GB2372907A

GB2372907A - Method of incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals

Info

Publication number: GB2372907A
Application number: GB0130995A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hartwig Koch
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2001-02-06
Filing date: 2001-12-28
Publication date: 2002-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2021-12-28
Also published as: GB2372907B; DE10105188B4; DE10105188A1; FR2820579B1; GB0130995D0; FR2820579A1

Abstract

A method for incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals is proposed, wherein only a Service Provider, i.e. the operator of the digital radio transmission operation becomes active. The Service Provider determines via Internet connections using an Internet browser the Internet addresses for the Internet pages available on the servers. Using the Internet addresses determined in this manner, these Internet pages are then loaded up repeatedly and in a cycle and stored with the Service Provider and transmitted via the digital radio signals. If necessary, the Internet pages are tailored and converted in order to be of an optimum format for transmission with the digital radio signals. The digital radio transmission method may be DAB, DVB, DRM or similar.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Method of incorporating Internet Pages in Digital Radio Signals The invention relates to a method of incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals. It is already known when using digital radio transmission methods, such as DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting), to also transmit data services in addition to broadcasting purely audio prograrnmes. In data services, individual objects are normally transmitted in a carousel similar to the case of video text in television transmission systems. The objects are in the formats recognised by the Internet, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extended Markup Language), JPEG and GIF images. The objects are prepared at the transmitter side in a manner which is achieved by the Content Provider at an additional cost.

The Content Provider in this case is the content provider who prepares the Internet pages, whereas the Service Provider in this case is the Service Provider who operates the radio broadcasting operation. An object of the invention is therefore to simplify the procedure of incorporating any Internet pages in digital radio signals.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method of incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals, wherein the Internet pages are prepared on servers by a Content Provider and wherein the Internet pages are called up by a Service Provider using an Internet browser in order to store the Internet addresses of the Internet pages in a list, using the list the Internet pages are then loaded by the Service Provider in a cycle and automatically via an Internet connection and stored with the Service Provider and the stored Internet pages are then incorporated in digital radio signals.

In contrast to the above described prior art, a method in accordance with the invention

for incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals has the advantage that the Service Provider performs the entire data transfer, whereas the Content Provider need only worry about providing the data on his own server in his usual manner. Any Internet pages, for example WWW pages, can be inserted in an advantageous manner rapidly and simply into a data channel which is achieved by means of the digital radio signals. In so doing, it is also possible for a Service Provider to bundle many various Content Providers in one data channel. The use of the Internet as a transmission path keeps the costs low. Furthermore, the method according to the invention performed by-the Service Provider is simplified. The addresses of the Internet pages are produced as a list using an Internet browser, which is used for example manually in fixed time intervals, in order to make the addresses of the currently available Internet pages accessible. The Service Provider then loads and stores them from a data bank or data base in fixed time intervals, so that the available Internet pages can be updated by the Content Providers.

The features and further developments disclosed in the dependent claims render it possible in an advantageous manner to improve the method mentioned in the independent claim for incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals.

It is particularly advantageous that the stored Internet pages are tailored and/or converted by the Service Provider for transmission by means of the digital radio signals. As a consequence, data formats and also file sizes suitable for transmission by means of digital radio signals are produced.

Furthermore, it is advantageous, that when calling up the Internet pages using the Internet browser the calls are stored by a computer. Thus, in an advantageous manner the function of a so-called proxy-server is exploited, which logs all calls and is also referred to as

Logging'. The calls in this case are in particular the so-called HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)-requests. This has the advantage that once the HTTP requests are logged, they can then be used repeatedly to re-load the Internet pages automatically. As a consequence, the browser is no longer required. This can then occur in particular in a time-controlled manner, i.e. the pages are repeatedly called up automatically.

Finally, it is also advantageous that a device for performing the method in accordance with the invention is provided which comprises an Internet connection to the servers of the Content Providers, a computer for storing the calls, i.e. a proxy server, means for converting and/or tailoring the Internet pages, which is performed by a processor, means for, incorporating the Internet pages in the digital radio signals which is achieved by means of a multiplexer, and means for transmitting the digital radio signals.

The invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of the method in accordance with the invention.

By using digital radio transmission methods, such as DAB, DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting), DRM (Digital Radio Mondial) and other digital radio transmission methods it is possible in addition to transmitting purely radio programmer, i.e. radio or television prograTnmes, to also transmit in addition data services with these radio programmer. These radio transmission methods offer by virtue of their framework structure a relatively free opportunity to transmit the most varied data. Such data include all possible types of

multimedia data, such as video, images, graphics, text, audio and animations. The most varied of data formats of almost any size can be transmitted using DAB. A further advantage resides in the fact that these digital radio transmission systems have a comparatively large bandwidth and thus render it possible to transmit data rapidly.

It is therefore possible also to transmit Internet pages using such radio transmission methods. One important aspect is to transmit the Internet pages from a Service Provider, called in this case the Content Provider, to an operator of the radio transmission operation, i.e. to a Service Provider. In accordance with the present method, only the Service Provider becomes active during this procedure. The Content Provider places his Internet pages on his server, which he does in any case for the conventional Internet operation, whilst the Service Provider calls up the individual Internet pages once using an Internet browser and creates a log of the calls, i.e. of the Internet addresses as a list, i.e. a so- called log file which can then be used again later to call up these Internet pages automatically in a cycle in order to store them locally for incorporating in the digital radio signals.

As the content of Internet pages can change or new Internet pages can be added or old Internet pages no longer exist, the Internet browser must be repeatedly called up at specific times to record the latest data status of the Internet pages as a log file. If necessary, the Service Provider will then convert or tailor the Internet pages for transmission with the digital radio signals. This will in particular then represent a change in the file formats and above all a change in the sizes of the files.

Figure 1 shows schematically as a block diagram a device in accordance with the invention which is connected to servers of the Content Providers. The Content Provider Servers I, 2 and 3 each comprise data bases, in this case called the Object Data Base, and can

be called up using the HTTP protocol. In other words, the technology of the World Wide l Web (WOW) is used. The method in accordance with the invention is particularly simplified by using this protocol which is conventional in the Internet and in particular on the Web.

A Service Provider now uses the Internet, in this case illustrated by the arrow 8, to contact the Content Servers 1, 2 and 3 via a computer 4. The computer 4 is used here as a proxy server, i.e. the server which writes a log file, i.e. the log of the calls. A web browser is started on a further computer 5 and the individual Internet pages located on the Content Servers 1, 2 and 3 are thereby called up one after the other. During these calls the entries, i.e. the Internet addresses are logged in the proxy 4. These Internet addresses are subsequently used in a cycle in the proxy 4 to call up the individual Internet pages automatically in order to be able to store the Internet pages locally with the Service Provider. The web browser on the computer 5 is then no longer necessary.

The stored Internet pages are then converted in the computer 4 and tailored to suit the transmission in order then to be able to attach them in the multiplexer 6 to the digital radio signals. The data flow created in this manner is then transmitted by the DAB transmitter 7.

The receiving party can then receive and call up these Internet pages.

Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with the invention. In step 10, the Content Provider uses the Internet by means of the HTTP protocol to place on the servers 1, 2 and 3 the Internet pages prepared by themselves. In step 11 an Internet browser is started on the computer 5 of the device in accordance with the invention in order to call up the individual Internet pages on the Content Servers 1, 2 and 3. In so doing, in step 12, the so-called log file is created, i.e. a log of the Internet addresses, so that these Internet pages can be called up automatically later by means of this log file at fixed times, for example once a

day. In step 13, the Internet pages are called up automatically on the Content servers 1, 2 and 3 using the log file which is stored in the computer 4. This Internet page is then stored in the computer 4 for incorporating in the radio signals. In step 14, the loaded Internet pages are then converted or tailored in the computer 4 for transmission with the digital radio signals. In step 15, the Internet pages converted in this way are then transmitted by the computer 4 to the DAB data multiplexer 6 which attaches the Internet pages to the radio programmer. In step 16, the Internet pages are then transmitted with the radio signals via the DAB transmitter.

The process then jumps to step 13 in order to re-load the individual Internet pages on the Content servers 1, 2 and 3 automatically via the log file onto the computer 4 where they are to be stored.

If it is not possible to call up an Internet page via the log file, then this can be displayed so that the Internet browser is called up again in order to create an update of the log file. Furthermore, it is possible to create an Internet browser which automatically updates the log file.

Claims

1. A method of incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals, wherein the Internet pages are prepared on servers by a Content Provider and wherein the Internet pages are called up by a Service Provider using an Internet browser in order to store the Internet addresses of the Internet pages in a list, using the list the Internet pages are then loaded by the Service Provider in a cycle and automatically via an Internet connection and stored with the Service Provider and the stored Internet pages are then incorporated in digital radio signals.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the called-up Internet pages are tailored and/or converted for transmission by means of the digital radio signals.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when calling up the Internet pages using an Internet browser the calls are stored by a computer.

4. A device for performing the method in accordance with any of claims 1 to 3, comprising an Internet connection to the servers, a computer for storing the calls, means for converting and/or tailoring the Internet pages, means for incorporating the Internet pages and means for transmitting the digital radio signals.

5. A method of incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A device for incorporating Internet pages in digital radio signals substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.