Cable television system and method for providing cable television service by radio

• US 20050229218A1
• Filed: 02/18/2003
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujise, Masayuki, Kojima, Fumihide, Murao, Yuji, Okita, Hirokazu
• Application Number:
  US10/504,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20050229218A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• 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 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/4181 for conditional access

Abstract

A cable television system 100 according to the present invention comprises: non-subscriber station devices 400 and 500 having accounting servers 450 and 550, respectively, for each acquiring a delivery historical file having a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering contents from the other non-subscriber station device which has been just before connected to a CATV mobile terminal device 200, to store the acquired delivery historical file therein, and to record the delivery historical information on the stored delivery historical file; and an accounting device 300 having an accounting server 330 for performing an accounting process on the basis of the delivery historical information stored by the accounting servers 450 and 550 of the non-subscriber station devices 400 and 500.

Claims

1. A cable television system comprising:

a plurality of contents delivering devices each having delivering means for delivering contents concerning a cable television service;

a wireless terminal device having wireless connection means for connecting to either one of said plural contents delivering devices by wireless; and

an accounting device having accounting means for performing an accounting process, wherein

each of said contents delivering devices further including;

delivery history storing means for acquiring a delivery historical file having a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering said contents from the other contents delivering devices which have been just before connected to said wireless terminal device by said wireless connection means to store the acquired delivery historical file therein when said contents delivering device is connected to said wireless terminal device by said wireless connection means; and

delivery history recording means for recording said delivery historical information on said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means when said contents are delivered to said wireless terminal device, which is connected by said wireless connection means, by said delivering means,

said accounting device being operated to have said accounting means perform said accounting process on the basis of said delivery historical information in said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means.

2. A cable television system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wireless terminal device includes:

delivery receipt history storing means for storing a delivery receipt historical file having a set of delivery receipt historical information representative of a history of receiving said delivered contents; and

delivery receipt history recording means for recording said delivery receipt historical information on said delivery receipt historical file stored by said delivery receipt history storing means when said contents are delivered by said delivering means of said contents delivering device which is connected to said wireless terminal device by said wireless connection means,

said accounting device including matching means for matching between said histories concerning the delivered contents on the basis of said delivery historical information used by said accounting means and said delivery receipt historical information of said delivery receipt historical file stored by said delivery receipt history storing means.

3. A cable television system as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein said accounting device has:

connection information acquiring means for acquiring connected device information representative of which of said contents delivering devices is connected to said wireless terminal device by said wireless connection means; and

last connected device judging means for judging which of said contents delivering devices was connected last to said wireless terminal device by said wireless connection means on the basis of said connected device information acquired by said connection information acquiring means, wherein

said accounting device is operated to have said accounting means perform said accounting process on the basis of said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means of said contents delivering device which is judged by said last connected device judging means.

6. A cable system as set forth in claim 2 or 5, wherein said accounting device has error information transmitting means for transmitting said history error information indicative that there is an error in said histories concerning said contents delivery to said wireless terminal device when the judgment is made, by said matching means, that said histories concerning said contents delivery are unmatched with each other.

8. A cable television system as set forth in any of claims 1 through 6, wherein said contents delivering device includes alteration protecting means for protecting, against an alteration, said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means when the connection with said wireless terminal device is halted by said wireless connection means.

9. A cable television system as set forth in any of claims 1 through 8, wherein contents delivering device is operated to have said delivery history recording means record said delivery historical information in accordance with a contents delivery situation indicative how said contents are delivered from said delivering means to said wireless terminal device connected by said wireless connection means.

10. A cable television system as set forth in any of claims 1 through 8, wherein

said wireless terminal device has instruction information inputting means for inputting a recording method instructing information for instructing a recording method of recording said delivery historical information to said contents delivering device, and

said contents delivering device being operated to have said delivery history recording means record said delivery historical information in accordance with said recording method instructing information inputted by said instruction information inputting means.

4. A cable television system comprising:

a plurality of contents delivering devices each having delivering means for delivering contents concerning a cable television service;

a wireless terminal device having wireless connection means for connecting to either one of said plural contents delivering devices by wireless; and

an accounting device having accounting means for performing an accounting process, wherein

each of said contents delivering devices further including;

delivery history storing means for storing therein a delivery historical file having a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering said contents; and

delivery history recording means for recording said delivery historical information on said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means when said contents are delivered by said delivering means to said wireless terminal device which is connected by said wireless connection means,

said accounting device having history accumulating means for accumulating said delivery historical information of said plural delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means of said plural contents delivering devices, and being operated to have said accounting means perform said accounting process on the basis of said delivery historical information accumulated by said history accumulating means.

5. A cable television system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said wireless terminal device includes:

delivery receipt history storing means for storing a delivery receipt historical file having a set of delivery receipt historical information representative of a history of receiving said delivered contents; and

delivery receipt history recording means for recording said delivery receipt historical information on said delivery receipt historical file stored by said delivery receipt history storing means when said contents are delivered by said delivering means of said contents delivering device which is connected to said wireless terminal device by said wireless connection means,

said accounting device including matching means for matching between said histories concerning the delivered contents on the basis of said delivery historical information accumulated by said history accumulating means and said delivery receipt historical information of said delivery receipt historical file stored by said delivery receipt history storing means.

7. A cable television system as set forth in claim 4 or 5, wherein

said accounting device has connection information acquiring means for acquiring connected device information representative of which of said contents delivering devices is connected to said wireless terminal device by said wireless connection means, and

said contents delivering device having:

alteration protecting means for protecting, against an alteration, said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means;

last connected device judging means for judging which another one of said contents delivering devices was connected last to said wireless terminal device by said wireless connection means on the basis of said connected device information acquired by said connection information acquiring means; and

instruction information transmitting means for transmitting start instruction information, which instructs the start of operation, to said alteration protecting means of said another contents delivering device judged by said last connected device judging means, and

said contents delivering device being operated to have said alteration protecting means protect, against the alteration, said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means when said start instruction information is transmitted by said instruction information transmitting means of the other contents delivering device.

11. A cable television system comprising:

a contents delivering device having delivering means for delivering contents concerning a cable television service;

a wireless terminal device having wireless connection means for connecting to said contents delivering device by wireless; and

an authentication information registration device having registered information storing means for storing therein a registered authentication information previously registered for an authentication process, wherein

said wireless terminal device has authentication information transmitting means for transmitting, to said contents delivering device which is connected by said wireless connection means, input authentication information inputted for said authentication process,

said contents delivering device having;

acquired information storing means for acquiring said registered authentication information stored by said registered information storing means to store the acquired registered authentication information therein;

acquired information authentication means for perform said authentication process of authenticating a user of said wireless terminal device on the basis of said input authentication information transmitted by said authentication information transmitting means and said registered authentication information stored by said acquired information storing means; and

delivery permitting means for permitting said delivering means to deliver said contents to said wireless terminal device connected by said wireless connection means when said user of said wireless terminal device is authenticated by said acquired information authentication means.

12. A cable television system as set forth in claim 11, wherein

said contents delivering device has authentication information transferring means for transferring said input authentication information transmitted by said authentication information transmitting means to said authentication information registration device,

said authentication information registration device having transfer information authentication means for performing said authentication process of authenticating the user of said wireless terminal device on the basis of said input authentication information transmitted by said authentication information transferring means and said registered authentication information stored by said registered information storing means, and

said contents delivering device being operated to have said acquired information storing means acquire and store therein said registered authentication information stored by said registered information storing means and store therein the acquired registered authentication information when said user of said wireless terminal device is authenticated by said transfer information authentication means.

13. A cable television system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said authentication information transferring means is operated to transfer said input authentication information to said authentication information registration device on the basis of said input authentication information transmitted by said authentication information transmitting means.

14. A cable television system as set forth in claim 12 or 13, wherein said authentication information registration device is operated to transmit the result of said authentication process to said contents delivering device only when the user of said wireless terminal device is authenticated by said transfer information authentication means.

15. A cable television system as set forth in any of claims 11 though 14, wherein said contents delivering device is operated to have said acquired information storing means record said registered authentication information for a predetermined duration.

16. A cable television system as set forth in any of claims 11 through 15, wherein at least a part of said input authentication information is recorded on a record medium, and said wireless terminal device being operated to receive said input authentication information recorded on said record medium.

17. A contents delivering device comprising:

delivering means for delivering a contents concerning a cable television service;

delivery history storing means for acquiring a delivery historical file having a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering said contents from another contents delivering device which has been just before connected to a wireless terminal device by wireless and to then store the acquired delivery historical file therein when said contents delivering device is connected to said wireless terminal device by wireless; and

delivery history recording means for recording said delivery historical information on said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means when said contents are delivered, by said delivering means, to said wireless terminal device which is connected by wireless.

21. A contents delivering device as set forth in any of claims 17 through 20, being operated to have said delivery history recording means record said delivery historical information in accordance with a contents delivery situation indicative how said contents are delivered from said delivering means to said wireless terminal device connected by wireless.

22. A contents delivering device as set forth in any of claims 17 through 20, being operated to have said delivery history recording means record said delivery historical information in accordance with said recording method instructing information which is inputted by instruction information inputting means so as to instruct a recording method of recording said delivery historical information and transmitted from said wireless terminal device.

18. A contents delivering device comprising:

delivering means for delivering a contents concerning a cable television service;

delivery history storing means for acquiring a delivery historical file having a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering said contents to a wireless terminal device connected by wireless by said delivering means; and

delivery history recording means for recording said delivery historical information on said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means when said contents are delivered, by said delivering means, to said wireless terminal device which is connected by wireless.

19. A contents delivering device as set forth in claim 18, further comprising:

alteration protecting means for protecting, against an alteration, said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means;

last connected device judging means for judging which another one of said contents delivering devices was connected last to said wireless terminal device by wireless when said contents delivering device is connected to said wireless terminal device by wireless; and

instruction information transmitting means for transmitting start instruction information to said another contents delivering device judged by said last connected device judging means, and

said contents delivering device being operated to have said alteration protecting means protect, against the alteration, said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means when said start instruction information is transmitted to said alteration protecting means by the other contents delivering devices.

20. A contents delivering device as set forth in claim 18, further comprising alteration protecting means for protecting, against an alteration, said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means when the wireless connection with said wireless terminal device is halted.

23. A contents delivering device comprising:

delivering means for delivering contents concerning a cable television service to a wireless terminal device connected by wireless;

acquired information storing means for acquiring, from an authentication information registration device, a registered authentication information which is previously registered and stored in said authentication information registration device for an authentication process and to then store the acquired registered authentication information therein;

acquired information authentication means for perform said authentication process of authenticating a user of said wireless terminal device on the basis of;

input authentication information transmitted from said wireless terminal device which is inputted to said wireless terminal device for said authentication process; and

said registered authentication information stored by said acquired information storing means; and

delivery permitting means for permitting said delivering means to deliver said contents to said wireless terminal device connected by wireless when said user of said wireless terminal device is authenticated by said acquired information authentication means.

24. A contents delivering device as set forth in claim 23, comprising authentication information transferring means for transferring, to said authentication information registration device, said input authentication information transmitted from said wireless terminal device,

said authentication information registration device being operated to perform said authentication process of authenticating the user of said wireless terminal device on the basis of said input authentication information transmitted by said authentication information transferring means and said stored registered authentication information, and

said contents delivering device being operated to have said acquired information storing means acquire said registered authentication information stored by said authentication information registration device and to then store therein the acquired registered authentication information when said user of said wireless terminal device is authenticated.

25. A contents delivering device as set forth in claim 24, wherein said authentication information transferring means is operated to transfer said input authentication information to said authentication information registration device on the basis of said input authentication information transmitted from said wireless terminal device.

26. A contents delivering device as set forth in any of claims 23 through 25, being operated to have said acquired information storing means record said registered authentication information for a predetermined duration.

27. An accounting device comprising accounting means for performing an accounting process on the basis of a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering contents from a contents delivering device to a wireless terminal device which is connected to said contents delivering device by wireless, and said delivery historical information being stored in a delivery historical file by a plurality of said contents delivering devices.

28. An accounting device as set forth in claim 27, comprising matching means for matching between histories concerning the delivered contents on the basis of:

said delivery historical information used by said accounting means; and

delivery receipt historical information representative of a history of receiving said delivered contents, and a set of said delivery receipt historical information being stored in a delivery receipt historical file by said wireless terminal device.

29. An accounting device as set forth in claim 27 or 28, comprising:

connection information acquiring means for acquiring connected device information representative of which of said contents delivering devices is connected to said wireless terminal device by wireless; and

last connected device judging means for judging which of said contents delivering devices was connected last to said wireless terminal device by wireless on the basis of said connected device information acquired by said connection information acquiring means,

said accounting device having said accounting means perform said accounting process on the basis of said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored by said delivery history storing means of said contents delivering device which is judged by said last connected device judging means.

32. An accounting device as set forth in claim 28 or 31, comprising error information transmitting means for transmitting a history error information indicative that said histories concerning said contents delivery have an error when the judgment is made, by said matching means, that said histories concerning said contents delivery are unmatched with each other.

30. An accounting device comprising:

history accumulating means for accumulating a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering contents from a contents delivering device to a wireless terminal device which is connected to said contents delivering device by wireless, and a set of said delivery historical information being stored in a plurality of delivery historical files by a plurality of said contents delivering devices, respectively; and

accounting means for performing an accounting process on the basis of said delivery historical information accumulated by said history accumulating means.

31. An accounting device as set forth in claim 30, comprising matching means for matching between histories concerning the delivered contents on the basis of:

said delivery historical information accumulated by said history accumulating means; and

delivery receipt historical information representative of a history of receiving said delivered contents, and a set of said delivery receipt historical information being stored in a delivery receipt historical file by said wireless terminal device which is connected to said contents delivering device by wireless.

33. A wireless terminal device comprising:

wireless connection means for connecting by wireless to said contents delivering device which is adapted to deliver contents concerning a cable television service; and

instruction information inputting means for inputting a recording method instructing information to instruct, to said contents delivering device, a recording method of recording a delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering said contents to said contents delivering device.

34. (Cancelled)

35. A method of providing a cable television service by wireless, comprising:

a wireless connecting step of allowing a wireless terminal device to connect, by wireless, to any of a plurality of contents delivering devices which is adapted to deliver contents concerning a cable television service;

a delivering step of allowing said contents delivering device to deliver said contents to said wireless terminal device connected in said wireless connecting step;

a delivery history storing step of allowing said contents delivering device to acquire a delivery historical file having a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering said contents from another contents delivering device which has been just before connected to said wireless terminal device in said wireless connecting step, to then store the acquired delivery historical file therein when said contents delivering device is connected to said wireless terminal device in said wireless connecting step;

a delivery history recording step of allowing said contents delivering device to record said delivery historical information on said delivery historical file stored in said delivery history storing step when said contents are delivered, in said delivering step, to said wireless terminal device which is connected in said wireless connecting step; and

an accounting step of allowing an accounting device to perform an accounting process on the basis of said delivery historical information of said delivery historical file stored in said delivery history storing step.

36. A method of providing a cable television service by wireless, comprising:

a wireless connecting step of allowing a wireless terminal device to connect, by wireless, to any of a plurality of contents delivering devices which is adapted to deliver contents concerning a cable television service;

a delivering step of allowing said contents delivering device to deliver said contents to said wireless terminal device connected in said wireless connecting step;

a delivery history storing step of allowing said contents delivering device to store therein a delivery historical file having a set of delivery historical information representative of a history of delivering said contents;

a delivery history recording step of allowing said contents delivering device to record said delivery historical information on said delivery historical file stored in said delivery history storing step when said contents are delivered in said delivering step to said wireless terminal device which is connected in said wireless connecting step;

history accumulating step of allowing an accounting device to accumulate said delivery historical information of a plurality of said delivery historical files stored by a plurality of said contents delivering devices, respectively, in said delivery history storing step; and

an accounting step of allowing said accounting device to perform an accounting process on the basis of said delivery historical information accumulated in said history accumulating step.

37. A method of providing a cable television service by wireless, comprising:

a wireless connecting step of allowing a wireless terminal device to connect, by wireless, to any of a plurality of contents delivering devices which is adapted to deliver contents concerning a cable television service;

a delivering step of allowing said contents delivering device to deliver said contents to said wireless terminal device connected in said wireless connecting step;

a registered information storing step of allowing an authentication information registration device to store therein a registered authentication information previously registered for an authentication process;

an authentication information transmitting step of allowing said wireless terminal device to transmit, to said contents delivering device which is connected in said wireless connecting step, input authentication information inputted for said authentication process;

an acquired information storing step of allowing said contents delivering device to acquire said registered authentication information stored in said registered information storing step, to then store the acquired registered authentication information therein;

an acquired information authentication step of allowing said contents delivering device to perform said authentication process of authenticating a user of said wireless terminal device on the basis of said input authentication information transmitted in said authentication transmitting step and said registered authentication information stored in said acquired information storing step; and

a delivery permitting step of allowing said contents delivering device to permit delivering said contents to said wireless terminal device connected in said wireless connecting step when said user of said wireless terminal device is authenticated in said acquired information authentication step.