Guide generation for music-related content in a broadcast radio environment

A method for processing music-related radio broadcast data, the method comprising:

• identifying, with a tuner, a broadcast radio signal at a predetermined frequency and a threshold signal level;
• and
• identifying a radio station associated with the broadcast radio signal as an analog station or a digitally broadcast station, wherein:
• in response to the radio station identified as an analog station:
• obtaining an audio snippet from the radio station,
• communicating the audio snippet to a fingerprinting service, and
• updating a server with data associated with the audio snippet received from the fingerprinting service, and in response to the radio station identified as a digitally broadcast station:
• obtaining a digital signal decode of the broadcast radio signal from the radio station,
• when the digital signal decode comprises at least one image, and program services data are available for the digital signal decode, updating the server with data associated with the digital signal decode, when the digital signal decode comprises at least one image, and program services data are not available for the digital signal decode, obtaining an audio snippet from the radio station, communicating the audio snippet to the fingerprinting service, and updating the server with data associated with the audio snippet received from the fingerprinting service, when the digital signal decode does not comprise at least one image, and
• when the digital signal decode includes at least one song title or at least one piece of artist-related data, communicating the digital signal decode to an image retrieval service, and updating the server with data associated with the digital signal decode received from the image retrieval service, and
• when the digital signal decode does not comprise at least one image and does not include at least one song title or at least one piece of artist-related data, communicating the digital signal decode to an image retrieval service, and updating the server with data associated with the digital signal decode received from the image retrieval service, obtaining an audio snippet from the radio station, communicating the audio snippet to the fingerprinting service, and updating the server with data associated with the audio snippet received from the fingerprinting service.

An apparatus for processing music-related broadcast radio data, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of tuners each programmed for receiving a broadcast radio signal at a predetermined frequency and a threshold signal level;
• and
• a controller programmed for:
• identifying received broadcast radio signals as an analog radio station signal or a digitally broadcast radio station signal,
• obtaining a broadcast sample from at least one of the broadcast radio signals,
• identifying at least one music-related information element missing from the broadcast sample of the at least one of the broadcast radio signals,
• initiating retrieval of at least one of the missing music-related information elements from at least one data external source in response to the identifying the at least one music-related information element missing from the broadcast sample,
• determining information from the broadcast sample to send to the data external source to retrieve the at least one of the missing music-related information elements according to whether the broadcast radio signal is identified as analog or digital,
• obtaining at least one of the missing music-related information elements from at least one data external source, and,
• communicating data to a computer server in association with the obtained music-related information elements.

A system for processing music-related broadcast radio data, the system comprising:

• an apparatus comprising:
• a plurality of tuners each programmed for receiving a broadcast radio signal at a predetermined frequency and a threshold signal level;
• and
• a controller programmed for:
• identifying received broadcast radio signals as an analog radio station signal or a digitally broadcast radio station signal,
• obtaining a broadcast sample from at least one of the broadcast radio signals,
• identifying at least one music-related information element missing from the broadcast sample of the at least one of the broadcast radio signals;
• and,
• a computer system programmed for:
• initiating retrieval of at least one of the missing music-related information elements from at least one data external source in response to the identifying the at least one music-related information element missing from the broadcast sample,
• determining information from the broadcast sample to send to the data external source to retrieve the at least one of the missing music-related information elements according to whether the broadcast radio signal is identified as analog or digital,
• obtaining at least one of the missing music-related information elements from at least one data external source, and
• receiving updated data in association with the obtained music-related information elements.