Internet radio system with selective replacement capability

• US 6,577,716 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Albert S Baldocchi, David D Minter
• Original Assignee: Albert S Baldocchi, David D Minter
• Inventors: Minter, David D., Baldocchi, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/465,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 379/101.01, 379/90.01, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 379/101.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

The present invention is directed to distributing content over the Internet that is comprised of a portion of the content of a radio station broadcast and content that has replaced a portion of the content of the radio station broadcast.

Claims

1. A method for replacing a portion of the content of a radio broadcast that is to be distributed over the Internet, the method comprising:

receiving the content of a radio broadcast that has been transmitted by a radio station;

identifying, following the step of receiving, a marker associated with the content that is indicative of a change in the type of the content of the radio broadcast from a first content type to a second content type;

replacing, following the step of identifying and when the second content type is of a type that is applicable to listeners located within the geographical range of the radio broadcast but unlikely to be applicable to individuals located outside of the geographical range of the radio broadcast, a portion of the content of the received radio broadcast that is of the second content type with content of a selected content type that is applicable to individuals located outside the geographical range of the radio broadcast, said marker being used to determine a point in time at which the portion of the content of the second content type is to be replaced with content of the selected content type, wherein said step of replacing produces a revised content; and

providing, following the step of replacing, the revised content of the radio broadcast for distribution over the Internet.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said second content type is a local advertisement.

3. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying includes determining a duration of said second content type.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying includes determining the type of said second content type.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said second content type is a local traffic report.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said second content type is a local weather report.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said second content type is a local news report.

8. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said second content type is a local sports report.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying includes determining a duration of said second content type using a radio broadcast script.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying includes determining a duration of said second content type using the marker.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying includes determining the type of said second content type using a radio broadcast script.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of identifying includes determining the type of said second content type using the marker.

13. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of providing includes providing content of the first content type with content of the selected content type.

14. A method for distributing a portion of the content of a radio station broadcast over the Internet, the method comprising:

receiving first content that is less than all of the content of a radio station broadcast, wherein all of the content of the content of the radio station broadcast comprises first content and second content that is applicable to listeners located within the geographical range of the radio broadcast but unlikely to be applicable to individuals located outside the geographical range of the radio broadcast;

receiving third content that replaces at least a portion of the second content of the radio station broadcast that was not received in said first receiving step; and

distributing said first content and said third content over the Internet.