Contents providing system and contents providing method

• US 20040034868A1
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alphabridge Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alphabridge Corporation
• Inventors: Fukuoka, Tetsu
• Application Number:
  US10/219,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034868A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/45
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

The contents providing system 10 comprises a contents package generation unit 14 for generating a contents package containing contents and attribute information, a contents package broadcast unit 28 for broadcasting the contents package, a contents package reception unit 32 for receiving the broadcast contents package, a contents package extraction unit 34 for extracting a specific contents package from among the received contents packages based on the attribute information, a contents package storage unit 36 for storing the specific contents package, a contents package readout unit 38 for reading out the stored contents package and a contents provision unit 42 for providing the readout contents package to the user.

Claims

1. A contents providing system for providing contents to a user, comprising:

contents package generation means for generating a contents package containing said contents and attribute information relating to the attribute of said contents;

contents package broadcast means for broadcasting said contents package generated by said contents package generation means;

contents package reception means for receiving said contents package broadcast by said contents package broadcast means;

contents package extraction means for extracting a specific contents package, based on said attribute information, from among said contents packages received by said contents package reception means;

contents package storage means for storing said specific contents package extracted by said contents package extraction means;

contents package readout means for reading out said contents package stored in said contents package storage means; and

contents provision means for providing the user with contents contained in said contents package read out by said contents package readout means.

2. A contents providing system according to claim 1, wherein said contents package readout means reads out said contents package stored in said contents package storage means based on said attribute information.

3. A contents providing system according to claim 1, wherein said attribute information contains type information relating to types of said contents, and said contents package extraction means extracts a specific type of contents package, based on said type information, from among said contents packages received by said contents package reception means.

4. A contents providing system according to claim 1, wherein said attribute information contains retention term information relating to the retention term of said contents package, and said contents package storage means deletes said contents package based on said retention term information.

5. A contents providing method for providing contents to a user, comprising:

a contents package generation step for generating a contents package containing said contents and attribute information relating to the attribute of said contents;

a contents package broadcast step for broadcasting said contents package generated in said contents package generation step;

a contents package reception step for receiving said contents package broadcast in said contents package broadcast step;

a contents package extraction step for extracting a specific contents package, based on said attribute information, from among said contents packages received in said contents package reception step;

a contents package storage step for storing said specific contents package extracted by said contents package extraction means;

a contents package readout step for reading out said contents package stored in said contents package storage step; and

a contents provision step for providing the user with contents contained in said contents package read out in said contents package readout step.

6. A contents providing method according to claim 5, wherein said contents package readout step reads out said contents package stored in said contents package storage step, based on said attribute information.

7. A contents providing method according to claim 5, wherein said attribute information contains type information relating to types of said contents, and said contents package extraction step extracts a specific type of contents package, based on said type information, from among said contents packages received in said contents package reception step.

8. A contents providing method according to claim 5, wherein said attribute information contains retention term information relating to the retention term of said contents package, and said method further comprises a contents package deletion step for deleting said contents package stored in said contents package storage step, based on said retention term information.