Providing alternative programming on a radio in response to user input

• US 7,610,011 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Refractor Applications LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Albrett, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US11/229,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20060062363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/3.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 : Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 : Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 : for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for allowing a user using a communications device to interact with first media material that is broadcast on a first broadcast channel by a first broadcast media source and second media material that is broadcast on a second broadcast channel by a second broadcast media source, the first media material and the second media material include a first media item and a second media item, respectively, the first media item and the second media item are associated with a first representation of the first media item and a representation of the second media item, respectively, that are received and presented by a broadcast reception device while the broadcast reception device is tuned to a third broadcast channel. The method includes maintaining in a temporary storage an item identifier, the item identifier identifies one of a first media item-related information and a second media item-related information. Additionally, when the broadcast reception device is tuned to the third broadcast channel and presents the first representation of the first media item, the method includes providing the item identifier as a basis for identifying the first media item-related information, the first media item-related information is a basis for a response to an interactivity activation made in reaction to presentation of the first representation of the first media item by the broadcast reception device. When the broadcast reception device is tuned to the third broadcast channel and presents the first representation of the second media item, the method includes providing the item identifier as a basis for identifying the second media item-related information, the second media item-related information is a basis for a response to an interactivity activation made in reaction to presentation of the representation of the second media item by the broadcast reception device.

Claims

1. A method for substituting a first item of programming with alternative programming, comprising:

receiving the first item of programming at a radio, wherein the first item of programming is received in a wireless manner from a wide area radio broadcast provider;

presenting the first item of programming on a first radio station of the radio, wherein the first radio station of the radio corresponds to the wide area radio broadcast provider;

receiving user input requesting alternative programming, wherein the user input does not comprise changing to a different radio station of the radio;

presenting the alternative programming on the radio instead of the first item of programming in response to said receiving user input; and

after said presenting the alternative programming on the radio instead of the first item of programming, automatically receiving and presenting a second item of programming received from the wide area radio broadcast provider on the first radio station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving user input comprises receiving user input selecting a substitute key of the radio.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said receiving user input is received using a remote interface device in communication with the radio.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein said presenting the alternative programming comprises providing the alternative programming from a digital media source in communication with the radio.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing minimum time spacing constraints; and

determining the alternative programming based on the minimum time spacing constraints, wherein the minimum time spacing constraints are used to prevent items recently heard from being heard again in a certain period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving user input requesting the alternative programming comprises receiving user input skipping the first item of programming, and wherein the alternative programming comprises a next item of programming.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative programming is determined by the wide area radio broadcast provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative programming has a length of time that is close to the length of time of the first item of programming.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first item of programming from the wide area radio broadcast provider comprises an advertisement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the alternative programming comprises a different advertisement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative programming comprises one or more songs.

12. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) antenna configured to receive radio signals from one or more wide area radio broadcast providers;

a memory storing one or more audio files;

an input for receiving user input to control operation of the system;

an output for providing audio signals to one or more speakers; and

processing logic coupled to the RF antenna, the memory, the input, and the output, wherein the processing logic is configured to;

process the radio signals from a first wide area radio broadcast provider to provide radio audio signals to the output, wherein the radio audio signals correspond to a first item of programming;

in response to user input to the input requesting substitution of the first item of programming, process a first audio file of the one or more audio files to provide audio file audio signals to the output, wherein the audio file audio signals correspond to an alternative item of programming; and

after said processing the first audio file, automatically process the radio signals from the first wide area radio broadcast provider to provide second radio audio signals to the output, wherein the second radio audio signals correspond to a second item of programming.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the input comprises a substitute key, and wherein the user input requesting substitution of the first item of programming comprises the user pressing the substitute key.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the input comprises a remote interface device, and wherein the user input requesting substitution for the first item of programming comprises the user using the remote interface device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the alternative item of programming has a length of time that is less than the length of time of the first item of programming.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the alternative item of programming meets repetition constraints, wherein the repetition constraints prevent exceeding a maximum number of repetitions for a substitute item in a certain period of time.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first item of programming comprises an advertisement.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first item of programming comprises a song.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the alternative item of programming comprises an advertisement.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the alternative item of programming comprises a song.

21. A method for substituting a first item of programming with alternative programming, comprising:

presenting the first item of programming, wherein the first item of programming is received in a wireless manner from a wide area radio broadcast provider;

receiving user input requesting alternative programming, wherein the user input does not comprise changing to a different radio station;

presenting the alternative programming instead of the first item of programming in response to said receiving user input; and

after said presenting the alternative programming instead of the first item of programming, automatically presenting a second item of programming received from the wide area radio broadcast provider.