259results about "Accumulation-type receiver broadcast" patented technology

A targeted advertising system comprising an interface unit (110) configured to receive broadcast transmissions, a primary broadcast stream (101) for broadcast programming, a secondary broadcast stream (105) for targeted advertising content, and a storage device (115) for storing the targeted advertising content. The method comprises presenting a targeted advertising content to a user including receiving a primary broadcast stream (101), receiving a secondary broadcast stream (105), storing a portion of the secondary broadcast stream in a storage device (115), and presenting a targeted advertising stream to the user, which may be selected based on a user parameter.

A method and apparatus for improving the reception of digitally modulated signals. A main signal and a supplemental signal are provided in the transmitter. The signals may be substantially identical except that the supplemental signal is advanced in time with respect to the main signal. The main and supplemental signals are sent from the transmitter to the receiver modulated on a signal. At the receiver, the supplemental signal is stored in a buffer. If the main signal is undesirably changed during transmission, corresponding portions of the supplement signal are substituted for the undesired portions of the main signal.

A personalized media service provides, e.g., user customization of radio channel selections, immediate availability of multiple pre-programmed and / or customized channels, the ability to intersperse different types of content including periodically refreshed information content, availability of personal radio functions on devices such as car audio systems, PDAs, smartphones, MP3 players, etc. Available channels include, e.g., pre-programmed channels selected for the user based on an interest profile, user-owned content, user-specified recorded content, etc. An audio user interface facilitates user selection of programming and user purchase of currently played audio material. An overall radio experience is thus provided that combines the customization and flexibility of digital media with the immediacy and ubiquity of radio. Video materials may also be accommodated.

Audiovisual reproduction system triggered by payment from a user, developed around a microprocessor device, said system comprising memory containing, in compressed digital form, audio and visual information to be used, a display and digital audio reproduction unit enabling formation of a multimedia environment, wherein the display comprises a video monitor and an interactive interface with the user by an interface program which reacts to external events and translates the external events for a multitasking operating system as events which trigger, via a graphical module of a library of integrated tools and services, a display of windows or frames providing a modification of physical operating parameters of the audiovisual reproduction system, said external events comprising at least a down event interpreting coincidence of a placement of pointing device with the position of at least a representation displayed by the graphic module, and an event which triggers modification of the physical operating parameters by storing these parameters in said memory.

Various apparatus, methods and systems for insertion of advertisements in various environments are provided. Apparatus, methods and systems for profiling users, registering advertisement impressions and generating feedback in response to advertisement viewing are also disclosed.

An audio-on-demand communication system provides real-time playback of audio data transferred via telephone lines or other communication links. One or more audio servers include memory banks which store compressed audio data. At the request of a user at a subscriber PC, an audio server transmits the compressed audio data over the communication link to the subscriber PC. The subscriber PC receives and decompresses the transmitted audio data in less than real-time using only the processing power of the CPU within the subscriber PC. According to one aspect of the present invention, high quality audio data compressed according to lossless compression techniques is transmitted together with normal quality audio data. According to another aspect of the present invention, metadata, or extra data, such as text, captions, still images, etc., is transmitted with audio data and is simultaneously displayed with corresponding audio data. The audio-on-demand system also provides a table of contents indicating significant divisions in the audio clip to be played and allows the user immediate access to audio data at the listed divisions. According to a further aspect of the present invention, servers and subscriber PCs are dynamically allocated based upon geographic location to provide the highest possible quality in the communication link.

In an Internet based personalized radio, where a user has a pre-selected list of songs to be played in a particular order, the invention provides an apparatus and method allowing the user to skip one or more songs without having an unintended delay between skips. This is accomplished by pre-buffering the first ten seconds of each of the next several songs on the list so that, should the user choose to skip to any of the next several songs, the pre-buffered ten seconds of the target song is already available to be played. The apparatus starts to play the pre-buffered port of the target song and starts to download the rest of it at the same time. Because the initial buffering time for the rest of the target song is less than ten seconds, the target song is played smoothly.

Various apparatus, methods and systems for insertion of advertisements in various environments are provided. Apparatus, methods and systems for profiling users, registering advertisement impressions and generating feedback in response to advertisement viewing are also disclosed.

The mobil base station is disclosed having a computer readable storage medium for information and mobil wireless communication circuitry for performing wireless communication with a user in its broadcast area. In a complimentary configuration, the user has a terminal with a computer readable storage medium for storing information and terminal wireless communication circuitry for cooperating with the mobil wireless communication circuitry to facilitate wireless communication therebetween. The mobil base station performs a wireless transfer of information by moving to the user's particular geographical area such that its broadcast area includes the user's terminal. Using the mobil wireless communication circuitry and the terminal wireless communication circuitry, a wireless communication link is established. A transfer of information then occurs between the storage medium of the mobile base station and the storage medium of the terminal via the wireless communication link.

A system for personalizing received transmissions includes a content source that provides multiple transmission streams over a transmission media. A plurality of receivers is included wherein each receiver selects portions of one or more of the transmission streams in accordance with a playlist for each user. The receiver renders the portions of the received transmissions in accordance with a schedule.

Providing refreshed advertisements to subscriber equipment 210, such as a set-top box. A “client” application runs on the subscriber equipment 210 and includes a queue 404 for storing targeted advertisements, a processor 402 for monitoring the display of each advertisement to the subscriber, a counter 410 for counting each display, and a trigger circuit 406 for initiating an advertisement download each time it is determined that the queue of advertisements stored at the client application has reached a low-level threshold. An advertisement management system 202 provides advertisements to the client application. These advertisements may be network-based advertisements or may be targeted to each individual subscriber, based on a subscriber profile that is provided by a subscriber characterization system 204.

A method for sharing content over a network is provided. According to the method, a plurality of requests (200) for receiving content are received by a server (102) from user terminals (106). And, announcements of content or playlists (206, 214) that are to be broadcast are received from broadcast devices (108). The requests for content are analyzed to determine if the desired content is scheduled to be broadcast, as indicated in an announcement or playlist from a broadcast device. If the desired content is scheduled to be broadcast, then the user terminal is notified, and a recording of the broadcast is preferably, automatically arranged at the user terminal. The desired content is recorded with leading and trailing advertisements. Hence, to perceive the content, the advertisements must be perceived.

A system and method is provided for use in connection with delivering content that is targeted to users of a broadcast network. In order to select content that is targeted to users of the broadcast network, signals are received from a plurality of customer premise equipment devices (CPEs) of the network users via a broadcast network interface. Based on the received signals, broadcast assets (e.g., programming, advertisements etc.) are selected from a collection of available asset options. Accordingly, at least a portion of the selected assets are inserted into a content stream of the broadcast network. Once the content stream is broadcast over a broadcast network interface, at least a portion of the selected assets area available for receipt by at least a portion of the CPEs. The CPEs generate reports regarding assets delivered such that asset providers can be billed based on guaranteed targeted impressions.

A method and apparatus are provided for generating a personalized radio channel playlist by time division multiplexing songs from multiple received channels from one or more broadcast source streams in a queue. Users can specify favorite channels for building their personal playlists, or multiple default playlist channels can be provided by genre. Navigation tools permit users to see upcoming songs in their playlist queue and skip ahead and backward. Thumbs up / down buttons on the radio receiver permit entering a song or artist being played back into a favorites list that is used to search all channels for matches or a banned list used to block songs from future playlists. If matches are found, the channel carrying the favorite is extracted and added to the playlist. Channel searching for matches involves monitoring real-time song and artist labels for all channels carried in a separate data channel (e.g., Broadcast Information Channel (BIC)). Segments on the playlist are dynamically truncated to reduce the average time each segment is played to facilitate preview of playlist segments. Preview times can vary depending on the size of the playlist or number of channels used. During a preview of a segment, users can opt to listen to the full song or back up in the playlist to listen to a previous song. Connectivity options and web interfaces are provided to facilitate transfer and sharing of customization parameters for personalized radio configuration.

A system and method is provided for use in connection with delivering content that is targeted to users of a broadcast network. In order to select content that is targeted to users of the broadcast network, signals are received from a plurality of customer premise equipment devices (CPEs) of the network users via a broadcast network interface. Based on the received signals, broadcast assets (e.g., programming, advertisements etc.) are selected from a collection of available asset options. Accordingly, at least a portion of the selected assets are inserted into a content stream of the broadcast network. Once the content stream is broadcast over a broadcast network interface, at least a portion of the selected assets area available for receipt by at least a portion of the CPEs. The CPEs generate reports regarding assets delivered such that asset providers can be billed based on guaranteed targeted impressions.

A system for controlling memory for storage of content includes a network entitiy, such as a terminal or a content source. The network entity includes a download manager capable of receiving a selection of at least one piece of content. The download manager is also capable of reserving at least a portion of a storage capacity of memory of a terminal for at least one of the selected piece(s) of content such that the terminal can thereafter receive and store the selected piece(s) of content into the reserved storage capacity. To facilitate reserving storage capacity, the selected piece(s) of content and / or content stored in memory of the terminal includes a set of one or more parameters, such as an expiration time, a deletion priority value and / or a download priority value.

In an Internet based personalized radio, where a user has a pre-selected list of songs to be played in a particular order, the invention provides an apparatus and method allowing the user to skip one or more songs without having an unintended delay between skips. This is accomplished by pre-buffering the first ten seconds of each of the next several songs on the list so that, should the user choose to skip to any of the next several songs, the pre-buffered ten seconds of the target song is already available to be played. The apparatus starts to play the pre-buffered port of the target song and starts to download the rest of it at the same time. Because the initial buffering time for the rest of the target song is less than ten seconds, the target song is played smoothly.

A system for providing broadcast content includes a content source and a terminal. The content source, in turn, includes a continuity server capable of maintaining at least one piece of content and a schedule. The schedule specifies broadcast time(s) the content source broadcasts the piece(s) of content. In this regard, the content source can broadcast the piece(s) of content in accordance with the schedule. The terminal can store, in a memory, at least one piece of pre-broadcast content comprising the same piece(s) of content maintained by the continuity server. The terminal can therefore access at least one piece of pre-broadcast content from the memory in accordance with the schedule. Then, the terminal can present the accessed at least one piece of pre-broadcast content as the content source broadcasts the same at least one piece of content.

An audio-on-demand communication system provides real-time playback of audio data transferred via telephone lines or other communication links. One or more audio servers include memory banks which store compressed audio data. At the request of a user at a subscriber PC, an audio server transmits the compressed audio data over the communication link to the subscriber PC. The subscriber PC receives and decompresses the transmitted audio data in less than real-time using only the processing power of the CPU within the subscriber PC. According to one aspect of the present invention, high quality audio data compressed according to lossless compression techniques is transmitted together with normal quality audio data. According to another aspect of the present invention, metadata, or extra data, such as text, captions, still images, etc., is transmitted with audio data and is simultaneously displayed with corresponding audio data. The audio-on-demand system also provides a table of contents indicating significant divisions in the audio clip to be played and allows the user immediate access to audio data at the listed divisions. According to a further aspect of the present invention, servers and subscriber PCs are dynamically allocated based upon geographic location to provide the highest possible quality in the communication link.

A broadcast transmitter, a broadcast receiver, a method of transmitting a broadcast signal in the broadcast transmitter, and a method of performing reservation-recording of the broadcast signal in the broadcast receiver are provided. The broadcast transmitter transmits broadcast content including reservation-recording information of future broadcast content to be broadcasted in the future. The broadcast receiver extracts the reservation-recording information from the broadcast content, which is currently broadcasted, in response to a user's operation, sets a reservation-recording function, and records the future broadcast content when it is broadcasted afterwards, so that a user can record desired broadcast content at a desired time conveniently in the broadcast receiver with a simple key operation.

The present inventions relates to a system for communication of data information, e.g. multimedia content, over a wireless network connecting a plurality of end user stations and supporting broadcast / multicast transmission. It comprises central server means with at least one central cache arrangement for storing at least selected parts of data information relevant for at least a segment of the wireless network, transmission scheduling means for transmission scheduling, central cache arrangement control means for, by using scheduling information, controlling a central cache arrangement push engine for multicast / broadcast pushing of information to end user stations within said at least one segment of the wireless network. The end user stations comprise or are associated with proprietary, local push content caching means for holding the pushed data information, and, upon request by the respective end user, selected data information may be presented to the end user in a customized manner via a user client from said local caching means.

An automatic reminding system for reminding a user or tuning a receiver, such as a television, radio, recording device, computer, etc. to a particular carrier based on a detected ID code broadcast on that particular carrier. A user first activates the system when a broadcast signal is broadcasting an ID code that corresponds to a program that is broadcast. The receiver will either automatically remind a user that a particular broadcast is being broadcast or tune to a carrier that broadcasts the broadcast that corresponds to the ID code that was previously stored. Further the ID code may alternatively program the receiver with a date / time stamp to automatically tune to a particular carrier at a particular time.

A method and an apparatus for reproducing advertisement data stored on a receiving side, and a recording medium for recording reproduction procedures are provided. Weighting for priority of reproduction with respect to each of a plurality of pieces of advertisement data stored on the receiving side is executed, a priority order of reproduction of each piece of advertisement data on a receiver is determined based on the weighting, and the stored advertisement data is reproduced in accordance with the priority order in response to an advertisement data reproduction command.

Music is blanket transmitted (for example, via satellite downlink transmission) to each customer's user station where selected music files are recorded. Customers preselect from a list of available music in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay only for music that they choose to playback for their enjoyment. An antipiracy WID tag” is woven into the recorded music so that any illegal copies therefrom may be traced to the purchase transaction. Music is transmitted on a fixed schedule or through an active scheduling process that monitors music requests from all or a subset of satellite receivers and adjust scheduling according to demand for various CD's. Receivers store selections that are likely to be preferred by a specific customer. In those instances where weather conditions, motion of atmospheric layers or dish obstructions result in data loss, the system downloads the next transmission of the requested CD and uses both transmissions to produce a “good copy”. In conjunction 20 with the blanket transmission of more popular music, an automated CD manufacturing facility may be provided to manufacture CD's that are not frequently requested and distribute them by ground transportation.

A method and system whereby conventional television advertisements (i.e., those delivered to viewers while they watch television programming) can be delivered in conjunction with and correlated with advertisements that are presented to viewers in the Interactive Program Guide (IPG). Moreover, the invention described herein provides for delivering highly targeted ads to viewers in both conventional programming avails and in the IPG, and for linking the targeted ads in these two media to provide for enhanced and highly effective advertising campaigns.

A game system which is operable to update advertisements that are displayed when a game program is executed. The system stores a game program in a memory, receives (i.e., downloads), at predetermined times of operation, for example, on each new day the game program is executed or each time the game program is executed, updated advertising data that relates to at least one advertisement, stores the received advertising data in the memory, executes the game program stored in the memory, and outputs during the execution of the game program display data which corresponds to the stored advertisement data in accordance with the game program code. Further, instead of downloading new advertisements, plural advertisements may be prestored with the game program and only advertisement selection codes are downloaded to update the advertisements that are displayed when the game program is executed.