Game-program distribution system

• US 20040168202A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kazuyuki Ebihara
• Original Assignee: Kazuyuki Ebihara
• Inventors: Ebihara, Kazuyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/787,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168202A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A game-program distribution system includes a broadcasting station for transmitting a signal containing first data representative of a television program and second data representative of a game program related to the television program. A receiver operates for receiving the signal transmitted from the broadcasting station, and demodulating the received signal into the first data representative of the television program and the second data representative of the game program. The second data representative of the game program are downloaded from the receiver into a game machine.

Claims

1. A game-program distribution system comprising:

a broadcasting station for transmitting a signal containing first data representative of a television program and second data representative of a game program related to the television program;

a receiver for receiving the signal transmitted from the broadcasting station, and demodulating the received signal into the first data representative of the television program and the second data representative of the game program;

a game machine; and

means for downloading the second data representative of the game program from the receiver into the game machine.

2. A game-program distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein the television program comprises an animation television program, and the game program relates to one of (1) a character in the animation television program and (2) a scenario of the animation television program.

3. A game-program distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting station adds game-program rewriting information to the transmitted signal, and the receiver recovers the game-program rewriting information from the received signal, and the downloading means downloads the game-program rewriting information from the receiver into the game machine.

4. A game-program distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting station adds accounting information to the transmitted signal, and the receiver recovers the accounting information from the received signal, and further comprising means for controlling use of the downloaded game program by the game machine in response to the accounting information recovered by the receiver.

5. A game-program distribution system as recited in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting station adds effective-term information to the transmitted signal, and the receiver recovers the effective-term information from the received signal, and further comprising means for permitting the game machine to use the downloaded game program in a term determined by the effective-term information.

6. A transmitting apparatus in the broadcasting station of claim 1.

7. A receiving apparatus comprising the receiver of claim 1.

8. A game machine comprising the game machine of claim 1.

9. A digital television broadcasting system comprising:

a broadcasting station for transmitting a signal containing (1) data pieces and (2) index information;

a receiver for receiving the signal transmitted from the broadcasting station, and demodulating the received signal into the data pieces and the index information;

first means provided in the receiver for selecting ones from the data pieces in response to the index information and personal information; and

second means for indicating the data pieces selected by the first means.

12. A digital television broadcasting system as recited in claim 9, wherein the index information comprises (1) fixed information independent of contents of the data pieces and (2) non-fixed information depending on the contents of the data pieces.

13. A digital television broadcasting system as recited in claim 9, further comprising a portable data terminal device, third means for downloading the selected data pieces from the receiver into the portable data terminal device, and fourth means provided in the portable data terminal device for indicating the downloaded data pieces.

14. A digital television broadcasting system as recited in claim 13, further comprising an in-store terminal device, and fifth means for transmitting the downloaded data pieces from the portable terminal device to the in-store terminal device.

15. A transmitting apparatus in the broadcasting station of claim 9.

16. A receiving apparatus comprising the receiver of claim 9.

18. A portable data terminal device comprising the portable data terminal device of claim 13.

19. An in-store terminal device comprising the in-store terminal device of claim 14.

10. A digital television broadcasting system comprising:

a broadcasting station for transmitting a signal containing data and index information, the data representing an electronic program guide;

a receiver for receiving the signal transmitted from the broadcasting station, and demodulating the received signal into the data and the index information;

first means provided in the receiver for selecting television programs from the electronic program guide represented by the data in response to the index information and personal information; and

second means for indicating the television programs selected by the first means.

11. A digital television broadcasting system comprising:

a broadcasting station for transmitting a signal containing data and index information, the data representing electronic advertising bills;

a receiver for receiving the signal transmitted from the broadcasting station, and demodulating the received signal into the data and the index information;

first means provided in the receiver for selecting at least one from the electronic advertising bills represented by the data in response to the index information and personal information; and

second means for indicating the electronic advertising bill selected by the first means.

17. A digital television broadcasting system comprising:

a broadcasting station for transmitting a signal containing data pieces;

a receiver for receiving the signal transmitted from the broadcasting station, and demodulating the received signal into the data pieces;

first means provided in the receiver for selecting ones from the data pieces in response to key words; and

second means for indicating the data pieces selected by the first means.