Method and apparatus for an interactive Web Radio system that broadcasts a digital markup language

• US 6,975,835 B1
• Filed: 09/07/1999
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sound Cheers Limited
• Original Assignee: Sonigistix Corp.
• Inventors: Bolleman, Brent, Lake, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Application Number:
  US09/390,946
• Time in Patent Office: 2,289 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501.1, 707/513, 709/217, 709/219, 709/216, 709/239, 725/126, 455/557, 455/46, 455/3.01, 340/311.2, 703/217, 703/219, 729/126
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet

Abstract

An interactive radio system is disclosed. The overall architecture of the interactive radio system includes a broadcast system for broadcasting digital information across a radio signal to web radio receiver units. An interactive broadcast reception system includes a general purpose computer having a processor, display, and storage and internet connection, a broadcast receiver to communicate with the general purpose computer and to decode digital subcarrier data formatted as a broadcast markup language document, and application software that runs on the processor of the computer and communicates with the broadcast receiver to control the operation of the broadcast receiver and to respond to broadcast markup language commands in said broadcast markup language document by connecting to an internet address referenced in said digital subcarrier data.

Claims

1. An interactive broadcast reception system including a general purpose computer having a processor, display, and storage and internet connection, the system comprising:

(a) a broadcast receiver to communicate with the general purpose computer and to decode digital subcarrier data formatted as a broadcast markup language documents, said broadcast receiver being separable from said general purpose computer and including a removable faceplate portion to enable the transfer of listener credits to said interactive broadcast reception system; and

(b) application software that runs on the processor of the computer and communicates with the broadcast receiver to control the operation of the broadcast receiver and to respond to broadcast markup language commands in said broadcast markup language document by connecting to an internet address referenced in said digital subcarrier data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said broadcast markup language document is formatted in the XML standard.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said broadcast receiver has a memory.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said application software sets listener information to the referenced internet address, the listener information being subsequently used by a corresponding website to provide a unique response to a listener associated with the interactive broadcast reception system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one broadcast markup language document is inserted into the broadcast signal to provide an interactive simulcast of related broadcast audio and audience related functions, said audience related functions include responsive changes of the broadcast audio and hypermedia documents based on audience specific communications enabled through the internet connection.