Streaming multimedia network with automatically switchable content sources

• US 6,546,427 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Massarini, Leonardo C., O'Connell, Lawrence P., Ehrlich, Marni S., Katz, Neil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/335,717
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/217-219, 340/825, 340/531, 370/299, 370/278, 370/282, 359/125, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/3.06, 455/78
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

A streaming multimedia communication network includes a broadcaster providing program content by air wave or direct line to a network service provider, e.g. an Internet Radio Service provider (IRSP) which operates a web site for distribution of the content to remote end users over the network. The IRSP reformats the broadcast content into industry-standard streaming format, such as Real Audio. End users are coupled to the IRSP through a local network service provider, e.g. an Internet Service provider (ISP). An alternate content source is connected by airwaves or direct line to the ISP. The end user accesses the IRSP web site to select and receive program content over the network from a remote broadcaster listed on the site. The ISP transparently switches the network content at predefined intervals and substitute alternative content for the selected content during the predetermined interval for delivery of the alternative content to the end user.

Claims

1. A streaming multimedia communication network, comprising:

an Internet Radio Source Provider (IRSP) transmitting media content in a broadcast signal;

a network provider receiving and reformatting the media content for re-transmission on the network as transmitted content;

a local provider coupled to the network and to an alternative content source;

an end user coupled to the local provider and transmitting a request through the local provider to the network provider for retransmission of selected transmitted content to the end user; and

means included in the local provider for transparently switching the end user network address from the IRSP to the alternate content provider network address to switch in the alternate content at predetermined intervals and substituting content of the alternative content source for the selected transmitted content during the predetermined interval for delivery of the alternate content to the end user, and thereafter returning to the selected transmitted content.

2. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

means included in the network provider for compressing the broadcast signal and reformatting the broadcast signal as a streaming multimedia signal.

3. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

means for transmitting a signal through the network to the local provider signaling the beginning and end of the predetermined interval.

4. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

means for synchronizing the delivery of the alternative content in the predetermined interval with the selected transmitted content.

5. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

means for formatting the alternate content in a streaming format.

6. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

means for converting the streaming multimedia transmission into analog signals that represents a transmitted network media content.

7. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

a network site associated with the network provider and accessible by the end-user for selecting transmitted content for retransmission to the end user.

8. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

switching means included in the local provider for transparently switching the end user from the selected transmitted content to the alternate content source during the predetermined interval.

9. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

means included in the local provider for maintaining a sequence of multimedia signals even though no alternate content has been selected.

10. The network of claim 1 wherein the streaming multimedia signal represents an audio signal.

11. The network of claim 1 wherein the information network is a distributed information network.

18. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying apparatus which notifies the local provider of the defined interval for switching to the alternate content and requiring a password acknowledgement by the local provider for billing purposes prior to the switching.

19. The network of claim 18 further comprising:

billing apparatus responsive to the password for billing the alternate content source for the alternate content delivered to the end user.

20. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

the network provider re-transmitting the as selected transmitted content in streaming packets; and

sequencing apparatus sequencing the streaming packets and ensuring there is no loss in packet sequence numbers as the alternate content is substituted for the selected transmitted content.

12. In a streaming multimedia communication network transmitting media content from a network provider, a method of replacing media content with alternative content at predetermined intervals, comprising the steps of:

transmitting the media content in a broadcast signal by an Internet Radio Service Provider (IRSP);

receiving the broadcast signal by a network provider in an information network;

storing and reformatting the media content as a streaming multimedia signal for retransmission on a network as transmitted content; and

requesting retransmission of the reformatted multimedia signal by an end user; and

re-transmitting the re-formatted signal to the end user through a local provider coupled to an alternative content source and the network, the local provider switching the end user network address from the IRSP to the alternate content provider network address to switch in alternate content.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

substituting the alternative content for the media content requested by the end user during predetermined intervals occurring in the multimedia retransmitted signal, and thereafter returning to the media content.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

signaling the local provider when a commercial will occur in the transmitted content.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the re-formatted multimedia signal in a sequence of packets.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

converting the multimedia signal into an analog signal for hearing by the end user at the terminal.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

authenticating the signaling to the local provider for billing the alternate content source.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

billing the alternate content source for the alternate content delivered to the end user.

22. The method of claim 12 further comprising step of:

sequencing the streaming packets and ensuring there is no loss in packet sequence numbers as the alternate content is substituted for the selected transmitted content.