Modifying a stream media service for a mobile radio device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11272315-B2
Application number	US-202016889012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2020
Priority date	Aug 19, 2016
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method performed in a network server system of a service provider providing a service comprising media streaming. The method comprises receiving a detection message from a mobile radio device running the service for a user registered with the service provider, said message comprising an indication that said radio device has detected that it is within a predefined geographical area. The method also comprises determining that the predefined geographical area is registered with the service provider and associated with one or more actions. The method also comprises electing an action of the one or more actions. The method also comprises sending an instructions message to the radio device, said message comprising instructions to modify the service such that the radio device performs the elected action.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed in a network server system of a service provider providing a service comprising media streaming, the method comprising:
receiving a detection message from a mobile radio device running the service for a user registered with the service provider, said message comprising an indication that said radio device has detected that it is within a predefined geographical area;
determining that the predefined geographical area is registered with the service provider and associated with one or more actions;
electing an action of the one or more actions; and
sending an instructions message to the radio device, said message comprising instructions to modify the service such that the radio device performs the elected action.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection message, as the indication, comprises an identifier associated with the registered geographical area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electing is based on any of:
location of the radio device, location of the predefined geographical area, distance between the radio device and a predefined point within the predefined geographical area, a currently playing media stream for a media playing device associated with the predefined geographical area, time of day, day of week, and/or other information registered by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining information that the radio device is within a specified geographical region; and instructing the mobile radio device to search for specified geographical area(s), comprising the predefined geographical area, within the specified geographical region, before the receiving of the detection message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises looking up the predefined geographical area in a database of predefined areas, in which each predefined geographical area is associated with respective one or more actions and, optionally, with an identifier for said predefined geographical area.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to modify the service comprises instructions to stream media associated with the elected action, e.g. to play an advertisement or to provide a pre-prepared playlist.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio device is running the service by means of a dedicated application software, e.g. a mobile app, which software is configured for automatically reporting any detection of the predefined geographical area to the network server system.

8. A method performed in a mobile radio device running a service comprising media streaming provided by a service provider, the method comprising:
detecting that the radio device is within a predefined geographical area;
automatically sending a detection message over a radio interface to a network server system of the service provider, said message comprising an indication that the radio device has detected that it is within the predefined geographical area;
receiving an instructions message from the network server system, said message comprising instructions to modify the service to perform an action elected by the server system; and
modifying the service in accordance with the received instructions such that the radio device performs the elected action.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the detecting comprises detecting the predefined geographical area within a specified geographical region in which the radio device is instructed to search for specified geographical area(s), comprising the predefined geographical area.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving instructions from the network server system to search for the specified geographical area(s) within the specified geographical region, before the detecting of the predefined geographical area.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the instructions to modify the service comprises instructions to stream media associated with the elected action, e.g. to play an advertisement or to provide a pre-prepared playlist.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the radio device is running the service by means of a dedicated application software, e.g. a mobile app, which software is configured for automatically reporting any detection of the predefined geographical area to the network server system.

13. A network server system for a service provider providing a service comprising media streaming, the server system comprising:
processor circuitry; and
a storage unit storing instructions executable by said processor circuitry whereby said server system is operative to:
receive a detection message from a mobile radio device running the service, said message comprising an indication that said radio device has detected that it is within a predefined geographical area;
determine that the predefined geographical area is registered with the service provider and associated with one or more actions;
elect an action of the one or more actions; and
send an instructions message to the radio device, said message comprising instructions to modify the service such that the radio device performs the elected action.

14. A mobile radio device configured for running a service comprising media streaming provided by a service provider, the radio device comprising:
processor circuitry; and
a storage unit storing instructions executable by said processor circuitry whereby said radio device is operative to:
detect that the radio device is within a predefined geographical area; automatically send a detection message over a radio interface to a network server
system of the service provider, said message comprising an indication that the radio device has detected that it is within the predefined geographical area;
receive an instructions message from the network server system, said message comprising instructions to modify the service to perform an action elected by the server system; and
modify the service in accordance with the received instructions such that the radio device performs the elected action.

Assignees

• Spotify Ab

Inventors

• Toumpelis Nikolaos
• Wang Lingyu
• Becker Michael
• Cusick Shannon
• Konstantinidis Nicholas

Classifications

• H04L67/52

  specially adapted for the location of the user terminal · CPC title

• H04L65/61

  for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio · CPC title

• H04L65/612

  for unicast · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04W4/021 Primary

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title