Broadcast programming data capture

• US 8,296,195 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Harb
• Original Assignee: Joseph Harb
• Inventors: Harb, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US11/935,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent

Abstract

A portable device is used to capture, in real time, data sufficient to identify a product or service promoted, or a music track played, on a broadcast medium such as radio or television. The capture device can be a standalone implementation, or an application program executable on a personal communication device such as a cell phone or Blackberry. The capture device communicates the captured data to a remote server via a selected wired or wireless channel, or the internet, and the server provides services to support the user in responding to the radio or television broadcast item that corresponds to the captured data.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus for use in capturing identifying data associated with an electronic broadcast transmission, the apparatus comprising:

an activation input to receive an activation request from a user, wherein the activation request is identified by an activation request type identifier selected from a group comprising;

a voting request, a song request, a product request or a service request;

a capturing unit for capturing the identifying data in response to receiving the activation request, wherein the identifying data is independent of the electronic broadcast transmission and associated with content transmitted in the electronic broadcast transmission;

wherein the identifying data comprises a radio station identifier stored in the capturing unit and a time stamp generated by the capturing unit; and

a transmitting unit for communicating the captured identifying data, a user identification, a device identifier and the activation request type identifier to a remote server to trigger an action by the server responsive to the activation request type identifier, the device identifier, the captured identifying data, and the user identification.

2. The portable apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the action is selected from the group comprising:

a voting action, a product purchasing action, a service purchasing action or a song purchasing action, or a combination thereof.

3. The portable apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electronic broadcast transmission is a broadcast television transmission or a broadcast radio transmission.

4. The portable apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frequency detection circuit includes:

a radio frequency transmitter to transmit the signature over a radio broadcast frequency, and when the current frequency setting of the nearby receiver is set to the radio broadcast frequency, the nearby receiver is configured to acoustically present the signature along with any other content broadcast over the radio broadcast frequency; and

a microphone to capture the acoustical presentation of the radio broadcast frequency when in an auditory range of the nearby receiver, wherein the frequency detection circuit is configured to recognize the signature in the acoustical presentation of the radio broadcast frequency and detect the current frequency setting of the nearby receiver is set to the radio broadcast frequency based on the recognition of the signature in the acoustical presentation by the nearby receiver.

5. The portable apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the captured data includes an activation time when the activation request was received and the current frequency setting of the nearby receiver.

6. The portable apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the frequency detection circuit is configured to transmit the signature over multiple radio broadcast frequencies and detect the current frequency setting of the nearby receiver is set to one of the radio broadcast frequencies according to an acoustically presentation of the signature by the nearby receiver.

7. The portable apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the signature includes multiple audio tones, allowing the frequency detection circuit to detect the signature within an acoustical presentation of an electronic broadcast transmission.

8. The portable apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frequency detection circuit is configured to capture content of the electronic broadcast transmission corresponding to the current frequency setting of the nearby receiver, and wherein the captured content includes at least one of a unique station identifier, a clock time, radio text, or a music track identifier.

9. The portable apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a digital memory to store at least an activation time when the activation request was received and the detected frequency setting of the nearby receiver.

10. A method comprising:

responsive to an activation request input by a user, capturing identity information associated with an electronic broadcast comprising a radio station identifier stored in a capturing unit and a time stamp generated by the capturing unit wherein the identity information is captured independent of radio signal associated with the electronic broadcast;

identifying a source of the electronic broadcast, a time of the electronic broadcast and a user input indicating a type of activation request configured to activate a remote server to take a particular action on behalf of a user, the particular action corresponding to content of the electronic broadcast, wherein the request to activate a remote server includes an activation request type identifier for identifying the type of activation request, the activation request type identifier selected from a group comprising;

a voting request, a media request, a product request or a service request; and

communicating the identity of the electronic broadcast source, the time of the electronic broadcast, a user identity, a capturing unit identifier and the activation request type identifier to a remote server to trigger the particular action by the remote server;

wherein the activation request is configured to prompt the remote server to;

infer an identity of the content of the electronic broadcast based on the identity information; and

identify and take the particular action corresponding to the content presented by the electronic broadcast at the time of the electronic broadcast responsive to the identity of the electronic broadcast source, the time of the electronic broadcast, the user identity, the capturing unit identifier and the activation request type identifier.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the particular action is selected from a group comprising:

a voting action, a product purchasing action, a service purchasing action or a media purchasing action, or a combination thereof.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the electronic broadcast is a broadcast television transmission or a broadcast radio transmission.

13. The method according to claim 10 further comprises:

communicating at least the time when the request was received and the current frequency setting of the nearby broadcast receiver to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to identify the product corresponding to the content presented by the nearby broadcast receiver based on the time when the request was received and the current frequency setting of the nearby broadcast receiver.

14. The method according to claim 10 further comprises:

capturing a radio broadcast transmitted over the current frequency setting; and

extracting radio broadcast data from the captured radio broadcast, wherein the radio broadcast data includes at least one of a unique station identifier, a clock time, radio text, or a music track identifier; and

communicating at least a portion of the extracted radio broadcast data to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to identify the product corresponding to the content presented by the nearby broadcast receiver at the time of receiving the request based on the radio broadcast data.

15. A device comprising:

a capture unit configured to respond to an activation signal by capturing identity information associated with a radio broadcast comprising a radio station identifier stored in the capture unit and a time stamp generated by the capture unit, wherein the identity information is captured independent of a signal communicating the radio broadcast, wherein the identity information is to be used to identify a source of the radio broadcast and content associated with the radio broadcast corresponding to a vote option, a media item, a product or a service;

wherein the activation signal includes a button identifier associated with at least one request type selected from a group comprising;

a voting request, a media request, a product request or a service request; and

a transmitter configured to send the radio station identifier, a device identifier, a user identifier and the button identifier to a purchasing services server to requet the purchasing services server send data corresponding to the vote option, the media item, the product or the service to the device responsive to the radio station identifier, a device identifier, a user identifier and the button identifier.

16. The device according to claim 15 further comprises an activation interface to receive an activation request, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the signature over the radio broadcast frequency in response to the activation interface receiving the activation request.

17. The device according to claim 16 further comprises a communication interface to forward product identifying information towards a remote server, wherein the product identifying information includes a time the activation interface received the activation request and the current frequency setting of the external radio, wherein the remote server is configured to identify a product corresponding to content presented by the external radio at the time the activation interface received the activation request the forwarded product identifying information.