System for delivering contents automatically

• US 20060164546A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Adachi, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,589,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/441
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/22 Arrangements for broadcast of identical information via plural broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level

Abstract

A system for delivering contents automatically has first and second signal-selecting-and-delivering devices each for selecting a contents-signal from the contents-signals each having any of first and second formats of contents-signal and delivering the selected contents-signal having each of the first and second formats. It also has a signal-supplying device that supplies the contents-signals having the first and second formats to the first and second signal-selecting-and-delivering devices, respectively, and a signal-converting device that converts the contents-signal having the first format into the contents-signal having the second format and supplies the converted contents-signal having the second format to the second signal-selecting-and-delivering device. It further has a control device that controls the signal-supplying device and the first and second signal-selecting-and-delivering devices to allow the first and second signal-selecting-and-delivering devices to deliver the contents-signals having each of the first and second formats, based on a predetermined delivery schedule of the contents.

Claims

1. A system for delivering contents automatically, said system comprising:

first signal-selecting-and-delivering means for selecting a contents-signal from the contents-signals each having a first format of the contents-signal and delivering the selected contents-signal having the first format;

second signal-selecting-and-delivering means for selecting a contents-signal from the contents-signals each having a second format of the contents-signal and delivering the selected contents-signal having the second format;

signal-supplying means for supplying the contents-signals each having the first format to the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means and the contents-signals each having the second format to the second signal-selecting-and delivering means;

signal-converting means for converting the contents-signal that is output from the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means, said contents-signal having the first format, into the contents-signal having the second format and supplying the converted contents-signal having the second format to the second signal-selecting-and-delivering means; and

control means for controlling signal-supplying operation of the signal-supplying means and signal-selecting-and-delivering operations of the first and second signal-selecting-and-delivering means to allow the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means to deliver the contents-signal having the first format and the second signal-selecting-and-delivering means to deliver the contents-signal having the second format, based on a predetermined delivery schedule of the contents.

2. The system for delivering contents automatically according to claim 1, wherein when the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means selects and delivers the contents-signal having the first format, the control means controls the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means to send the contents-signal having the first format to the signal-converting means, said signal-converting means converting the contents-signal having the first format into the contents-signal having the second format, said first format being different from the second format, and controls the second signal-selecting-and-delivering means to select and deliver the contents-signal having the second format.

3. The system for delivering contents automatically according to claim 2, wherein the signal-converting means converts aspect ratios of the contents-signals.

4. The system for delivering contents automatically according to claim 3, wherein when the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means selects and delivers the contents-signal having the first format, the control means controls the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means to send the contents-signal having the first format to the signal-converting means, said signal-converting means converting aspect ratio of the contents-signal having the first format into aspect ratio of the contents-signal having the second format on the basis of aspect ratio of image showing the contents of the contents-signal to be delivered, and controls the second signal-selecting-and-delivering means to select and deliver the contents-signal having the second format.

5. The system for delivering contents automatically according to claim 2, wherein when switching the contents to be delivered if the second signal-selecting-and-delivering means newly selects and delivers the contents-signal having the second format converted by the signal-converting means, the control means controls the signal-supplying means to supply the contents-signal having the first format to the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means and controls the first signal-selecting-and-delivering means to send the contents-signal having the first format to the signal-converting means before switching the contents, thereby allowing the signal, to be selected and delivered after the switching thereof, having the second format to be supplied to the second signal-selecting-and-delivering means at a switching time thereof.

6. A system for delivering contents automatically, said system comprising:

first signal-selecting-and-delivering device that selects a contents-signal from the contents-signals each having a first format of the contents-signal and delivers the selected contents-signal having the first format;

second signal-selecting-and-delivering device that selects a contents-signal from the contents-signals each having a second format of the contents-signal and delivers the selected contents-signal having the second format;

signal-supplying device that supplies the contents-signals each having the first format to the first signal-selecting-and-delivering device and the contents-signals each having the second format to the second signal-selecting-and delivering device;

signal-converting device that converts the contents-signal output from the first signal-selecting-and-delivering device, said contents-signal having the first format, into the contents-signal having the second format and supplies the converted contents-signal having the second format to the second signal-selecting-and-delivering device; and

control device that controls signal-supplying operation of the signal-supplying device and signal-selecting-and-delivering operations of the first and second signal-selecting-and-delivering devices to allow the first signal-selecting-and-delivering device to deliver the contents-signal having the first format and the second signal-selecting-and-delivering device to deliver the contents-signal having the second format, based on a predetermined delivery schedule of the contents.

7. The system for delivering contents automatically according to claim 6, wherein the signal-supplying device includes a first signal supplier for supplying the contents-signal having the first format to the first signal-selecting-and delivering device and a second signal supplier for supplying the contents-signal having the second format to the second signal-selecting-and-delivering device.

8. The system for delivering contents automatically according to claim 6, wherein the signal-converting device includes a first signal converter for converting the contents-signal having the first format into the contents-signal having the second format and a second signal converter for converting the contents-signal having the second format into the contents-signal having the first format.