The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 01, 2015
Filed:
Oct. 02, 2014
Iheartmedia Management Services, Inc., San Antonio, TX (US);
Jeffrey Lee Littlejohn, Cincinatti, OH (US);
Michael Lincoln Albl, Cincinatti, OH (US);
Jeffrey D. Zigler, Omaha, NE (US);
Kevin R. Lockhart, Ogallala, NE (US);
Richard D. Wooden, Ogallala, NE (US);
Jacqueline J. Lockhart, Poway, CA (US);
Theodore N. Myers, Fort Collins, CO (US);
Evan A. Hill, Bend, OR (US);
Tanya R. Jellison, Ogallala, NE (US);
iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc., San Antonio, TX (US);
Abstract
A media receiver identifies attributes of a media station to which the media receiver is currently tuned. The media receiver monitors the signal quality of the media station. If the signal quality of the media station drops below a quality threshold, the receiver chooses an alternate station having similar content, and then tunes to the alternate station until the signal quality of the original station improves. When the signal quality of the original station rises above a re-tune threshold, the receiver can switch back to the original station. The receiver can monitor and record user listening patterns, station-switching patterns, and situational parameters, to identify times or locations at which station switches occur. This information can be used to select appropriate alternative stations, to perform pre-emptive station switches, and to determine when a station's content will be buffered with the expectation that a station's signal will drop below the quality threshold.