IP Library Granted Patent US 9,729,597
Granted Patent B2
US 9,729,597 · App. 15/279,826 · Granted Aug 8, 2017

Delivery of enhanced content related to a broadcast work

Inventors: Jeff Littlejohn (Cincinnati, OH); Bobbi Denise Schuster (San Antonio, TX); Keyin Hsu (San Antonio, TX); Jennifer L. Smith (San Antonio, TX)
Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc.
H04L65/60H04H60/46H04H60/66H04H60/74H04L12/18H04L67/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,729,597
App. No.
15/279,826
Granted
Aug 8, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A preference related to the broadcast of a work, for example a song, advertisement, or enhanced content associated with the work can be obtained from an end user. The work is associated with one of a plurality of unique identifiers, such as a unified numbering system (UNS) identifier, and the UNS identifier can be used to associate enhanced content associated with the work. The UNS identifier and the user's preference for enhanced content can be used to select and deliver appropriate enhanced content to end users or other subscribers. A system can notify a broadcaster users request particular enhanced content, and the broadcaster can request the system to provide additional enhanced content for broadcast in response to that notification.

Claims (52)

1. An interactive broadcasting system comprising:

a processing system configured to:

provide, to a broadcaster, broadcast content including particular works and enhanced content associated with the particular works by a unified number system (UNS) identifier;

receive, from a plurality of end-user devices, requests for a particular type of enhanced content;

an enhancing database storing the enhanced content;

the processing system further configured to:

provide the broadcaster with information indicating a number of the requests received for the particular type of enhanced content;

receive, from the broadcaster, a request for additional enhanced content related to the particular type of enhanced content; and

in response to the request for additional enhanced content, deliver to the broadcaster the additional enhanced content and a UNS identifier of a particular work associated with the additional enhanced content.

2. The interactive broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

provide different additional enhanced content to different broadcasters, even though the different broadcasters are receiving the same particular work.

3. The interactive broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the additional enhanced content includes information related to an artist associated with the particular work.

4. The interactive broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to transmit particular enhanced content directly to end-user devices requesting the particular enhanced content.

5. The interactive broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

in response to receiving a request for particular enhanced content from an end-user device, transmit the particular enhanced content to a device other than the end-user device requesting the particular enhanced content.

6. The interactive broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein a request for a particular type of enhanced content includes information indicating a time at which the request for the particular type of content was generated, and a radio station to which the end-user device was tuned at the time the request was generated.

7. The interactive broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive, from a plurality of different end-user devices, requests for enhanced content indicating preferences of a plurality of different end users; and

transmit different enhanced content to the plurality of different end users in response to the requests for enhanced content.

8. A method for use in a broadcasting system including at least one processor and associated memory, the method comprising:

transmitting to a broadcaster, via a communications network, broadcast content including particular works and enhanced content associated with the particular works by a unified number system (UNS) identifier;

receiving from a plurality of end-user devices, via the communications network, requests for a particular type of enhanced content;

transmitting to the broadcaster, via the communications network, information indicating a number of the requests received for the particular type of enhanced content;

receiving from the broadcaster, via the communications network, a request for additional enhanced content related to the particular type of enhanced content; and

in response to receiving the request for additional enhanced content, transmitting to the broadcaster the additional enhanced content and a UNS identifier of a particular work associated with the additional enhanced content.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

providing different additional enhanced content to different broadcasters for the same particular work.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the additional enhanced content includes information related to an artist associated with the particular work.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

transmitting particular enhanced content directly to end-user devices requesting the particular enhanced content.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

in response to receiving a request for particular enhanced content from an end-user device, transmitting the particular enhanced content to a device other than the end-user device requesting the particular enhanced content.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein a request for a particular type of enhanced content includes information indicating a time at which the request for the particular type of content was generated, and a radio station to which the end-user device was tuned at the time the request was generated.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of different end-user devices, requests for enhanced content indicating preferences of a plurality of different end users; and

transmitting different enhanced content to the plurality of different end users in response to the requests for enhanced content.

15. A content delivery system comprising:

a content database storing a plurality of content items obtained from various sources, the plurality of content items associated with unified number system (UNS) identifiers;

an enhancing database storing a plurality of enhanced content items associated the plurality of content items by the UNS identifiers;

a processing system configured to:

provide, to a broadcast system, broadcast content including particular works and enhanced content associated with the particular works by a unified number system (UNS) identifier;

receive, from a plurality of end-user devices, requests for a particular type of enhanced content;

provide the broadcast system with information indicating a number of the requests received for the particular type of enhanced content;

receive, from the broadcast system, a request for additional enhanced content related to the particular type of enhanced content; and

in response to the request for additional enhanced content, deliver to the broadcast system the additional enhanced content and a UNS identifier of a particular work associated with the additional enhanced content.

16. The content delivery system of claim 15 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

for different broadcast systems, provide different additional enhanced content for the same particular work.

17. The content delivery system of claim 15 , wherein the additional enhanced content includes information related to an artist associated with the particular work.

18. The content delivery system of claim 15 , wherein the processing system is further configured to transmit particular enhanced content directly to end-user devices requesting the particular enhanced content.

19. The content delivery system of claim 15 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

in response to receiving a request for particular enhanced content from an end-user device, transmit the particular enhanced content to a device other than the end-user device requesting the particular enhanced content.

20. The content delivery system of claim 15 , wherein a request for a particular type of enhanced content includes information indicating a time at which the request for the particular type of content was generated, and a media station to which the end-user device was tuned at the time the request was generated.

Assignments (17)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2026
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT TO CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: IHEART COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 075557/0138 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (REEL/FRAME 050017/0882) Recorded Jan 1, 2025
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069795/0626 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (REEL/FRAME 049079/0814) Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (FORMERLY KNOWN AS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION)
To: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069795/0488 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (REEL/FRAME 049067/0800) Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (FORMERLY KNOWN AS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION)
To: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069795/0423 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 29, 2024
From: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 069795/0912 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 28, 2024
From: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 069793/0758 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 28, 2024
From: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 069794/0248 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 27, 2024
From: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 069792/0335 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 23, 2024
From: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 069762/0453 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Feb 5, 2020
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052144/0833 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 23, 2019
From: IHEART COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U. S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 051143/0579 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2019
From: IHEART COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 050017/0882 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2019
From: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 049079/0814 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2019
From: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049067/0800 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2019
From: IHEARTCOMMUNICATIONS, INC.; IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049067/0606 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 7, 2016
From: CLEAR CHANNEL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 040288/0974 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2016
From: LITTLEJOHN, JEFF; SCHUSTER, BOBBI DENISE; HSU, KEYIN; SMITH, JENNIFER L.
To: CLEAR CHANNEL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 039905/0779 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14639355 · Mar 5, 2015
Continuation 12475288 · May 29, 2009
Related Publication 20170019442A1 · Jan 19, 2017