Apparatus for distributing and playing audio information

Abstract

The present invention comprises a system that allows the user to select, receive and listen to audio programs that are stored or made available at a location remote to the user. A receiver is provided that allows the user to start a program at a selected position in the program, move forward and backward within a program, and pause and resume a program. The receiver comprises a network interface, user controls, an audio decompresser, an audio output driver, a central processing unit (CPU), and a power supply. The receiver may also comprise a radio broadcast receiver and a media player.

1 . A method for selecting information in a system for distributing audio programs and information over the internet comprising: 
 identifying a user of the system for distributing audio programs over the Internet;    identifying user characteristics of the user;    determining relevant information based on the user characteristics, said relevant information selected from a group of relevant information comprising: commercials, programs, news, weather, and system generated messages stored on a server;    determining an insertion point of the relevant information in the audio program; and    playing the relevant information at the insertion point in the audio program for the user.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein user characteristics may be any characteristic selected from the list of characteristics comprising: age, sex, preferences, profession, income, residence, language, interests and audio receiver ownership.  
   
   
       3 . A method for selecting information in a system for distributing audio programs and information over the internet comprising: 
 identifying a user of the system for distributing audio programs over the Internet;    identifying user characteristics of the user;    determining relevant information based on the user characteristics, said relevant information selected from a group of relevant information comprising: commercials, programs, news, weather, and system generated messages stored on a server; and    selecting an arrangement of programs based on the relevant information determined.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein user characteristics may be any characteristic selected from the list of characteristics comprising: age, sex, preferences, profession, income, residence, language, interests, and audio receiver ownership.  
   
   
       5 . A method for selecting information in a system for distributing audio programs the internet comprising: 
 an audio receiver automatically connecting to an audio server;    requesting a list of programs that are currently available from the audio server to a particular user of the system;    transmitting a list of programs available from the audio server to the user to the audio receiver;    selecting a program from the list of programs available to the user; and    transmitting the selected program from the audio server to the audio receiver.