Content-related information providing apparatus, content related information providing method, electronic bulletin board system, and computer program

• US 20060156335A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Endo, Kohei, Tsuruta, Yasushi, Yamamoto, Tomoyuki, Matsuzaki, Katsuro, Asazu, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Each bulletin board is set for the purpose of an argument and information exchange concerning a specific television program. In writing a remark in the bulletin board, a user registers information for specifying a program/scene referred to by the remark together with remark contents. The reference information consists of a broadcasting station at the time when a program is broadcasted and time when a reference part is broadcasted. The reference information is shaped into a predetermined format and transmitted to a terminal apparatus of the user. In the terminal apparatus, it becomes possible to start reproduction of a pertinent program/scene from recorded contents on the based on the received reference information. The terminal apparatus can support creation of information such as a comment concerning each scene in program contents and transmission and reception work of this type of information.

Claims

1. A content related information provision apparatus that provides related information on contents consisting of reference data arranged in time series, characterized by comprising:

related information storing means that stores related information on contents;

reference information storing means that stores reference information specifying contents to be referred to by the related information and a data reference position in the contents; and

information delivering means that delivers related information and/or reference information.

2. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising:

means that specifies an installation region of a terminal apparatus to be a delivery destination according to the information delivering means; and

information changing means that changes contents of related information and/or reference information, which should be delivered, according to the installation region.

3. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that

the contents refer to a broadcast program, and

the reference information includes information specifying a broadcasting station, which broadcasts or has broadcasted a program, and information specifying a date and time when a reference part in a program is broadcasted or has been broadcasted.

4. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the reference information specifies a broadcasting station, which broadcasts or has broadcasted a program, using a channel number.

5. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the reference information further includes information for specifying a broadcast starting date and time of the program and information for specifying a broadcast end time of a program or a length of the program.

6. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information delivering means includes identification information of a site handling information resources related to contents in the reference information and delivers the identification information.

7. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information delivering means includes information for correcting deviation of a clock in a terminal apparatus to be a delivery destination in the reference information and delivers the information.

8. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information delivering means includes a characteristic amount of contents at a reference position in the contents in the reference information and delivers the characteristic amount.

9. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information delivering means delivers plural pieces of reference information collectively.

10. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information delivering means delivers the related information and/or the reference information in accordance with an HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol).

11. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information delivering means delivers the related information and/or the reference information in accordance with an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).

12. A content related information provision apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information delivering means designates a character string, which is capable of identifying reference information, in a header of a delivery message at the time of delivery of reference information.

13. A content related information provision method that provides related information on contents consisting of reference data arranged in time series, characterized by comprising:

a related information storing step of storing related information on contents;

a reference information storing step of storing reference information that specifies contents to be referred to by the related information and a data reference position in the contents; and

an information delivering step of delivering related information and/or reference information.

14. A content related information provision method according to claim 13, characterized by further comprising:

a step of specifying an installation region of a terminal apparatus to be a delivery destination according to the information delivering step; and

an information changing step of changing contents of related information and/or reference information, which should be delivered, according to the installation region.

15. A content related information provision method according to claim 13, characterized in that

the contents refer to a broadcast program, and

the reference information includes information specifying a broadcasting station, which broadcasts or has broadcasted a program, and information specifying a date and time when a reference part in a program is broadcasted or has been broadcasted.

16. A content related information provision method according to claim 14, characterized in that the reference information further includes information for specifying a broadcast starting date and time of the program and information for specifying a broadcast end time of a program or a length of the program.

17. A computer program written in a computer readable format so as to execute processing for providing related information on contents consisting of reference data arranged in time series on a computer system, characterized by including:

a related information storing step of storing related information for contents;

a reference information storing step of storing contents referred to by the related information and reference information specifying a data reference position in the contents; and

an information delivery step of delivering the related information and/or the reference information.

18. A computer program according to claim 17, characterized by further comprising:

a step of specifying an installation region of a terminal apparatus to be a delivery destination according to the information delivering step; and

an information changing step of changing contents of related information and/or reference information, which should be delivered, according to the installation region.

19. A computer program according to claim 17, characterized in that

the contents refer to a broadcast program, and

the reference information includes information specifying a broadcasting station, which broadcasts or has broadcasted a program, and information specifying a date and time when a reference part in a program is broadcasted or has been broadcasted.

20. A computer program according to claim 18, characterized in that the reference information further includes information for specifying a broadcast starting date and time of the program and information for specifying a broadcast end time of a program or a length of the program.

21. A bulletin board system that supports information exchange for contents consisting of reference data arranged in time series, characterized by comprising:

receiving means that, at the time of contribution of a remark concerning contents, receives reference information for specifying a reference position in the contents referred to by the remark together with a remark content;

storing means that stores the remark contents and the reference information in association with each other; and

transmitting means that, at the time of inspection of the remark contents, transmits reference information corresponding to the remark contents to a terminal apparatus of a request source.

22. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized by further comprising:

means that specifies an installation region of a terminal apparatus to be a provision destination of information; and

means that changes contents of reference information according to the specified installation region.

23. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that

the contents refer to a broadcast program, and

the reference information includes information specifying a broadcasting station that broadcasts or has broadcasted a program, and information specifying a date and time when a reference part in the program is broadcasted or has been broadcasted.

24. A bulletin board system according to claim 23, characterized in that the reference information specifies a broadcasting station, which broadcasts or has broadcasted a program, using a channel number.

25. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means transmits a name of a bulletin board, in which a corresponding remark is written, with the name included in the reference information.

26. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means transmits corresponding remark contents with the remark contents included in the reference information.

27. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means includes identification information of a site handling information resources related to contents in the reference information and delivers the identification information.

28. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means includes information for correcting deviation of a clock in a terminal apparatus to be a delivery destination in the reference information and delivers the information.

29. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means includes a characteristic amount of contents at a reference position in the contents in the reference information and delivers the characteristic amount.

30. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means delivers plural pieces of reference information collectively.

31. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized by further comprising means that, in writing of a remark, transmits an execution code for automatically acquiring reference information or urging a user to input a remark to a terminal apparatus side of a requiring source.

32. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized by further comprising means that, concerning an execution code for automatically acquiring reference information stored in the terminal apparatus of the requesting source in advance or urging a user to input a remark, transmits information necessary for starting the execution code to the terminal apparatus.

33. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means delivers the remark contents and/or the reference information in accordance with an HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol).

34. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means delivers the remark contents and/or the reference information in accordance with an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).

35. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized in that the transmitting means designates a character string, which is capable of identifying the reference information, in a header of a delivery message at the time of delivery of reference information.

36. A bulletin board system according to claim 23, characterized by further comprising:

means that, concerning a program series to be an object of an argument in a bulletin board, specifies a broadcast schedule for the next broadcast of the series; and

means that transmits the broadcast schedule to a terminal apparatus of a request source.

37. A bulletin board system according to claim 36, characterized by further comprising means that sets a bulletin board for each program series and performs download of the program schedule from a screen displaying information in the bulletin board or a screen displaying a list of remarks in the bulletin board.

38. A bulletin board system according to claim 23, characterized by further comprising:

means that specifies a rebroadcast schedule for a program to be an object of a remark; and

means that transmits the rebroadcast schedule to a terminal apparatus of a request source.

39. A bulletin board system according to claim 38, characterized in that the transmitting means transmits the rebroadcast schedule with the rebroadcast schedule included in reference information.

40. A bulletin board system according to claim 21, characterized by further comprising:

means that designates retrieval conditions for a remark; and

means that retrieves a remark across plural bulletin boards on the basis of the designated retrieval conditions.

41. A bulletin board system according to claim 40, characterized in that the bulletin board system uses a keyword included in a remark or designated separately at the time of writing the remark as retrieval conditions.

42. A bulletin board system according to claim 40, characterized in that the bulletin board system uses a name or an ID of a user who has written the remark as retrieval conditions.

43. A bulletin board system according to claim 40, characterized in that the bulletin board system uses a date and time when the remark is written as retrieval conditions.