Broadcast communication system and method for providing users with information associated with a geographical area

• US 7,734,246 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kummer, David A., Minnick, Danny Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/693,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20080242328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/3.06, 455/66.1, 455/41.2, 455/344, 455/404.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• 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: 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 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A method is presented for providing information associated with a geographical area to users of broadcast communication receivers. The information, as well as an indication of the geographical area associated with the information, are transmitted to, and received by, each of the broadcast communication receivers. In each of the receivers, the indication of the geographical area is compared with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the receiver. Each of the receivers also relays the information to the user of the receiver if the geographic code indicates that the receiver is located within the geographical area.

Claims

1. A method for providing information associated with a geographical area to users by way of broadcast communication receivers, the method comprising:

in a broadcast communication transmitter, transmitting the information and an indication of the geographical area associated with the information to the broadcast communication receivers;

in each of the broadcast communication receivers, receiving the information and the indication of the geographical area;

in each of the broadcast communication receivers, translating the indication of the geographical area from a first geographical format into a second geographical format suitable for comparing the indication of the geographical area with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the associated broadcast communication receiver;

in each of the broadcast communication receivers, comparing the indication of the geographical area with the geographic code; and

in each of the broadcast communication receivers, relaying the information to the user of the associated broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the associated broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area wherein;

the broadcast communication receiver comprises a satellite communication receiver;

the broadcast communication transmitter comprises a satellite communication transmitter; and

the method further comprises transmitting the information and the indication of the geographical area from a, satellite uplink facility to the satellite communication transmitter and receiving the information and the indication of the geographical area from the satellite uplink facility at the satellite communication transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information and the indication of the geographical area are transmitted from the broadcast communication transmitter over a data channel separate from a plurality of broadcast programming channels from the broadcast communication transmitter to each of the broadcast communication receivers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical area comprises at least one of a nation, a state, a county, a city, a postal code area and a set of coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic code comprises at least one of a nation code, a state code, a county code, a city code, a postal code and a set of coordinates.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein relaying the information to the user of the associated broadcast communication receiver comprises emitting an audible sound from the associated broadcast communication receiver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of information relayed by way of an emergency alert system, local event information and broadcast programming information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the geographical area comprises a county name, the geographic code comprises a ZIP code, and the translating of the indication of the geographical area comprises converting the county name into at least one ZIP code.

8. A broadcast communication system, comprising:

a broadcast communication transmitter configured to transmit information associated with a geographical area and an indication of the geographical area; and

a plurality of broadcast communication receivers, wherein each of the broadcast communication receivers is configured to receive the information and the indication of the geographical area from the broadcast communication transmitter, to translate the indication of the geographical area from a first geographical format to a second geographical format suitable for comparing the indication of the geographical area with the geographic code associated with, and stored within, the associated broadcast communication receiver, to compare the indication of the geographical area with the geographic code, and relay the information to a user of the associated broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the associated broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area wherein;

the broadcast communication transmitter comprises a satellite communication transmitter each of the broadcast communication receivers comprises a satellite communication receiver; and

the satellite communication transmitter is configured to receive the information and the indication of the geographical area from a satellite uplink facility.

9. The broadcast communication system of claim 8, wherein the broadcast communication transmitter is configured to transmit the information and the indication of the geographical area over a data channel separate from a plurality of broadcast programming channels transmitted by the broadcast communication transmitter.

10. The broadcast communication system of claim 8, wherein the geographical area comprises at least one of a nation, a state, a county, a city, a postal code area and a set of coordinates.

11. The broadcast communication system of claim 8, wherein the geographic code comprises at least one of a nation code, a state code, a county code, a city code, a postal code and a set of coordinates.

12. The broadcast communication system of claim 8, wherein each of the broadcast communication receivers is configured to relay the information to the user of the associated broadcast communication receiver by emitting an audible sound from the associated broadcast communication receiver.

13. The broadcast communication system of claim 8, wherein the information comprises at least one of information relayed by way of an emergency alert system, local event information and broadcast programming information.

14. The broadcast communication system of claim 8, wherein the indication of the geographical area comprises a county name, the geographic code comprises a ZIP code, and each of the broadcast communication receivers is configured to translate the indication of the geographical area by converting the county name into multiple ZIP codes.

15. A broadcast communication receiver configured to receive information associated with a geographical area and an indication of the geographical area from a broadcast communication transmitter, to translate the indication of the geographical area from a first geographical format to a second geographical format suitable for comparing the indication of the geographical area with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the broadcast communication receiver, to compare the indication of the geographical area with the geographic code and to relay the information to a user of the broadcast communication receiver if the geographic code indicates that the broadcast communication receiver is located within the geographical area wherein the broadcast communication receiver comprises a satellite communication receiver.

16. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 15, wherein the broadcast communication receiver is configured to receive the information and the indication of the geographical area over a data channel separate from a plurality of broadcast programming channels transmitted by the broadcast communication transmitter.

17. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 15, wherein the geographical area comprises at least one of a nation, a state, a county, a city, a postal code area and a set of coordinates.

18. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 15, wherein the geographic code comprises at least one of a nation code, a state code, a county code, a city code, a postal code and a set of coordinates.

19. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 15, wherein the broadcast communication receiver is configured to relay the information to the user of the broadcast communication receiver by emitting an audible sound from the broadcast communication receiver.

20. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 15, wherein the information comprises at least one of information relayed by way of an emergency alert system, local event information and broadcast programming information.

21. The broadcast communication receiver of claim 15, wherein the indication of the geographical area comprises a county name, and the geographical code comprises a ZIP code.