PatentlyApple spotted an interesting-looking patent that could have both editorial and advertising applications in podcasts and iTunes Radio broadcasts. It’s of course written in the usual dense patent language:
Or, in plain English, a simple audio signal can be included in a podcast that can do various funky stuff. It could, for example, allow a spoken-word podcast to display photos to illustrate points being made, or include a link to an optional video which the user could activate with a spoken command. In that example, the podcast would automatically pause while the video is playing and resume again when it ends.
While existing Enhanced Podcasts can do some of this, the new system would be significantly more powerful and flexible. It could launch any form of media, from a webpage to a movie, and would be available in any audio format, not just AAC.
While we’d hope to see some of the editorial applications I’ve described, it’s also likely to be used to activate advertising on iTunes Radio.
