Program server and a receiver

• US 20030046702A1
• Filed: 08/16/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gen Sasaki
• Original Assignee: Gen Sasaki
• Inventors: Sasaki, Gen
• Application Number:
  US10/222,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046702A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A broadcast program is contiguously stored to a real-time storage means in a program server. The stored program is read from the real-time storage means and sent to a receiver when the receiver sends a request to the program server to send the stored program to the receiver so that the receiver may show the stored program. Retrieval of the stored program is similar to replaying a program stored on a video tape recorder.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a program server comprising:

broadcasting a program from a program server to a plurality of receivers at the same time;

storing a plurality of broadcast programs contiguously to a storage device; and

sending a stored program which is read from the storage device to an individual receiver when the receiver sends a rewind request for a current broadcast program to the program server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting is done over a medium other than an Internet protocol connection and the stored program is sent to the individual receiver on an Internet protocol connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a program is sent to the individual receiver by sending the stored program backward starting from the most recently stored information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a program is sent to the individual receiver by sending the stored program forward starting from an indicated time in the past in response to a request from the receiver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a program is sent to the individual receiver by sending the stored program forward starting from a time stepped back from the current point in the program at a predetermined period.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending an advertisement with the stored program to the individual receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the advertisement is sent to a receiver which has a contract for receiving advertisements and no advertisements are sent to a receiver which has a contract for not receiving any advertisements.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising counting the number of advertisements sent to the receiver.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the advertisement is sent to the individual receiver before the stored program is sent.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the advertisement is merged with the stored program when the stored program includes image information.

11. A receiver comprising:

a tuner for a broadcasting program;

an individual data transceiver for a stored program on a program server;

a selector which takes as inputs the tuner'"'"'s output and the individual data transceiver'"'"'s output, and outputs a selected program to a display unit; and

a first controlling means for changing the selected program to the display unit from the broadcasting program to the stored program after sending a rewind request to the program server, while an operation for viewing or hearing a previously broadcast program of the current broadcast station shown on the display unit is made on the receiver or on a remote controller of the receiver.

23. The receiver claimed in claim 11, further comprising;

a means for indicating a given broadcast station;

a means for indicating the time of a given program;

a second controlling means for requesting the program server or a program index server to send a stored program of the given broadcast station forward starting from a past indicated time when the indicated time is in the past.

24. The receiver claimed in claim 23, further comprising;

a local program storage device wherein a third controlling means reads the stored program from the local program storage device when the given program of the given broadcast station is stored in the local program storage device.

25. The receiver claimed in claim 24, further including;

an operation mode where all information of the stored program is downloaded before the stored program is shown.

26. The receiver claimed in claim 11, wherein the receiver sends a second request for a new stored program of a new broadcast station, said new stored program having approximately the same original broadcast time as the stored program currently shown, to the program server or to a program index server when an operation of changing a broadcast station is done on the receiver or the remote controller of the receiver while a stored program is being shown.

12. A remote controller including a dedicated button for requesting a program server to send a stored program backward starting from the most recently stored information.

13. A remote controller including a dedicated button for requesting a program server to send a stored program forward starting from a past indicated time.

14. A remote controller including a dedicated button for requesting a program server to send a stored program forward starting from a time stepped back at a predetermined period from the current point in the program.

15. A remote controller including a dedicated button for switching to a broadcast program while a stored program from a program server is being shown.

16. A method of controlling a program server for a plurality of broadcast stations comprising:

concurrently and contiguously storing a plurality of programs from a plurality of broadcast stations to a storage device;

bi-directionally transferring data between the program server and an individual receiver; and

sending a program which is read from the storage device to the individual receiver when the receiver sends a request for sending a program identified by its broadcast station and its original broadcast time.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising searching the plurality of programs by a keyword which is sent from the receiver, then sending the programs to the receiver in series.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending a new stored program originally broadcast by a new broadcast station but having the same original broadcast time as the program that is currently being sent to the receiver, when the receiver sends a request for switching to the new broadcast station.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending a program table which includes information for the plurality of broadcast programs on the plurality of broadcast stations at a predetermined period that includes the original broadcast time of the currently shown stored program.

17. A method of controlling a program index server for a plurality of broadcast stations comprising:

concurrently and contiguously storing a plurality of indexes for a plurality of programs from a plurality of broadcast stations to an index storage device;

bi-directionally transferring data between the program index server and an individual receiver; and

sending an index which is read from the index storage device to the individual receiver or to a program server which is actually storing a plurality of programs of at least one broadcast station when the receiver sends a request for sending a program identified by its broadcast station and its original broadcast time to the program index server.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising searching the plurality of indexes by a keyword which is sent from the receiver, then sending the indexes to the receiver or the program server in series.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending a new index for a new broadcast station but for the same original broadcast time as the program that is currently being shown, to the receiver or to a new program server when the receiver sends a request to the program index server for switching to the new broadcast station.