GB2361611A - Music purchasing method via DAB receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

A DAB receiver includes a user interface which can display DLS text which accompanies the music broadcast, such as "Artist playing now: Miles Davis. Buy the CD!". The DLS text includes a URL to a music web site, hence enabling a user to quickly navigate to the site and initiate a legitimate purchase of a CD whilst a track from the CD is being played on the radio.

Description

2361611 DIGITAL RADIO RECEIVER INTERACTING WITH DIGITAL TEXT DATA SENT

FROM A DIGITAL RADIO SERVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a digital radio receiver interacting with digital text data sent from a digital radio service. The digital radio service provides music content.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Media players, such as Internet connected PCs, are the basic tool of e-commerce. For example, a music fan might visit a music web site, listen to various short samples of music and decide to purchase a CD, which is then delivered through the mail. Likewise, he might be listening to a streaming audio internet radio site, decide that he Ekes the track currently being played, wait for the Dj to describe it and then use the PC to go to a music web site and purchase a CD. The key disadvantage with these conventional approaches to 20 encouraging and facilitating the sale of music is that they are essentially 'pun' mechanisms: the listener has to use his initiative in navigating to a music web site, locating the artist/track etc. he wishes to purchase and then complete the transaction. This is potentially slow and cumbersome with today's technology. Also, streaming audio internet radio is not widely listened to, especially in countries such as the UK where high bandwidth, ubiquitous, always25 on connections are, outside of the commercial world, relatively rare. Generally, 'push' mechanisms are far more potent ways of promoting products; TV and radio are 'push' media, since the user simply has to passively see/hear the content which has been expertly selected and'pushed' towards him. 30 Analogue radio has been extremely effective as a tool for promoting different styles of music and specific ardsts/albums. Yet it is associated with a user interface which is very limited in 2 functionality: analogue radio receivers may show the frequency of the radio station tuned to and perhaps its name. User interaction is largely restricted to tuning into a desired station, or selecting a station pre-set, and then simply listening.

Broadcast digital radio however offers the promise of far richer functionality. Broadcast digital radio (as opposed to non-broadcast streaming radio as found currently on the Internet) exemplifies a digital 'push'medium. Digital radio broadcasting systems frequently divide the signals transmitted into multiple components, including content (e.g. music) and a data stream related to the content. In the DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) system, the 10 European standard for digital radio, a stream of content is associated with Program Associated Data (PAD); the PAD can include an information stream designated as the Dynarmic Label Segment or DLS stream. The DLS can include information such as the name of the digital service and other information defined and broadcast by the digital radio service or service (e.g. artist name etc.). This gives a far richer user experience and offers the 15 potential for new kinds of functionality. For example, EP 1035674 to Sony Corporation (filed prior to the priority date of this application, but only later published) discloses embedding http addresses (or more generally URLs) in the DLS stream and allowing a user to select an http address in order to be taken directly to an applicable web site, specifically the web site of the sponsor of the radio programme. Hence, EP 1035674 specifically teaches 20 including in the DLS the web address of the radio programme sponsor. A DAB music chart show sponsored by the soft drinks vendor Pepsi might therefore include "pepsi.com" in the DLS. 25 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a digital radio receiver, capable of interacting with digital text data sent from a digital radio service providing music content, comprising a display operable to be controlled by the computing means to display digital text

3 data made visually prominent to indicate that the digital text data can be selected by a user to perform a pre-defined action; characterised in that the digital text data specifically relates to the music content provided by the digital radio service.

Where the digital text data is data defining a URL, then the pre-defined action is opening a web browser. This goes beyond EP 1035674 by providing for the URL in the DAB DLS, for example, to be not merely the name of the radio programme sponsor, but instead to relate to the actual music being broadcast, e.g. the name of the artist, the track, or the applicable album, forthcoming concerts etc.

The pre-defined action may extend to invoking a return path by which the receiver can send information and hence initiate an e-commerce transaction, such as downloading a music track or buying a CD. These actions may require use of a user's cookie details.

Hence, one application of this would be for a DAB radio service to broadcast the music of a given artist, but to also broadcast DLS text data stating 'Artist: Miles Davis. Get the tracV, That message is displayed on the receiver in a different colour and underlined in a small DLS window, typically underneath the icon of the DAB radio service. Selecting it invokes a hidden URL: when the user selects that highlighted text, he or she is either automatically taken to a music web site in a browser 1% Midow, or else, if the user has pre-registered, (so that a cookie of his or her credit card details etc. can be automatically sent to the music site), then the purchase request can be processed automatically. The user does not need to fill in the relevant CD name/ardst name details etc since that is handled automatically. All the user has to do is confirm the purchase. Alternatively, an explicit, visible user selectable URL of the music web site can be included in the DLS. Hence, automatic downloading of legitimate copies of tracks is possible with this mechanism.

As an alternative to a download of digital music, the user can be taken to a music web site which distributes CDs, where he can confirm acceptance of a request to purchase a CD. As 4 above, where the user has pre-registered and the music web site can send a cookie to the user's media player to confirm its identity, then all of the user's pertinent details (address, credit card etc.) will be pre-completed (together with all of the details of the CD to be purchased), reducing the time spent on the transaction and maximising the chance that it will in fact result in a sale. Although a DAB implementation has been summarised, other digital radio standards (e.g. IBOC) are equally covered within the scope of the present invention.

This invention may be particularly effective at promoting the sale of legitimate music: because radio is a 'push' mediurn, a user is often exposed to hearing new music tracks for the first time on it. If the user really likes the track, he might even be tempted to buy a CD; with conventional radio, this desire would remain very strong for perhaps 30 rMinutes after hearing the track. This is rarely long enough to physically go out to a record shop and buy the CD. But with the DAB implementation, the DLS can contain a 'Buy this track' type message, which the user can select whilst the track is still playing on his digital radio receiver.

Actual purchase of the track or CD then requires merely a simple confirmation, without the user having to complete any identification details relating to the track or CD in question. A list of tracks recently broadcast by the service tuned into can be stored on the receiver; the user can call up this list at leisure. Each track on the list may include digital text data enabling him to download the track or purchase the CD, in the manner described above. 20 With an implementation of the present invention, buying a legitimate CD (or mp3 format download, or other artist related merchandise/ concert tickets etc.) can now happen within a I - cw seconds or minutes of the impact of hearing a great music track because of the linkage between the text in the DLS and the music actually being broadcast.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a screen shot of a DAB receiver (in this case a PC) showing radio service icons arranged according to multiplex (a multiplex is a grouping of several different digital radio services); Figure 2 is a screen shot of a DAB receiver showing radio service icons arranged according to content; Figure 3 is a screen shot of a DAB receiver showing radio service icons arranged in a personalised manner; Figures 4 and 5 are screen shots of a DAB receiver showing radio service icons being dragged to form a personalised arrangement; Figure 6 is a screen shot of a menu displayed on a DAB receiver showing recently visited 15 radio services; Figure 7 is a screen shot of a menu displayed on a DAB receiver showing a search dialog box; Figure 8 is a screen shot of a DAB receiver showing a DLS (Dynamic Label Segment) in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will described with reference to an embodiment from Psion Infornedia Limited of Great Britain. This embodiment is the Wavefinderg DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) system. The Wavefinder system is a DAB receiver which works in conjunction with a PC. Because of the very high quality audio available using DAB (i.e. CD quality), high quality speakers (preferably including a sub-woofer) are typically used. The 30 Wavefinder system includes a DAB antenna which is connectcd via a USB cable to the PC. The antenna itself includes a digital radio receiver which handles some or all of the DAB 6 signal processing; the PC itself can also handle some aspects of signal processing. The PC is programmed with high level user interface software, enabling the user to select different DAB services. The functionality offered by the DAB PC user interface application (the Wavefinder Application) will be described more fully in this section.

Referring to Figure 1, the Wavefinder Application runs on a Microsoft Windows operating system or an Apple Mac operating system. Figure 1 shows the Wavefinder Application running on a Windows desktop indicated at 1. A Wavefinder control box is shown at 2; this includes various control buttons which will shortly be described. Control box 2 is shown in this mode sitting on top of a 2 -D map 10 showing icons relating to the different DAB radio services which have been picked up by the Wavefmder antenna. A example of an icon is the square box at 12, underneath which sits the service label 'BBC Radio 2' at 13. Beneath this service label 13 is a category/ content type name at 14; in this case it reads 'News'. This is a static PTy (programme type code). Each icon on the map 10 has therefore both a name 13 and a content type description 14. Both the name 13 and the content type description 14 are broadcast as part of the DAB signal. In the Figure 1 viewing mode, all of the services are grouped according to the name of the multiplex provider. Hence, all of the BBC services are clustered round the words BBC at 15A. At 15B, the words Digital One indicate that the 4 services (branded as Capital, Classic, Talk Back and jazz) are part of the Digital One multiplex. Control arrows (the down arrow of which is marked as 11B) enable the user to scroll around in this 2-D space.

Control box 2 includes a number of function buttons and displays. A reception level indicator is incorporated as a column of five 'lights' at 8; the greater the signal strength, the more 'lights' are illuminated. Moving to the right across the control box 2, we have the following function buttons: Button 3, if selected causes map 10 to appear. As the user hovers its cursor over button 3, the words 'Open Map' appear in confirmation region 6. If the map is already open, then the words 'Close map' appear in this region 6 as the user hovers its cursor over button 3. Hence, control Box 2 does not have to be shown in conjunction with the map 10; that option is shown in Figure 8.

Button 4 is a 'Last Locations' button. Figure 6 shows the pop-up list 60 which appears when button 4 is selected: this list includes the five most recently listened to radio services, enabling the user to navigate quickly back to a service of interest by simply selecting the 7 name of the service of interest. The top of the list is the most recent. If the user has one or more of the services active, an icon 61/62 appears indicating if audio 61 or non-audio 62 data is associated with that service: icon 61 indicates that audio is being played and icon 62 that data is being shown. The text used in the Est is live (i.e. broadcast) text. Pop-up list 60 automatically drops down from control box 2 if the control box is near the top of the screen, and sits above the control box 2 if the box 2 is near the bottom of the screen. Additional functionality can be added as follows: the pop-up list 60 could be extended and enriched so that information of potential interest to a user is displayed next to the station name.

Examples include the following information relating to a particular service/ station, either currently or in the near future:

(i) the name of a music track; (ii) the name of the artist performing the music track; (iii) a description of content; (iv) the name of the programme currently being broadcast.

This kind of additional information can entice a user to return to the station, which is commercially very valuable for advertising backed, commercial radio. Certain radio services may wish to enhance the nature of their presence in pop-up list 60 and significant revenue may be generated from this: radio services which have not even been recently listened to could therefore be featured in the list 60. Click-through rates (e.g. the numbers of users returning to a service after seeing the enriched pop-up list entry for that service) can also be measured, so that the efficacy of a presence in the pop-up list 60 can be measured. Pop-up list 60 may include advertising messages to generate additional revenue.

Returning to Figure 1, button 5 is a search button. When this is selected, the pop up window shown in Figure 7 appears. This allows the user to type in the name of a service it wishes to locate. When the 'search' button 5 in Figure 7 is selected, the system searches for the named service in a database of service names already stored on the PC, plays the audio output from the service once located and also re-adjusts the map 10 to show the associated icon at the centre of the map.

8 The system compares the input name to the nearest name stored in a services database.

Hence, in Figure 7, only the letters 'vir' have been typed in; the remaining letters 'gin' are automatically inserted, since the only match is for a service called 'Virgin'. If no match can be found, the user is returned to the previous map 10. Optionally, the search box can also enable the user to scan for new services; when these are located, the Wavefinder Application automatically enters their name into the services database for future searching.

Search dialogs (not shown) can be used for searching for any kind of text data which is either broadcast by the services or made available on an electronic programme guide. Hence, service providers could broadcast the artist name and the song tide of currently played tracks, or tracks on their playlist, or tracks soon to be played (with an indication of the play time or elapsed time before playing). A search engine can scan the DLS text data moving from service to service, or else that text data is stored in memory on the player and the search is performed over the stored data, which is regularly updated by either pull or push mechanisms. A user wishing to hear a favourite track or artist can then readily locate the appropriate service. This can be particularly useful where a user wishes to record a track, since the Wavefinder Application can be programmed to automatically search against defined criteria, tune into the applicable radio service and then record the track (or other defined item, such as an interview, opera etc.) when it is broadcast. Copyright protection schemes can be utilised to ensure that only legitimate recording takes place. The user can also be presented, following the input of a search query and (typically) after the required item has been located with a message giving the option of purchasing one or more of the following:

(a) a downloadable version of one or more music tracks; (b) merchandising relating to the artist or track; (c) performance tickets for the artist.

Different radio services, recording artists or their music publishers/ distributors may wish to pay so that they are more prorminently featured on any list of hits. For example, a user could search for the recording artist 'Robbie Williams'. If several radio services were in fact at that time playing a Robbie Williams track, then one of the radio service providers may wish to 9 pay extra to ensure that it's name is prionitised in a list of services presented to the user so that the user can select the required service provider. Where the PC is connected to the Internet or there is some other kind of back-channel, it is possible for a service provider to be sent the track/artist search requests being made and to modify its playing schedule accordingly. Again, granting access to that data has revenue earning potential.

Returning to Figure 1, button 7 is a help button. This is the final button in the control box.

When a map 10 is opened, a map toolbox 21 including further buttons is animated to appear.

The map toolbox 21 contains objects directly relevant to the map 10. Button 16 is a scan button: selecting this button causes the Wavefinder Application to tune into each service and multiplex that is available to check for any new configurations in the multiplex set-up and for changes in the static PTy (Programme Type) code. This scan function is programmed to happen automatically, so that button 16 is a back-up if there is a problem when the update information is sent. Button 17 is an options button: selecting this causes a pop-up list to appear. It will be further described in relation to Figure 3. Buttons 18 allow three different zoom levels to be specified: level 1 includes icons at 8x8 pixels and cluster names in 12 point type; level 2 includes icons at 16x16 pixels and cluster names in 18 point type and level 3 includes icons at 32x32 pixels and cluster names in 18 point type. As zooming occurs, icons maintain their relative positions. Map 10 can be scaled to 3 different sizes using buttons 20.

A full screen view (not shown) occupies virtually all of the PC screen; the half view is shown in Figure 1.

The view mode for the radio service icons themselves within map 10 is indicated at pop-up menu 19. The Figure 1 view mode is 'view by multiplex', since all services are grouped according to their multiplex. Selecting pop-up menu 19 causes a list of 3 options to appear in region 19. The items listed are 'multiplex'; 'content' and 'new map'.

Selecting the 'content' option results in the map 10A as shown in Figure 2. Whilst changing mode from 'multiplex' to 'content', the service icons are animated so that they appear to move to their new positions, allowing the user to more readily understand the re organisation taking place. The static PTy reference is used to group together all services with the same PTy. Hence, Figure 2 shows four different content clusters. The first cluster is around the Programme Type label at 14A, which reads 'Classical'. Two radio services with the 'Classical' static PTy reference, shown at 14B are in this cluster. The three other content type groupings shown are 'News' at 14C, 'Chart Music' at 14D and 'Sport' at 14E. The additional News service icon for BBC Radio 4, not entirely in the map 10A, can be scrolled to using up arrow 11B. Each cluster is a two dimensional arrangement of icons representing radio services; further all of the clusters together are in the two dimensional map 10A.

Scrolling up in this way may reveal further clusters of different kinds of content (e.g. jazz).

It is also possible to construct three--dimensional arrangements of stations and clusters.

If a static PTy reference changes whilst the user has the map 10 open in view by content mode, then map 10A automatically re-configures itself to show the new icon position.

Programme type changes happen infrequently, (unlike dynamic codes).

The 'new map' function selectable from pop up menu 19 allows a user to create a map in which they can move radio service icons anywhere on the map. When this option is selected, the user is presented with a pop-up box allowing them to name the new map. That name then appears in pop up Est 19. At Figure 3, the name given to this personalised map was 'my map', as shown at 19. Several users have grouped their choices in this map 10B. At 31, the word 'Mums' is surrounded by several icons which relate to her choices, At 30, an image of a pop star is shown. This has been achieved using option button 17. When this button 17 is selected, a pop up list with two options appears: 'Add text' and 'Add pictures'.

'Add Text' enables the user to add text that appears in the map 10 to name a personalised group of icons (e.g. the word 'Mums'). This is done using a dialog box which appears when this option is selected. 'Add Picture' results in the standard Windows/Mac interface allowing a user to locate an ffinage on the hard drive. The image is automatically subject to software image manipulation in order to blend in to the map 10B attractively. The user can drag icons (40, 50) to the desired location, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, where the BBC Radio 3 icon is shown being moved.

Referring now to Figure 8, a channel window 80 is shown. This is the window which appears once a particular radio service has been selected. Channel window 80 includes the name of the service, BBC Radio 5, at 81; the static PTy code at 82; and dynamic codes at 83.

Various control buttons are included on the right hand side of the channel window 80. At 83 is a volume control button, which when selected causes a pop-up volume slider to appear.

At 84 is a data button; if selected, this causes a related web page or slide show (i.e. JPEG sequence) to automatically open. A record button is provided at 85; clicking on this causes 11 audio recording to hard disc to commence; clicking a second time causes recording to cease, at which time a standard Windows/Mac pop-up menu appears allowing the user to name and save the recorded file; this will normally be done by transcoding the incoming DAB data, in MPEG 1 layer 11 format, into the more widely used MP3 format. Button 86 allows a user to save a browser or slide show image, initiated by selecting button 84. Channel window 80 sits on top of a DLS (Dynamic Label Segment) text window 87.

DLS text is programme related data sent by the radio service provider. It can include news information and information about a music track being played; it can also include data which can trigger a connection via a back channel or return path to an external entity. For example, it could include URLs 88 and other kinds of e-commerce links: it could include the URL 88 of a web site specifically related to the content actually being broadcast (as opposed to merely the commercial sponsor of the entire programme). Hence, it could be the URL of a fan site of the artist being played, or a music download site taking you directly into the possibly deep part of the site relating to the actual track or album by the artist being played.

The URL 88 is automatically recognised as a URL and underlined and placed into a different colour. A user can readily then click on the URL 88 (or otherwise select it) to automatically launch a browser and automatically proceed to the applicable web site or a deep portion of that web site.

In addition, text again relating to the specific content of the programme, such as 'Download this track!' can appear as well in DLS text window 87: these can be recognised as concealed URLs so that the words are underlined and in a different colour, like a conventional URL.

Clicking on the words can again cause a web browser to open, such as a music download site, causing a user to be taken quickly and automatically to an order page of the site, with the details of the applicable album etc. already completed. All the user has to do is typically make a single click to agree to the purchase (assurning prior registration and the delivery of a cookie from the user's device to the music download site to enable that site to identify the user) and the transaction is completed; the user will be shipped the applicable CD etc. in the usual manner. One variant of this is for the content specific text in the broadcast stream to be sent automatically to a search engine, which then automatically routes the user to the correct web page. For example, a DLS message "Artist: Miles Davis: Album: Kind of Blue - Buy the Album!" could be selected by a user; this in turn sends the "Artist: Miles Davis:

Album: Kind of Blue - Buy the Album!" text to a search engine, which in turn causes the 12 user's browser to automatically open at a music purchasing site, ideally also at the section relating to Miles Davis and the relevant album with the user having to simply click a single confirmatory 'Buy Now' button for the transaction to be competed. As above, the music site recognises the user as an existing customer by a cookie exchange.

Because buying CDs on impulse will be so much easier, this implementation will encourage much higher purchasing levels of music.

Other information can be recognised and acted upon in an appropriate manner: for example, if a postcode appears in some text, it may be useful for a map viewer application to open automatically. An e-mail address in the broadcast stream could automatically, if selected by a user, cause an e-mail client application to open up and auto-complete the recipients details.

This could be a very effective way of getting user feedback; for example, a radio broadcast could carry text in the DLS inviting listeners to e-mail back if they like a specific artist.

Other forms of automatically triggering a connection over a return path or back channel are possible too; for example, a telephone number could, if selected, auto-dial out if a telephony application is available.

Further, the broadcast content specific text (or data transmitted using some other information channel such as internet/ GPRS/UMTS etc.) may be used to enable decryption or some other form of access control information to be delivered to/used by the user to allow the user to access premium digital radio channels, a closed network DAB broadcast/ specific frequency or confidential/ subscription based internet based material.

This approach may be used in any information download environment.

Selecting the words 'Download this track!' can cause the track to be automatically downloaded without further steps being required of the user (i.e. no web browser is visibly opened nor is a music web site visibly accessed). That may, as noted above, require a cookie of the user's credit card to be available to a remote music download site; alternatively, the recording can be made of the DAB signal. This may require the user to wait until the service broadcasts the track again; the system can however be programmed to automatically record when that next happens and also to search other services for the required track. Services may wish to broadcast their playlist schedules so that recording can be efficiently handled.

13 Appropriate copyright protection mechanisms can be included so that applicable copyright laws are not violated.

DAB offers the promise of significantly enhancing the delivery mechanism for music and for capturing the very substantial market for spontaneous music purchasing - i.e. when a user hears a track on his or her Wavefinder and immediately wishes to download or record a legitimate copy. The current system is far more convenient than logging onto a site with MP3tracks, locating the required track and then having to go through an often laborious download process.

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Claims (11)

1. A digital radio receiver, capable of interacting with digital text data sent from a digital radio service providing music content, comprising a display operable to be controlled by the computing means to display digital text data made visually prorniinent to indicate that the digital text data can be selected by a user to perform a pre-defined action, characterised in that the digital text data specificall), relates to the music content provided by the digital radio service.

2. The digital radio receiver of Claim 1 in which the digital text data is data which defines or is capable of invoking a URL and/or an e-mail address from the entertainment source.

3. The digital radio receiver of Claim 2 in which the pre-defined action is, for a URL, opening a web browser and/or, for an e-mail address, opening an e-mail client.

4. The digital radio receiver of Claim 1 in which the pre-defined action is initiating and completing an e-commerce action,

5. The digital radio receiver of Claim 4 in which completing an e-commerce action is dependent on the use of a user's cookie details.

6. The digital radio receiver of Claim 1 in which the digital text data is included in the DLS portion of a DAB signal.

7. The digital radio receiver of Claim 1 in which the digital text data contains a protocol or instruction that when invoked causes a connection to be made between the media player and an information source via a return path different from the inbound path over which the digital text data was sent.

8. The digital radio receiver of Claim 7 in which the return path is one or more of the 5 following: a weblink, an electronic messaging channel, the voice telephony system.

9. The digital radio receiver of Claim 8 in which the display shows each available return path enabling the user to decide whether to invoke a further instruction to use a particular return path or paths.

10. The digital radio receiver of Claim 1 in which the digital text data contains a protocol or instruction which when invoked causes a connection to be made over a return path and a digital password to be transmitted, the password causing the release of locked content and the return of such content either via the same kind of mechanism as the digital text data or via an alternate delivery mechanism.

11. The digital radio receiver of Claim 1 in which the digital text data contains a protocol or instruction which when invoked causes a connection to be made over a return path and identification information for the user or media player to be transmitted to a content supplier, which in turn causes the return via an appropriate pathway of a decryption protocol for access controlled content.