Interactive radio advertising and social networking

• US 8,310,985 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Harb
• Original Assignee: Joseph Harb
• Inventors: Harb, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Albert T
• Application Number:
  US12/168,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20080318529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 455/3.06, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet

Abstract

A portable device is used to capture, in real time, data sufficient to identify an item, such as a product or service promoted, or a music track played, on a broadcast medium such as radio or television. The capture device can be a standalone implementation, or an application program executable on a personal communication device such as a cell phone or Blackberry. The capture device communicates the captured data to a remote server via a selected wired or wireless channel, or the internet, and the server provides services to support the user in responding to the radio or television broadcast item that corresponds to the captured data. The server on demand downloads to the user additional digital content associated with the identified radio broadcast item.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for accessing supplemental content corresponding to an advertisement, broadcast via radio, the method comprising:

receiving a request comprising data from a device at a main server, wherein the data is associated with the advertisement and comprises;

a time stamp;

a radio station identifier;

an activation button identifier for identifying a user request, wherein the user request comprises at least one of;

a request for supplemental content associated with the advertisement, a request for more information via an automated telephone message, a request for a seller call back associated with the advertisement, a request to make donation associated with the advertisement, a request related to a campaign associated with the advertisement, or a request to add the advertisement to an ad queue associated with the device; and

information identifying a device used to originate the data;

mapping, in a table, the advertisement to an air time associated with a radio station playlist, the radio station identifier and at least one of;

the supplemental content, an automated telephone message, a donation link, a campaign, or a seller call back alert wherein the seller is associated with the advertisement;

comparing the time stamp and the radio station identifier to the table to identify the advertisement, wherein the time stamp is to be used to identify the advertisement based on the air time; and

responsive to the activation button identifier at least one of;

electronically delivering the supplemental content to the device, sending the automated telephone message to the device, sending the seller call back alert including the information identifying the device, sending the donation link to the device, or adding the advertisement to the ad queue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronically delivering the supplemental content to the device is based on the information identifying device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

compiling user response data corresponding to the advertisement, wherein the user response data includes data associated with a plurality of users; and

providing remote electronic access to the compiled user response data for the corresponding radio broadcast station or advertiser.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the compiled user response data reflects real-time listener responses to the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the supplemental content is delivered to the user via a web site.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the supplemental content is delivered to the user via a telecommunications network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is received at the main server from a portable wireless telecommunications device, and the data includes data displayed on a radio receiver while the radio receiver is receiving the advertisement.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when electronically delivering the supplemental content, the supplemental content includes at least one of additional audio content, graphics, text files, or video clips.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the main server is coupled to a user interaction means comprising a voice prompt activation program responsive to voice prompt commands to receive the data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user request is received via a web site.

11. The method of claim 1, and further comprising receiving from the device a user request comprising a request for transcript, a request for more information, a request to make donation, a request for a callback, a request related to advertiser campaign, or radio personality name, or combinations thereof.

12. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for accessing supplemental content corresponding to interest data, the instructions when executed cause a computer to:

identify an advertisement to be broadcast over a radio transmission;

map, in a table, the advertisement to an air time associated with a radio station playlist, a radio station identifier and the supplemental content;

receive the interest data at a main server, wherein the interest data comprises at least a time stamp, a radio station identifier (ID), an activation button ID and a device ID used to originate the interest data, wherein the activation button ID identifies a user request;

store the interest data in memory of the main server;

identify the supplemental content, from the table, based on the time stamp and the radio station ID; and

send the supplemental content to the device responsive to the activation button ID and the device ID.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein identifying the supplemental content further comprises associating the interest data with a user identification.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, the instructions when executed further cause a computer to;

compile quantitative data corresponding to the interest data and the supplemental content or qualitative data corresponding to the interest data and the supplemental content, or combinations thereof;

generate one or more visual representations of the quantitative data or qualitative data, or combinations thereof; and

provide access to the visual representations.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, the instructions when executed further cause a computer to provide an online social networking forum for accessing the supplemental content.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, the instructions when executed further cause a computer to automatically initiate wireless communication via a predetermined access telephone number responsive to receiving the interest data wherein a user interaction means comprises a voice or key prompt activation program responsive to voice prompts or keyed commands, or combinations thereof.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the activation ID corresponds to:

a request to enter a response to a poll, a request to enter a vote, a request for a transcript, a request for more information, a request to make a donation, a request for a callback, or a request related to an advertiser campaign, or combinations thereof.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16 wherein the voice or key prompt activation program communicates the interest data to the main server.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, the instructions when executed further cause a computer to provide access to the supplemental content via a social networking website, wherein a social networking website server is accessible to a plurality of users for interacting in an online social forum and for accessing and sharing same supplemental content or different supplemental content among the plurality users.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, the instructions when executed further cause a computer to gather, interpret, visually represent and provide access to data identifying user responses to the advertisement based on the interest data.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, the instructions when executed further cause a computer to;

configure a business entity accessible to one or more users via the main server, the business entity belonging to a hierarchy comprising two or more of the following business entities;

groups of radio stations, sub-groups of radio stations, individual radio stations, retailers, advertisers, products, campaigns or donations; and

allow user access to the business entity, wherein access to the business is based on a hierarchical level of the user attempting to access the business entity.