Receiving apparatus and receiving method

• US 20040068746A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Tetsu, Mori, Shigeki
• Granted Patent: US 7,748,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• 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

Abstract

In order to maintain continuity before and after interruption of a streaming broadcast, a receiving apparatus according to the present invention includes: a reception unit which receives data on a stream broadcast; a memory which is capable of storing a predetermined amount of the received data on a stream broadcast; a data processing unit which processes the data on a stream broadcast to generate video data for the stream broadcast; a video output unit which outputs the video data to a display apparatus; and a detection unit which detects interruption point data indicating a position where the stream broadcast should be interrupted out of the received data on a stream broadcast; when an abnormality is detected, the output of the video data is stopped at a position instructed in the interruption point data detected by the detection unit.

Claims

1. A receiving apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving data on a stream broadcast via a network;

a memory which is capable of storing a predetermined amount of the received data on a stream broadcast;

data processing means for processing the data on a stream broadcast stored on the memory to generate video data for the stream broadcast;

video output means for outputting the video data to a display apparatus;

detection means for detecting interruption point data indicating a position where the stream broadcast should be interrupted out of the received data on a stream broadcast; and

control means for, when a state at which the stream broadcast should be interrupted is detected, controlling the data processing means and the video output means to stop the output of the video data at a position instructed in the interruption point data detected by the detection means.

2. A receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control means monitors abnormality of communication based upon a stored data amount of the memory and a communication rate of the data on a stream broadcast by the reception means.

3. A receiving apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control means further controls the data processing means and the video output means to restart the output of the video data from the position instructed in the interruption point data in response to an amount of data of the data on a stream broadcast stored on the memory having reached a predetermined amount after stopping the output of the video data.

4. A receiving apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the control means further detects an estimated time when the output of the video data can be restarted based upon the amount of data, which is stored on the memory while the output of the video data is stopped, and the communication rate, and then controls the video output means to display information of the estimated time.

5. A receiving apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the detection means further detects restart point data indicating a restart point after stopping the video output out of the data on a stream broadcast, and controls the data processing means and the video output means to restart the output of the video data from a position instructed in the detected restart point data.

6. A receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control means further controls the video output means to output predetermined video data instead of video data according to the data on a stream broadcast after stopping the output of the video data.

7. A receiving apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein, in the case in which an amount of data of the data on a stream broadcast stored on the memory has reached a predetermined amount after stopping the output of the video data, the control means further controls the data processing means and the video output means to restart the output of the video data from a position instructed in the interruption point data after the predetermined video data ends.

8. A receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the detection means further detects location information of a second distribution server, which is capable of distributing data on a stream broadcast at or after the interruption point, out of the data on a stream broadcast, and the control means controls the reception means to make connection to the second distribution server when abnormality of communication is detected.

9. A receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the detection means further detects two kinds of levels of the interruption point data out of the data on a stream broadcast, and the control means selects the two kinds of levels of the interruption point data according to a type of a communication rate of the connected network.

10. A receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the interruption point data is data which designates a position where the stream broadcast should be interrupted after a CM ends and before a program following the CM starts, which are included in the data on a stream broadcast.

11. A receiving method, comprising the steps of:

receiving data on a stream broadcast via a network;

storing the received data on a stream broadcast on a memory;

processing the data on a stream broadcast stored on the memory to generate video data for the stream broadcast;

outputting the video data for display;

detecting interruption point data indicating a position where the stream broadcast should be interrupted out of the received data on a stream broadcast; and

stopping the output of the video data at a position instructed in the detected interruption point data when a state at which the stream broadcast should be interrupted is detected.

12. A receiving apparatus comprising:

receiver for receiving data on a stream broadcast via a network;

a memory which is capable of storing a predetermined amount of the received data on a stream broadcast;

data processor for processing the data on a stream broadcast stored on the memory to generate video data for the stream broadcast;

video output for outputting the video data to a display apparatus;

detector for detecting interruption point data indicating a position where the stream broadcast should be interrupted out of the received data on a stream broadcast; and

controller for, when a state at which the stream broadcast should be interrupted is detected, controlling the data processor and the video output to stop the output of the video data at a position instructed in the interruption point data detected by the detector.