Wireless communications system and method

• US 8,855,548 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Rose, Charles Anthony, Gamse, Ian Elkan, Kamien, David, Kagan, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US11/646,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,840 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/3.05, 455/12.1, 455/45, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/427, 455/517, 455/563, 455/564, 455/566, 705/26, 705/26.1, 340/825.26, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 455/3.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection

Abstract

This invention discloses a method of communicating with a user including wirelessly broadcasting content which is accessible to a multiplicity of users and which includes at least some non-audio content which is not visible to the users without user actuation and which includes product-specific information, enabling a user to select a portion of the content, responsive to a selection by the user, capturing at least part of the non-audio content, corresponding to the portion of the content selected by the user and employing at least part of the captured content to access a contact using a mobile communicator by initially establishing contact with a non product-specific communication facility and employing product-specific information contained in the non-audio content. A system for communicating with a user is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, a wireless broadcast of content from a broadcast facility that is accessible to a multiplicity of users and that includes audio content and non-audio content, the non-audio content being not viewable by the users without user actuation and including product-specific information;

enabling a user to select a portion of said non-audio content;

causing, at least in part, a capture of at least part of said non-audio content corresponding to said portion of said content selected by said user; and

employing at least part of said captured content to access a contact using a mobile communicator by initially establishing contact with the non product-specific communication facility and employing product-specific information contained in said non-audio content.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein said employing involves an action by said user.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein said employing takes place automatically.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein said wireless broadcast comprises radio broadcasting.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein said wireless broadcast comprises television broadcasting.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein said wireless broadcast comprises Bluetooth transmitting.

7. A method of claim 4, wherein said radio broadcasting comprises FM broadcasting.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein said wireless broadcast comprises satellite broadcasting.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein said enabling comprises prompting said user to make a selection.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein said enabling comprises enabling said user to make an unprompted selection.

11. A method of claim 1, wherein said enabling comprises enabling said user to make a selection orally.

12. A method of claim 1, wherein said enabling comprises enabling said user to make a selection by a manual actuation.

13. A method of claim 1, wherein said enabling comprises enabling said user to preselect certain content based on user determined criteria.

14. A method of claim 1, wherein said capture comprises capturing at least part of said content carried by a sub-carrier, corresponding to said portion of said content selected by said user.

15. A method of claim 1, wherein said contact is a web site.

16. A method of claim 1, wherein said contact is a telephone communicator.

17. A method of claim 1, wherein said wireless broadcast comprises digital broadcasting.

18. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a provision of communication via at least one facilitator between the broadcast facility providing said wireless broadcast and at least one of a product-specific communication facility and a non product-specific communication facility,

wherein the facilitator prepares audience tracking statistics.

19. A method of claim 1, wherein the non-audio content is concurrently provided to a server from the broadcast facility.

20. A method of claim 1, wherein concurrently with the reception of the audio content, the non-audio content is received.

21. A method of claim 20, wherein the non-audio content is concurrently received as streaming data.

22. A method of claim 20, wherein the non-audio content is concurrently received via a streaming data channel.

23. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, a preparation of broadcast content including an audio portion and a non-audio portion to be broadcast together by a broadcast facility;

causing, at least in part, a coordination between a facilitator and the broadcast facility to establish a broadcast facilitator schedule for system broadcasts;

causing, at least in part, a provision of interactive information corresponding to product-specific messages to a non-product specific communication facility;

causing, at least in part, a provision of interactive information corresponding to said product-specific messages to product specific communication facilities; and

causing, at least in part, a broadcast of plural interactive product-specific messages.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising determining to accept user selections of products advertised by the plural product-specific messages.

25. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive both user-sensible and non user-sensible content from a first facility, the user-sensible content comprising an offer of at least one product from a product-specific facility;

capture a product of interest from the at least one product; and

causing, at least in part, a wireless placing of an order for the captured product of interest to a second facility through a communications link that does not include the first facility,

wherein the second facility is a non-product specific facility.

26. An apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first facility is a broadcast facility.

27. An apparatus of claim 25, wherein the non-product specific facility communicates with the product-specific facility.

28. An apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus directly communicates with the non-product specific facility.

29. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, a wireless broadcast of content from a broadcast facility that is accessible to a multiplicity of users and that includes audio content and non-audio content, wherein the broadcasted audio content and non-audio content is received by a first receiver in a first device that provides the audio content to a user;

causing, at least in part, concurrently, a provision of product-specific content associated with the wirelessly broadcasted content from the broadcast facility to a server;

causing, at least in part, a provision of the product-specific content from the server to a second receiver in a second device that is receptive to input from the user;

enabling the user to select and capture a portion of said product-specific content in synchronization with the broadcast audio content;

causing, at least in part, a provision of communication via at least one facilitator between the server and at least one of a product-specific communication facility and a non product-specific communication facility; and

employing at least part of said captured product-specific content to access a contact using the second device by initially establishing contact with the non product-specific communication facility and employing product-specific information contained in said product-specific content.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the second device includes a location determining feature.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the server provides the product-specific content to the second device as streaming data.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the streaming data is provided in a streaming data channel.

33. A system comprising:

a broadcast facility that broadcasts user-sensible content;

a server communicatively linked to the broadcast facility and receiving non user-sensible content from the broadcast facility; and

a mobile communications device that is arranged to wirelessly receive the user-sensible content from the broadcast facility and arranged to wirelessly receive the non user-sensible content from the server, wherein the broadcasting of the user-sensible content from the broadcast facility is synchronized with providing the non user-sensible content from the server, wherein a user of the mobile communications device is enabled to capture the non user-sensible content.

34. A system comprising:

a broadcast facility that broadcasts user-sensible content;

a server communicatively linked to the broadcast facility and receiving non user-sensible content from the broadcast facility;

a first receiver arranged to wirelessly receive the user-sensible content from the broadcast facility; and

a second receiver arranged to wirelessly receive the non user-sensible content from the server, wherein the broadcasting of the user-sensible content from the broadcast facility is synchronized with providing the non user-sensible content from the server, wherein a user is enabled to capture the non user-sensible content from the second receiver in synchronization with perceiving the user-sensible content from the first receiver.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising a device with an input that includes the second receiver.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the non user-sensible content is captured upon input actuation of the device.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the input actuation is by voice of the user.