Method for access to additional Internet content associated with a radio and/or television program.
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The invention relates to a method for access to additional Internet content associated with a radio and/or television program.
More in detail, the invention relates to a method of the said type, designed and realised in particular for enjoying an advertising content associated with an icon on a screen of a radio and/or television receiver during tuning on a radio and/or television company that is broadcasting radio and/or television or video content, but which can be used for enjoying any additional radio and/or television program content.
The description below relates to the display of an advertising icon in the case of radio receivers, but it is quite apparent how the same should not be considered limited to this specific use.
As is well known, a radio receiver is an apparatus, which can be installed in a vehicle, or inside buildings, for receiving and listening to radio programs broadcast by radio companies.
Radio apparatuses are currently known comprising a DAB module {Digital Audio Broadcasting) for receiving a digital signal, an FM radio module for receiving an analogue signal, a satellite module for receiving a satellite signal, and a Web radio module for receiving an Internet signal, by means of a LAN {Local Area Network), a Wi-Fi network { Wireless Fidelity), or a mobile network.
Methods are not currently known for displaying advertising icons associated with the radio program broadcast by a radio company.
In light of the above, the aim of this invention is therefore to realise a completely new method for displaying advertising icons associated with a radio program broadcast by a radio company.
The specific object of this invention is therefore a method as defined in the accompanying claims, which form an integral part of the description.
The invention is now described, by way of example and without limiting the scope of the invention, with reference to the accompanying
drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of it, in which:
Figure 1 shows a first flow diagram of the method for displaying advertising icons on a radio receiver, according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a second flow diagram of the method according to the invention;
Figure 3 shows a third flow diagram of the method according to the invention;
Figure 4 shows a fourth flow diagram of the method according to the invention; and
Figure 5 shows a fifth flow diagram of the method according to the invention.
In the various figures similar parts are labelled with the same reference numerals.
With reference to the accompanying drawings, the method for displaying advertising icons on a radio receiver, according to the invention, comprises a plurality of steps which are described in detail below.
The example will concern radio transmissions, but the method applies equally to television transmission, or also radio transmissions via TV. In particular, the method can easily be applied to smart-TV.
Before entering into detail on the steps of the method it is worth providing the following definitions.
The term radio receiver means an electronic apparatus equipped with storage means for storing data configured at least for receiving radio waves and reproducing the information in the form of sound and/or images and/or digital data.
The term DAB radio module means a section of a radio receiver configured for receiving a digital signal or DAB signal, where said radio signal contains at least a first data packet, comprising, for example, the name of the radio station, the name of the radio program or music track transmitted, the geographical data relative to the radio station and the like.
The term FM radio module means a section of a radio receiver configured for receiving an analogue signal or FM signal, where said analogue signal contains at least a second data packet, comprising the
data mentioned above.
The term satellite radio module means a section of a radio receiver configured for receiving a satellite signal, where said satellite signal contains at least a third data packet, comprising the data mentioned above.
The term Web radio module means a section of a radio and/or television receiver configured for receiving an Internet signal, where said Internet signal contains at least a fourth data packet, comprising the data mentioned above.
The term radio station or broadcaster means a public or private organisation equipped for transmitting radio communications or radio programs by means of a digital signal and/or an analogue signal an/or a satellite signal and/or an Internet signal.
The term television station or broadcaster means a public or private organisation equipped for transmitting TV or video communications or also television programs by means of a digital signal and/or an analogue signal an/or a satellite signal and/or an Internet signal.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the method is a method for access to additional Internet content associated with a radio and/or television program.
The screen of the method may be integrated with the radio and/or television receiver or external. In the latter case, it may also be a smartphone and the user can continue to watch the TV program or listen to the radio program whilst having the possibility to access additional content.
The method uses a radio receiver equipped with:
- at least one radio module for receiving at least one signal emitted by a radio station, where said signal contains an associated data group and a radio program content;
- an electronic processing unit; and
- an integrated or external display.
This hardware is used in the method according to the following
steps in common with the traditional radio broadcasting:
A) verifying whether said at least one signal is present;
B) if said at least one signal is present, tuning on said radio station; and
C) reproducing said radio program content.
The method according to the invention executes the following further innovative steps, performed by said electronic processing unit:
D) acquiring said associated data group;
E) verifying the presence, in said associated data group, of a predetermined identifying code associated with an additional Internet content;
F) if said predetermined identifying code is present:
G) generating a URL, Uniform Resource Locator, based on said identifying code and/or on information present in a predetermined position in said associated data group;
H) displaying on a portion of said display, a button of the FAB type, Floating Action Button, which remains active for a predetermined time interval based on said associated data group and/or on said radio program content;
I) verifying whether a pressure signal of said button of the FAB type is present;
L) if said pressure signal is not present, removing said button of the FAB type and repeating the preceding steps from step A; and
M) if said pressure signal is present, opening the Internet page identified by said URL on said display.
The URL, Uniform Resource Locator, is generated on the basis of the identifying code when said identifying code already contains the address data of the page where the user may access the additional content. The identifying code may also not contain the address data, but comprise only a flag indicating the presence of information in a predetermined position (possibly indicated in the flag) in said associated data group, on the basis of which to construct the URL. The information for the construction of the URL may also be divided between identifying code and information in the predetermined position.
According to particular embodiments, the radio module of said radio receiver is of the DAB type for receiving signals of the digital type emitted by said radio station, or of the FM type for receiving signals of the analogue type emitted by said radio station, or of the satellite type for receiving signals of the satellite type, or of the Web type for receiving signals of the Internet type emitted by said radio station.
In the first three cases, the data group associated to said signal may be sent in the standard protocol RDS {Radio Data System).
In the fourth case, the signal of the Internet type emitted by said radio station may be received in streaming mode, by means of the TCP {Transmission Control Protocol) or UDP {User Datagram Protocol).
It is naturally preferable, for a greater usability, that the screen is a touch screen and said pressure is a tactile pressure.
Conveniently, the removal of the button of the FAB type may be obtained using a timer contained in said radio receiver.
The data group can conveniently contain: the name of the radio station, the name of the radio program or music track transmitted, the geographical data relative to the radio station and the like, as well as the identifying code or tag useful for the invention.
Without limiting the scope of the invention, the Internet referred to above is advertising and/or commercial content.
Advantageously, between step D and step E the data group is converted into a string format and stored in a memory connected to said electronic processing unit, steps from E to H being performed on the basis of the data group in the string format.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the use of the DAB module, but it is to be understood that the method remains unchanged also if the FM radio module, or the satellite radio module or the Web radio module is used.
An example of an extract of a code which is able to generate the
URL, according to an embodiment of the invention, is given below:
System. out.println("Ecco String 1 : "+s); System. out. println("Ecco String 2: "+s1 ); s1 = s1 .replaceAII(" ", ""); String[] spotSplit = s1 .split("-");
System. out.printlnfEcco title: M+spotSplit[0]);
if(spotSplit[0].equals("Sconosciuto")) { Snackbar snackbar =
Snackbar.make(constraintl_ayout, "Messaggio Commrciale",
Snackbar.LENGTH_LONG).setDuration(15000) .setAction("VISITA IL SITO", new View.OnClickListener() { @Override public void onClick(View view) { Intent browserlntent = new lntent(lntent.ACTION_VIEW,
Uri.parse(^ ;ttps:vwww.radk}nove;ii.il/")); startActivity(browserlntent); } }); snackbar.show(); }
According to a particular embodiment of the method, with reference to Figure 5, the radio receiver is further provided with a module for audio scanning and recognition of music tracks based on said at least one signal (a step which can be achieved with known methods), said module performing, as soon as one or more music tracks are recognised, the following step:
N) sending identifying data of said one or more tracks to a server of a radio station.
At this point, the server of said radio station generates a URL based on the identifying data of said radio receiver and/or based on the identifying data of said one or more tracks, and sends the URL to said radio receiver.
The radio receiver, on the hand, executes the following steps:
O) displaying on a portion of said display, a further button of the FAB type, Floating Action Button, which remains active for a predetermined time interval based on said identifying data of said radio receiver and/or based on the identifying data of said one or more tracks and/or user preferences;
P) verifying whether a pressure signal of said button of the FAB type is present;
Q) if said pressure signal is not present, removing said further button of the FAB type and repeating the preceding steps from the audio
scanning step; and
R) if said pressure signal is present, connecting to said URL and playing said one or more tracks together with one or further more tracks that share one or more of said identifying data.
In this way, the user can change from listening to a single artist, a single genre, or tracks which in some way share a characteristic or parameter. The same can be done with a scanning of a video signal identifying video elements or images to associate to additional content.
As is apparent from the above description, the invention relates to a method for displaying advertising icons on a radio and/or television receiver, to allow a user a direct and simplified interaction with the content transmitted by a radio and/or television station, in particular for enjoying content additional to the programs.
This invention is described by way of example only, without limiting the scope of application, according to its preferred embodiments, but it shall be understood that the invention may be modified and/or adapted by experts in the field without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept, as defined in the claims herein.