Flexibly targeting information sent over a broadcast communications medium

• US 8,503,925 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TV Band Service, LLC
• Original Assignee: TV Band Service, LLC
• Inventors: Chapin, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/019,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20120195386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/30.4, 455/3.06, 455/423, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/456.2, 455/512, 455/67.11, 455/415, 375/259, 375/316, 705/14.58, 340/539.32, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 707/769, 707/748, 707/766, 707/771
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks

Abstract

A system for flexibly targeting information sent over a broadcast communications medium includes a sender of information signals each carrying information and a targeter for use by a user having a receiver with a targeter. There are a number of the receivers constructed and arranged to receive signals from the sender through a broadcast communications medium. The targeter includes a number of selectors associated with an action ID and a number of key value paired, constructed and arranged to indicate action to be taken by a user of a selected receiver in the condition that the selector evaluates to true given the values stored in the targeters.

Claims

1. A system for flexibly targeting information sent over a broadcast communications medium comprising,

a sender of information signals each carrying information and a targeter for use by a user having a receiver with a targeter,

a plurality of said receivers constructed and arranged to receive signals from the sender through a broadcast communications medium,

each targeter including a one or more selectors associated with an action ID and one or more key value pairs, where a selector is a compound Boolean expression potentially including function call subexpressions, and where the action IDs associated with some or all selectors and the keys for some or all key value pairs may be omitted if understood by the receiver according to a prearranged system,

constructed and arranged to indicate action to be taken by a selected receiver or a user of a selected receiver in the condition that a selector evaluates to true given the values stored in the targeters.

2. A system for flexibly targeting information sent over a broadcast communication medium in accordance with claim 1 wherein the action IDs are present.

3. A system for flexibly targeting information sent over a broadcast communications medium in accordance with claim 1,

wherein said receiver is constructed and arranged to also pull information of interest to a user associated with the receiver that is targeted for use by a different user.

4. A system for flexibly targeting information sent over a broadcast communications medium in accordance with claim 3,

Wherein said user associated with the receiver is associated with one public safety agency or unit and the different user is associated with a different public safety agency or unit and the second user desires to see information satisfying specific criteria sent to the first user.

5. A system for flexibly targeting information sent over a broadcast communications medium in accordance with claim 4,

wherein said user associated with the receiver is a policeman and the different user is a fireman and the information of interest is the location of a fire.

6. A receiver constructed and arranged to receive signals from a sender through a broadcast communications medium carrying information and a targeter for use by a user,

each targeter including a one or more selectors associated with an action ID and one or more key value pairs, where a selector is a compound Boolean expression potentially including function call subexpressions, and where the action IDs associated with some or all selectors and the keys for some or all key value pairs may be omitted if understood by the receiver according to a prearranged system,

constructed and arranged to indicate action to be taken by a selected receiver or a user of a selected receiver in the condition that a selector evaluates to true given the values stored in the targeters.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the targeter includes a selector associated with an action ID and descriptors comprising a key/value pair.

8. A method of using the receiving device of claim 7 including,

extracting a message from the communications medium, checking validation and security in the extracted message,

targeting if the checks are passed,

and delivering the message if the device is targeted.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the targeting includes

creating a combined targeter,

creating an action list,

reducing the reaction list,

when the action list is empty indicating that the device is not targeted, and

when the action list is not empty indicating the device is targeted.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 and further including creating a combined targeter based on the message received over the broadcast communications medium and receiver internal storage each having selectors and associated action ID and key values, and

forming the combined targeter with selectors and action ID'"'"'s and key value pairs from the message received over the broadcast communications medium and the receiver internal storage.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 including creating an action list by starting with an empty action list and for each selector, action pair in a combined selector list, creating a key-value replacement in the selector, determining whether any lookup failed, evaluating a resulting formula where no lookups failed, evaluating to true or false, adding to the action list if true and completing the step after adding to the action list, determining a lookup fail or evaluating to false.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein reducing the action list includes,

starting the action list by action ID,

removing duplicates, creating a list L with action IDs'"'"', looking up X in a dominance table to create a list B of action IDs that dominate,

for each action ID Y in list B determining whether Y is present in L,

if present deleting X from list L and completing the loop step after deleting X from list L or determining Y is not present in list L.