Apparatus and method for addressing control in a network for distributed data

• US 7,930,711 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wegener Communications, Inc. (Wegener Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wegener Communications, Inc. (Wegener Corporation)
• Inventors: Pelkey, Gary L., Simyon, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Reuben M
• Application Number:
  US10/382,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,966 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/26, 725/31, 725 32- 36, 725/151, 725/152, 726/29, 726/30
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• 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 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

In a content data distribution network, a system for directing control instructions to selected ones of a plurality of receivers. The system comprises a stored value, stored in a memory location reserved for at least one local parameter in each of the plurality of receivers. An uplink distributes to the plurality of receivers over said content data distribution network a transmitted value. The system compares the stored value and transmitted value such that a True value corresponds to the selected ones of the plurality of receivers at which the control instructions are to be executed. Comparisons may be made to functions of the stored values. Comparisons may be made to multiple stored values. Multiple comparisons may be connected together with boolean operators. The stored values can be changed by the transmitted control instructions.

Claims

1. In a content data distribution network, a apparatus for directing control instructions to selected ones of a plurality of receivers, said apparatus comprising:

a uplink processor;

a memory;

a plurality of local parameters, which may be stored in said memory, said parameters being variable among at least two of said plurality of receivers, at least one of said parameters representing a unique individual serial number of one of said plurality of receivers and at least one of said parameters represents descriptive data pertaining to said at least one of said plurality of receivers;

a memory location in said memory corresponding to said local parameter in at least one of said plurality of receivers, wherein said local parameter may be stored;

at least one stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value, said stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value quantifying said at least one local parameter for said plurality of receivers, said stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value being stored in said memory location;

an arithmetical function, said function modifying said at least one stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value to produce a result, said arithmetical function being storable in said memory;

a transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value with said uplink processor being configured to transmit, said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value over said content data distribution network, and said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value being associated in said transmission with one of said local parameters; and

a difference operator, said difference operator said uplink processor being configured to transmit over said content data distribution network said difference operator comparing said result to said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value;

at least two atoms, at least one of said atoms containing a Boolean comparison of a transmitted value with a stored value and at least one of said atoms containing a Boolean comparison of a transmitted value with a result of said function, said atoms being concatenated with a next Boolean operator;

said uplink processor being configured to transmit said arithmetical function, said transmitted value, said difference operator and said atoms to said plurality of receivers;

such that said receivers may perform said arithmetical function and said comparisons according to said transmitted arithmetical function, said transmitted difference operator and said transmitted atoms;

such that said control instructions are directed to said selected ones of said plurality of receivers according to said comparison of said atoms; and

said atoms locating an integrated receiver/decoder being in the form (Lat<

Y+A) AND (Lat>

Y−

A) AND (Long<

X+B) AND (Long>

X−

B) where X and Y represent the longitude and latitude of a venue and A and Y are chosen to result in the correct mileage deltas.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising said atoms being transmitted within a single packet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transmission includes at least one local parameter identifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said at least one local parameter identifier identifies at least one of said memory locations.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said at least one local parameter identifier is an address for at least one of said memory locations.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 where said stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value representing descriptive data relates to at least one of a membership in a group of receivers, a geographic location, a zip code, a listing on a programming schedule, a subscription to a programming package, and operational parameter, a status of a receiver, an indicator of which channel is on, an indicator of what audio is set, an indicator of the position of a relay, an indication of a receiver identity, and a billing status.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value relates to at least one of a membership in a group of receivers, a geographic location, a zip code, a listing on a programming schedule, a subscription to a programming package, and operational parameter, a status of a receiver, an indicator of which channel is on, an indicator of what audio is set, an indicator of the position of a relay, an indication of a receiver identity, a billing status or a serial number.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein content data is played or said control instructions are executed when said comparison operator comparison yields said True value, and wherein said control instructions are not executed or said content data is not played when said comparison operator comparison does not yield a true value.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein content data is played or said control instructions are executed when said comparison operator yields a first result, and wherein said control instructions are not executed or said content data is not played when said comparison operator yields a second result.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control instructions, said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value and said comparison operator are transmitted together in a packet over said content data distribution network.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said function includes a second transmitted value.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stored integrated recorder/decoder value is stored remote in time from an execution of at least one of said function producing said result or said comparison of said result to said transmitted integrated recorder/decoder value.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one constant parameter stored in said memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said constant parameter is a unique individual serial number.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising said atoms locating said integrated receiver/decoder without input from a GPS apparatus.

16. In a content data distribution network, a apparatus for directing control instructions to selected ones, of a plurality of receivers, said apparatus comprising:

a uplink processor;

a memory;

a plurality of local parameters, which may be stored in said memory said parameters being variable among at least two of said plurality of receivers, at least one of said parameters representing a unique individual serial number of one of said plurality of receivers and at least one of said parameters representing descriptive data pertaining to said at least one of said plurality of receivers;

a memory location in said memory corresponding to said local parameter in at least one of said plurality of receivers wherein said local parameter may be stored;

at least one stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value, said stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value quantifying said at least one local parameter for said plurality of receivers, said stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value being stored in said memory location;

an arithmetical function, said function modifying said at least one stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value to produce a result;

said arithmetical function being storable in said memory;

a transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value with said uplink processor being configured to transmit said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value over said content data distribution network, and said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value being associated in said transmission with one of said local parameters; and

a difference operator, said difference operator said uplink processor being configured to transmit over said content data distribution network said difference operator comparing said result to said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value;

at least two atoms, at least one of said atoms containing a Boolean comparison of a transmitted value with a stored value and at least one of said atoms containing a Boolean comparison of a transmitted value with a result of said function, said atoms being concatenated with a next Boolean operator;

said processor being configured to transmit said arithmetical function, said transmitted value, said difference operator and said atoms to said plurality of receivers;

such that said receivers may perform said arithmetical function and said comparisons according to said transmitted arithmetical function, said transmitted difference operator and said transmitted atoms;

such that said control instructions are directed to said selected ones of said plurality of receivers according to said comparison of said atoms; and

said atoms locating an integrated receiver/decoder being in the form D=((Xs−

Xv)²+(Ys−

Yv)²)^1/2>

R, where Xs and Ys are the latitude and the longitude of the receive (station) and Xv and Yv are the latitude and longitude of a venue, R is the blackout radius, D is the distance and >

is the comparison operator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said transmission includes at least one local parameter identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said at least one local parameter identifier identifies at least one of said memory locations.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said at least one local parameter identifier is an address for at least one of said memory locations.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 where said stored Integrated Recorder/Decoder value representing descriptive data relates to at least one of a membership in a group of receivers, a geographic location, a zip code, a listing on a programming schedule, a subscription to a programming package, and operational parameter, a status of a receiver, an indicator of which channel is on, an indicator of what audio is set, an indicator of the position of a relay, an indication of a receiver identity, and a billing status.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value relates to at least one of a membership in a group of receivers, a geographic location, a zip code, a listing on a programming schedule, a subscription to a programming package, and operational parameter, a status of a receiver, an indicator of which channel is on, an indicator of what audio is set, an indicator of the position of a relay, an indication of a receiver identity, a billing status or a serial number.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein content data is played or said control instructions are executed when said comparison operator comparison yields said True value, and wherein said control instructions are not executed or said content data is not played when said comparison operator comparison does not yield a true value.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein content data is played or said control instructions are executed when said comparison operator yields a first result, and wherein said control instructions are not executed or said content data is not played when said comparison operator yields a second result.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said control instructions, said transmitted Integrated Recorder/Decoder value and said comparison operator are transmitted together in a packet over said content data distribution network.

25. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said function includes a second transmitted value.

26. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said stored integrated recorder/decoder value is stored remote in time from an execution of at least one of said function producing said result or said comparison of said result to said transmitted integrated recorder/decoder value.

27. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising at least one constant parameter stored in said memory.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said constant parameter is a unique individual serial number.

29. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising said atoms locating said integrated receiver/decoder without input from a GPS apparatus.

30. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said atoms are transmitted in a single packet.