Patent ID: 6721403
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: H04H,H04M

Abstract:
Apparatus for enabling a telephone service provider operating within the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to provide a radio program distribution service to users of their services, wherein radio programs included in said service originate as conventional broadcast radio transmissions over limited geographic ranges, and wherein users of said program distribution service are capable of audibly receiving said programs using only presently conventional telephone instruments located outside of said limited geographic ranges, without requiring said users to sustain and potentially be charged for long-distance telephone circuit connections within said PSTN and without requiring said users to connect directly to any public data transmission network external to said PSTN; said apparatus comprising:a data server operating exclusively within said PSTN for linking said telephone service provider to a radio program broadcast distribution facility operating through a global public data communication network external to said PSTN; said data communication network connecting directly to receivers of limited range radio broadcast transmissions, and delivering digital data signals corresponding to radio programs received at said receivers both to said data server, and to other users of said data communication network, in a digital form; and an intelligent network operating within said PSTN for linking selectively between customers of said telephone service provider and said data server so as to deliver radio programs handled by said data server to customers who are subscribed to said radio program distribution service, said delivered programs being transmitted to said subscribed customers in signal forms receivable by any telephone instruments currently being used by said subscribed customers; said intelligent network including an Intelligent Peripheral (IP) sub-network performing processes required to transmit said signals representing said radio programs to said subscribed customers in said receivable signal forms, as well as processes ancillary to the radio service associated with delivery of said radio programs to said subscribed customers.