Apparatus and method to generate and access broadcast information

• US 20020023272A1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Interactive Media, Inc.
• Original Assignee: POCOCK, MICHAEL
• Inventors: Pocock, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• 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: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/83 accessed over telephonic networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63 Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing real-time session protocols H04L65/1101; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

The system enables listeners and viewers of a broadcast to access additional information associated with a broadcast. Listeners and viewers utilize a user device to connect to a database containing program descriptions (e.g. audio, text, video or combination thereof) further describing the programming and ancillary information. The database is indexed by the broadcast'"'"'s program list or schedule thereby allowing a user of the system to search and select a particular program description of interest. Hearing or viewing program descriptions enables users to preview excerpts and review a broadcast before purchasing an item heard or viewed on a broadcast.

Claims

19. A method for identifying a broadcast over a network comprising the steps of:

receiving a network address associated with a user inquiry;

querying a database of stored network addresses wherein each stored address or part thereof is indexed to a group of broadcast identifiers;

determining whether said received network address matches one of said stored network addresses;

if one of said stored network addresses matches the received network address, retrieving said indexed group of broadcast identifiers corresponding to said network address; and

receiving an input signal associated with said user inquiry, selecting one of said broadcast identifiers.

20. A computer-implemented information system to identify a radio or television broadcast comprising:

a database storing geographic identification codes associated with a range or location of at least one radio or television broadcast, said database further storing broadcast identifiers indexed to said geographic identification codes;

an input receiving a geographic identification code and a broadcast identifier, said geographic identification code and said broadcast identifier related to a user inquiry; and

a processor which a) is coupled to said database and retrieves a subset of broadcast identifiers associated with said range or location of at least one radio or television broadcast upon input of said user inquiry related geographic identification code and b) includes an interface to communicate said subset of broadcast identifiers, and c) further includes a second input identifying a radio or television broadcast from said subset of broadcast identifiers.

1. A method to identify radio or television broadcasts through the combination of a geographic identification code and a broadcast identifier, comprising the steps of:

digitally storing in a database, geographic identification codes associated with an area or location of a radio or television broadcast signal, said database further storing data representing said at least one broadcast identifier associated with said radio or television broadcast signal;

receiving user related information, said user related information comprising a geographic identification code and a broadcast identifier;

communicating said user related geographic identification code into said database to create a subset of data, said subset of data comprising data representing at least one broadcast identifier; and

identifying said radio or television broadcast from said subset of data upon receipt of said broadcast identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said broadcast identifier is input through a touchtone telephone keypad using DTMF tones.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said database further includes digital data representing telephone keypad numbers for said at least one broadcast identifier, wherein said at least one broadcast identifier comprises or contains alphabetic characters.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of generating a second subset of data from first said subset of data, wherein said radio or television broadcast is identified from said second subset of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcaster information of at least one of said radio or television broadcast signals is indexed by category or group listing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said database further includes program schedule information for said radio or television broadcasts, wherein said program schedule is accessed responsive to said identification of said radio or television broadcast.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the step of transmitting program descriptions related to said radio or television broadcasts.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said program descriptions are transmitted in the order corresponding to a program schedule or list.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said program descriptions are located remotely and users are linked to said remotely located program descriptions.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of said program descriptions is determined by said geographic identification code.

11. The method of claim 8, whereby said transmission of said program descriptions is synchronized with said program schedule or list.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said broadcast identifier comprises one of the following, station call letters, a station tuning frequency, a television channel allocation, a cable subscriber identification, a music genre, a telephone number, a network address, an identification number or a predetermined identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic identification codes include or comprise telephone area and exchange codes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic identification codes include or comprise a cable converter addresses or a cable company description.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein program description information or program schedule information is contained within said radio or television broadcast signal.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said user related geographic identification code determines an area or region.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said geographic identification codes comprise or include identification codes relating to telephone switch, telephone cell or transmitter information.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said geographic identification code comprises or includes a network address.

21. The information system of claim 20, wherein said user related geographic identification code and said broadcast identifier are input separately.

22. The information system of claim 20, wherein said geographic identification code comprises or includes a user related network address or part thereof.

23. The information system of claim 20, wherein said database further includes program description information related to said radio or television broadcasts.

24. The information system of claim 23, wherein said program description information is communicated to a user by said interface upon identification of said radio or television broadcast.

25. The information system of claim 23, wherein said program descriptions comprises or includes a program schedule or list.

26. The information system of claim 23, wherein said program description comprises or includes information relating to an item in a program schedule or list.

27. The information system of claim 20, wherein said broadcast identifier comprises or includes one of the following, station call letters, a station tuning frequency, a television channel allocation, a cable subscriber identification, a music genre, a telephone number, a cable converter address, a network address, an identification number or a predetermined identifier.

26-1. The information system of claim 23, wherein said program description information is stored remotely from said system.