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

• US 6,850,285 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• 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, Lamb, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US10/083,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20020081973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/41.2, 455/414.1, 455/419, 455/420, 348/552, 348/553, 348/563, 348/564, 348/734
• US Class Current: 348/563
• 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 2201/40 characterised in that additional data relating to the broadcast data are available via a different channel than the broadcast channel
• 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 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• 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 for providing additional information about a broadcast presentation that allows a user interested in the additional information to acquire it easily, using a selective call device or a television remote control device to easily acquire an information address during the broadcast when a prompt is presented during the broadcast. An advertiser can send the additional information over a wide area radio selective call communication system or can post it at a universal resource locator of a computer network. The information address is used to acquire the additional information. The information address can be stored, selected and deleted in the selective call device or remote control device. The prompt can be disabled or enabled manually or based on location.

Claims

1. A remote control device, comprising:

a first receiver that receives a first short range wireless (SRW) signal from a television set that includes an information address that identifies how additional information about the contents of a television broadcast can be obtained, wherein the television broadcast comprises a prompt indicating that the additional information is available;

a controller that is coupled to the first receiver that decodes the first SRW signal and stores the information address; and

a transmitter for sending commands that control the television set.

2. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a central processing unit coupled to a memory section, and wherein the central processor operates according to instructions stored in the memory section.

3. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a state machine to perform the functions of the controller.

4. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the first receiver is a Bluetooth receiver.

5. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the first receiver is a microphone.

6. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is an infrared transmitter.

7. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the remote control device further comprises:

a second receiver that receives a command from a selective call device that can operate in a selective call communication system; and

a transmitter that transmits a second SRW signal that includes the information address.

8. The remote control device according to claim 7, wherein the second receiver and the first receiver are the same receiver.

9. The remote control device according to claim 7, wherein the second receiver is a Bluetooth receiver.

10. The remote control device according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that transmits a first SRW signal, and wherein the controller generates a message that is transmitted as the first SRW signal that commands the television set to enable or disable a presentation of the prompt.

11. A method used in a television broadcast system to provide additional information about the contents of a television broadcast, comprising in a receiver of the television broadcast system the steps of:

receiving the television broadcast comprising a prompt and an information address, the prompt indicating that the additional information is available, and the information address identifying how the additional information is obtained;

presenting the television broadcast including the prompt; and

transmitting the information address in a first short range wireless (SRW) signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising in a remote control device the steps of:

receiving the first SRW signal;

storing the information address; and

transmitting the information address in response to a second SRW signal.