Techniques for sending and relaying information over broadcast and non-broadcast communications media

• US 9,253,124 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TV Band Service, LLC
• Original Assignee: TV Band Service, LLC
• Inventors: Rich, Donald C Jr., Sadowski, Paul Allan, Bolick, Keith W
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US13/892,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20130308652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 370312-389, 370401-428, 709217-227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34

Abstract

Sending and relaying of information includes: a direct receiver receives messages from a server over a broadcast communications medium, each message having associated targeter data attributes; the direct receiver selects messages from the server for storage in a message store of the first receiver device based on the targeter data attributes associated with each message from the server; the direct receiver connects with an indirect receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium; the direct receiver receives a message request from the indirect receiver for messages in the message store of the direct receiver over a non-broadcast communications medium; and in response to the message request, the direct receiver sends messages in the message store of the direct receiver to the indirect receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium. The direct receiver receives data from the server, and the indirect receiver receives data via another receiver.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving, by a direct receiver, one or more messages from a server over a broadcast communications medium when the direct receiver is within a coverage area of the broadcast communications medium, each message comprising associated targeter data attributes;

(b) selecting, by a targeter of the direct receiver, one or more of the messages from the server for storage in a message store of the direct receiver based on the targeter data attributes associated with each message from the server;

(c) connecting the direct receiver with a first indirect receiver over a non-broadcast communications medium;

(d) receiving, by a relay agent of the direct receiver, a message request from the first indirect receiver for messages in the message store of the direct receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium;

(e) in response to the message request from the first indirect receiver, sending, by the relay agent of the direct receiver, one or more messages in the message store of the direct receiver to the first indirect receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium;

(f) selecting, by a targeter of the first indirect receiver, one or more of the messages from the direct receiver for storage in a message store of the first indirect receiver based on the target data attributes associated with each message from the direct receiver;

(g) connecting the first indirect receiver to a second indirect receiver over a second non-broadcast communications medium;

(h) receiving, by a relay agent of the first indirect receiver, a message request from the second indirect receiver for messages in the message store of the first indirect receiver over the second non-broadcast communications medium; and

(i) in response to the message request from the second indirect receiver, sending, by the relay agent of the first indirect receiver, one or more messages in the message store of the first indirect receiver to the second indirect receiver over the second non-broadcast communications medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(i) selecting, by a targeter of the second indirect receiver, one or more of the messages from the first indirect receiver for storage in a message store of the second indirect receiver based on the target data attributes associated with each message from the first indirect receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast communications medium carries a digital television signal.

4. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code configured to;

(a) receive, by a direct receiver, the one or more messages from a server over a broadcast communications medium when the direct receiver is within a coverage area of the broadcast communications medium, each message comprising associated targeter data attributes;

(b) select, by a targeter of the direct receiver, one or more of the messages from the server for storage in a message store of the direct receiver based on the targeter data attributes associated with each message from the server;

(c) connect the direct receiver with a first indirect receiver over a non-broadcast communications medium;

(d) receive, by a relay agent of the direct receiver, a message request from the first indirect receiver for messages in the message store of the direct receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium;

(e) in response to the message request from the first indirect receiver, send, by the relay agent of the direct receiver, one or more messages in the message store of the direct receiver to the first indirect receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium;

(f) select, by a targeter of the first indirect receiver, one or more of the messages from the direct receiver for storage in a message store of the first indirect receiver based on the target data attributes associated with each message from the direct receiver;

(g) connect the first indirect receiver to a second indirect receiver over a second non-broadcast communications medium;

(h) receive, by a relay agent of the first indirect receiver, a message request from the second indirect receiver for messages in the message store of the first indirect receiver over the second non-broadcast communications medium; and

(i) in response to the message request from the second indirect receiver, send, by the relay agent of the first indirect receiver, one or more messages in the message store of the first indirect receiver to the second indirect receiver over the second non-broadcast communications medium.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

(i) select, by a targeter of the second indirect receiver, one or more of the messages from the first indirect receiver for storage in a message store of the second indirect receiver based on the target data attributes associated with each message from the first indirect receiver.

6. A system, comprising:

a direct receiver to receive one or more messages from a server over a broadcast communications medium when the direct receiver is within a coverage area of the broadcast communications medium, each message comprising associated targeter data attributes,

wherein the direct receiver comprises a targeter to select one or more of the messages from the server for storage in a message store of the direct receiver based on the targeter data attributes associated with each message from the server;

a first indirect receiver, wherein the direct receiver connects with the first indirect receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium,

wherein the direct receiver comprises a relay agent to receive a message request from the first indirect receiver for messages in the message store of the direct receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium,

wherein in response to the message request from the first indirect receiver, the relay agent of the direct receiver sends one or more messages in the message store of the direct receiver to the first indirect receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium,

wherein the first indirect receiver comprises a targeter to select one or more of the messages from the direct receiver for storage in a message store of the first indirect receiver based on the target data attributes associated with each message from the direct receiver; and

a second indirect receiver, wherein the first indirect receiver is connected to the second indirect receiver over a second non-broadcast communications medium,

wherein the first indirect receiver comprises a relay agent to receive a message request from the second indirect receiver for messages in the message store of the first indirect receiver over the second non-broadcast communications medium, and

wherein in response to the message request from the second indirect receiver, the relay agent of the first indirect receiver sends one or more messages in the message store of the first indirect receiver to the second indirect receiver over the second non-broadcast communications medium.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second indirect receiver comprises a targeter to select one or more of the messages from the first indirect receiver for storage in a message store of the second indirect receiver based on the target data attributes associated with each message from the first indirect receiver.