Follow-me broadcast reception method and system

• US 7,313,375 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Chinmei Chen, Voelker, John Alvan
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US10/137,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20040198217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 455/524, 455/561, 455/458, 455/517, 455/463, 455/422.1, 455/552.1, 455/184.1, 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 455/194.1, 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/85 which are mobile communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and systems for seamlessly broadcasting data to a user moving among a plurality of broadcast coverage areas. A first signal containing desired data may be received by a receiving device at a user location, wherein the first signal is broadcast from a first transmitting station associated with a first broadcast coverage. Thereafter, the receiving device (e.g., a radio or in-vehicle television) can be automatically instructed to search for and tune to a second transmitting station associated with a second broadcast coverage area broadcasting a second signal containing the desired data if the first signal fades at the user location, thereby permitting the user to seamlessly receive data as the user moves among a plurality of broadcast coverage areas. The receiving device can also be automatically instructed to search for and tune to a third transmitting station broadcasting a third signal containing data of a type associated with the desired data, if the second signal containing the desired program cannot be identified.

Claims

1. A method for seamlessly facilitating reception of broadcast data by a user moving among a plurality of broadcast coverage areas, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a receiving device at a current location of the user, a first signal containing desired data, wherein said first signal is broadcast from a first transmitting station associated with a first broadcast coverage area, wherein said desired data comprises audio, video, and/or multimedia data; and

if said first signal fades at said current location, automatically tuning at said current location to a second transmitting station associated with a second broadcast coverage area broadcasting a second signal containing said desired data, thereby permitting said user to seamlessly receive said data as said user moves among a plurality of broadcast coverage areas;

wherein the step of automatically tuning comprises the steps of;

sending a service request to a remote server from an in-vehicle wireless data communication device that is connected with the receiving device by a data bus, wherein the service request comprises a client ID for the in-vehicle wireless data communication device and a frequency of the first signal; and

receiving a frequency of the second signal from the remote server

tuning to the frequency of the second signal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

automatically tuning at said current location to a third transmitting station associated with a third broadcast coverage area broadcasting a third signal containing data of a type associated with said desired data, if said second signal containing said desired program cannot be identified.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

tuning to said third transmitting station based on data contained in a user profile stared within a database.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

searching for a transmitting station broadcasting a signal with a same theme as the first transmitting station; and

tuning to said transmitting station, if a prior signal containing said desired data fades.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically tuning to a second transmitting station broadcasting a second signal containing said desired data, if said first signal fades at said current location, further comprises the step of:

automatically tuning to a second transmitting station broadcasting a second signal containing said desired data, in response to a user request, if said first signal fades at said current location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said desired data comprises a radio program transmitted from a radio transmitting station.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said desired data comprises a television program broadcast from a television transmitting station.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

locating at said current location an in-vehicle network interface device for wirelessly receiving and transmitting data to and from at least one remote server through at least one wireless network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said at least one remote server comprises a Follow-me Broadcast Reception Services (FBRS) application server.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

selecting said signal of said second transmitting station associated with said second broadcast coverage for tuning thereof based on user data contained in a user profile within a database.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of searching for the transmitting station broadcasting the signal containing said desired data based on at least one prior location comprises the step or:

searching for the transmitting station broadcasting the signal containing said desired data based on a history of user locations, wherein the history of user locations comprises a plurality of user locations, wherein the plurality of user locations comprises the prior location.

12. An apparatus for facilitating reception of a broadcast program by a receiving device moving among a plurality of broadcast coverage areas, the apparatus comprising:

a remote server communicatively coupled with a database of broadcast station profiles and communicatively coupled with a location server;

wherein the remote server is configured to receive a request from an in-vehicle wireless data communication device over a wireless network, wherein the request comprises a client ID and a first broadcast program frequency;

wherein the remote server is configured to query the location server for a current location of the in-vehicle wireless data communication device based on the client ID;

wherein the remote server is configured to select a second broadcast program frequency from the database of broadcast station profiles based on the current location of the in-vehicle wireless data communication device and at least one prior location of the in-vehicle wireless data communication device, wherein the first broadcast program frequency is associated with the broadcast program in a first broadcast coverage area and the second broadcast program frequency is associated with the broadcast program in a second broadcast coverage area;

wherein the remote server is configured to send the second broadcast program frequency over the wireless network to the in-vehicle wireless data communication device for employment by the receiving device to continue to receive the broadcast program.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the remote server comprises a Follow-me Broadcast Reception Services (FBRS) application server.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the broadcast program comprises a radio program transmitted from a radio transmitting station.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the broadcast program comprises a television program broadcast from a television transmitting station.

16. The apparatus or claim 12, wherein the remote server is configured to select the second broadcast program frequency based on a user profile associated with the client id.