Method and apparatus for providing additional information to a selective call device about a broadcast

• US 6,167,235 A
• Filed: 02/03/1999
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sibecas, Salvador, Eaton, Eric Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/243,677
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.1, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/32.1, 455/414, 455/403, 455/154.1, 455/158.2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/6.3, 348/12-13, 348/8-9, 348/552, 348/473, 340/825.26, 340/825.27, 340/825.35, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 340/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/229 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

A technique is used in a selective call communication system (100) and in a broadcast communication system (106) to provide additional information about a broadcast to a selective call device (111). A broadcast receiver (109) receives a broadcast that includes a prompt (220), such as a FLEX™ logo, and an information address signal (305), such as an inaudible portion of the sound portion of the broadcast. The prompt indicates that additional information is available in a message to be transmitted by the selective call communication system. The selective call device receives the information address signal when activated to do so in response to the prompt. The selective call device receives and decodes an information address from the information address signal and uses it to recover the message at a protocol position indicated by the information address. The additional information is then recovered from the message.

Claims

1. A method used in a selective call communication system and a broadcast communication system to provide to a selective call device additional information about a broadcast, comprising the steps of:

in a broadcast receiver of the broadcast communication system,

receiving a broadcast comprising a prompt and an information address, the prompt indicating that the additional information is available, and the information address identifying how the additional information is received;

presenting the broadcast including the prompt; and

transmitting an information address signal that includes the information address;

in a fixed network of the selective call communication system,

transmitting by a fixed network transmitter of a message including the additional information; and

in a selective call device of the selective call communication system,

activating an information address signal receive mode in response at least in part to the prompt;

receiving and decoding an information address from the information address signal when the information address signal receive mode is activated;

receiving the message; and

accepting the additional information when the message matches the information address received in the information address signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in an infrastructure of the broadcast communication system, the step of

transmitting the broadcast that includes the prompt and the information address.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of receiving the broadcast, the broadcast is received within a broadcast signal that is a standard television signal comprising a picture portion and an audio portion.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the prompt is an icon appearing in the picture portion.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the audio portion includes the information address.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the information address is within one or more sub-bands of the audio portion.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of receiving the broadcast, the broadcast is received within a radio signal that is a standard frequency modulation (FM) or amplitude modulation (AM) radio signal that includes an audio presentation.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the prompt is an audible indication.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the information address is within one or more sub-bands of the audio presentation.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of transmitting an information address signal, the information address is transmitted using one of an infrared carrier or a local radio frequency carrier.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of activating an information address signal receive mode, the activating is in response to a user control that is manipulated by a user in response at least in part to the prompt.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of activating an information address signal receive mode, the activating is in response at least in part to a sensing of the prompt by a prompt sensor.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of receiving the broadcast, the prompt and information address are demodulated using conventional techniques.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of transmitting the information address signal, the broadcast receiver transmits the information address signal using a device that is also used to transmit another portion of the broadcast.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein in the device is a speaker.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast receiver is a conventional television designed to receive, present, and transmit conventional television signals.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information address signal comprises a protocol position identifier, and wherein the additional information is accepted when the message is received at a protocol position identified by the protocol position identifier.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information address signal comprises a first information access code, and wherein the message further comprises a second information access code, and wherein the additional information is accepted when the first information access code matches the second information access code.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

in an infrastructure of the broadcast communication system,

transmitting the prompt for presentation beginning at a prompt start time; and

in the fixed network of the selective call communication system,

transmitting the message at least once, beginning at a message start time that is no earlier than the prompt start time.

20. The method according to claim 1,

wherein in the step of transmitting the information address signal, the information address signal has and end time, and

comprising the step in the fixed network of the selective call communication system of:

transmitting the message at least once, beginning at a message start time that is no earlier than the message end time.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information address signal receive mode is deactivated when the information address signal is received sufficiently error free.

22. A selective call device that provides additional information about a broadcast, comprising:

an information address signal receiver that receives an information address signal that includes an information address that identifies how the additional information is received;

a message receiver for receiving a message that includes the additional information and the information address;

a controller, coupled to the information address and message receivers, that controls the selective call device to;

activate an information address signal receive mode;

decode an information address from the information address signal received when the information address signal receive mode is active; and

accept the additional information when the message matches the information address received in the information address signal.

23. The selective call device according to claim 22, wherein the selective call device further comprises a user control, and the controller activates the information address signal receive mode in response to a user control that is manipulated by a user in response at least in part to a prompt presented within the broadcast.

24. The selective call device according to claim 22, wherein the selective call device further comprises a prompt sensor, and wherein the controller activates the information address signal receive mode in response at least in part to an output of the prompt sensor that is in response to a prompt in the broadcast.

25. The selective call device according to claim 22, further comprising an audio sensing device coupled to the controller that intercepts the information address signal when the information address signal receive mode is activated.

26. The selective call device according to claim 22, wherein in the information address signal receiver receives the information address signal as a conventional television audio signal.

27. The selective call device according to claim 22, wherein the controller deactivates the information address receive signal mode when the information address signal is received sufficiently error free.

28. A selective call device that provides additional information about a broadcast, comprising:

an information address signal receiver that receives an information address signal that includes an information address that is associated with the additional information;

a message receiver for receiving a message that includes the additional information and the information address; and

a controller, coupled to the information address and message receivers, that controls the selective call device to;

activate an information address receive mode;

decode an information address from the information address signal received when the information address signal receive mode is active;

store the information address; and

accept the additional information in response to an activation of a user control when the message matches the information address received in the information address signal.

29. The selective call device according to claim 28, wherein the controller simultaneously decodes the information address signal and a personal selective call message.