Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
SYSTEM TO SYNCHRONIZE AND ACCESS
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus to enable a
broadcast listener to automatically purchase a music product such as a record
album, cassette
tape or compact disk without the intervention of an operator after hearing a
music piece played
on a radio station or music television station. More specifically, the
preferred embodiment of the
invention utilizes a programmed data processor, a digitally stored audio
database containing the
names of musical artists and groups, the names of pieces which have been
recorded on the
musical products, musical excerpts of these pieces, and a telephone system to
replay this
descriptive information through a telephone connection to a potential
purchaser. This method
utilizes the program schedule from a local radio station indicating when
pieces will be played, a
digital recording facility to automatically record excerpts of the music
pieces played, a telephone
system to decode DTMF tones from a touch tone telephone and an interface to a
data
communications network for communication with remote databases and computers.
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Background Art
Radio networks offer the most significant marketing medium for the music
industry
to create awareness for music titles and artists. But music products such as
records, cassettes
and compact disks (CDs) are inconvenient to purchase at the time when the
consumer has the
maximum impulse to buy, after hearing a musical piece on the radio.
Additionally, the inability to automate many of the key functions of a radio
based,
direct marketing sates operation make it cost prohibitive for a single radio
station to establish a
direct marketing service linked to the music they broadcast. Station operators
offer different
programming in each market area making it unsuitable to link their stations
into a national music
retail network. As well, regulatory limitations curtail the number of stations
a radio operator can
own in a major market thereby limiting the number of listeners below the
critical mass necessary
to operate a profitable direct marketing music business.
Radio broadcasters provide no means to fulfil the impulse purchase nature of
the
radio business. When a radio listener hears a music piece they wish to
purchase they must listen
for, and remember, the artists name and title of the song. In many instances
it is inconvenient
to write this information down for future reference. In order to purchase the
music product
containing the song heard on the radio the consumer must be further motivated
to travel to a
music store to proceed with the purchase process. At the music store the
potential purchaser
must determine if the selected music product is in stock and assess the
pricing information.
The consumer is further constrained because they are unable to preview the
songs
on the music product they are considering because the music products are
packaged and
cannot be played at the store. The potential purchaser must remember and
continue to be
motivated by the music piece heard on the radio broadcast, possibly from days
ago, and hope
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the other pieces recorded on the album are of sufficient interest to justify
the purchase. The
inconvenience and inability to sustain the impulse impetus severely impacts
the purchase
process.
Radio networks are unable to capitalize on the direct marketing opportunities
they
initiate through impulse music purchases because of the high cost of creating
a direct marketing
operation. Coordinating and tracking the music aired with the music products
to be sold,
recording of musical excerpts to be previewed, customer service operations and
order fulfilment
are all high overhead activities requiring a large dedicated staff with a
separate skill set than
radio station personnel. The cost for a radio station to establish a direct
marketing operation far
exceeds the returns from the music selling proceeds derived from a single
radio station.
Cable television shopping networks have successfully developed large direct
marketing networks based on national coverage by telecasting their programming
over many
cable companies reaching millions of potential purchasers. Radio station
operators are unable
to market music products in the same manner because station operators
broadcast different
music programming in each market preventing the linking of these stations into
a common
national market.
Radio is the most widely received broadcast medium throughout the world. The
problems as previously described have prevented radio networks from being
utilized for a mass
media, direct marketing, music retail business.
Disclosure of Invention
In view of the foregoing, one objective of this invention is to resolve the
problems which inhibit the successful development of a direct marketing music
business for the
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radio industry. In this regard, it should be apparent that there exists a need
in the art for a
method of operating an automated system which tracks radio audio segments
enabling radio
broadcast listeners to select, preview and purchase a music product containing
the music piece
listened to for a radio broadcast.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an automated
transaction
system to record and track radio audio segments enabling a radio listener to
use their telephone
to recall and preview, on-demand, music pieces previously broadcast thereby
assisting the
listener in the purchase of a music product such as a record album, cassette
or CD. The
invention provides the consumer with a timely method to purchase a musical
product by
supplying all of the required information to conveniently make a music product
purchase.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for an automated
transaction system to service multiple radio broadcasts simultaneously,
thereby creating a mass
radio audience for the direct marketing of music.
These and other objects are achieved by a method of and apparatus for tracking
and recording a radio broadcast using a telephone interface connected to a
programmed
data processor such that when a potential purchaser calls a designated
telephone number
advertised by the radio station, for example 1-800-RECORDS, a telephone
interface provides the
listener with the name of the musical artist and the song titles in the
reverse order played during
the broadcast, starting with the current piece played. The selection, from the
current artist
played, to the music product the potential purchaser wants to order, is
controlled by the
potential purchaser using the touch tone telephone keys or voice input. When
the potential
purchaser reaches the song and artist of interest, further details can be
related such as the other
songs recorded on the album, pricing, availability and delivery information.
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The invention can playback through the telephone, on instructions from the
caller,
excerpts or the entire song, as broadcast over the radio network, to assist
the caller with the
purchasing process.
When the potential purchaser indicates they are ready to order, the automated
order system obtains the correct name and shipping address by accessing a name
and address
database responsive to the consumers telephone number or credit card
information. The system
also records the consumer's credit card information and obtains credit
authorization. The
invention then transmits the complete order to the fulfilment warehouse for
shipment of the
musical product to the purchaser.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus
whereby
multiple radio stations can be supported simultaneously, offering services on
a local, regional
or national basis providing the economies of scale and mass audience to
support the sales
volume necessary to operate a profitable direct marketing service. When a
potential purchaser
dials the advertised number such as 1-800-RECORDS they are directed by audio
prompts to
indicate by touch tone entry or voice input the call letters for the radio
station to which they are
listening. The audio prompts are provided by a telephone interface that is
connected to a
programmed data processor which performs database functions. The potential
purchaser's
telephone number, input by the caller or supplied by the telephone company's
(ANI) Automatic
Number Identification service, is compared to all the radio station broadcast
coverage zones
offered by the participating radio stations. This comparison determines the
radio stations within
the broadcast range of the caller, providing a limited set of radio stations
for the programmed
data processor to sort and search based on the callers input of the station
call letters. The input
of the station call letters enables the programmed data processor to select
the correct station
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program schedule and related information. Thus a large number of radio
stations, dispersed
locally, regionally, nationally and internationally can be supported by one
automated system.
The inventive method also includes the step of efficiently selecting the
correct
radio station based on touch tone input. Although, each of the telephone keys
2 through 9
have three related alphabetical characters, callers need only to input four
telephone key strokes
for the four station call letters. The programmed data processor only
recognizes the input for
the participating radio stations broadcasting in the callers area as
determined by the telephone
number and broadcast coverage comparison previously described.
It is a further object of this invention to automate the manual and time-
consuming
functions. The inputting of the radio station play schedule in advance of the
broadcast as well
as the tracking of the program schedule during the broadcast day requkes
significant overhead
if undertaken manually. As the service expands, and many radio stations are
added to the
service, the tracking of the various program schedules becomes unmanageable
from a manual
standpoint.
One component of the method and apparatus of the invention is a system for
management of the radio station's program schedule. A radio station's program
schedule is
produced days and sometimes weeks in advance of broadcast. The program
schedule is
organized chronologically in the order musical pieces are broadcast and
includes information
such as the title of the song, the recording artist and group, as well as the
day and time the
piece is to be broadcast. A radio station broadcasts hundreds of musical
pieces each day and
the input of the program schedule by an operator is both time-consuming and
prone to manual
input error. The present invention enables the automation of the program
schedule input by
utilizing a data communications link and a communications interface such as a
facsimile
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interface to receive the program schedule directly from the radio station into
the programmed
data processor. The communication interface such as a facsimile board is
resident in the
programmed data processor and in conjunction with a imaging software, such as
a character
recognition package, automatically interprets and directly stores the stations
program schedule
and associated information on a programmed data processor.
The radio station program schedule contains timetable information as well as
information describing the music pieces played such as the title, artist and
group name. The
program schedule is accessed by a audio description creation system which is
connected to
the programmed data processor. The audio description creation system creates
the audio
description heard by the caller over the telephone when inquiring about a
particular music
piece. The audio description information describes the music piece outlined in
the program
schedule and the music product containing the music piece, along with other
related
information such as product pricing. The audio description creation system
digitally records the
audio and is connected to various input devices such as a compact disc player,
cassette
player, digital audio tape and a microphone. An announcer accesses the program
schedule
file on a display screen and reads the description information into the
microphone creating the
audio description file for each music piece. The announcer has access to
previous recordings
stored in an audio description archive which can be accessed via a data input
terminal
connected to the audio description creation system enabling previously
recorded audio
descriptions to be referenced.
It is another object of the invention to automate the recording and storing of
the
music excerpts for the music pieces outline in the program schedule. These
audio segments can
be accessed by the potential purchaser to assist in the purchase process and
to verify to the
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caller they are purchasing the music product containing the music piece
listened to during the
radio broadcast. The automated record and store process is accomplished by
inserting a signal
such as a tone or pulse at the beginning of each music piece broadcast. A
receiver is tuned
to the broadcast containing the music pieces to be recorded and a signal
detector triggers the
digital recording of the piece by the programmed data processor. The music
piece is recorded
for a specified time such as ten seconds providing an audio segment of the
music piece.
Coordination of the audio description file with the program schedule is
accomplished through a synchronized time schedule whereby the program schedule
file and
the recording of the audio segments on the programmed data processor are
initiated at the
same time. Each station's program schedule is stored in chronological order
enabling the
coordination. Another method of implementing the signal insertion enables
information to be
encoded as part of the selection signal and decoded into data for use by a
programmed data
processor. Information such as the program schedule number or music piece
number can be
incorporated into the selection signal enabling the coordination of the audio
description with
the program schedule. Information can be encoded into the selection signal
through means
such as multiple pulses or combination of tones and pulses.
The invention also provides the information for a potential purchaser to
automatically order a music product without having heard one of the pieces
through a radio
broadcast. For instance when the potential purchaser dials the telephone
number a telephone
system audibly requests the potential purchaser to touch 1 on their touch tone
telephone if they
want to order a music piece they have just heard played on the radio, or touch
2 if they want
to order a music product from the automated music catalogue. If the potential
purchaser
touches 2 the invention will then proceed to determine the musical product to
be ordered by
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asking the potential purchaser to select the type of music and to input the
artists name or group
name using the touch tone telephone keys. Once the correct artist or group is
determined the
system can reference all the music products performed by that artist or group
and provide the
potential purchaser with the names of the music album and the recording media
available such
as CD, record or cassette along with pricing. Further information can also be
made available
such as the names of the pieces of each piece recorded on each music product
along with
excerpts to preview each song. The invention conveniently provides all the
information required
to make a purchase. Some of this information is not available even at the
record store.
When the potential purchaser indicates they wish to buy a particular music
product
the system determines the shipping address and credit authorization and then
places the order
for the music product with the fulfilment warehouse.
In the case where more than one main artist or group performed on a music
product or the purchase process was too complex, the potential purchaser can
be bridged to
an operator who can obtain and input any required data and assist the caller
through the
purchase process.
The invention can also be utilized with other broadcast services such as a
music
television telecast. Viewers of music television program or channel, access
the invention in the
some manner as previously described but enter the station designation such as
call letters,
channel number or advertised pseudo-name enabling the invention to recall the
pertinent
program schedule relating to the viewed television program or channel. The
audio portion of
the music broadcast, would be recorded and utilized to assist the viewer in
the purchasing
process. The invention can simultaneously support orders originating from both
radio listeners
and television viewers.
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Other applications of the invention are also possible. The broadcast can
consist
of content other than music whereby products are advertised within a broadcast
and the
invention enables listeners to select, preview and purchase items advertised
for sale over the
network. The audio segments for these products would be recorded in the same
manner as
previously described for the music pieces and the products would match the
program schedule
as input prior to the broadcast.
The invention also extends to a digital as well as analog broadcast format
whereby
the selection signals are digital signals inserted into a digital broadcast.
The foregoing features of the invention, as well as the advantages provided
thereby, are explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to
preferred embodiments
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a block diagram of the self-generating audio recording, storage,
indexing and transaction system according to the present invention;
Figure 2 illustrates an example of a Program Schedule reference file;
Figure 3 illustrates an Artist and Group Name reference file;
Figure 4 illustrates the telephone area and exchange code, station call letter
code
and touch tone input database file;
Figure 5 is a table and map of North American telephone area codes;
Figure 6 is the touch tone telephone keypad lay out; and
Figure 7 is an entity relationship diagram illustrating some of the principles
of the
invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
In order to explain the present invention in detail, reference will be made in
particular to Figure 1.
In Figure 1, the reference number 1000 designates the radio station schedule
input
terminal device located at a remote radio station that can communicate with
the programmed
data processor 1010, located at the central site 1025, and input the program
schedule of music
to be broadcast on the remote radio station. In the preferred embodiment the
radio station
schedule input terminal 1000 is the computer system at the radio station that
schedules the time
of play for both commercials and musical program content. This terminal device
1000 is
equipped with a modem and a communications program so that it can
automatically dial the
communications interface 1050 of the programmed data processor 1010 and input
the program
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schedule including the artists name, name of the musical piece, and the date
and time the
music is to be played. This information can be coded to reduce the
transmission time as there
could be hundreds of music pieces broadcast each day.
Alternatively the radio station schedule can be automatically input by FAX
(facsimile) using a computer or typewritten print out of the stations program
schedule to transmit
the stations schedule from the local FAX machine at the radio station to the
central site 1025.
At the central site 1025, the FAX receiver is a FAX board mounted within
either a stand alone
personal computer or the programmed data processor 1010 that would
sequentially provide
each incoming FAX message with its own identification number prior to storing
the FAX digitally
on the computer systems hard drive. In the process of setting up the FAX call
a hand shake
protocol is established between the sending and receiving FAX machines such
that the
receiving FAX machine can determine, by error free data transfer, the
telephone number of the
transmitting FAX machine. Alternatively, the station's FAX number can be
established through,
the telephone company supplied, (ANI) Automatic Number Identification service.
The
programmed data processor 1010 utilizes this telephone number as an index to
select the
optimal algorithm to convert the FAX images to data. For example, message
number 101
assigned bythe FAX receiving board is associated with radio station WHAM FM
because of the
stations digitized telephone number received in the hand shake protocol. The
programmed
data processor 1010 then accesses the interpretation protocol that matches the
FAXed data
for WTAM FM to convert the character images sent from the radio station FAX
into ASCII
characters to be stored on the programmed data processor 1010 in the program
schedule file
1060. For example, radio station WTAM FM could utilize a computer printer that
produced text
in the Roman font. Each line on their schedule begins with time of play,
followed by duration,
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artist name, then the name of the music piece. A different radio station,
identified through the
handshake protocol by their telephone number as WPAT AM, utilizes a different
scheduling
computer to print out their program schedule using the Tudor font highlighting
the artist name
first, followed by the musical piece, time of play and duration. Because the
programmed data
processor 1010 knows the identity of the sending FAX machine it can apply the
optimum
algorithm to interpret the text font and determine from the text placement the
contents of the
page. This approach enables the programmed data processor 1010 to
automatically file the
FAXed program schedule of the remote radio station in a fixed digital format
in the program
schedule file 1060 associated with a particular radio station. An example of
the format to which
the program schedule files are processed is illustrated in Figure 2.
Alternatively, the terminal device 1000 could be a nonprogrammable terminal or
data source connected via a network to the communications interface 1050,
interacting on line
to input the program schedule. The program schedule data could also be input
using a touch
tone telephone with voice prompting when connected to the telephone interface
1020 or input
by voice into a section of the telephone interface that recognized spoken
numbers and words
through voice recognition. A coded version of the radio station program
schedule makes the
input easier and quicker. The schedule data could also be read over the
telephone to an
operator who would input the data. As this program schedule data is received
from all of the
participating radio stations it is stored in the program schedule 1060 of the
programmed data
processor 1010.
Music television channels and other telecasters can also utilize the
above-mentioned methods to forward and store their program schedules for use
by the system.
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Other station specific information such as a station's top ten music listing
or most
requested hits can also be input in the above mentioned manner.
The digitized audio description file 1070 is created using the audio
description
creation system 1080 which is connected to the programmed data processor 1010.
The audio
description creation system consists of a set of audio input devices, such as
a CD player 1085,
cassette player 1086, record player 1087, audio tape player 1088 and
microphone 1089 for an
announcer to record audio descriptions.
The audio description file 1070 consists of the audio description information
describing the
music piece and an audio segment consisting of an excerpt of the music piece.
The audio
description information corresponds to the audio recording of the text
description of each music
piece listed in the program schedule stored in the program schedule file 1060.
The announcer
uses the display screen 1081 to recall the program schedule from the
programmed data
processor 1010 for each radio station. As well, additional information
concerning the music
piece such as the name of the music product containing the music piece and
pricing can be
input into the creation system via the attached data input terminal 1082 or
personal computer
and stored on the audio description creation system available to the announcer
for audio
recording.
For example, the station program schedule, after receipt from a participating
radio
station, would be loaded onto the audio description creation system 1020. The
program
schedule file 1060, an example of which is referenced in Figure 2, contains
the station code or
identifier for the station 2000, field 1, date and period of the program
schedule broadcast 2005
field 2, number of music pieces in the time period 2010 field 3, chronological
schedule number
2015 field 4, time of broadcast for a particular music piece 2020 field 5,
artist or group name
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2025 field 6, title of the music piece 2030 field 7 and the pointer to data
file 2035 field 8. Parts
of this schedule information can be coded to reduce the transmission time from
the radio station
to the system. For example, a particular artist or group would be listed in a
reference table with
an artist or group number followed by a music piece reference number for the
song broadcast.
The coded entry would be made in the program schedule at the radio station and
FAXed to
the central site 1025. A standardized music reference system can be utilized
by all reference
table based stations or customized tables implemented whereby the station
reference table
conversion is conducted by the programmed data processor 1010 when the imaging
and
interpolation process occurs for the incoming program schedules. If a
customized music
reference table is utilized by a station then a copy of the table would be
resident on, or
available to, the audio description creation system 1020 to conduct the
conversion into artist
and song title information.
Once a station's program schedule is stored on the system it can be updated if
changes are required. To accommodate updates, access will be provided to the
program
schedule file stored on the system. This access will enable station personnel
to use their touch
tone telephone to call into the Now Music system and utilize their telephone
keypad to modify
the program schedule. By calling into the telephone interface 1020, station
staff can step
through their current play-list with the song titles or chronological play-
list numbers verbally
related back to the caller using text-to-speech processing. The text-to-speech
technology is well
adapted for this application and is included as part of the telephone
interface 1020. For
example, the * key on the telephone will delete a song from the current play-
list while the # key
can add or insert an entry. The # key would be followed by a music reference
number which
relates to a song, artist and album title contained in the previously
described, coded music
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reference table. After entering any changes the new program schedule
information would be
verbally related back to the caller confirming the play-list changes.
For the purposes of recording the music title portion of the audio
description, the
audio description creation system 1080 performs an initial sort of the music
pieces listed in the
program schedules to remove redundant entries for the same artist and music
piece. The artist
name 2025 field 6 and the name of the music piece 2030 field 7 contained in
the program
schedule 1060, or the code representing it, is compared to the data
description archive file 1066
containing all previous listings for which audio descriptions already exist.
The announcer is then
presented, on the display screen 1081, with the listings that require an audio
description. The
announcer then reads the artist's name and title of the music piece into the
microphone 1089
and stores them in the audio description file 1070 while at the same time
updating the audio
description archive file 1084.
Information not contained in the program schedule such as pricing, album name
or other background can be input by the data input terminal 1082, prior to
audio recording, and
stored as part of the data description archive file 1066 to be included in the
audio description
by the announcer.
The music product containing the music piece outlined in the program schedule
can then be loaded into its respective player such as a CD player 1085, on the
audio
description creation system 1080 and the audio segment digitized, compressed
and stored into
its associated audio description file 1070 while also updating the audio
description archive file
1084. The audio segment can consist of an excerpt of the music piece or the
entire music
piece.
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The announcer would then depress the space bar or other key of the display
terminal 1082 to indicate completion of that audio input and the linking of
the entry in the
program schedule with the corresponding audio description. The fink is made
through a
database which utilizes the pointer to data file, 2035 field 8, which is added
to each music piece
in the program schedule and references the corresponding audio and data
description.
The announcer can then proceed with the next descriptive item of that musical
product which would be displayed on the display screen 1081 for the announcer
to record onto
the system. This process can be repeated for each piece recorded on the
musical product and
referenced in the database by product name. Both the audio description archive
file 1084 and
the data description archive file 1066 are automatically updated with the new
entries.
Instead of using a staff announcer's voice to provide the audio description it
is
possible to have the recording artist provide their own music descriptions on
a recording
medium such as an audio tape and have it sent to the creation system site to
be input and
included as part of the audio description via the audio tape recorder 1088.
Alternatively,
recording artists can provide song and album introductions utilizing the
recording capabilities
of the telephone interface 1020 by using their touch tone telephone 1030 to
follow special voice
prompts to record personalized messages directly on the system.
When the audio descriptions for all of program schedule entries and
potentially for
all of the new music products have been processed by the audio description
creation system
1080, the digital audio description file 1070 on the programmed data processor
1010 is updated
with the new audio descriptions contained in the audio description archive
file 1084. As well,
the data file 1065 is also updated with the new files contained in the data
description archive
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file 1066. The program schedule 1060 is updated with the revised schedule
containing the
pointer to data file 2035 field 8 linking to the corresponding audio and data
description.
Acquiring the music products and manually recording the music pieces is both
expensive and time-consuming. The system offers a method for automatically
recording the
audio segments of the music pieces broadcast. This is accomplished by
digitally recording the
music in real time directly from the broadcast and storing the recorded
segments into the
associated audio description file 1070 on the programmed data processor 1010.
In the radio industry, recordable media, such as Digital Audio Tape (DAT) or
digital
hard drives are used to prerecord many hours of music for preparation and play
by radio
stations. The music on the digital media is prepared in accordance with a
station's program
schedule. Existing technology enables a signal such as a pulse or DTMF tone to
be recorded
on the DAT and included with the broadcast to trigger remote audio and video
equipment.
This capability is commonly used in the radio and television industries to
trigger equipment
remotely for the broadcast of advertisements.
According to the invention, the automated record and store process is
accomplished by inserting a selection signal such as a tone or pulse at the
beginning of each
music piece to be recorded from the broadcast. In Figure 1 the receiver 1090
is connected to
the signal detector 1091 which is connected to the programmed data processor
1010. The
receiver 1090 receives the broadcast containing the music pieces to be
recorded and a signal
detector 1091, when it detects the appropriate signal, triggers the digital
recording of the piece
by the programmed data processor 1010. The recording of the music piece
continues for a
specified time, such as ten seconds, providing an excerpt of each music piece
denoted by the
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selection signal. The digitizing facility can be part of the signal detector
1091 or contained within
the programmed data processor 1010.
An additional signal can be included to notify the programmed data processor
1010 to stop recording rather than a timer based approach. Having a signal
start and stop the
recording function enables the entire music piece to be recorded whereby the
additional signal
is appended to the end of the music piece.
The real-time recording of the music piece is linked to the program schedule
1060
enabling the recorded audio segment to be stored in the correct audio
description file. The
recording of the music pieces is initially time synchronized with the program
schedule for each
station. A receiver 1090 and signal detector 1091 is dedicated to each station
requiring real-
time recording. Knowing the station code or identifier that the receiver is
dedicated to, the
programmed data processor 1010 loads the correct program schedule 1060, for
the station it
is recording, based on the station code 2000 field 1, and the current time and
period of
broadcast 2005 field 2. The system clock is used by the programmed data
processor to locate
the current music piece played as indicated in the program schedule, using the
time of
broadcast 2020 field 5. The incoming audio segment, as detected by the signal
detector 1091
is recorded into its corresponding audio description file 1070 as referenced
by the pointer to
data file 2035 field 8 in its program schedule 1070. After the initial
synchronization, the recording
of the music pieces into the audio description file 1070 follows in
chronological order with the
program schedule for that particular station. For example, if synchronization
between the
incoming audio segments and the current program schedule occurred with the
first music piece
fisted in the program schedule as indicated by the chronological schedule
number 2015 field
4, then the next audio segment detected would be recorded into the audio
description file
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corresponding to the next program schedule listing containing the
chronological schedule
number of two.
When the programmed data processor 1010 reaches the last fisting in a program
schedule it bads the next schedule for that particular station and proceeds to
synchronize and
record when the next audio segment is defected. Establishing the last fisting
in a program
schedule can be accomplished in various ways such as comparing the number of
music pieces
in the time period 2010 field 3 and the chronological schedule number 2015
field 4 for the
current listing. If the two fields match, the next program schedule is loaded
for synchronization
with the next incoming audio segment. Another method of detecting the end of a
program
schedule involves the addition of a delineator at the end of the program
listing which when
reached causes the loading of the new program schedule. Alternatively or as
well, a delineator
signal can be added to the broadcast signalling the programmed data processor
to refer to
the next program schedule.
Specific signals or multiple signals can be inserted for various purposes such
as to
synchronize the program schedule with the automatic recording of the music
pieces. When
creating the program schedule the station can indicate the time of the
synchronizing signal and
upon receiving the program schedule, the programmed data processor 1010
automatically
interprets the signal placement along with the rest of the program schedule
information. Many
stations currently utilize a beginning of the hour signal for advertising
purposes and this beginning
of the hour signal can be detected by the programmed data processor and
utilized to
synchronize the program schedule.
Another method of implementing the selection signal enables information to be
encoded as part of the inserted signal and converted into data by the signal
detector 1091.
CA 02776253 2012-05-08
Information such as a program schedule number or a music piece reference
number can be
incorporated into the selection signal enabling the coordination of the
program schedule 1060
with the recording of the music pieces into the correct audio description file
1070. The selection
signal information can be encoded in the inserted signal through various means
such as multiple
tones or a combination of tones and pulses. For example, when DAT tapes are
prepared
containing the music for a days broadcast, a signal such as DTMF tones can be
inserted prior
to each music piece whereby the program schedule number accompanies the music
piece
in the broadcast. This signal information could be sent before, during or
after the music piece
is broadcast. For example, the 46th music piece in a program schedule can be
preceded by
the tones representing a 4 and 6. The signal detector 1091 would detect and
decode the signal
and pass the information to the programmed data processor 1010. The programmed
data
processor 1010 would reference the chronological schedule number 2015 field 4,
within the
current program schedule and record the audio segment into the correct audio
description file
1070.
The encoding and inserting of information in the broadcast can be utilized in
several ways. A coded music piece reference number indicating the title and
artist name can
be inserted into the broadcast and received, detected and decoded for use by
the
programmed data processor 1010 to coordinate the recording of the audio
description and the
synchronization of the program schedule.
In an alternate method of operating the system, the insertion of information
such
as the music piece reference number enables the system to create the program
schedule as
the broadcast occurs. This is accomplished by creating a reference table as
previously
described whereby a station inserts the music piece reference number according
to a
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
standardized or station specific music reference table which is known to the
radio station and
stored on the programmed data processor 1010.
If the music piece reference number refers to an audio description not
available
on the programmed data processor 1010 then the programmed data processor can
access the
audio description archive file 1084 to retrieve the associated audio
description. For operation
without a predefined program schedule, utilizing the insertion of a music
piece reference
number, the audio description archive file 1084 can be located on the
programmed data
processor 1010 to provide more efficient operation.
The selection signal or other information, can be sent as data with the
broadcast
signal through methods such as the side band frequency of the broadcast signal
or as digital
data contained within a digital radio transmission or digital television
signal.
As well, the selection signal can be utilized to pass messages in real-time to
the
programmed data processor 1010 such as in the case whereby a disc jockey at a
broadcast
station manually inserts a specific signal as part of the broadcast. The
signal is decoded by the
signal detector 1091 and passed to the programmed data processor 1010,
relaying messages
such as to skip a music piece and continue with the next listing in the
program schedule thereby
instructing the programmed data processor to skip the current listing in the
program schedule.
The real-time insertion of information into the broadcast enables radio
stations that
conduct five or request shows, to insert information such as a music piece
reference number
with the music piece broadcast, enabling the programmed data processor 1010 to
locate the
corresponding audio description or trigger the recording facility if
necessary.
The selection signal methodology also applies in the case of a music
television
channel, music video program or a music station associated with a television
telecast such as
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
provided through a cable television telecast, satellite broadcast or
television signals distributed
via the telephone network. The selection signal is inserted into the audio
portion of the signal
and detected and potentially decoded as previously described.
An alternate signalling method enables video information to be inserted and
detected as the selection signal. In the case of video signalling, the
receiver 1090 becomes a
television receiver and the signal detector and decoder is a video decoder
able to decode the
embedded video signal contained within the broadcast.
In some cases, broadcast stations are unable to insert a signal into their
broadcast
in which case an alternate data communications facilities can be established,
such as a
modem and a telephone line, to transmit the real-time information to the
communications
interface 1050 thereby enabling the programmed data processor 1010 to locate
the
corresponding audio description or trigger the recording facility.
If a request show runs throughout the day the communications costs foran
external
data facility can become significant. In an alternate method of operating the
system, a polling
procedure can be implemented for the transmission of the program schedule and
station
specific information. With the polling method, the disc jockey inputs the
program schedule onto
the schedule input device 1000 such as a personal computer which stores the
information locally
at the broadcast station. When a customer call is received at the telephone
interface 1020
requesting station specific information such as the last song broadcast, the
communications
interface 1050 utilizes a data communications facility, such as a modem and
telephone line, to
connect with the remote schedule input device 1000 located at the broadcast
station. A data
file transfer is then conducted whereby the station's information such as the
program schedule
is transferred to the programmed data processor 1010 which reformats the
information and
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
stores it in the program schedule file 1060. The telephone interface 1020 then
relates the
requested station specific information to the caller. Program schedule
information for a
predetermined time, such as the last hour, can be included when the data file
transfer is
received from the remote schedule input terminal 1000. If multiple customer
calls are received
by the telephone interface 1020 requesting the same station specific
information or requesting
information which is already available to the programmed data processor 1010
then the
information can be accessed without re-initiating communications with the
remote schedule
input terminal 1000. This polling method is for request shows which broadcast
for long durations
and when customer calls do not occur for every song.
The audio description archive file 1084 can be updated at the end of a
recording
period such as the end of the day by up-loading the audio segments and audio
descriptions
recorded from the broadcast in the audio description file 1070 that do not
already exist in the
archive. Music pieces, whether prerecorded when the artist name and titles are
recorded by
the announcer, or real-time recorded from the broadcast, are recorded once and
can be
referenced by multiple program schedules, multiple times within a given
program schedule and
further referenced if needed for other station specific information such as a
station's top ten
song listing. Each audio description is filed in the audio description archive
file 1084 contained
on the audio description creation system 1080. The audio description archive
file 1084 enables
easy reference and repeated use of the audio descriptions. This is significant
from an efficiency
standpoint because in most cases a relatively limited number of music pieces
receive the
majority of the broadcast play. The archive files 1084, 1083, and 1066 can be
located locally
on the programmed data processor 1010 or remotely connected by a data
communications
facility.
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The audio description creation system 1080 is also the means to create the
area
code and call letter file 1075, which when located on the programmed data
processor 1010,
is the basis for determining the call letters of the radio station being
listened to by the potential
purchaser.
For example each of the approximately 130 telephone company area codes, see
Figure 5, have less than 999 unique local exchange codes. Each telephone
exchange code
defines a small portion of the geographic area of the telephone area code that
it is located
in, such that a specific exchange code can only exist in one city or town for
that particular area
code. Similarly, cellular and other wireless telephone services such as PCS
(Personal
Communications Services) have identification codes relating to cell and
transmitter locations
with defined geographic limits. Every radio station has an area of signal
coverage that is
publicly available on maps such that for every exchange code it can be
determined which
radio stations provide coverage within the boundaries of a particular
exchange. For example,
in area code 519, exchanges 293, 526, 765, 773, 565, 644, 523, 228, 482, 233,
234, 237, 268, 762,
235, 769, 287, 524, 238, 225, 269, 262, 263, 666, 247, 229, 652, 227, 289,
264, 232, 294, 874, 243, 782,
785, 631, 633, 527, 522, 764, 775, 866, 245, 296, 461, 693, 768, 236 are
located in an area
surrounding London, Ontario, Canada and these following exchanges are within
the London city
limits 432, 433, 434, 438, 439, 451, 452, 453, 455, 471, 472, 473, 641, 643,
645, 649, 657, 659, 660, 661,
663, 667, 668, 672, 673, 679, 681, 685, 686 and from these exchanges the
following radio stations
can be heard CBBL FM, CBCL FM, CIXX FM, CJBC FM, CJBK AM, CJBX FM, CIQM FM,
CKSL AM,
CFPL AM in London and CHLO AM in St. Thomas and CBEG FM, CHOK AM, CKJD AM,
CJFI FM
in Sarnia. By organizing this information in a database it is possible to
determine from touch tone
CA 02776253 2012-05-08
input, the call letters of the radio station listened to even though the touch
tone keys have three
alphabetic characters on each key as illustrated in Figure 6_
The area code and call letter file and database structure are illustrated in
Figure
4 where the area code 4000 and the local exchange digits 4010 are the first
two data fields
followed by a third field 4020 which indicates the maximum number of radio
stations that can
be satisfactorily heard in that area and exchange code. A radio station is
described in the next
set of four fields which are repeated for each radio station. 4030, field 4
contains the numeric
values of the touch tone keys that match the letters of the radio stations
call letters. For instance
WPAT FM would appear as 9728 where the number 9 is contained on the touch tone
key
corresponding to the letters WXY. 4040 field 5 contains a 0 if the station is
AM station or a 1 if
FM. 4050 field 6 contains a number 0 to 9 indicating the type of radio station
such as country,
pop or rock. 4060 field 7 contains a pointer to an audio description of the
station call letters so
that the potential purchaser can be prompted with the station call letters
combined with the
type of station in the event the purchaser forgets the call letters. The radio
station call letter
fields would be arranged in sorted order to improve the speed of the
retrieval.
The system would know in advance as part of the database that the first two
stations fisted in the above example, CBBL FM and CBCL FM have the same touch
tone numeric
values 22252 and would audibly ask the caller to select the correct station
once it detected this
confect.
To determine the radio station call letters the potential purchaser's
telephone area
and exchange code digits are used as a retrieval key against the area code and
call letter file
1075 to retrieve the set of radio station call letters that could be heard
from that telephone
exchange. The potential purchaser is asked to use the telephone to input the
station call letters.
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
C4
The call letter numbers from the area code and call letter file 1075 are then
compared with the
numeric values of the station call letters input by the potential purchaser.
If a match is
established the system can then proceed to determine which music has been
played on the
selected radio station or what station specific information is requested. If a
match is not found
the potential purchaser can be verbally prompted with the types of radio
stations in that area
code and exchange, for example touch 1 for country, 2 for pop, which when
selected, will
allow the system to further prompt the potential purchaser with the radio
station call letters that
match the selected type of station. If this process does not determine the
radio station, the
potential purchaser can be bridged to a customer service operator, located at
a customer
service data terminal, 1040 to determine and input the radio station call
letters.
As well as station call letters, other identifiers can be utilized in place of
or in
conjunction with the station call letters, for example, a radio station
frequency number, television
channel call letters, cable or television station number or advertised station
descriptor. This
entails an expanded version of the area code and call letter file referenced
in Figure 4 whereby
4030, field 4 includes the touch tone numbers for additional identifiers.
In some cases, a music genre, such as rock or classical can be used as a
station
identifier whereby the caller is prompted by the telephone interface 1020 to
use the touch tone
telephone 1030 to make a selection corresponding to the music genre of the
station listened
to. This identification information in combination with the caller's telephone
area and exchange
code information significantly narrows and identifies the affiliates within
the caller's broadcast
range. If multiple affiliates exist with overlapping broadcast ranges within
the some music genre
then a narrowed list of stations can be presented to the caller for the final
selection of the
station listened to by the caller.
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
Additionally, station operators may request their own specific telephone
number
for their listeners to access the service, in which case the called number
would identify the
station and enable the programmed data processor to recall the appropriate
program schedule
or station specific information.
The audio description creation system 1080 is also the means to create an
artist
name archive file 1083 which is updated every time a new artist adds a musical
product- This
artists name archive file 1083 updates the artists name file 1078 on the
programmed data
processor 1010 each time it is updated. The artists name file 1078 contains
the touch tone key
combinations and other related information for each artist or group name. This
file is also
partitioned into as many segments as a potential purchaser can identify as
separate sets or
styles of music. For example, 5 partitions can be created by dividing all
artists or groups into the
categories of soft rock, hard rock, pop, easy listening and country. Each of
these categories
can then be divided into single artists or groups. Then the artist and group
names are converted
into the numeric values of the touch tone keys that match the alphabetic
characters of their
names. for example, the letters A,B,C would all be represented by the number 2
which is the
numeric value of the touch tone key containing them. A generalized version of
this file is
described in Figure 3 where 3000 field 1 contains a number between 1 and 5
representing the
type or category of-music. 3005 field 2 contains a 0 for an artist or 1
indicating a group. 3010
field 3 contains the name of the artist in touch tone representation of the
ASCII characters of
their name. Since the characters Q and Z and Space do not appear on the touch
tone
telephone keypad the number 1 is used to indicate either Q or Z and the number
0 is used to
denote a space. The potential purchaser would be informed of these keyboard
characteristics
when prompted to input the artist or group name. 3020 field 4 would contain a
pointer to the
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
artist or group name in the data file 1065 referencing the pointers to all the
musical products for
the artist or group as well as pointers to the audio description of the
artist's name, the names of
the artist's musical products, the various pieces included in the musical
products and musical
excerpts of these pieces contained in the audio description file 1070.
When the updated program schedule 1060, data file 1065, area code and call
letter file 1075, artists name file 1078, and audio description file 1070 have
been loaded on to
the programmed data processor 1010 along with the program to initialize and
control the data
processor, the system is ready to receive telephone calls ordering music
products.
Referencing Figure 1, the potential purchaser uses a touch tone telephone 1030
to dial an advertised number such as 1-800-RECORDS (equivalent to 1-800-732-
6737) to be
connected to the telephone interface 1020. The telephone interface 1020 uses
audio prompts
to ask the potential purchaser to use the touch tone keys to input their
telephone number
including the area code. Alternatively, this information can be supplied or
verified by the
telephone company ANI (Automatic Number Identification) service.
After receiving the telephone number the system asks the potential purchaser
to
touch 1 if they heard the music piece of interest on a radio station, or to
touch 2 if they plan to
order a music product not recently heard on the radio station.
If the potential purchaser touched 1 the telephone interface 1020 would ask
the
potential purchaser to input the call letters of the radio station to which
they were listening,
including AM and FM designations if necessary. Since the basic radio station
call letters are four
characters and each of the touch tone telephone keys with an alphabetical
listing contain
three possible characters, the potential for confusion as to which radio
station identifier was
input is very large. One of the concepts of the invention is to eliminate this
confusion by using
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
the caller's telephone area code and the mutually exclusive exchange code
digits. This area
and exchange code information enables the system to determine which city the
call originated
from and compare the caller input with a select group of radio station call
letters consisting of
only the stations participating in the service from that area. The request for
the input of AM and
FM designations would be requested when an equivalent set of base call
letters, such as WPAT
FM and WPAT AM, provide a potential conflict.
If the potential purchaser cannot remember the station call letters it is
possible to
use the area and exchange code digits to retrieve station descriptions from
the area code and
call letter file 1075 to verbally prompt the user with the call letters or
station identifier for the
affiliate stations available from their city. This audio prompting could also
include general station
descriptions such as Country and Western or Rock to help determine the exact
station listened
to.
Once the system has determined which radio station was listened to, the system
can search the station's program schedule to determine the current piece being
played and
provide the prospective purchaser with the first level of description such as
the artist's name.
The telephone interface then directs the potential purchaser to touch I if it
is the music piece
in which they are interested or touch the 2 key to hear an excerpt of the
music piece broadcast
to confrm the music piece of interest or touch the number key # on their
telephone to relate
information for the previous piece of music played on the broadcast.
With each touch of the number key (#) the system would step back through each
piece of music previously broadcast or telecast until the potential purchaser
touched 1 to
indicate reaching the music piece of interest. Listeners can also, through the
telephone, enter
CA 02776253 2012-05-08
the time they listened to a song to speed the retrieve process for those
callers that were
significantly delayed in calling the service.
Upon reaching the music piece of interest, the system audibly informs the
potential
purchaser of the formats available for the music product selected, such as CD,
cassette tape
or record album and provide the pricing, shipping and other details.
The system would then ask the potential purchaser to touch the asterisk key *
on
the touch tone telephone 1030 if they want to order the music product.
Alternatively they can
press the number key # if they want more details.
If the potential purchaser touches the number key # the other musical pieces
on
the product would be described and, if requested, excerpts could be played so
that the
potential purchaser had all the required information to make the purchase.
Pressing the asterisk
key * begins the order process.
When the asterisk key * is pressed to order the musical product, the system
would
use the caller's telephone number to determine the shipping address. The
system accomplishes
this by requesting the communications interface 1050 to connect to an outside
database 1090
to provide the address associated with the caller's telephone number. This
address could also
be obtained from a local CD ROM, attached to the programmed data processor
1010, that
contains the street addresses for the respective telephone numbers. If the
caller requests a
different shipping address, they can leave a voice message on the audio
response system 1025
or be connected to a customer service operator.
As the address retrieval process is proceeding, the telephone interface 1020
audibly requests the purchaser to input their credit card number on the touch
tone telephone
1030. The programmed data processor 1010 then directs the communications
interface 1050
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
to contact the credit card issuer 1095 and obtain a credit authorization
number which would
enable the system to subsequently invoice the customers credit card account
upon shipment.
With the shipping address and credit authorization known, the programmed data
processor 1010 directs the communications interface 1050 to connect to the
fulfilment
warehouse 2000 and place the order for the requested music product. If the
product is not in
stock the fulfilment warehouse computer informs the programmed data processor
1010 through
the communications interface 1050 which then instructs the telephone interface
1020 to inform
the customer of the out of stock condition.
Once it has been determined that the product is in stock an order is placed
with
all the information to ship the product and create the appropriate records to
invoice the
purchaser and record the transaction for further accounting and statistical
purposes.
In each of these steps, if the caller experiences problems not easily handled
by
inputting information via the touch tone telephone the caller can be connected
through the
telephone interface 1020 to a customer service operator, who would obtain the
required
information verbally for input into the system via the customer service data
terminal 1040. The
customer service operator has complete control of the session with the caller
once the bridge
connection has been made. For example, the customer service operator, can over
the
telephone, play the recorded excerpts for the caller, obtain and enter
shipping addresses or
explain credit problems. In general the customer service operator is the last
resort when the
automatic system is unable to complete the order process.
The system will also support orders from callers not directed by a broadcast
but
interested in purchasing a music product. For example, the potential purchaser
can initially,
upon calling, be prompted to press the number 2 on their touch tone telephone
indicating they
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
were not a radio listener but wished to use the automated music catalogue
service whereby
the system would proceed to automatically determine the required musical
product and
provide all the information, including the playing of music excerpts, to
enable the potential
purchaser to order a selected music album. The system accomplishes this by
narrowing the
scope of possible music products by first asking the potential purchaser to
touch 1 if the artist
of group is soft rock, touch 2 if hard rock, touch 3 for blues and touch 4 for
country, then to
indicate whether the music product is recorded bya group or single artist.
Then the telephone
interface 1020 requests the artists name followed by a terminator key such as
the number key
#, to be input using the touch tone keys on the telephone 1030. The type of
music and the
numeric representation of the artist or group name is combined together as a
retrieval key.
Matching the retrieval key with the artists name file 1078 provides access to
the pointer for the
selected artist's name in the data file 1065. The data file 1065 contains a
pointer to the artist's
name in the audio description file 1070 for the telephone interface 1020 to
audibly relate the
artist or group name and ask the potential purchaser to confirm the selection
of the correct
artist or group, using the touch tone keys.
Once the correct artist has been identified the system retrieves the names of
musical products for the selected artist stored in the data file 1065 and
relates them in the
reverse order of their release. These names have pointers to audio
descriptions in the audio
description file 1070, which when played to the potential purchaser, assist in
determining which
music product is of interest. By using the touch tone keys, the potential
purchaser can hear
excerpts from any music product until satisfied they have all the required
information to initiate
the purchasing process by touching the asterisk key'. Once the asterisk key *
is depressed the
system will automatically proceed with the purchase process as previously
described.
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
It is contemplated that a 1-900 telephone number can be used for the service
where the potential purchaser would be charged by their telephone company for
the
telephone call on either a per call or duration basis.
It is further anticipated that record and music clubs can use this invention
to assist
in describing and selling their products. As well, record stores can use this
invention to allow
potential customers to hear excerpts from the musical products over telephone
fines. These
services could be offered from one central site or through smaller local
distributed systems
networked together.
In both of the above-mentioned examples the music product number or unit code
can be used to access the album index of possible pieces to be previewed,
thereby reducing
the retrieval time to obtain the music information required to make a
purchase.
It is further contemplated that specific components of the system can be
located
remotely and networked to provide a distributed approach to reduce
communications costs.
For example, the telephone interface 1020 can contain local file storage
capabilities and be
located remotely from the programmed data processor 1010 such that the
telephone interface,
and its audible response and preview functions, can be located in major
cities.
Additionally, access to thesystem can be provided by personal computer whereby
a communications network address such as an Internet address would be promoted
by a
broadcaster. A personal computer user would access the system through the
system's
communication interface 1050 and would use personal computer commands instead
of touch
tone telephone input to preview and order music. The personal computer would
communicate
utilizing digital data and access the digital audio files available to the
programmed data
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
processor 1010. The personal computer user would be directed to navigate
throughout the
system through voice and or visual prompts provided through the personal
computer.
It is further envisioned that the system would store, index and record a
combined
audio and video signal, such as a music video, recorded from a telecast such
as a cable or
satellite broadcast in the same manner as previously described for a radio
broadcast but utilizing
digital video capture facilities. A terminal device such as a personal
computer would access the
system via a network connected to the communication interface 1050 to access
audio and video
information as broadcast or as outlined in a telecaster's program schedule.
The audio and video
portions of the signal would be stored in separate files or in a manner
maintaining access to the
audio by telephone users of the system.
The system could further be utilized in conjunction with a billing facility
such as a 900
telephone number to enable terminal users such as personal computer user to
review a music
video channel's program schedule in order to receive and store specific
information locally on their
personal computer.
Having now described the preferred embodiment of the invention, reference will
be made
to Figure 7, which gives an overview of some of the principles of the present
invention. As
illustrated, the present invention employs data processor 7010 which is
provided with a suitable
user interface 7012. In the presently preferred embodiment, the user interface
is integrated with
the existing telephone and communications infrastructure, so that persons may
interact with the
system using conventional DTMF telephone equipment or other terminal equipment
such as
personal computer as described above. Connected to data processor 7010 is a
subsystem 7018
for providing prerecorded audio or combined audio and video descriptions of
the program material
(e.g. recorded music or music videos) that the caller may wish to purchase.
Subsystem
CA 02776253 2012-05-08
7018 may be implemented using hard disk storage, optical storage, digital
audio tape (DAT)
storage, or the Eke. The program material (e.g. recorded music) may be
prerecorded from the
media played over the air, or it may be prerecorded from the rive broadcast
using a suitable
AM, FM or television receiver and suitable digitizing (analog to digital
conversion) equipment.
Also connected to data processor 7010 is a program schedule input system 7020,
which may
be any suitable means for inputting the program schedule, play Est or station
specific information
identifying what program materials have been or will be broadcast, including
optical character
recognition equipment for inputting program schedules or play lists provided
in printed form and
telefacsimile equipment for inputting the program schedule or play list
information via FAX.
Data processor 7010 is further provided with a database system 7014 for
storing the
program schedule, suitable data or pointers from which the prerecorded
description may be
obtained, reconstructed or generated. An audio description subsystem 7016 is
coupled to data
processor 7010 to provide the selected audio description to the user via the
user interface 7012.
The audio description subsystem may include digital to analog conversion
equipment for
converting digitally prerecorded audio description information into an analog
form suitable for
distributing serially over the telephone. Alternatively or additionally, the
audio description
subsystem may include synthesis equipment for performing text to speech
conversion on text
data files for the creation of audio description information:
The audio description information may also include video information either
stored
on the audio description subsystem 7016 or on a separate subsystem connected
to the data
processor 7010.
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CA 02776253 2012-05-08
While the invention has been described with regard to the presently preferred
embodiment, it will be understood that the invention is capable of certain
modification without
departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended
claims.
37
