Tuning based on historical geographic location

• US 9,918,200 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Littlejohn, Jeffrey Lee, Albl, Michael Lincoln, Zigler, Jeffrey D., Lockhart, Kevin R., Wooden, Richard D., Lockhart, Jacqueline J., Myers, Theodore N., Hill, Evan A., Jellison, Tanya R.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, WILLIAM JW
• Application Number:
  US15/017,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/22 Arrangements for broadcast of identical information via plural broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal

Abstract

A history of user listening patterns associating geographic locations with media stations is stored and used to aid in selecting a media station. If a media station associated with a current geographical location is available, that station can be automatically tuned by a wireless media receiver. If a media station associated with the current location is not available, an alternate media station that is available at the current geographical location can be selected, and the receiver tuned to the alternate station. The alternate station can be an over-the-air (OTA) station or an Internet Protocol (IP) station. A user can be allowed to select between alternate stations having comparable content, or the user can designate a default alternate station. User listening patterns can be used to determine whether a media station is associated a particular geographic location.

Claims

1. A wireless media receiver comprising:

a memory operably associated with a processor for storing an electronic program guide associating each of a plurality of potential alternate media stations with a plurality of content attributes;

a wireless receiver coupled to the processor tuned to a first media station; and

the processor executing a program of code instructions to;

measure commonality between a plurality of first media station content attributes stored in the electronic program guide, and the plurality of content attributes for each of the plurality of potential alternate media stations also stored in the electronic program guide;

assign a similarity score to each of the plurality of potential alternate media stations based on the measurement;

identify one of the plurality of potential alternate media stations having a highest similarity score as an alternate media station;

determine a signal-quality parameter of the first media station is not above a first threshold level after the alternate media station has been identified;

automatically tune the wireless receiver to the alternate media station;

determine the signal-quality parameter of the first media station is above a second threshold level after the wireless receiver has been automatically tuned to the alternate media station;

wherein the second threshold level is greater than the first threshold level; and

automatically tune the wireless receiver to the first media station.

2. The wireless media receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

the memory for storing a plurality of user preferences associating a user-defined factor of importance to one or more of the plurality of content attributes of each of the plurality of potential alternate media stations; and

wherein a similarity score assigned to one of the plurality of potential alternate media stations increases if the first media station and one of the plurality of potential alternate media stations have in common a content attribute associated with the user-defined factor of importance.

3. The wireless media receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor executing a program of code instructions to;

determine a current geographic location of the wireless receiver; and

transmit the current geographic location and an identification of the alternate media station to a shared database usable by others.

4. The wireless media receiver of claim 3, wherein determining the current geographic location of the wireless receiver includes receiving a user-provided zip code.

5. The wireless media receiver of claim 1, wherein the first threshold level is equal to or lesser than 8 dB and the second threshold level is equal to or greater than 9.5 dB.

6. The wireless media receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor executing a program of code instructions to;

display an indication that the first media station is not currently available.

7. The wireless media receiver of claim 1, wherein the first media station is an on-the-air broadcast station and the alternate media station is an internet protocol broadcast station.

8. A method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first media station,

the method comprising:

measuring commonality between a plurality of first media station content attributes stored in an electronic program guide, and the plurality of content attributes for each of a plurality of potential alternate media stations also stored in the electronic program guide;

assigning a similarity score to each of the plurality of potential alternate media stations based on the measurement;

identifying one of the plurality of potential alternate media stations having a highest similarity score as an alternate media station;

determining a signal-quality parameter of the first media station is not above a first threshold level after the alternate media station has been identified;

determining a signal-quality parameter of the alternate media station is above the threshold level;

automatically tuning the wireless receiver to the alternate media station;

determining the signal-quality parameter of the first media station is above a second threshold level after the wireless receiver has been automatically tuned to the alternate media station;

wherein the second threshold level is greater than the first threshold level; and

automatically tuning the wireless receiver to the first media station.

9. The method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first media station of claim 8, wherein a similarity score assigned to one of the plurality of potential alternate media stations increases if the first media station and one of the plurality of potential alternate media stations have in common a content attribute associated with a user-defined factor of importance within a stored plurality of user preferences.

10. The method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first media station of claim 8 further comprising:

determining a current geographic location of the wireless receiver; and

transmitting the current geographic location and an identification of the alternate media station to a shared database usable by others.

11. The method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first media station of claim 10, wherein the determination of the current geographic location of the wireless receiver includes receiving a user-provided zip code.

12. The method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first media station of claim 8, wherein the first threshold level is equal to or lesser than 8 dB and the second threshold level is equal to or greater than 9.5 dB.

13. The method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first media station of claim 8 further comprising displaying an indication that the first media station is not currently available.

14. The method for use in a wireless receiver tuned to a first media station, the method of claim 8, wherein the first media station is an on-the-air broadcast station and the alternate media station is an internet protocol broadcast station.