US 2014/0194070 A1 · Proprietary Radio Control Head With Authentication

Abstract

A combination of a radio receiver with a detachable controller that determine sends either reduced or enhanced metadata about received programming to the detachable controller based upon periodic authorization. A connection from the detachable control device to the radio receiver carries commands to the radio receiver and carries only the reduced set of metadata, such as tuned channel and tuned channel name, from the radio receiver to the controller. The controller is authorized by sending a radio identifier from the radio receiver to the control device, determination of an authentication code at the controller and communication of the determined authentication code back to the controller for validation. Upon validation, an enhanced set of metadata, including song title and artist, is sent to the controller. The enhanced metadata, the reduced metadata, or both, are optionally able to be encrypted. The radio receiver periodically performs this authorization processing.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An automated method on a control device for authenticating the control device to a radio receiver being controlled, comprising:

communicating
(a) commands from the control device to the radio receiver, and
(b) a reduced set of metadata from the radio receiver to the control device, the reduced set of metadata:
(i) pertaining to and being contemporary with processing performed by the radio receiver, (ii) received by the radio receiver over a broadcast link, and
(iii) comprising a tuned channel indicator for a radio channel being received by the radio receiver;
receiving a device identifier from the radio receiver;
transmitting a control command to the radio receiver;
determining a first authentication code, the first authentication code being derived from the device identifier in accordance with a defined algorithm;
transmitting the first authentication code from the control device to the radio receiver;
and
receiving, in response to transmitting the first authentication code, an enhanced set of metadata, the enhanced set of metadata (i) pertaining to and contemporary with processing performed by the radio receiver, (ii) comprising a song title and artist, and (iii) having been received by the radio receiver over the broadcast radio link.

8 more elements

An automated method on a radio receiver for authenticating a control device, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast radio signal, the broadcast radio signal carrying data comprising at least one radio channel, a reduced set of metadata and an enhanced set of metadata, the reduced set of metadata and the enhanced set of metadata pertaining to and being contemporary with processing performed by the radio receiver, the reduced set of metadata comprising a tuned channel indicator of a received radio channel being received by the radio receiver and the enhanced set of metadata comprising a song title and artist and having been received by the radio receiver over the broadcast radio link;
establishing a connection from a radio receiver to a control device, the connection communicating the reduced set of metadata from the radio receiver to the control device;
receiving, over the connection, a control command from the control device;
providing, over the connection, a device identifier from the radio receiver;
determining, based upon the device identifier, a valid authentication code;
receiving, over the connection, a received authentication code;
validating the received authentication code based upon the valid authentication code;
and
transmitting, in response to validating the received authentication code, the enhanced set of metadata over the connection.

6 more elements

A machine implemented method in a control device connected to a tunable radio receiving set having a tunable receiver for receiving broadcast audio content and metadata on one of a multiplicity of channels, the tunable receiver controllable by a control device, the machine implemented method in the control device comprising:

transmitting command signals to the tunable radio receiving set to select one tuned channel for the tunable receiver, the command signals further enabling the tunable receiver to reproduce broadcast audio content received by the tunable receiver;
receiving, from the tunable receiving set, a device identifier uniquely identifying the tunable receiving set;
determining, based upon the device identifier, an authentication code in accordance with a predefined algorithm;
transmitting the authentication code to the tunable receiving set in order to enable the tunable receiving set to communicate broadcast metadata that is received by the tunable receiver and that is descriptive of the audio content received by tunable receiver;
determining, based upon the device identifier, a decryption code in accordance with a predefined algorithm;
receiving, from the tunable receiving set, reduced broadcast metadata that is descriptive of the selected channel being received by the tunable receiver;
reproducing, without using the decryption code, the reduced broadcast metadata received by the tunable receiver and descriptive of the selected channel;
receiving, from the tunable receiving set, broadcast metadata that is received by the tunable receiver and that is descriptive of the audio content received by the-tunable receiver;
decrypting, based upon the decryption code, broadcast metadata received by the tunable receiver that is descriptive of the audio content received by tunable receiver, said broadcast metadata comprising a song or program title and artist;
and
reproducing the decrypted broadcast metadata received by the tunable receiver that is descriptive of the audio content received by tunable receiver.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Proprietary Radio Control Head With Authentication

Life of this patent

Proprietary Radio Control Head With Authentication

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24