Patent ID: 6317784
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: H04H,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
A media player for playing material broadcast by a radio station and presenting supplemental information for material currently and previously broadcast, the media player comprising:(1) a receiver configured to receive audio program segments over the Internet from a broadcast service provider, the audio program segments corresponding to audio content broadcast via radio by the radio station, the receiver also configured to receive program data for individual ones of the audio program segments, the program data comprising a segment code identifying the corresponding audio program segment;(2) a player configured to play said audio program segments of said received broadcast material on a user's computer;(3) a first information retrieval module portion configured to forward the program data corresponding to one of said program segments to a first server to retrieve a URL (Universal Resource Locator) identifying the network location of supplemental information for said given program segment;(4) a second information retrieval module portion configured to forward said URL to a second server to retrieve the supplemental information and to provide said supplemental information to said player for presentation concurrent with said program segment; and(5) a module for providing a history display comprising a collection of display elements, the collection including display elements for program segments previously broadcast within a period of time, individual display elements being configured to display an item of supplemental information related to a previously broadcast program segment, the display presenting display elements in chronological order corresponding to their order of broadcast by the radio station, the display elements including at least one display element corresponding to a program segment not received by the media player, individual ones of said display elements being associated with program data that includes a code identifying the program segment corresponding to said display element, said module being configured to use said program data of a display element to retrieve additional supplemental information upon selection of the display element by a user.