Method and apparatus to receive selected audio content

• US 6,791,904 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Outburst Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Outburst Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Herron, Matthew Allison, Manjarrez, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lindinger, Michael L.
• Application Number:
  US09/981,347
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 368/13, 368/73, 369/19, 379/110.01, 379/93.25, 379/40-41, 379/51, 379/67.1, 379/198, 379/225, 379/209
• US Class Current: 368/13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

A method and apparatus to receive selected audio content. According to one embodiment of the invention, an audio playback system is described. The audio playback system includes an audio content server and a device. The audio content server includes audio content to be selected for playback. The device calls the audio content server to request and receive an audio playback of selected audio content at a scheduled time.

Claims

1. A audio playback system comprising:

a network;

an audio content server, said audio content server includes audio content to be selected for playback, the audio content server coupled to said network;

a device, said device to call said audio content server over said network to request and receive an audio playback of the selected audio content at a scheduled time; and

a registration server, said registration server includes a set of one or more phone numbers of said audio content server, said device to call said registration server over said network to receive one of said phone numbers of said audio content server, said registration server to store said one of said phone numbers of said audio content server in a memory of said device.

2. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein said device is a clock-radio device.

3. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein said device uses said one of said phone numbers of said audio content server to call said audio content server to request and receive said selected audio content.

4. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein said device is to provide authentication information prior to accessing said registration server.

5. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein said device includes a tactile console to schedule a time to play said selected audio content over said audio output speaker.

6. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein the audio playback includes audio advertising information.

7. The audio playback system of claim 1, where said device includes a memory, said memory to store one or more device settings.

8. The audio playback system of claim 7, wherein said device settings to be received from said audio content server.

9. The audio playback system of claim 7, wherein said device settings includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a phone number of said audio content server, an alarm time, an update timestamp, a radio frequency, and a wake-up option.

10. An audio playback system comprising:

a network;

an audio content server, said audio content server includes audio content to be selected for playback, the audio content server is coupled to the network;

a user configuration server, said user configuration server to include a selection of audio content on the audio content server, the user configuration server is coupled to the network;

a device, said device to call said audio content server to request and receive an audio playback of the selected audio content at a schedule time, the device is coupled to the network; and

a web based browser, said web based browser to access said user configuration server via the network to select audio content to be played over said device.

11. The audio playback system of claim 10, wherein said device is to provide authentication information to said audio content server prior to accessing said audio content server.

12. The audio playback system of claim 10, wherein said device includes a microphone, said microphone to select said selected audio content on said audio content server with interactive voice instructions, said microphone to provide subscriber information to said audio content server.

13. The audio playback system of claim 10, wherein said web based browser is to access said user configuration server to update subscriber information.

14. The audio playback system of claim 10, wherein said web based browser is to provide authentication information prior to accessing said user configuration server.

15. An audio playback system comprising:

a network;

an audio content server, said audio content server includes audio content to be selected for playback;

a schedule database server, said schedule database server to include subscriber calendar information; and

a device, said device to call said audio content server to request and receive an audio playback of the selected audio content and the subscriber calendar information at a scheduled time.

16. A method to play selected audio content comprising:

accessing a registration server;

retrieving from said registration server a phone number of an audio content server;

storing said phone number in a memory;

accessing the audio content server with said phone number to select audio content to be provided via an audio playback over an audio output speaker;

scheduling a time to send a request to said audio content server for said audio playback of said selected audio content;

sending said request to receive said audio playback from said audio content server at said scheduled time; and

playing the audio playback of the selected audio content over said audio output speaker.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said selecting audio content includes to use interactive voice instructions to select said audio content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said interactive voice instructions are to be made over a microphone.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said selecting audio content includes to use a web based client to select said audio content.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

sending authentication information to said registration server to access said registration server.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said sending includes sending authentication data to said audio content server.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein said selected audio content includes at least one selected from the group consisting of traffic information, news information, weather information, financial information, entertainment information, business information, schedule information, and sports information.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein said sending includes sending subscriber information to be updated on said audio content server.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein said scheduling includes scheduling an alarm on a clock-radio device.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the audio playback includes audio advertising information.

26. An apparatus to receive selected audio content comprising:

a transmitter unit, said transmitter unit to make a request to an audio content server for audio content, and further said transmitter unit to call a registration server, said registration server includes a set of one or more phone numbers of said audio content server;

a receiver unit, said receiver unit to receive an audio playback of selected audio content, and further said receiver unit to receive one of said phone numbers from said registration server, and said receiver unit to store one of said phone numbers in a memory, said transmitter unit being coupled to said receiver unit; and

an audio output speaker, said audio output speaker to output said audio playback of said selected audio content, said audio output speaker being coupled to said receiver unit.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said request is for an audio playback of said selected audio content, said audio playback to be directed to said audio output speaker.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising:

a scheduler unit, said scheduler unit to schedule a time when said transmitter unit is to make said request, said scheduler unit being coupled to said transmitter unit.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said request to include authentication information from which said transmitter unit is to use to access said audio content server.

30. An apparatus to receive selected audio content comprising:

a transmitter unit, said transmitter unit is to select audio content from a user configuration server, and further said transmitter unit to make a request to an audio content server for selected audio content;

a receiver unit, said receiver unit to receive an audio playback of the selected audio content requested by said transmitter unit, said transmitter unit being coupled to said receiver unit; and

an audio output speaker, said audio output speaker to output said audio playback of said selected audio content, said audio output speaker being coupled to said receiver unit.

31. An apparatus to receive selected audio content comprising:

a transmitter unit, said transmitter unit to provide subscriber information to a user configuration server, said user configuration server to store said subscriber information, and further said transmitter unit to make a request to an audio content server for selected audio content;

a receiver unit, said receiver unit to receive an audio playback of the selected audio content requested by said transmitter unit, said receiver unit being coupled with said transmitter unit; and

an audio output speaker, said audio output speaker to output said audio playback of said selected audio content, said audio output speaker being coupled with said receiver unit.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said transmitter unit includes a microphone from where a subscriber may make said request.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said subscriber is to use said microphone to interact with said audio content server to select said selected audio content.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said request include subscriber information to be updated on said audio content server.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the audio playback includes audio advertising information.

36. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising:

a memory, said memory to store one or more settings of said apparatus, said one or more settings to be received from said audio content server.

37. A machine-readable medium having instructions to cause a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

accessing a registration server;

retrieving from said registration server a phone number of a audio content server,

storing said phone number in a memory;

accessing the audio content server with said phone number to select audio content to be provided via an audio playback over an audio output speaker;

scheduling a time to send a request to said audio content server for said audio playback of said selected audio content;

sending said request to receive said audio playback from said audio content server at said scheduled time; and

playing the audio playback of the selected audio content over said audio output speaker.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said selecting audio content comprises using interactive voice instructions to select said audio content.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 38 where said interactive voice instructions are to be made over a microphone when selecting audio content.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, where said selecting audio content includes using a web based client to select said audio content.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising:

sending authentication information to said registration server to access said registration server.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said sending includes sending authentication data to said audio content server.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said selected audio content includes at least one selected from the group consisting of traffic information, news information, weather information, financial information, entertainment information, business information, schedule information, and sports information when selecting audio content.

44. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said sending includes sending subscriber information to be updated on said audio content server.

45. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein said scheduling comprises scheduling an alarm on a clock-radio device.

46. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the audio playback comprises receiving audio advertising information.