Method and system for adding advertisements over streaming audio based upon a user profile over a world wide area network of computers

• US 6,684,249 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Benhov GmbH, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sonicbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Bolas, Mark T., McDowall, Ian E., Frerichs, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HIEU C
• Application Number:
  US09/579,650
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216-219, 709/203, 709/227, 709/225, 725/32, 725/34-35, 725/42, 725/46, 345/717, 380/200
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information

Abstract

A method for inserting advertisements into streaming audio for transmission over a world wide network of computers. The method includes transmitting audio data from a first server location to a client location. The audio data include a flag and audio content data. The method also includes monitoring the audio data and identifying the flag on the audio data. A step of inserting an advertisement, which is based upon a user profile, into the audio data based upon the flag is also included. The method also outputs the audio content data comprising the advertisement.

Claims

1. A method for inserting advertisements into streaming audio for transmission over a world wide network of computers, the method comprising:

transmitting audio data from a first server location to a client location through a wide area network; and

inserting an advertisement into the audio data while simultaneously reducing an audio volume level of the audio data and simultaneously outputting the audio data and the advertisement where an advertisement volume level is selected for a user to hear the advertisement while playing the audio data in a song format as background noise;

wherein the advertisement, which is one of a plurality of advertisements, is based upon a user profile to provide a targeted advertisement to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio volume level is one half of the advertisement volume level.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the advertisement is derived from a local storage, a second server, and a first server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user profile comprises station information.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the user profile is based upon the client device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user profile is based upon a channel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the client location comprises a client, the client being selected from a computer, an Internet radio device, an Internet appliance, a personal digital assistant, and a cellular phone.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjustment of the audio volume level is provided by a mixer device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the world wide network of computers comprises an internet or the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the outputting is provided on a speaker.

11. A system for inserting a targeted advertisement into streaming audio, the system comprising a memory or memories including;

a code directed to transmitting audio data from a first server location to a client location through a wide area network;

a code directed to inserting an advertisement into the audio data while simultaneously reducing an audio volume level of the audio data and simultaneously outputting the audio data and the advertisement where an advertisement volume level is selected for a user to hear the advertisement while playing the audio data in a song format as background noise.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the code directed to inserting reside in memory at the client location.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the code directed to transmitting audio data residing in memory at the first server location.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the advertisement, which is one of a plurality of advertisements, is based upon a user profile to provide a targeted advertisement to the user.