For-fee distribution of consumer-selected content items between different satellite radio service providers

• US 7,436,792 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Consumer Satellite Radio LLC
• Original Assignee: Consumer Satellite Radio LLC
• Inventors: Diamond, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US11/120,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 370/316, 455/12.1, 455/430, 455/3.02, 725/31, 725/110, 725/111, 725/112, 725/135, 725/136, 725/47, 725/48, 725/63, 725/109, 725/35, 725/1, 725/5, 713/194, 709/231, 705/1, 705/8, 348/5.1, 348/564
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

According to the invention, a subscriber to a first satellite radio service can be provided with an option to receive, over their current receiver unit, supplemental content, such as a particular show or channel, which is otherwise only available within a relevant jurisdiction as part of a subscription package to subscribers of one or more other satellite radio services. Thus, without purchasing a full subscription to another service, the subscriber of the first satellite radio service may arrange to receive supplemental content that is otherwise only available as part of a subscription package, such as a basic or general subscription package, to subscription holders of one or more other services. The invention also provides methods of broadcasting and methods of configuring dedicated and interoperable satellite radio receiver units so that the supplemental content can be received by a subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for providing supplemental satellite radio content, comprising the steps of:

receiving an order from a subscriber having a new or preexisting subscription to a first satellite radio service whereby access to subscription content of the first satellite radio service is provided, the order being for at least one supplemental content item that is not generally available as part of a subscription to subscribers of the first satellite radio service, but which is available on a subscription package basis to subscribers of at least one other satellite radio service that serves at least part of the area served by the first satellite radio service, the subscriber being associated with a satellite radio receiver unit authorized to access the subscription content of the subscription to the first satellite service; and

in response to the order, providing access to the supplemental content item via the receiver unit,

wherein the receiver unit is interoperable between the first and the second satellite radio services, subscription content of the first satellite radio service is provided to the receiver unit over a broadcast system of the first satellite service; and

the step of providing the supplemental content item to the receiver unit comprises providing the item to the receiver unit over a broadcast system of the second satellite radio service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the supplemental content item comprises providing the supplemental content item to the receiver unit via a broadcast system of the first satellite radio service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiver unit is a non-interoperable receiver unit with respect to the first and the second satellite radio services.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiver unit is interoperable between the first and the second satellite radio services.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

forming an agreement between at least a first satellite radio service provider that provides a first satellite radio service and a second satellite radio service provider that provides a second satellite radio service that serves at least part of the area served by the first satellite service, wherein at least one content-item that is available as part of a subscription package to subscribers of the second satellite radio service provider but not generally available as part of a subscription package to the subscribers of the first service, is made available to subscribers of the first service on a supplemental basis at their option.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

charging a fee to the subscriber for providing access to the supplemental content item.

7. A method for obtaining supplemental satellite radio content, comprising the steps of:

ordering at least one supplemental content item that is not included in the content of a new or existing subscription package to a first satellite service by which subscription package content is received, but which is available as part of a subscription package to subscribers of at least one other satellite service that serves at least part of the area served by the first satellite service; and

in response to the order, receiving access to the supplemental content item on a receiver unit on which the subscription package content of the first satellite radio service is received,

wherein the receiver unit is interoperable between the first and the second satellite radio services, the subscription content of the first satellite radio service is received on the receiver unit via a broadcast system of the first satellite service; and

the step of receiving access to the supplemental content item comprises receiving the supplemental content item on the receiver unit via a broadcast system of the second satellite radio service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of receiving access to the supplemental content item comprises:

receiving the supplemental content item on the receiver unit via a broadcast system of the first satellite radio service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiver unit is a non-interoperable receiver unit with respect to the first and the second satellite services.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiver unit is interoperable between the first and the second satellite services.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

the subscriber paying an additional fee to receive access to the supplemental content item over a fee paid for the subscription to the first satellite radio service.

12. A method for providing supplemental content items to a satellite radio service subscriber, comprising the step of:

configuring a satellite digital audio radio receiver unit associated with a subscription to a first satellite radio service so that it receives;

content associated with the subscription to the first satellite radio service; and

at least one supplemental content item that is not generally available as part of a subscription package to the first satellite radio service, but which is available as part of a subscription package to a second satellite radio service that serves at least a substantial part of the area served by the first satellite radio service,

wherein the receiver unit is an interoperable receiver unit with respect to the first and second satellite radio services; and

the step of configuring comprises configuring the receiver unit so that it receives the content associated with the subscription via a broadcast system of the first satellite radio service and so that it receives the at least one supplemental content item via a broadcast system of the second satellite radio service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of configuring the receiver unit is performed in response to an order for the supplemental content item.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of configuring comprises configuring the receiver unit to receive the supplemental content item over a broadcast system of the first satellite radio service.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiver unit is a dedicated receiver unit with respect to the first satellite radio service.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiver unit is an interoperable receiver unit with respect to the first and second satellite radio services.

17. A satellite digital audio radio receiver unit configured according to the method of claim 14.