Content delivery system and method

• US 8,151,313 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2008
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Martin Murray
• Original Assignee: Michael Martin Murray
• Inventors: Murray, Michael Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US12/344,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,193 Days
• Field of Search: 725/63, 725/89, 725/93, 725/142, 725/100, 725/118, 725/131, 725/152, 455/3.02, 455/3.06
• US Class Current: 725/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/11 Arrangements for counter-measures when a portion of broadcast information is unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A system for delivering content to users from a content provider, the system comprising a transmission system for transmitting content in a series of segments and a plurality of receivers for receiving the series of segments transmitted from the transmission system, each of the receivers comprising a memory, a processor, and an output driver. The memory may have stored therein instructions that, when executed, will cause the processor to perform the following steps: (1) comparing each of the received segments to any previously stored segments to determine whether each received segment has been previously stored; (2) for a particular received segment that has not been previously stored, storing the segment in the memory; (3) for a particular received segment that has been previously stored, determining whether the received segment is missing data and, if it is, retrieving the missing data, if available, from the corresponding previously stored segment; and (4) providing each of the received segments to the output driver along with any missing data retrieved from the memory. In preferred embodiments, the system is useful for enabling the smooth provision of content to a user as any missing data contained in a received data stream can be obtained, if available, in the memory and used to compensate for the missing data in the transmission.

Claims

1. A system for delivering content to users from a content provider, the system comprising;

a transmission system for transmitting content in a series of segments, said series of segments being transmitted during each of multiple periods of time, wherein said periods of time are not overlapping and are offset by an amount of time that is greater than the duration of said series of segments;

a plurality of receivers for receiving said series of segments transmitted from said transmission system during each of said periods of time, each of said receivers comprising a non-volatile memory, a processor, and an output driver, said non-volatile memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed, will cause said processor to perform the following steps;

(1) comparing each of said segments received during a current one of said periods of time to any segments stored in said non-volatile memory during a previous one of said periods of time to determine whether each received segment has been previously stored in said non-volatile memory;

(2) for a particular received segment that has not been previously stored, storing said segment in said non-volatile memory;

(3) for a particular received segment that has been previously stored, determining whether said received segment is missing data and, if it is, retrieving said missing data, if available, from the corresponding previously stored segment; and

(4) providing each of said received segments to said output driver along with any missing data retrieved from said non-volatile memory.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said stored instructions further cause said processor to perform the following additional step:

for a particular received segment that has been previously stored, determining whether said previously stored segment is missing data and, if it is, obtaining the missing data from the received segment, if available, and storing the missing data in the non-volatile memory to thereby create a more complete copy of the segment in the non-volatile memory.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-volatile memory comprises first and second physically distinct memories, each of which is coupled to said processor.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmission system comprises a ground based antenna and a plurality of satellites.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said receivers further comprises an antenna and a volatile memory for temporarily storing said series of segments, said volatile memory being coupled to said processor through a data bus.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said series of segments comprises songs, each segment comprising a separate song.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said series of segments comprises songs, commercials and talk.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an output device coupled to said output driver.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said output device comprises a display and a speaker.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said segments comprises a code that identifies said segment as either a segment that will be transmitted multiple times or as a segment that will be transmitted only once.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said instructions will cause said processor to perform steps (1), (2) and (3) only for those segments that have said code indicating that they will be transmitted multiple times.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmission system is a wireless transmission system.

13. A system for delivering audio content to users from a content provider, the system comprising;

a transmission system for transmitting content in a series of audio segments, said series of audio segments being transmitted during each of multiple periods of time, wherein said periods of time are not overlapping and are offset by an amount of time that is greater than the duration of said series of audio segments;

a plurality of receivers for receiving said series of audio segments transmitted from said transmission system during each of said periods of time, each of said receivers comprising a non-volatile memory, a processor, and an output driver, said non-volatile memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed, will cause said processor to perform the following steps;

(1) comparing each of said audio segments received during a current one of said periods of time to any segments stored in said non-volatile memory during a previous one of said periods of time to determine whether each received audio segment has been previously stored in said non-volatile memory;

(2) for a particular received audio segment that has not been previously stored, storing said audio segment in said non-volatile memory;

(3) for a particular received audio segment that has been previously stored, (i) determining whether said received audio segment is missing data and, if it is, retrieving said missing data, if available, from the corresponding previously stored audio segment and (ii) determining whether said previously stored audio segment is missing data and, if it is, obtaining the missing data from the received audio segment, if available, and storing the missing data in the non-volatile memory to thereby create a more complete copy of the audio segment in the non-volatile memory; and

(4) providing each of said received audio segments to said output driver along with any missing data retrieved from said non-volatile memory.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said non-volatile memory comprises first and second physically distinct memories, each of which is coupled to said processor.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said transmission system comprises a ground based antenna and a plurality of satellites.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said transmission system is a wireless transmission system.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said series of segments comprises songs, each segment comprising a separate song.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said series of segments comprises songs, commercials and talk.

19. The system of claim 13 further comprising an output device coupled to said output driver, said output device comprising a display and a speaker.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein each of said segments comprises a code that identifies said segment as either a segment that will be transmitted multiple times or as a segment that will be transmitted only once, and wherein said instructions will cause said processor to perform steps (1), (2) and (3) only for those segments that have said code indicating that they will be transmitted multiple times.

21. A system for delivering and playing audio content to users from a content provider, the system comprising;

a transmission system for transmitting audio content in a series of audio segments, said series of audio segments being transmitted during each of multiple periods of time, wherein said periods of time are offset by an amount of time that is greater than the duration of said series of audio segments;

a plurality of receivers for receiving said series of audio segments transmitted from said transmission system during each of said periods of time, each of said receivers comprising a non-volatile memory, a processor, and an output audio driver, said non-volatile memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed, will cause said processor to perform the following steps;

(1) comparing an audio segment received during a current one of said periods of time to a plurality of audio segments stored in said non-volatile memory during a previous one of said periods of time to identify a previously stored audio segment that has substantially the same audio content as said received audio segment;

(2) identifying audio data that is missing from said received audio segment and retrieving said missing audio data from said identified previously stored audio segment;

(3) providing said received audio segment to said output audio driver along with said audio data retrieved in the preceding step to cause said audio driver to audibly play said received audio segment and said retrieved audio data;

(4) identifying audio data that is missing from said identified previously stored audio segment and retrieving said missing audio data from said received audio segment; and

(5) storing said audio data retrieved in the preceding step in said non-volatile memory to create a more complete record of said identified previously stored audio segment.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said stored instructions will cause said processor to execute steps (4) and (5) at a point in time before step (3).

23. A system for storing a plurality of audio segments in a non-volatile memory using repeated transmissions of said audio segments, the system comprising;

a transmission system for repeatedly transmitting each of said audio segments;

a plurality of receivers for receiving said audio segments transmitted from said transmission system, each of said receivers comprising a non-volatile memory and a processor, said non-volatile memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed, will cause said processor to perform the following steps for each received audio segment;

(1) comparing each received audio segment to a plurality of previously stored audio segments stored in said non-volatile memory to identify a previously stored audio segment that has substantially the same audio content as said received audio segment;

(2) identifying data that is missing from said identified previously stored audio segment and present in said received audio segment; and

(3) storing said audio data identified in the preceding step in said non-volatile memory to create a more complete record of said identified previously stored audio segment, said more complete record being maintained in said non-volatile memory after said received audio segment is provided to an output driver for playback.

24. A system for delivering audio content to users from a content provider, the system comprising;

a transmission system for transmitting content in a series of audio segments, said series of audio segments being transmitted during each of multiple periods of time, wherein said periods of time are not overlapping and are offset by an amount of time that is greater than the duration of said series of audio segments;

a plurality of receivers for receiving said series of audio segments transmitted from said transmission system during each of said periods of time, each of said receivers comprising a non-volatile memory, a processor, and an output driver, said non-volatile memory having stored therein instructions that, when executed, will cause said processor to perform the following steps;

(1) comparing each of said audio segments received during a current one of said periods of time to any segments stored in said non-volatile memory during a previous one of said periods of time to determine whether each received audio segment has been previously stored in said non-volatile memory;

(2) for a particular received audio segment that has not been previously stored, storing said audio segment in said non-volatile memory;

(3) for a particular received audio segment that has been previously stored, (i) determining whether said received audio segment is missing data and, if it is, retrieving said missing data, if available, from the corresponding previously stored audio segment and (ii) determining whether said previously stored audio segment is missing data and, if it is, obtaining the missing data from the received audio segment, if available, and storing the missing data in the non-volatile memory to thereby create a more complete copy of the audio segment in the non-volatile memory; and

(4) providing each of said received audio segments to said output driver along with any missing data retrieved from said non-volatile memory;

wherein each of said segments comprises a code that identifies said segment as either a segment that will be transmitted multiple times or as a segment that will be transmitted only once, and wherein said instructions will cause said processor to perform steps (1), (2) and (3) only for those segments that have said code indicating that they will be transmitted multiple times.