertisers for the local broadcasting of their advertisements and for automatically computing payments due each local station downlink facility for the broadcasting of such advertising, both in accordance with and reflecting said noted periods of departure of each downlink affiliate station from the network audio and whether and to what extent network advertising has been omitted from each local station broadcast.
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8. A radio communication system for broadcasting network programming and broad-based advertising via satellite and remote local stations, comprising,
a network source uplink facility having uplink means for transmitting both audio, including programs and advertising, and coded digital databurst information via communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit, a plurality of remote local radio station affliate downlink facilities, each including downlink receiving means for receiving the network transmissions from the satellite, for separating the coded databurst information from the audio, for decoding the databurst information, and for presenting the network audio in a form useable in the local station broadcast, and including means for using the databurst information in accordance with its informational and directional content, including for downlink control functions, downlink correlating means for receiving the network audio and the local station broadcast and comparing them and determining periods of departure of the local broadcast from the network audio and for generating time-based signals representing said periods of departure, downlink computer means and memory means for receiving the time-based signals from the downlink correlator means and for recording in memory correlation records relating to said periods of departure, downlink modem means associated with the downlink computer means for communicating information over telephone lines, uplink computer means and uplink modem means for communicating with the downlink computer means from time to time via the downlink modem means and receiving information from the downlink computer means, including said correlation records relating to periods of departure, over telephone lines, and data processing means associated with the uplink computer means for computing billing to advertisers and payments to local radio station affiliate downlink facilities for local broadcasting of said broad-based network advertising, based on a comparison of said correlation records with network advertising broadcast by the uplink, relative to each local radio station.
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24. A local downlink radio station facility for receiving network audio including programming and broad-based advertising, and coded digital databurst information, over satellite from a source network uplink facility, and for broadcasting the programming and advertising to a local audience, comprising:
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downlink receiving means for receiving the network transmissions from the satellite, for separating the coded databurst information from the audio, for decoding the databurst information, and for presenting the network audio in a form useable in the local station broadcast, and including means for using the databurst information in accordance with its informational and directional content, including for downlink control functions, downlink correlating means for receiving the network audio and the local station broadcast and comparing them and determining periods of departure of the local broadcast from the network audio and for generating time-based signals representing said periods of departure, downlink computer means and memory means for receiving the time-based signals from the downlink correlating means and for recording in memory correlation records relating to said periods of departure, and downlink modem means associated with the downlink computer means for communicating information over telephone lines from time to time, to a corresponding modem means and computer means at the network uplink facility, including said correlation records relating to periods of departure, whereby the information communicated to the network uplink facility may be processed by the uplink computer means to compare the correlation records from each of a large number of such local downlink ratio station facilities to a record of network advertising broadcast over satellite by the network uplink, and thereby automatically to compute billing to advertisers and payments to each of the local facilities for their broadcasting of network advertising. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for broadcasting network programming and broad-based advertising via satellite and remote local stations, comprising,
providing a network source uplink facility and transmitting therefrom both audio, including programs and advertising, and coded digital databurst information via communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit, providing a plurality of downlink facilities at remote local radio station affliates, with automatic downlink equipment at each, receiving the network transmissions from the satellite at each downlink facility, separating the coded databurst information from the audio, decoding the databurst information with a decoder, presenting the network audio in a form useable in the local station broadcast, and using the databurst information in accordance with its informational and directional content, including use for downlink control functions, receiving the network audio and the local station broadcast in a downlink correlator and comparing them and determining periods of departure of the local broadcast from the network audio, and generating time-based signals representing said periods of departure, receiving the time-based signals from the downlink correlator in a downlink computer means and memory means and recording in memory correlation records relating to said periods of departure, establishing communication from time to time between each downlink computer means and an uplink computer means at the network uplink facility via modem means in each facility over ground-based communication lines, and sending information from the downlink to the uplink, including said correlation records relating to periods of departure, and at the network uplink facility, using the uplink computer means to compute billing to advertisers and payments to local radio station affiliate downlink facilities for local broadcasting of said broad-based network advertising, based on a comparison of said correlation records with network advertising broadcast by the uplink, relative to each local radio station.
Specification