Information providing system, broadcast receiving apparatus, and server apparatus

• US 20050015801A1
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hososda, Takashi, Yabe, Jun
• Application Number:
  US10/480,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/41 for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/84 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A broadcast receiving apparatus is disclosed which allows a broadcasting system not addressing data broadcasts to offer an information-providing service equivalent to what is typically offered in conjunction with data broadcasting. When a user watching a TV program on a channel performs operations to store a scene of the program, the apparatus generates and holds scene information made up at least of information about the channel and of current time information, before transmitting the scene information to a server apparatus. On receiving the scene information, the server apparatus searches for program-related information such as URLs corresponding to the received information and transmits the acquired information using e-mail to a predetermined device (PC, mobile phone) owned by the user.

Claims

1. An information providing system comprising at least a broadcast receiving apparatus and a server apparatus, wherein said broadcast receiving apparatus comprises:

receiving and tuning means for receiving and tuning in to broadcast waves;

current time acquiring means for acquiring current time information;

information generating means which, in response to an input instruction, generates identification information made up at least of information about a channel currently selected by said receiving and tuning means and of said current time information acquired by said current time acquiring means; and

transmitting means for transmitting said identification information to said server apparatus over a predetermined network; and

wherein said server apparatus comprises;

searching means for searching for program-related information about said channel based on the received identification information; and

transmitting means for transmitting said program-related information searched for by said searching means to a predetermined communication device over said predetermined network.

2. A broadcast receiving apparatus comprising:

receiving and tuning means for receiving and tuning in to broadcast waves;

current time acquiring means for acquiring current time information;

information generating means which, in response to an input instruction, generates identification information which is made up at least of information about a channel currently selected by said receiving and tuning means and of said current time information acquired by said current time acquiring means, said identification information being intended for use by a server apparatus in searching for program-related information to be transmitted to a predetermined communication device; and

transmitting means for transmitting said identification information to said server apparatus over a predetermined network.

3. The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

holding means for holding a plurality of items of said identification information; and

user interface means which, in response to an input operation, selects any one of said plurality of items of said identification information held by said holding means, the selected item of said identification information being transmitted by said transmitting means.

4. The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said identification information generating means generates said identification information made up of the channel information, of said current time information, and of picture information about a television broadcast currently selected by said receiving and tuning means in response to said input instruction.

5. The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising interfacing means for permitting input of communication device designation information for designating a communication device to which said server apparatus transmits said program-related information;

wherein said transmitting means transmits said communication device designation information to said server apparatus along with said identification information.

6. A server apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving channel information and identification information over a predetermined network, said channel information being about at least a channel currently selected by a broadcast receiving apparatus, said identification information having being acquired by said broadcast receiving apparatus;

searching means for searching for program-related information about a program content on said channel in accordance with the received identification information; and

transmitting means for transmitting said program-related information searched for by said searching means to a predetermined communication device over said predetermined network.

7. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said transmitting means transmits said program-related information to said predetermined communication device using e-mail over the Internet.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said receiving means receives communication device designation information which is generated by said broadcast receiving apparatus in response to an input operation and which is transmitted along with said identification information by said broadcast receiving apparatus;

and

wherein said transmitting means transmits said program-related information to the communication device designated by the received communication device designation information.