Method and apparatus for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal

• US 8,639,514 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Urso, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): AZAD, ABUL K
• Application Number:
  US12/338,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20100157744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 704230-257, 704/270, 704/270.1
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/85 which are mobile communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85

Abstract

A method and device for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal receives a broadcast audio signal from a receiver such as a radio or television. Identifiers such as telephone numbers, URLs, e-mail addresses, and keywords are recognized and stored for immediate or later use by a user. An external network device identified by a recognized identifier is accessed based on user selection of a recognized identifier.

Claims

1. A method for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal, the method comprising:

receiving the broadcast audio signal;

storing a portion of the broadcast audio signal in a buffer;

receiving a first user input, comprising speech, at a particular time during broadcast of the broadcast audio signal;

recognizing an identifier in perceptible speech of the portion of the broadcast audio signal that is in the buffer at the particular time in response to receiving the first user input;

storing data representative of the identifier; and

accessing an external network device identified by the identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a uniform resource locator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises an e-mail address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises a keyword.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing data representative of the identifier is in response to a second user input selecting a particular identifier.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing is in response to a second user input selecting a particular identifier.

8. A device for storing information related to the content of an audio signal, the device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a broadcast audio signal;

storing a portion of the broadcast audio signal in a buffer;

receiving a first user input, comprising speech, at a particular time during broadcast of the broadcast audio signal;

recognizing an identifier in perceptible speech of the portion of the broadcast audio signal that is in the buffer at the particular time in response to receiving the first user input;

storing data representative of the identifier; and

accessing an external network device identified by the identifier.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the identifier comprises a uniform resource locator.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the identifier comprises an e-mail address.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein the identifier comprises a keyword.

13. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising receiving a second user input.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the second user input is representative of a user selection of a particular identifier.

15. A computer readable storage device storing computer program instructions for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal, the computer program instructions when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving the broadcast audio signal;

storing a portion of the broadcast audio signal in a buffer;

receiving a first user input, comprising speech, at a particular time during broadcast of the broadcast audio signal;

recognizing an identifier in perceptible speech of the portion of the broadcast audio signal that is in the buffer at the particular time in response to receiving the first user input;

storing data representative of the identifier; and

accessing an external network device identified by the identifier.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 wherein the identifier comprises a uniform resource locator.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 wherein the identifier comprises an e-mail address.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 wherein the identifier comprises a keyword.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 wherein the storing data representative of the identifier is in response to a second user input selecting a particular identifier.

21. The computer readable storage device of claim 15 wherein the accessing is in response to a second user input selecting a particular identifier.

22. An apparatus for accessing information identified from a broadcast audio signal, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving the broadcast audio signal;

storing a portion of the broadcast audio signal in a buffer;

receiving a first user input, comprising speech, at a particular time during broadcast of the broadcast audio signal;

recognizing an identifier in perceptible speech of the portion of the broadcast audio signal that is in the buffer at the particular time in response to receiving the first user input;

storing data representative of the identifier; and

accessing an external network device identified by the identifier.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the identifier comprises a uniform resource locator.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the identifier comprises a telephone number.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the identifier comprises an e-mail address.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the identifier comprises a keyword.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, the operations further comprising receiving a particular second user input representative of a user selection of a particular identifier.