Broadcasting system with supplemental data transmission and storage

• US 5,063,610 A
• Filed: 02/28/1991
• Issued: 11/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Broadcast Data Retrieval Corporation (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ING Communication Inc.
• Inventors: Alwadish, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charouel, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US07/663,298
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3, 455/6, 455/42, 455/45, 455/66, 455/68, 455/70, 455/158, 455/185, 455/186, 381/1, 381/2, 381/3, 381/4, 381/5, 381/6, 381/77, 381/78, 381/81, 381/119
• US Class Current: 455/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information

Abstract

A technique for broadcasting program material together with encoded items of information pertaining to the program material such as the title of a broadcast musical piece, the artist name, catalog number, and the like. A number of sources of recorded program material are provided at a broadcast site, and encoded information data pertaining to the program material is processed for transmission from the site with the broadcast program material. A receiver reproduces the program material and, upon entry of a memory command, decodes and stores the transmitted items of information data in a memory. Sets of stored information data relating to selected broadcasts can later be retrieved from the memory and output by a display and/or a printer device.

Claims

1. A method of broadcasting whereby supplemental information is encoded for transmission together with program material, comprising the steps of:

reproducing at a broadcast site a source of program material;

processing the reproduced program material for transmission over a broadcast carrier signal;

inserting encoded items of information associated with the program material into the carrier signal upon transmission of the program material;

receiving the transmitted carrier signal and reproducing the program material at a receiver;

decoding, at said receiver, the information items inserted into the carrier signal in association with the program material;

providing said receiver with display means for displaying the decoded items of information;

providing said receiver with memory means;

selecting desired decoded items of information associated with the program material for storage in the memory means by entering a memory command to the receiver;

storing the desired decoded items of information in the memory means;

selecting one of a first and a second display mode for the display means by actuating a manual selecting means;

displaying on said display means information items as decoded from the carrier signal in said decoding step, when the first display mode is selected; and

displaying on said display means the decoded items of information that are stored in said memory means after entering a recall command to the receiver, when the second display mode is selected.

2. A method according to claim 1, including locally generating at the receiver information data for supplementing the decoded information items, appending the locally generated information data to the decoded information items, and storing the decoded information items with the appended information data in the memory means in response to said memory command.

3. A method according to claim 1, including printing the information items stored in said memory means upon entering a print command to the receiver.

4. A method according to claim 1, including frequency-modulating the reproduced program material on the broadcast carrier signal at the broadcast site.

5. A method according to claim 1, including inserting the encoded items of information into the carrier signal as digital data.

6. A method according to claim 5, including amplitude-modulating said digital data on a sub-carrier inserted into the broadcast carrier signal.

7. A method of broadcasting whereby supplemental information is encoded for transmission together with program material, comprising the steps of:

reproducing at a broadcast site a source of program material;

processing the reproduced program material for transmission over a broadcast carrier signal;

inserting encoded items of information associated with the program material into the carrier signal upon transmission of the program material;

receiving the transmitted carrier signal and reproducing the program material at a receiver;

decoding, at said receiver, the information items inserted into the carrier signal in association with the program material;

locally generating at the receiver information data for supplementing the decoded information items;

appending the locally generated information data to the decoded information items;

providing said receiver with memory means;

selecting desired decoded items of information associated with the program material for storage in the memory means by entering a memory command to the receiver;

storing the desired decoded items of information with the appended information data in the memory means;

coupling printing means to said receiver; and

printing the stored desired decoded items of information with the appended information data via said printing means upon entering a print command to the receiver.

8. A method according to claim 7, including frequency-modulating the reproduced program material on the broadcast carrier signal at the broadcast site.

9. A method according to claim 8, including amplitude-modulating the encoded items of information on a sub-carrier inserted into the broadcast carrier signal.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said locally generating step includes generating at the receiver frequency data corresponding to a station frequency to which the receiver is tuned, and including the frequency data with the information data printed via said printing means upon entering said print command.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said locally generating step includes generating at the receiver time data corresponding to a current time of day, and including the time data with the information data printed via said printing means upon entering said print command.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said locally generating step includes generating at the receiver date data corresponding to a current date, and including the date data with the information data printed via said printing means upon entering said print command.

13. The method of claim 7, including printing the stored desired decoded items of information with the appended information data as successive frames each having a determined number of print lines on a paper strip loaded in said printing means.

14. A broadcasting system for enabling a listener to obtain certain information associated with transmitted program material, comprising:

a broadcast station including,

source means for supplying program material;

means for transmitting the program material over a broadcast carrier signal;

means for generating information item data for association with the program material; and

means for encoding the information item data on said broadcast carrier signal upon transmission of the program material; and

a receiver including,

tuner/demodulator means for detecting the program material transmitted over the broadcast carrier signal, and the information item data encoded on said signal;

means for reproducing the detected program material;

decoding means coupled to said tuner/demodulator means for decoding the information item data encoded on the broadcast carrier signal;

display means for displaying the decoded information item data;

memory means for storing desired decoded information item data associated with the program material in response to a memory command signal; and

display data select means coupled to said decoding means and to said memory means for selecting one of a first and a second display mode for the display means, wherein said display data select means includes

means for displaying on said display means information item data as decoded from the broadcast carrier signal by said decoding means, when the first display mode is selected by said display data select means, and

means for displaying on said display means the decoded information item data stored in said memory means in response to a recall command signal, when the second display mode is selected by said display data select means.

15. A broadcasting system according to claim 14, including address control means coupled to said memory means for controlling read and write operations for addresses of the memory means, and memory button means coupled to the address control means for producing said memory command signal and causing decoded information item data to be written at certain addresses of the memory means each time said memory button

16. A broadcasting system according to claim 15, including recall button means coupled to said address control means for producing said recall command signal and causing information item data written at said certain addresses of the memory means to be read out in a determined order when said recall button means is operated.

17. A broadcasting system according to claim 16, wherein said display data select means includes means for causing the information item data to be displayed by said display means in said determined order when in said second display mode.

18. A broadcasting system according to claim 16, including print buffer/control means coupled to said memory means for enabling the information item data to be printed by a printer unit in said determined order.

19. A broadcasting system according to claim 14, wherein said generating means of said broadcast station includes means for generating identification flag data for defining a kind of information item data generated with respect to the associated program material, and said encoding means encodes said identification flag data along with the information item data on said broadcast carrier signal.

20. A broadcasting system according to claim 18, wherein said print buffer/control means includes means for enabling the read out information item data to be output to the printer unit in the form of successive frames each having a determined number of print lines.

21. A broadcasting system according to claim 20, wherein the print lines of the frames relate to identification of a title of the transmitted program material.

22. A broadcasting system according to claim 20, wherein the print lines of the frames relate to an advertisement.

23. Receiving apparatus for enabling a listener to obtain certain information associated with program material transmitted over a broadcast carrier signal to which the apparatus is tuned, comprising:

tuner/demodulator means for detecting program material transmitted over a broadcast carrier signal when the tuner/demodulator means is tuned to receive the broadcast carrier signal;

means for reproducing the detected program material;

decoding means associated with said tuner/demodulator means for decoding information item data encoded on the broadcast carrier signal, wherein said information item data is related to the transmitted program material;

display means for displaying the decoded information item data;

memory means for storing desired decoded information item data related to the program material in response to a memory command signal; and

display data select means coupled to said decoding means and to said memory means for selecting one of a first and a second display mode for the display means, wherein said display data select means includes

means for displaying on said display means information item data as decoded from the broadcast carrier signal by said decoding means, when the first display mode is selected by said display data select means, and

means for displaying on said display means the decoded information item data stored in said memory means in response to a recall command signal, when the second display mode is selected by said display data select means.

24. Receiving apparatus according to claim 23, including address control means coupled to said memory means for controlling read and write operations for addresses of the memory means, and memory button means coupled to the address control means for producing said memory command signal and causing decoded information item data to be written at certain addresses of the memory means each time said memory button means is operated.

25. Receiving apparatus according to claim 23, including recall button means coupled to said address control means for producing said recall command signal and causing information item data written at said certain addresses of the memory means to be read out in a determined order when said recall button means is operated.

26. Receiving apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said display data select means includes means for causing the information item data to be displayed by said display means in said determined order when in said second display mode.

27. Receiving apparatus according to claim 25, including print buffer/control means coupled to said memory means for enabling the information item data to be printed by a printer unit in said determined order.

28. Receiving apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said print buffer/control means includes means for enabling the read out information item data to be output to the printer unit in the form of successive frame each having a determined number of print lines.

29. Receiving apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the print lines of the frames relate to identification of a title of the transmitted program material.

30. Receiving apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the print lines of the frames relate to an advertisement.