Method and system of interactive access to radio broadcast information elements

Claim 1

A method of deferred access to radio information elements broadcast by a radio broadcasting source, the method comprising the steps of: receiving and digitizing the information elements broadcast by the source; recording the information elements cyclically and continuously with temporal reference markers corresponding to broadcasting time slots; determining the time slot of the recording in which any information element is located; accessing the recorded information elements from a telecommunications terminal through a switched telephone network, the accessing step including establishing a telephone call from the telecommunications terminal to the central processing unit by dialing a telephone number assigned to a central processing unit, giving the source and time of the broadcast or a corresponding code of the information elements, dedicating keys of a keypad of the telecommunications terminal to predetermined functions, and interactively interrogating the central processing unit by pressing one of the dedicated keys, the telecommunications terminal transmitting requests corresponding to the predetermined functions in response to the pressing of the dedicated key; reading and transmitting the information elements, the information elements being transmitted to the telecommunications terminal through the switched telephone network during the telephone call; interrupting the reading and transmitting of the information elements when a request is received from the telecommunications terminal; responding to the request during the interrupting step; and receiving the information elements instantaneously on the telecommunications terminal.

Claim 2

A method of deferred access to radio information elements broadcast by a radio broadcasting source, the method comprising the steps of: receiving and digitizing the information elements broadcast by the source; recording the information elements cyclically and continuously with temporal reference markers corresponding to broadcasting time slots; determining the time slot of the recording in which any information element is located; accessing the recorded information elements from a telecommunications terminal through a switched telephone network, the accessing step including establishing a telephone call from the telecommunications terminal to the central processing unit by dialing a telephone number assigned to a central processing unit, giving the source and time of the broadcast or a corresponding code of the information elements, dedicating keys of a keypad of the telecommunications terminal to predetermined functions, and interactively interrogating the central processing unit by pressing one of the dedicated keys, the telecommunications terminal transmitting requests corresponding to the predetermined functions in response to the pressing of the dedicated key; reading and transmitting the information elements, the information elements being transmitted to the telecommunications terminal through the switched telephone network during the telephone call; interrupting the reading and transmitting of the information elements when a request is received from the telecommunications terminal; responding to the request during the interrupting step; and receiving the information elements instantaneously on the telecommunications terminal.

Claim 7

A system of deferred access to radio broadcast information elements broadcast by a radio broadcasting source, the system comprising: a center for receiving and recording broadcast information elements and for managing access to the information elements in read/write mode, the center being accessible through a switched telephone network, and the center including: a radio broadcast receiver, the receiver being tuned to a broadcasting frequency corresponding to the broadcasting source, a central management and processing unit, the central unit digitizing in real-time the information elements received by the receiver, and the central unit recording the information elements cyclically and continuously with temporal reference markers corresponding to broadcasting time slots, the central unit determining the time slot of the recording in which any information element is located, and the central unit recognizing and responding to interactive requests as the interactive requests are received; means for receiving a telephone call through the switched telephone network and for transmitting during the telephone call the information elements requested; and subscribers' equipment including a telecommunications terminal for interactively interrogating the central unit by transmitting interactive requests to the central unit, and for receiving the desired information elements through the switched telephone network during the telephone call.

Claim 8

A system of deferred access to radio broadcast information elements broadcast by a radio broadcasting source, the system comprising: a center for receiving and recording broadcast information elements and for managing access to the information elements in read/write mode, the center being accessible through a switched telephone network, and the center including: a radio broadcast receiver, the receiver being tuned to a broadcasting frequency corresponding to the broadcasting source, a central management and processing unit, the central unit digitizing in real-time the information elements received by the receiver, and the central unit recording the information elements cyclically and continuously with temporal reference markers corresponding to broadcasting time slots, the central unit determining the time slot of the recording in which any information element is located, and the central unit recognizing and responding to interactive requests as the interactive requests are received; means for receiving a telephone call through the switched telephone network and for transmitting during the telephone call the information elements requested; and subscribers' equipment including a telecommunications terminal for interactively interrogating the central unit by transmitting interactive requests to the central unit, and for receiving the desired information elements through the switched telephone network during the telephone call.

Claim 13

A system for accessing radio broadcast information elements from a broadcast source, the system comprising: a center, the center including a radio broadcast receiver, the receiver being tuned to a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the broadcast source, a central processing unit, the central unit defining means for digitizing in real-time the information elements received by the receiver, for recording the information elements cyclically and continuously with temporal reference markers corresponding to broadcasting time slots, for determining the time slot of the recording in which any information element is located, for reading the information elements requested through the switched telephone network, for interrupting the reading of the information elements when an interactive request is received, for responding to the requests during the interruption; and a telephone interface unit, the telephone interface unit defining means for receiving a telephone call through a switched telephone network, and for transmitting the information elements through the switched telephone network during the telephone call; and a telecommunications terminal, the telecommunications terminal defining means for transmitting the interactive requests to the central unit, and for receiving the desired information elements through the switched telephone network during the telephone call.

Claim 14

A system for accessing radio broadcast information elements from a broadcast source, the system comprising: a center, the center including a radio broadcast receiver, the receiver being tuned to a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the broadcast source, a central processing unit, the central unit defining means for digitizing in real-time the information elements received by the receiver, for recording the information elements cyclically and continuously with temporal reference markers corresponding to broadcasting time slots, for determining the time slot of the recording in which any information element is located, for reading the information elements requested through the switched telephone network, for interrupting the reading of the information elements when an interactive request is received, for responding to the requests during the interruption; and a telephone interface unit, the telephone interface unit defining means for receiving a telephone call through a switched telephone network, and for transmitting the information elements through the switched telephone network during the telephone call; and a telecommunications terminal, the telecommunications terminal defining means for transmitting the interactive requests to the central unit, and for receiving the desired information elements through the switched telephone network during the telephone call.

Claim 20

A method for the real-time access to radio information elements broadcast by a radio broadcasting source, the method comprising the steps of: receiving and digitizing the information elements broadcast by the source; recording the information elements cyclically and continuously with temporal reference markers corresponding to broadcasting time slots; determining the time slot of the recording in which any information element is located; accessing the recorded information elements from a telecommunications terminal through a switched telephone network, the accessing step including establishing a telephone from the telecommunications terminal to the central processing unit call by dialing a telephone number assigned to a central processing unit, and giving the source and time of the broadcast or a corresponding code of the information elements; reading the recorded information elements and transmitting the information elements to the telecommunications terminal through the switched telephone network during the telephone call, the reading and transmitting step occurring in real-time relative to the recording step; and receiving the information elements instantaneously on the telecommunications terminal.

Claim 21

A method for the real-time access to radio information elements broadcast by a radio broadcasting source, the method comprising the steps of: receiving and digitizing the information elements broadcast by the source; recording the information elements cyclically and continuously with temporal reference markers corresponding to broadcasting time slots; determining the time slot of the recording in which any information element is located; accessing the recorded information elements from a telecommunications terminal through a switched telephone network, the accessing step including establishing a telephone from the telecommunications terminal to the central processing unit call by dialing a telephone number assigned to a central processing unit, and giving the source and time of the broadcast or a corresponding code of the information elements; reading the recorded information elements and transmitting the information elements to the telecommunications terminal through the switched telephone network during the telephone call, the reading and transmitting step occurring in real-time relative to the recording step; and receiving the information elements instantaneously on the telecommunications terminal.