Internet-based interactive radio system for use with broadcast radio stations

• US 6,628,928 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1999
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chartoleaux KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ecarmerce Incorporated
• Inventors: Crosby, Stephen P., Noreen, Gary Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US09/459,025
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/456, 455/77, 455/552, 455/557, 455/575, 455/550, 455/150.1, 455/154.1, 455/161.1, 455/346, 455/503, 725/24, 705/26, 370/352, 370/353, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• 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 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An interactive radio system is provided for use with broadcast radio stations wherein feedback is provided to subscribers of the system via the Internet. Interactive radio mobile units are mounted within vehicles or at other locations. Each mobile unit includes a receiver for receiving radio broadcasts, a GPS system for determining the location of the vehicle, and a wireless transmitter for transmitting interactive radio control signals to a network operation center. While listening to a radio broadcast, the subscriber selects program segments of interest by pressing an interactive radio control button on the mobile unit. The program segments are, for example, individual musical selections, advertisements or the like. In response, the mobile unit transmits the carrier frequency of the radio broadcast, the date and time, the geographical location of the vehicle, and a subscriber identification signal to the network operation center using the wireless transmitter. The network operations center determines the identity of the selected program segment based upon the information transmitted from the mobile unit. Then, the network operation center accesses databases providing information pertaining to the selected program segment and provides the information to the subscriber via the Internet, such that the information can later be retrieved by the subscriber using a home or office computer or the like. By providing feedback via the Internet, the subscriber need not make decisions immediately regarding purchase of goods or services while listening to a radio broadcast. Moreover, a vast amount of information may be provided to the subscriber facilitating the purchase of goods or services or the like.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mobile unit having a broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast transmissions from broadcasters and a transmitter for transmitting wireless broadcast attribute and command signals, wherein the mobile unit has one or more command buttons, each for generating a broadcast attribute and command signal in response to the actuation of the command button by a user, wherein the broadcast attribute and command signal identifies which command button was actuated, and the carrier frequency and the time of a broadcast transmission received by the mobile unit from a broadcaster;

a receiver system for receiving the broadcast attribute and command signal transmitted from the mobile unit and the command button actuated by the user; and

a processor responsive to receipt of the broadcast attribute and command signal, for providing information to the user of the mobile unit via the Internet representative or the content of the broadcast transmission received by the mobile unit.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the broadcasts are radio broadcasts and wherein the broadcast receiver of the mobile unit includes a broadcast radio receiver.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmitter of the mobile unit is a satellite wireless communication device, cellular telephone or other local wireless system transmitter.

4. The system of claim 1

wherein said processor includes

for identifying the broadcaster based at least in part upon the carrier frequency of the broadcast; and

means for determining the content of the broadcast transmission based on the identity of the broadcaster and the date and time of the broadcast.

5. The system of claim 4

wherein said mobile unit further includes a GPS unit;

and

wherein the broadcast attribute and command signal also includes information identifying the geographical location of the mobile unit based on location information and time information received from the GPS unit within said mobile unit; and

wherein the time within the broadcast attribute and command signal is generated upon the actuation of the command button; and

wherein said means for identifying the broadcaster includes

means for inputting the carrier frequencies of various broadcasts;

means for inputting the geographical locations of various broadcasters;

means for inputting the time of the broadcast attribute and command signal; and

means for identifying the broadcaster based upon the carrier frequency of the broadcast transmission, the time of the broadcast transmission, and the geographical location of the mobile unit.

6. The system of claim 4

wherein all broadcasts processed by the system are broadcast by broadcasters in a single general geographical location;

and

wherein said means for identifying the broadcaster includes

means for inputting the carrier frequencies of various broadcasts;

means for identifying the broadcaster based upon the carrier frequency of the broadcast transmission.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor includes means for determining the content of the broadcast transmission received by the mobile unit based at least in part upon the information of the broadcast attribute signal;

and

wherein said means for determining the content of the broadcast transmission includes

means for inputting a list of radio program segments broadcast by the broadcaster including the date and time of broadcast of the segments; and

means for identifying the program segment broadcast by the broadcaster based upon the date and time identified by the broadcast attribute signal.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said broadcast transmission is a frequency modulated (FM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said receiver system further includes means for receiving a client identifier signal transmitted from the mobile unit, said client identifier signal identifying at least one unique attribute of a user of the mobile unit.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for providing information via the Internet transmits the information via an email message to an email address associated with the user identified by the client identifier signal.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor provides the information via the Internet in an Internet web site accessible by the user.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the information representative of said content of the broadcast transmission generated by said processor also provides information to identify the broadcaster and the date and time of the broadcast.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said the information representative of said content of the broadcast transmission generated by said processor provides an identification of a program segment of the broadcast.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the program segment is an advertisement provided by an advertiser and wherein the identification of the content of the program segment by said processor includes an identification of goods or services provided by the advertiser.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the identification of the content of the program segment by said processor includes an identification of an Internet site associated with the advertiser.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the program segment is a musical selection performed by a performer and wherein the identification of the content or the program segment by said processor includes the name of the musical selection and of the performer.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the identification of the content of the program segment by said processor includes a link to an Internet site associated with the performer.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the identification of the content of the program segment by said processor includes information pertaining lo purchasing the musical selection.

19. The system of claim 18 including a fulfillment unit for receiving a purchase order for the musical selection and for fulfilling the purchase order.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said fulfillment unit generates a digital music file containing music specified by the purchase order and transmits the digital music file containing the music via the Internet to the subscriber.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said fulfillment unit generates a customized compact disk (CD) containing music specified by the purchase order.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the information representative of the content of the broadcast transmission received by the mobile unit is dependent on the command button actuated by the user.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile unit further includes a GPS unit coupled to the transmitter, and wherein the broadcast attribute and command signal further transmitted by the transmitter includes information pertaining to the geographical location of the mobile unit as determined by the GPS unit.

24. A system for use with a mobile unit having a broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast transmissions from broadcasters, wherein the broadcast transmissions contain information encoded therein to identify program segments received by the broadcast receiver, a signal generator for generating a program segment signal based on the information encoded within the broadcast transmissions, and a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting program segment signals to the system, said system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a program segment signal transmitted from the mobile unit; and

a processor, responsive to receipt of the program segment signal for providing information to the user of the mobile unit via the Internet representative of the content of the broadcast transmission received by the mobile unit.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising a a mobile unit having a broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast transmission from broadcasters.

26. The system of claim 24 further broadcaster broadcasting program segments.

27. The system of claim 24 further comprising a subscriber access device with a user interface for displaying information from said processor.

28. A method for use with a mobile unit having a broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast transmissions from broadcasters wherein the broadcast transmissions contain information encoded therein to identify program segments broadcast by the broadcast receiver and a transmitter for transmitting wireless signals to the system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a program segment signal transmitted from the mobile unit said program segment signal identifying the information encoded within the broadcast transmissions; and

in response to receipt of the program segment signal providing information to the user of the mobile unit via the Internet representative of the content of the broadcast transmission received by the mobile unit.

29. A system for use with one or more broadcasters, said system comprising:

a plurality of mobile units each having a at least one command button, a broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast transmissions from broadcasters and a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting signals identifying a selected program segment of the broadcast transmission in response to the actuation of the command button; and

a network processor having

a network receiver for receiving the signals identifying the selected program segment, wherein the signals include a broadcast attribute signal identifying the command button actuated and at least one attribute of a program segment received by the mobile unit from one of the broadcasters; and

a delivery unit responsive to receipt of the broadcast attribute signal, for providing information to the user of the mobile unit via the Internet representative of the content of the broadcast transmission received by the mobile units.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein at least one of said mobile units includes

means for determining a geographical location of the mobile unit;

means for determining the carrier frequency of the broadcast;

means for determining the date and time of the program segment;

means for storing a subscriber identifier value; and

wherein said receiver transmits the geographical location, the carrier frequency, the date and time and the subscriber identification value to the network processor.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said means for determining a geographical location of the mobile unit is a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) device.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the network receiver of the network processor further includes a location identification unit that identifies the geographical location of the mobile unit by mapping the cellular base station that received the transmitted wireless signals to a predefined geographical area.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the broadcast receiver includes one or more of an analog terrestrial broadcast receiver, a digital terrestrial broadcast receiver, and a digital satellite broadcast receiver.

34. An interactive radio mobile unit for use with an interactive radio system having a command button, a receiver for receiving signals pertaining to selected program segments and having a network processor for providing information to a user associated with the mobile unit via an Internet-enabled device with the information being representative of the content of the program segments received by the mobile unit, said mobile unit comprising:

a receiver for receiving broadcast transmissions from broadcasters;

a location determining unit for determining a geographical location of the mobile unit;

a frequency determination unit for determining the carrier frequency of the broadcast;

a date and time determination unit for determining the date and time of the program segment;

computer memory for storing a user identifier value; and

a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the geographical location, the carrier frequency, the date and time, and a user identifier value to the network processor substantially immediately upon the actuation of the command button.