IP Library Granted Patent US 12,225,479
Granted Patent B1
US 12,225,479 · App. 18/609,158 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Transmission of feedback to edge transceiver via in-band on-channel (IBOC) mesh network

Inventor: Jeffrey Lee Littlejohn (Mason, OH)
Assignee: iHeart Media Management Services, Inc.
H04W52/322H04W52/16H04W52/24H04W52/283H04W72/30H04W52/143H04W52/245H04W84/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,225,479
App. No.
18/609,158
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A communications network includes a plurality of in-band on-channel (IBOC) transceivers coupled together in a mesh configuration to form a mesh network. The plurality of IBOC transceivers includes a first IBOC transceiver, a second IBOC transceiver, and an edge transceiver coupled to one or more of the plurality of IBOC transceivers. The edge transceiver is configured to transmit first broadcast content to the second IBOC transceiver via a communication path including the first IBOC transceiver; and receive feedback related to the first broadcast content, wherein the feedback is transmitted from a user device via a communication path that includes the second IBOC transceiver and the first IBOC transceiver.

Claims (55)

1. A communications network comprising:

a plurality of in-band on-channel (IBOC) transceivers coupled together in a mesh configuration to form a mesh network, wherein the plurality of IBOC transceivers includes:

a first IBOC transceiver;

a second IBOC transceiver;

an edge transceiver coupled to one or more of the plurality of IBOC transceivers, wherein the edge transceiver is configured to:

transmit first broadcast content to the second IBOC transceiver via a communication path including the first IBOC transceiver; and

receive feedback related to the first broadcast content, wherein the feedback is transmitted from a user device via a communication path that includes the second IBOC transceiver and the first IBOC transceiver.

2. The communications network of claim 1 , further comprising:

a feedback server coupled to the edge transceiver via a second network external to the mesh network, wherein the feedback server is associated with a source of the first broadcast content for IBOC transmission; and

the edge transceiver is configured to transmit the feedback to the feedback server.

3. The communications network of claim 1 , wherein:

the edge transceiver is further configured to transmit a message including the first broadcast content to the first IBOC transceiver, wherein the message includes an address indicating that the first broadcast content is intended for transmission by the second IBOC transceiver.

4. The communications network of claim 3 , wherein:

the edge transceiver is further configured to transmit a message including the first broadcast content to the first IBOC transceiver; and

the first IBOC transceiver routes the first broadcast content to the second IBOC transceiver based on the address.

5. The communications network of claim 3 , wherein:

the edge transceiver is further configured to transmit a message including the first broadcast content to the first IBOC transceiver; and

the first IBOC transceiver floods the first broadcast content to the plurality of IBOC transceivers.

6. The communications network of claim 1 , wherein the edge transceiver is further configured to:

transmit different broadcast content to different IBOC transceivers included in the mesh network based on identifiers associated with registered IBOC devices currently in communication with the different IBOC transceivers.

7. A communications network comprising:

an edge transceiver coupled to one or more of a plurality of in-band-on-channel (IBOC) transceivers coupled together in a mesh configuration to form a mesh network, wherein the edge transceiver is configured to:

transmit first broadcast content to a second IBOC transceiver via a communication path including a first IBOC transceiver; and

receive, from a user transceiver coupled to the communications network, feedback related to the first broadcast content via a communication path that includes the second IBOC transceiver and the first IBOC transceiver.

8. The communications network of claim 7 , further comprising:

a feedback server coupled to the edge transceiver via a second network external to the mesh network, wherein the feedback server is associated with a source of the first broadcast content for IBOC transmission; and

the edge transceiver is configured to transmit the feedback to the feedback server.

9. The communications network of claim 7 , wherein:

the edge transceiver is further configured to transmit a message including the first broadcast content to the first IBOC transceiver, wherein the message includes an address indicating that the first broadcast content is intended for transmission by the second IBOC transceiver.

10. The communications network of claim 9 , wherein:

the edge transceiver is further configured to transmit a message including the first broadcast content to the first IBOC transceiver; and

the first IBOC transceiver routes the first broadcast content to the second IBOC transceiver based on the address.

11. The communications network of claim 9 , wherein:

the edge transceiver is further configured to transmit a message including the first broadcast content to the first IBOC transceiver; and

the first IBOC transceiver floods the first broadcast content to the plurality of IBOC transceivers.

12. The communications network of claim 7 , wherein the edge transceiver is further configured to:

transmit different broadcast content to different IBOC transceivers included in the mesh network based on identifiers associated with registered IBOC devices currently in communication with the different IBOC transceivers.

13. The communications network of claim 7 , further comprising:

a content distribution device coupled to the edge transceiver and configured to transmit the first broadcast content to the edge transceiver.

14. A method for use in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving first broadcast content at an edge transceiver;

transmitting the first broadcast content to a second in-band-on-channel (IBOC) transceiver included in a mesh network including a plurality of (IBOC) transceivers via a communication path including a first IBOC transceiver; and

receiving at the edge transceiver, from a user transceiver coupled to the communications network, feedback related to the first broadcast content, the feedback received at the edge transceiver via a communication path that includes at least two IBOC transceivers of the plurality of IBOC transceivers.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting the feedback from the edge transceiver to a feedback server via a second network external to the mesh network.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the first IBOC transceiver, an address indicating that the first broadcast content is to be broadcast by the second IBOC transceiver.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

routing the first broadcast content from the first IBOC transceiver to the second IBOC transceiver based on the address.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

flooding the first broadcast content from the first IBOC transceiver to the plurality of IBOC transceivers.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

transmitting different broadcast content to different IBOC transceivers included in the mesh network based on identifiers associated with registered IBOC devices currently in communication with the different IBOC transceivers.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving the first broadcast content at the edge transceiver from a content distribution device coupled to the edge transceiver.

Assignments (6)
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 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 22, 2024
From: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 069752/0941 →
Continuity (6)
Division 17554480 · Dec 17, 2021
Continuation 16793276 · Feb 18, 2020
Continuation 16398593 · Apr 30, 2019
Continuation 15910076 · Mar 2, 2018
Continuation 15700872 · Sep 11, 2017
Continuation 14965636 · Dec 10, 2015
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