Method and apparatus for providing additional information to a selective call device about a broadcast

• US 6,597,890 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2000
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sibecas, Salvador, Eaton, Eric Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/643,121
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/3.05, 455/414, 455/3.06, 455/41, 340/5.61, 340/5.63, 340/5.91, 340/825, 340/825.21, 340/825.37, 340/3.54, 340/7.43, 340/7.29, 340/7.26, 709/218, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 455/3.04
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/229 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

A technique is used in a selective call communication system (100) and in a broadcast communication system (106) to provide additional information about a broadcast to a selective call device (111). A broadcast receiver (109) receives a broadcast that includes a prompt (220), such as a FLEX™ logo, and an information address signal (305), such as an inaudible portion of the sound portion of the broadcast. The prompt indicates that additional information is available in a message to be transmitted by the selective call communication system. The selective call device receives the information address signal when activated to do so in response to the prompt. The selective call device receives and decodes an information address from the information address signal and uses it to recover the message at a protocol position indicated by the information address. The additional information is then recovered from the message.

Claims

1. A method used in a broadcast communication system to coordinate delivery of additional information to a user'"'"'s selective call device that operates in a selective call communication system, comprising the steps of:

broadcasting a prompt within a wireless broadcast, wherein the prompt is one that, when received and presented by a wireless receiver of the selective call device, indicates to the selective call device user that additional information is available about the broadcast;

broadcasting an information address within the wireless broadcast simultaneous with the prompt, wherein the information address is one that the selective call device can decode and use to acquire the additional information from information stored within the selective call communication system;

presenting the prompt to the selective call device user of the selective call device;

selectively activating an information address signal receive mode by the selective call device user in response at least in part to the prompt; and

decoding and storing the information address within the selective call device in response to the information address signal receive mode activation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the prompt and the information address in a wireless signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a message including an address by the selective call device; and

decoding and storing the message within the selective call device when the address matches the information address.

4. A method used in a broadcast communication system to coordinate delivery of additional information to a user'"'"'s selective call device that operates in a selective call communication system, comprising the steps of

broadcasting a prompt within a broadcast, wherein the prompt is one that, when presented by a receiver of the selective call device, indicates to the selective call device user that additional information is available about the broadcast;

broadcasting an information address within the broadcast simultaneous with the prompt, wherein the information address is one that the selective call device can decode and use to acquire the additional information from information provided to the selective call communication system by the provider of the prompt;

presenting the prompt to the selective call device user of the selective call device;

selectively activating an information address signal receive mode by the selective call device user in response at least in part to the prompt; and

decoding and storing the information address within the selective call device in response to the information address signal receive mode activation.

5. A method used in a broadcast communication system to coordinate delivery of additional information to a user'"'"'s selective call device that operates in a selective call communication system, comprising the steps of

broadcasting a prompt within a broadcast, wherein the prompt is one that, when presented by a receiver of the selective call device, indicates to the selective call device user that additional information is available about the broadcast;

broadcasting an information address within the broadcast simultaneous with the prompt, wherein the information address is one that the selective call device can decode and use to acquire the additional information from a transmission of the additional information by the selective call communication system that occurs irrespective of communication from the selective call device;

presenting the prompt to the selective call device user of the selective call device;

selectively activating an information address signal receive mode by the selective call device user in response at least in part to the prompt; and

decoding and storing the information address within the selective call device in response to the information address signal receive mode activation.

6. The broadcast communication system according to claim 5 wherein the transmission of the additional information is of limited duration and starts no earlier than the prompt.

7. The broadcast communication system according to claim 5 wherein the transmission of the additional information is a group or all call transmission that includes the selective call device.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

receiving the transmission of the additional information including an address by the selective call device; and

decoding and storing the additional information received in the transmission within the selective call device when the address matches the information address.

9. A method used by an advertiser or other party to coordinate delivery of additional information about a broadcast to a user'"'"'s selective call device that operates in a selective call communication system, comprising the steps of:

producing a broadcast that includes a prompt and an information address, wherein the prompt is one that, when presented by a receiver, indicates to the selective call device user that additional information is available about the broadcast, and wherein the information address is one that a selective call device can decode and use to acquire the additional information from the selective call communication system;

producing the additional information;

providing the broadcast to an operator of a broadcast system and scheduling the broadcast such that the prompt occurs at a predetermined time and the information address occurs at approximately the predetermined time;

presenting the prompt to the selective call device user of the selective call device;

selectively activating an information address signal receive mode by the selective call device user in response at least in part to the prompt;

decoding and storing the information address within the selective call device in response to the information address signal receive mode activation; and

providing the additional information to the selective call communication system operator and scheduling the additional information for transmission at approximately the predetermined time.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the transmission of the additional information is a group or all call transmission that includes the selective call device.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

receiving the transmission of the additional information including an address by the selective call device; and

decoding and storing the additional information received in the transmission within the selective call device when the address matches the information address.