FM broadcast system competitive with satellite radio

• US 7,840,178 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin E. Hellman
• Original Assignee: Martin E. Hellman
• Inventors: Hellman, Martin Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): FERGUSON, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US11/484,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20070014536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301- 306, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/427, 455/429, 455/12.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/410, 455/411, 455/500, 455/517, 455418-420, 725/63, 725/68, 725/70, 386/46, 386/95, 386/126, 386/124, 386/125
• US Class Current: 455/3.02
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information

Abstract

A media broadcast and distribution system is disclosed which substitutes storage for communications, allowing more efficient use of scarce bandwidth resources. One embodiment allows a terrestrial FM broadcaster to offer a larger number of higher quality audio channels than current satellite radio services such as Sirius and XM Satellite Radio. This embodiment also has features that offer a better user experience than with personal audio devices such as Apple'"'"'s iPod™. Another embodiment allows satellite radio services to expand their video offerings.

Claims

1. A method of playing media on a playback device, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of media content segments;

encrypting at least a portion of said media content segments to produce encrypted media content segments;

generating a library comprising said encrypted media content segments;

prior to delivery of said playback device to a user, storing said library on said playback device;

generating an active playlist comprising a representation of a set of said encrypted media content segments;

said playback device decrypting at least a portion of said set of said encrypted media content segments to produce decrypted media content segments; and

said playback device creating an output signal comprising a representation of a sequence of said media content segments responsive to said active playlist;

wherein;

said active playlist is generated at least in part by a media provider; and

said sequence includes at least a portion of said decrypted media content segments.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said media content segments include audio content segments;

some of said audio content segments represent entertainment;

some others of said audio content segments represent introductions to at least some of the audio content segments which represent entertainment;

said sequence includes a plurality of audio content segments which represent introductions;

said sequence includes a plurality of audio content segments which represent entertainment; and

at least some of said audio content segments which represent introductions are associated with at least some of said audio content segments which represent entertainment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said media content segments include audio content segments; and

said output signal is characteristic of a radio broadcast.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after delivery of said playback device to said user, updating said library stored on said playback device;

a media provider generating a collection of playlists;

storing said collection of playlists on said playback device; and

updating one of the playlists stored on said playback device to produce an updated playlist;

and wherein said active playlist is said updated playlist.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

said playback device includes a program channel selector;

said user selects an active program channel utilizing said program channel selector;

said active playlist is a member of said collection of playlists; and

said active playlist is associated with said active program channel.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after delivery of said playback device to said user, updating said library stored on said playback device utilizing update information;

wherein;

said update information is communicated to said playback device over an intermittent communication channel;

at least a portion of said update information is encoded to produce encoded update information; and

said encoded update information is decoded at said playback device at least partly using a decoding technique selected from the group consisting of erasure- correction and burst-error-correction.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said encoded update information is transmitted at two or more points in time with one or more time separations between the two or more points in time.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of said time separations is at least partially randomized.

9. A media playback device comprising:

a memory;

a controller;

a user interface; and

a cryptoprocessor,

wherein;

update information is communicated to said playback device over one or more communication channels;

said update information comprises first information and second information;

prior to delivery of said playback device to a user, a library of media content segments is stored in said memory;

after delivery of said playback device to said user, said library stored in said memory is updated utilizing said first information to produce an updated library;

a collection of playlists is stored in said memory;

said collection of playlists stored in said memory is updated utilizing said second information to produce an updated collection of playlists;

at least a portion of the media content segments in said updated library are encrypted;

at least a portion of the playlists in said updated collection of playlists are associated with one or more of a plurality of program channels;

said user utilizes said user interface to select an active program channel from said plurality of program channels;

said playback device creates an output signal representative of a media program;

said media program is associated with an active playlist chosen by said controller from said updated collection of playlists;

said active playlist is associated with said active program channel;

said active playlist is associated with at least one of the encrypted media content segments contained in said updated library;

said cryptoprocessor decrypts at least one of the encrypted media content segments associated with said active playlist to produce at least one decrypted media content segment; and

said media program includes a representation of said at least one decrypted media content segment.

10. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

at least a portion of said update information is encoded to produce encoded update information; and

said encoded update information is decoded at said playback device at least partly using a decoding technique selected from the group consisting of erasure- correction and burst-error-correction.

11. The media playback device of claim 10 wherein said encoded update information is transmitted at two or more points in time with one or more time separations between the two or more points in time.

12. The media playback device of claim 11 wherein at least one of said time separations is at least partially randomized.

13. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

at least a portion of the playlists in said updated collection of playlists are associated with one or more of a plurality of user tiers;

said user is associated with an active user tier selected from said plurality of user tiers; and

said active playlist is associated with said active user tier.

14. The media playback device of claim 9 further comprising an error control decoder wherein:

said error control decoder performs quality checks on portions of said update information; and

said controller modifies said media program responsive to said quality checks.

15. The media playback device of claim 14 wherein:

said quality checks comprise validating that media content segments are complete and error-free to a high degree of certainty;

said high degree of certainty is at least 99.9%; and

all media content segments represented in said media program meet said quality check.

16. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein said active playlist includes information selected from the set consisting of fade in information, fade out information and overlap information.

17. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

at least a portion of said memory is removable from said playback device;

the removable portion of said memory contains at least a portion of said updated library; and

at least a portion of said updated library contained in the removable portion of said memory is usable with a second playback device.

18. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

at least some of the media content segments in said updated library represent audio content segments;

some of said audio content segments represent entertainment;

some others of said audio content segments represent introductions to at least some of the audio content segments which represent entertainment; and

said playback device playing said media program produces an audio program characteristic of a radio broadcast.

19. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein said active playlist depends in part on additional user input.

20. The media playback device of claim 19 wherein:

at least some of the media content segments in said updated library represent audio content segments;

some of said audio content segments represent entertainment;

some others of said audio content segments represent introductions to at least some of the audio content segments which represent entertainment; and

said additional user input comprises a specification of a preferred characteristic of at least some of the audio content segments which represent introductions.

21. The media playback device of claim 20 wherein said additional user input comprises a specification of a preferred length for at least some of the audio content segments which represent introductions.

22. The media playback device of claim 20 wherein said additional user input comprises a specification of a preferred language for at least some of the audio content segments which represent introductions.

23. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

said collection of playlists is generated at least in part by a media provider;

said user provides one or more indications of preferences for media content segments included in said updated library utilizing said user interface;

said playback device maintains user preference information representative of said user'"'"'s preferences for a plurality of media content segments included in said updated library; and

said updated collection of playlists stored in said memory is modified utilizing said user preference information to produce a modified collection of playlists.

24. The media playback device of claim 23 wherein said user preference information comprises information selected from the group consisting of user channel use information, user skip information, user repeat information, user commercial information, user purchase information, and media provider information.

25. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of said update information is communicated to said playback device over a wireless communication channel.

26. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

at least a portion of said update information is communicated to said playback device over a first communication channel;

at least a portion of said update information is communicated to said playback device over a second communication channel; and

at least one of said first communication channel and said second communication channel comprises a wireless communication channel.

27. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

said cryptoprocessor includes at least one protected memory; and

at least a portion of said protected memory is read-protected from parts of said playback device external to said cryptoprocessor.

28. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

said cryptoprocessor includes at least one protected memory; and

at least a portion of said protected memory is write-protected from parts of said playback device external to said cryptoprocessor.

29. The media playback device of claim 9 further comprising a protected bus wherein:

said protected bus can carry data in only one direction; and

data is output on said protected bus by said cryptoprocessor.

30. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein said cryptoprocessor utilizes a key hierarchy with at least three keys.

31. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein said playback device is connected to a bidirectional wireless communication channel.

32. The media playback device of claim 31 wherein:

said user provides input to said playback device on a remote user input device;

and

said remote user input device communicates with said playback device at least in part utilizing said bidirectional wireless communication channel.

33. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of said update information is communicated to said playback device over a communication channel utilizing a portion of the 88-108 MHz band.

34. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein said one or more communication channels comprises:

a communication channel utilizing a portion of the 88-108 MHz band; and

a bidirectional wireless communication channel.

35. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein said one or more communication channels comprises a store and forward communication network.

36. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein said one or more communication channels comprises a peer-to-peer network comprising nodes.

37. The media playback device of claim 36 wherein at least one of the nodes in said peer-to-peer network is located on a moving vehicle.

38. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

said playback device is connected to a reverse communication channel which communicates feedback information from said playback device; and

said feedback information is utilized to increase the efficiency of transmission of information selected from the group consisting of said update information and user authorization information.

39. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

said playback device is connected to a reverse communication channel which communicates feedback information from said playback device; and

said feedback information includes information selected from the group consisting of user channel use information, user skip information, user repeat information, user commercial information, user purchase information, and media provider information.

40. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein said media program includes:

entertainment segments;

introductions to at least a portion of said entertainment segments; and

commercial segments.

41. The media playback device of claim 9 wherein:

content segment control information is stored in said memory;

said controller inhibits one or more functions of said user interface responsive to said content segment control information.

42. The media playback device of claim 41 wherein at least one of the inhibited functions is selected from the group consisting of a fast forward function and a skip function.

43. The media playback device of claim 41 wherein:

at least one of the inhibited functions can be overridden by said user if an override condition is satisfied;

said playback device is connected to a reverse communication channel which communicates feedback information from said playback device; and

said feedback information includes information on user overrides of said inhibited functions.

44. A method of playing media on a playback device, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of media content segments;

encrypting at least a portion of said media content segments to produce encrypted media content segments;

generating a library comprising said encrypted media content segments;

storing said library on said playback device;

generating an active playlist comprising a representation of a set of said encrypted media content segments;

said playback device authenticating said active playlist;

said playback device decrypting at least a portion of said set of said encrypted media content segments to produce decrypted media content segments; and

said playback device creating an output signal comprising a representation of a sequence of said media content segments responsive to said active playlist;

wherein;

said active playlist is generated at least in part by a media provider; and

said sequence includes at least a portion of said decrypted media content segments.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein at least a portion of said library is stored on said playback device prior to delivery of said playback device to a user.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein:

a user selects a first program channel on said playback device from a plurality of program channels;

said user selects a second program channel on said playback device from said plurality of program channels;

the selection of said second program channel occurs during the playback of a first media content segment representing a commercial;

said user selects a third program channel on said playback device from said plurality of program channels;

said third program channel is the same as said first program channel; and

said playback device starts playback of said third program channel at the start of said first media content segment.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said first media content segment represents a commercial.