Content providing system and method, content providng apparatus and method content receiver and method recording medium, and program

• US 20070044131A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/06 among broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/40 characterised in that additional data relating to the broadcast data are available via a different channel than the broadcast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a content providing system and method, a content providing apparatus and method, a content receiver and method, a recording medium, and a program that make it possible to provide viewers with transaction contents at low cost. Plural broadcasting apparatuses include trigger contents in program contents and broadcast the program contents to digital television receivers. The broadcasting apparatus broadcasts transaction contents that are displayed when the trigger contents of the plural broadcasting apparatus are turned on by the plural digital television receivers. It is possible to apply the invention to a digital television broadcasting system.

Claims

1. A content providing system characterized by comprising:

providing a first content from a first content providing apparatus on a first broadcast channel in a state in which a trigger content serving as a trigger for provision of a second content is combined with the first content;

providing the second content from a second content providing apparatus on a second broadcast channel;

when the trigger content is triggered in a state in which a receiver is receiving the first content on the first broadcast channel, causing the receiver to switch a broadcast channel to be received from the first broadcast channel to the second broadcast channel and receive the second content provided by the second content providing apparatus; and

when end of viewing of the second content is inputted in the receiver, causing the receiver to switch a broadcast channel to be received from the second broadcast channel to the first broadcast channel and receive the first content provided by the first content providing apparatus again.

2. A content providing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiver transmits information inputted by a viewer on the basis of the second content provided to an information processing apparatus via a network.

3. A content providing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the second content providing apparatus provides, as the second content, a content for causing a viewer who is viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity.

4. A content providing system according to claim 1, characterized by comprising:

providing a plurality of the second contents corresponding to the respective first contents of a plurality of the first broadcast channels through the one second broadcast channel; and

the second content providing apparatus broadcasting common contents generated on the basis of an identical template as the plurality of the second contents.

5. A content providing method characterized by comprising:

providing a first content from a first content providing apparatus on a first broadcast channel in a state in which a trigger content serving as a trigger for provision of a second content is combined with the first content;

providing the second content from a second content providing apparatus on a second broadcast channel;

when the trigger content is triggered in a state in which a receiver is receiving the first content on the first broadcast channel, causing the receiver to switch a broadcast channel to be received from the first broadcast channel to the second broadcast channel and receive the second content provided by the second content providing apparatus; and

when end of viewing of the second content is inputted in the receiver, causing the receiver to switch a broadcast channel to be received from the second broadcast channel to the first broadcast channel and receive the first content provided by the first content providing apparatus again.

6. A content providing method according to claim 5, characterized in that the receiver transmits information inputted by a viewer on the basis of the second content provided to an information processing apparatus via a network.

7. A content providing method according to claim 5, characterized in that the second content providing apparatus provides, as the second content, a content for causing a viewer who is viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity.

8. A content providing method according to claim 5, characterized by comprising:

providing a plurality of the second contents corresponding to the respective first contents of a plurality of the first broadcast channels through the one second broadcast channel; and

the second content providing apparatus broadcasting common contents generated on the basis of an identical template as the plurality of the second contents.

9. A content providing apparatus characterized by comprising:

acquiring means that acquires a plurality of second contents that are second contents, provision of which is triggered by trigger contents provided from other content providing apparatuses on first broadcast channels while being combined with first contents and are common contents, which are generated on the basis of an identical template, corresponding to the respective first contents provided by a plurality of the other content providing apparatuses on the first broadcast channels; and

transmitting means that transmits the plurality of the second contents on one second broadcast channel.

10. A content providing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized by further comprising holding means that receives, via a network, information inputted from a viewer on the basis of the second content transmitted and holds the information.

11. A content providing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the acquiring means acquires, as the second content, a content for causing a viewer viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity.

12. A content providing method for a content providing apparatus, characterized by comprising:

an acquiring step of acquiring a plurality of second contents that are second contents, provision of which is triggered by trigger contents provided from other content providing apparatuses on first broadcast channels while being combined with first contents and are common contents, which are generated on the basis of an identical template, corresponding to the respective first contents provided by a plurality of the other content providing apparatuses on the first broadcast channels; and

a transmitting step of transmitting the plurality of the second contents on one second broadcast channel.

13. A content providing method according to claim 12, characterized by further comprising a holding step of receiving, via a network, information inputted from a viewer on the basis of the second content transmitted and holding the information.

14. A content providing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, in the acquiring step, a content for causing a viewer viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity is acquired as the second content.

15. A recording medium having recorded therein a computer readable program, characterized by comprising:

an acquiring step of acquiring a plurality of second contents that are second contents, provision of which is triggered by trigger contents provided from other content providing apparatuses on first broadcast channels while being combined with first contents and are common contents, which are generated on the basis of an identical template, corresponding to the respective first contents provided by a plurality of the other content providing apparatuses on the first broadcast channels; and

a transmitting step of transmitting the plurality of the second contents on one second broadcast channel.

16. A recording medium according to claim 15, characterized by further comprising a holding step of receiving, via a network, information inputted from a viewer on the basis of the second content transmitted and holding the information.

17. A recording medium according to claim 15, characterized in that, in the acquiring step, a content for causing a viewer viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity is acquired as the second content.

18. A computer readable program for a content providing apparatus, characterized by comprising:

an acquiring step of acquiring a plurality of second contents that are second contents, provision of which is triggered by trigger contents provided from other content providing apparatuses on first broadcast channels while being combined with first contents and are common contents, which are generated on the basis of an identical template, corresponding to the respective first contents provided by a plurality of the other content providing apparatuses on the first broadcast channels; and

a transmitting step of transmitting the plurality of the second contents on one second broadcast channel.

19. A program according to claim 18, characterized by further comprising a holding step of receiving, via a network, information inputted from a viewer on the basis of the second content transmitted and holding the information.

20. A program according to claim 18, characterized in that, in the acquiring step, a content for causing a viewer viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity is acquired as the second content.

21. A content receiver characterized by comprising:

receiving means that receives a first content provided by a first content providing apparatus on a first broadcast channel and receives a second content provided by a second content providing apparatus on a second broadcast channel;

judging means that judges whether the second content is triggered on the basis of a trigger content combined with the first content in a state in which the first content is received on the first broadcast channel; and

switching control means that performs control to switch, when it is judged by the judging means that the second content is triggered, a channel to be received from the first broadcast channel to the second broadcast channel and switch, when end of viewing of the second content is inputted, a channel to be received from the second broadcast channel to the first broadcast channel.

22. A content receiver according to claim 21, characterized by further comprising transmitting means that transmits, via a network, information inputted from a viewer on the basis of the second content provided to an information processing apparatus.

23. A content receiver according to claim 21, characterized that the receiving means receives, as the second content, a content for causing a viewer viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity.

24. A content receiver according to claim 21, characterized in that the receiving means selects and receives the second content corresponding to the first broadcast channel being received out of a plurality of the second contents that are common contents, which are generated on the basis of an identical template, transmitted on the one second broadcast channel and corresponding to the respective first contents provided by a plurality of the first content providing apparatuses on the first broadcast channels thereof.

25. A content receiving method characterized by comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a first content provided by a first content providing apparatus on a first broadcast channel;

a judging step of judging whether a second content is indicated on the basis of a trigger content combined with the first content in a state in which the first content is received on the first broadcast channel;

a first switching control step of switching, when it is judged by processing of the judging step that the second content is indicated, a channel to be received from the first channel to the second channel;

a second receiving step of receiving the second content provided by a second content providing apparatus on a second broadcast channel; and

a second switching control step of performing control to switch, when end of viewing of the second content is inputted, a channel to be received from the second broadcast channel to the first broadcast channel.

26. A content receiving method according to claim 25, characterized by further comprising a transmitting step of transmitting information inputted from a viewer on the basis of the second content provided to an information processing apparatus via a network.

27. A content receiving method according to claim 25, characterized in that, in the second receiving step, a content for causing a viewer viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity is received as the second content.

28. A content receiving method according to claim 25, characterized in that, in the second receiving step, the second content corresponding to the first broadcast channel being received is selected and received out of a plurality of the second contents that are common contents, which are generated on the basis of an identical template, transmitted on the one second broadcast channel and corresponding to the respective first contents provided by a plurality of the first content providing apparatuses on the first broadcast channels thereof.

29. A recording medium having recorded therein a computer readable program, the computer readable program characterized by comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a first content provided by a first content providing apparatus on a first broadcast channel;

a judging step of judging whether a second content is indicated on the basis of a trigger content combined with the first content in a state in which the first content is received on the first broadcast channel;

a first switching control step of switching, when it is judged by processing of the judging step that the second content is indicated, a channel to be received from the first channel to the second channel;

a second receiving step of receiving the second content provided by a second content providing apparatus on a second broadcast channel; and

a second switching control step of performing control to switch, when end of viewing of the second content is inputted, a channel to be received from the second broadcast channel to the first broadcast channel.

30. A recording medium according to claim 29, characterized in that the program further comprises a transmitting step of transmitting information inputted from a viewer on the basis of the second content provided to an information processing apparatus via a network.

31. A recording medium according to claim 29, characterized in that, in the second receiving step, a content for causing a viewer viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity is received as the second content.

32. A recording medium according to claim 29, characterized in that, in the second receiving step, the second content corresponding to the first broadcast channel being received is selected and received out of a plurality of the second contents that are common contents, which are generated on the basis of an identical template, transmitted on the one second broadcast channel and corresponding to the respective first contents provided by a plurality of the first content providing apparatuses on the first broadcast channels thereof.

33. A computer readable program, characterized by comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a first content provided by a first content providing apparatus on a first broadcast channel;

a judging step of judging whether a second content is indicated on the basis of a trigger content combined with the first content in a state in which the first content is received on the first broadcast channel;

a first switching control step of switching, when it is judged by processing of the judging step that the second content is indicated, a channel to be received from the first channel to the second channel;

a second receiving step of receiving the second content provided by a second content providing apparatus on a second broadcast channel; and

a second switching control step of performing control to switch, when end of viewing of the second content is inputted, a channel to be received from the second broadcast channel to the first broadcast channel.

34. A program according to claim 33, characterized by further comprising a transmitting step of transmitting information inputted from a viewer on the basis of the second content provided to an information processing apparatus via a network.

35. A program according to claim 33, characterized in that, in the second receiving step, a content for causing a viewer viewing the first content to input a response to a questionnaire or a content for causing the viewer to input information necessary for purchasing a commodity is received as the second content.

36. A program according to claim 33, characterized in that, in the second receiving step, the second content corresponding to the first broadcast channel being received is selected and received out of a plurality of the second contents that are common contents, which are generated on the basis of an identical template, transmitted on the one second broadcast channel and corresponding to the respective first contents provided by a plurality of the first content providing apparatuses on the first broadcast channels thereof.