Software appliance method and system

• US 20030033612A1
• Filed: 08/07/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Laboratories
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories
• Inventors: Schwalb, Eddie M.
• Application Number:
  US09/923,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20030033612A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/140
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A software appliance and method of operation are disclosed that enable distribution of software applications through consumer-electronic appliances, such as set-top boxes. The appliance and method enable the tracking of the software usage for billing purposes. The usage information is sent to the provider of the software so proper accounting may be accomplished. The software applications may be embedded within the software appliance, such as in a datastore or be accessed via a disk reader or other memory devices, such as a memory stick. Each software application is packaged in a signal format that is compatible with the Advanced Television System Committee (“ATSC”) standard 17, also known as the Digital Television Application Software Environment (“DASE”) format. The electronic appliance, or the software appliance, receives a broadcast stream of content information and unpacks the software application carried within the broadcast stream. Next, the appliance converts the software application portion into a usable form so that it can be run on the appliance. As the appliance runs the software, a display system receives a signal illustrating the operation of the software and an application program interface allows the user to interact with the application as viewed on the display system.

Claims

1. A software appliance apparatus for receiving broadcast content information having at least one software application comprising:

a central processing unit;

a memory module contained within said software appliance apparatus and electrically coupled to said central processing unit;

a data structure contained and stored on said memory module, said single reference data structure capable of receiving and storing said broadcast content information, said broadcast content information processed by said central processing unit such that the software appliance apparatus receives the content information and processes the at least one software application therewith;

an application program interface for providing a single unified access interface to the software application, wherein all of said content information is accessed through said application program interface; and

a monitoring and billing module, coupled to the memory module, to monitor activity of the at least one software application and to bill a recipient based on the activity monitored.

2. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus operates within a Digital TV Application Software Environment (DASE).

3. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data structure is Program and System Information Protocol (“

PSIP”

) compatible.

4. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprises a disk reader, coupled to the central processing unit, to read content on a source disk and transmit it to the data structure as the broadcast content information.

5. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software appliance further comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA) device connection for connection to a PDA device enabling the PDA device to access the at least one software application.

6. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display, coupled to the application program interface, to display the at least one software application during use.

7. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast content information is generated within the software appliance locally.

8. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a set top box, coupled to the data structure, to receive the broadcast content information for rendering on a display device.

9. A method for utilizing broadcast content information having at least one software application, comprising:

receiving a broadcast content information data stream, comprising the at least one software application;

processing the broadcast content information to access the at least one software application;

collecting component data from the broadcast content information data stream;

storing the collected data in a data store;

accessing a data channel identified in the collected data; and

rendering the at least one software application found within the accessed data. channel for display and for utilization by a user.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the broadcast content information is based on a Digital TV Application Software Environment (DASE) framework.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the data stream is Program and System Information Protocol (“

PSIP”

) compatible.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the broadcast content information data stream receiving step includes the step of reading content on a source disk.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of monitoring usage of the at least one software application by the user.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of billing the user for the usage of the at least one software application as monitored.

15. A computer-readable code product utilized within a programmable computer environment for utilizing broadcast content information having at least one software application, the product comprising:

computer readable code for receiving a broadcast content information data stream, comprising the at least one software application;

computer readable code for processing the broadcast content information to access the at least one software application;

computer readable code for collecting component data from the broadcast content information data stream;

computer readable code for storing the collected data in a data store;

computer readable code for accessing a data channel identified in the collected data; and

computer readable code for rendering the at least one software application found within the accessed data. channel for display and for utilization by a user.

16. The product according to claim 15, wherein the broadcast content information is based on a Digital TV Application Software Environment (DASE) framework.

17. The product according to claim 15, wherein the data stream is Program and System Information Protocol (“

PSIP”

) compatible.

18. The product according to claim 15, wherein the broadcast content information data stream receiving code includes computer readable code for reading content on a source disk.

19. The product according to claim 15, further comprising computer readable code for monitoring usage of the at least one software application by the user.

20. The product according to claim 19, further comprising computer readable code for billing the user for the usage of the at least one software application as monitored.

21. A set top box that receives and interprets an audio/video signal for play on an audio/video device and that also receives broadcast content information having at least one software application, the set top box comprising:

a signal receiving input device;

a central processing unit, coupled to the signal receiving input device;

an audio/video translation device, coupled to the signal receiving input device, to convert the audio/video signal for output;

a memory module contained within said software appliance apparatus and electrically coupled to said central processing unit;

a data structure contained and stored on said memory module, said single reference data structure capable of receiving and storing said broadcast content information, said broadcast content information processed by said central processing unit such that the software appliance apparatus receives the content information and processes the at least one software application therewith; and

an application program interface for providing a single unified access interface to the software application, wherein all of said content information is accessed through said application program interface.

22. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the apparatus operates within a Digital TV Application Software Environment (DASE).

23. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the data structure is Program and System Information Protocol (“

PSIP”

) compatible.

24. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 21, further comprises a disk reader, coupled to the central processing unit, to read content on a source disk and transmit it to the data structure as the broadcast content information.

25. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the software appliance further comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA) device connection for connection to a PDA device enabling the PDA device to access the at least one software application.

26. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a display, coupled to the application program interface, to display the at least one software application during use.

27. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the broadcast content information is generated within the software appliance locally.

28. The software appliance apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a monitoring and billing module, coupled to the memory module, to monitor activity of the at least one software application and to bill a recipient based on the activity monitored.