Systems and methods for scheduling interactive media and events

• US 8,631,448 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: StratosAudio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: StratosAudio, Inc.
• Inventors: Christensen, Kelly M., Hansen, John Phillip, Mock, Thomas Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US12/334,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The user can respond to a media segment wherein the media segment may be associated with a schedulable event. Software on the device can then schedule the event into an electronic calendar system, and/or may use data associated with the media segment. At the appropriate time, the electronic calendar system may notify the user of the scheduled broadcast and/or event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for scheduling opportunities associated with interactive media and events, comprising:

receiving, in a broadcast receiver device, at least a specific instance of a broadcast segment, an associated interactive media transmission, and a unique identifier specific to a scheduling opportunity corollary to the interactive media transmission;

determining an association of the specific instance of the broadcast segment with the interactive media transmission, a second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment, and at least one option associated with the scheduling opportunity;

presenting, using the broadcast receiver device, the interactive media transmission and the at least one option associated with the interactive media transmission;

receiving, through an input module connected to the broadcast receiver device, a selection of at least one option associated with the scheduling opportunity;

transmitting, through a network connection using the broadcast receiver device, the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity and at least the second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment to a schedule delivery system server;

receiving from the schedule delivery system server, through the network connection using the broadcast receiver device, scheduling response data specific to the interactive media transmission, the scheduling response data determined using predetermined scheduling preference data; and

generating a reminder in at least the broadcast receiver device determined by the association of the scheduling response data, the predetermined scheduling preference data and at least the second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment, wherein the reminder causes the broadcast receiver device to produce an alert.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the alert is a song specific to the scheduling opportunity.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined scheduling preference data comprises at least in part an amount of time to generate the alert before a scheduled event.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity is generated subsequent to receiving broadcast scheduling data for the broadcast segment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the alert is produced in advance of a scheduled event by a time period, the time period determined based in part on a current location of the user relative to a location associated with the scheduled event.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determination by the association of the scheduling response data is made using at least one of the following:

the broadcast receiver device, the schedule delivery system server, a third party.

7. A system for scheduling interactive media and events, comprising:

computer storage that stores data that enables identification of a specific instance of the interactive media transmission; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive a specific instance of a broadcast segment, an associated interactive media transmission, and a unique identifier specific to a scheduling opportunity that enables at least one selectable option;

associate the specific instance of the broadcast segment with the interactive media transmission, and a second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment;

transmit, to an interactive media receiver, the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity that enables the at least one selectable option, and the second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment;

receive from the interactive media receiver a selection corollary to the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity that enables the at least one selectable option and the second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment; and

transmit, to the interactive media receiver, scheduling response data specific to the interactive media transmission, the scheduling response data configured to enable the interactive media receiver to schedule an alert, the scheduling response data based in part on the selection of the at least one option.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity subsequent to receiving broadcast scheduling data for the broadcast segment.

9. Non-transitory computer storage having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a specific instance of a broadcast segment, an associated interactive media transmission, and a unique identifier specific to a scheduling opportunity that enables at least one selectable option;

associating the specific instance of the broadcast segment with the interactive media transmission, and a second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment;

transmitting, to an interactive media receiver, the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity that enables the at least one selectable option, and the second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment;

receiving from the interactive media receiver a selection corollary to the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity that enables the at least one selectable option and the second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment; and

transmitting, to the interactive media receiver, scheduling response data specific to the interactive media transmission, the scheduling response data configured to enable the interactive media receiver to schedule an alert, the scheduling response data based in part on the selection of the at least one option.

10. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 9, wherein the instructions direct the computing system to generate the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity subsequent to receiving broadcast scheduling data for the broadcast segment.

11. A broadcast receiver device comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

receive at least a specific instance of a broadcast segment, an associated interactive media transmission, and a unique identifier specific to a scheduling opportunity corollary to the interactive media transmission;

determine an association of the specific instance of the broadcast segment with the interactive media transmission, a second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment, and at least one option associated with the scheduling opportunity;

present the interactive media transmission and the at least one option associated with the scheduling opportunity;

an input interface configured to receive a selection of at least one option associated with the scheduling opportunity; and

a network interface configured to;

transmit the unique identifier specific to the scheduling opportunity and the second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment to a schedule delivery system server; and

receive from the schedule delivery system server, through the network connection using the broadcast receiver device, scheduling response data specific to the interactive media transmission, the scheduling response data determined using predetermined scheduling preference data;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate a reminder that causes an alert to be produced, the reminder based in part on the scheduling response data and the second unique identifier that enables unique identification of the specific instance of the broadcast segment.

12. The broadcast receiver device of claim 11, wherein the alert is a song specific to the scheduling opportunity.