Apparatus and method to generate and access broadcast information
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for identifying at least one broadcast provider through a combination of a geographic identification code and a broadcast identifier, the method comprising:
- digitally storing, in a database, one or more geographic identification codes that are each associated with at least one area or location in which a broadcast is receivable from at least one broadcast provider;
digitally storing, in the database, one or more broadcast identifiers that are each associated with at least one broadcast provider;
receiving at least one user related geographic identification code;
receiving at least one user related broadcast identifier, wherein the received at least one user related broadcast identifier is not required to by itself identify a broadcast provider;
determining, by a processor, a subset of data from the database using the received at least one user related geographic identification code, the subset of data comprising at least one of the stored one or more broadcast identifiers that are associated with at least one of the stored one or more geographic identification codes that corresponds to the received at least one user related geographic identification code; and
identifying, by the processor, at least one broadcast provider using at least both the subset of data and the received at least one user related broadcast identifier, wherein the identifying of the at least one broadcast provider does not require identifying only a closest proximity broadcast provider based on the received at least one user related geographic identification code.
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Abstract
The system enables listeners and viewers of a broadcast to access additional information associated with a broadcast. Listeners and viewers utilize a user device to connect to a database containing program descriptions (e.g. audio, text, video or combination thereof) further describing the programming and ancillary information. The database is indexed by the broadcast'"'"'s program list or schedule thereby allowing a user of the system to search and select a particular program description of interest. Hearing or viewing program descriptions enables users to preview excerpts and review a broadcast before purchasing an item heard or viewed on a broadcast.
42 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for identifying at least one broadcast provider through a combination of a geographic identification code and a broadcast identifier, the method comprising:
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digitally storing, in a database, one or more geographic identification codes that are each associated with at least one area or location in which a broadcast is receivable from at least one broadcast provider; digitally storing, in the database, one or more broadcast identifiers that are each associated with at least one broadcast provider; receiving at least one user related geographic identification code; receiving at least one user related broadcast identifier, wherein the received at least one user related broadcast identifier is not required to by itself identify a broadcast provider; determining, by a processor, a subset of data from the database using the received at least one user related geographic identification code, the subset of data comprising at least one of the stored one or more broadcast identifiers that are associated with at least one of the stored one or more geographic identification codes that corresponds to the received at least one user related geographic identification code; and identifying, by the processor, at least one broadcast provider using at least both the subset of data and the received at least one user related broadcast identifier, wherein the identifying of the at least one broadcast provider does not require identifying only a closest proximity broadcast provider based on the received at least one user related geographic identification code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for identifying at least one broadcast provider over a network in response to at least one user communication, wherein the at least one user communication comprises at least one user related broadcast identifier that is not required to by itself identify the at least one broadcast provider, the method comprising:
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receiving at least one user related network address associated with at least one user communication; querying, by a processor, a database of one or more stored network addresses wherein each stored address or part thereof is indexed to one or more stored broadcast identifiers, wherein each of the stored broadcast identifiers is associated with at least one broadcast provider; determining whether the received at least one user related network address matches at least one of the stored network addresses or parts thereof; if at least one of said stored network addresses or parts thereof matches the received at least one user related network address, retrieving one or more indexed broadcast identifiers corresponding to the at least one matching network address or part thereof; receiving said at least one user related broadcast identifier associated with at least one user communication; and identifying, by the processor, at least one broadcast provider using both said retrieved indexed one or more broadcast identifiers and said received at least one user related broadcast identifier, wherein the identifying of the at least one broadcast provider does not require identifying only a closest proximity broadcast provider based on the received at least one network address. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A computer implemented information system for identifying at least one broadcast provider, the system comprising:
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a database for storing one or more geographic identification codes that are each associated with at least one of a broadcast area, broadcast range information and a location that each associated with at least one broadcast provider, said database further for storing one or more broadcast identifiers that are each associated with at least one broadcast provider, the stored one or more broadcast identifiers indexed to the stored one or more geographic identification codes; an input for receiving at least one user related geographic identification code and for receiving at least one user related broadcast identifier, the at least one user related geographic identification code and the at least one user related broadcast identifier associated with at least one user communication, wherein said received at least one user related broadcast identifier is not required to by itself identify a broadcast provider; and a processor comprising an interface and coupled to the database, the processor for determining a subset comprising at least one of the stored one or more broadcast identifiers using the received at least one user related geographic identification code, for receiving at least one user related broadcast identifier and for identifying at least one broadcast provider using at least both the subset and the at least one user related broadcast identifier received by the processor, wherein the identifying of the at least one broadcast provider does not require identifying only a closest proximity broadcast provider based on the received at least one user related geographic identification code. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for identifying at least one content provider through a combination of a geographic identification code and a content provider identifier, the method comprising:
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digitally storing, in a database, one or more geographic identification codes that are each associated with at least one area or location in which content is receivable from at least one content provider; digitally storing, in the database, one or more content provider identifiers that are each associated with at least one content provider; receiving at least one user related geographic identification code; receiving at least one user related content provider identifier, wherein the received at least one user related content provider identifier is not required to by itself identify a content provider; determining, by a processor, a subset of data from the database using the received at least one user related geographic identification code, the subset of data comprising at least one of the stored one or more content provider identifiers that are associated with at least one of the stored one or more geographic identification codes that corresponds to the received at least one user related geographic identification code; and identifying, by the processor, at least one content provider using at least both the subset of data and the received at least one user related content provider identifier, wherein the identifying of the at least one content provider does not require identifying only a closest proximity content provider based on the received at least one user related geographic identification code. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A method for identifying at least one broadcast provider through a combination of a geographic identification code and a broadcast identifier, the method comprising:
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digitally storing, in a database, one or more geographic identification codes that are each associated with at least one area or location in which a broadcast is receivable from at least one broadcast provider; digitally storing, in the database, one or more broadcast identifiers that are each associated with at least one broadcast provider; receiving at least one user related geographic identification code; receiving at least one user related broadcast identifier, wherein the received at least one user related broadcast identifier is not required to by itself identify a broadcast provider; identifying, by a processor, at least one broadcast provider using at least the database, the received at least one user related geographic identification code and the received at least one user related broadcast identifier, wherein the identifying of the at least one broadcast provider does not require identifying only a closest proximity broadcast provider based on the received at least one user related geographic identification code.
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Specification