Electronic information content distribution processing system, information distribution apparatus, information processing apparatus, and electronic information content distribution processing method

• US 20070136781A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawai, Eiji
• Application Number:
  US11/703,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136781A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/91 broadcasting computer programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A system is provided to distribute electronic information contents D0 containing advertisement to a user, and process advertisement information D2 at the user side. This system comprises an information distribution apparatus 19 for distributing advertisement information D2 to the user; and a plurality of information processing apparatuses 8 for receiving and storing the electronic information contents D0 distributed from the information distribution apparatus 19, reading out the electronic information contents D0 according to the user operation, and processing the electronic information contents D2, thereby outputting the advertisement video image and its audio. With this configuration, after receipt of advertisement information, the user can see and hear an advertisement video image or audio freely processed with respect to an advertisement by the information processing apparatuses 8 in unreal time (asynchronously) like playing a game. In this manner, there can be constructed a electronic advertisement medium which reverses a concept of an advertisement of big four mass media, the advertisement having been supplied one-sidedly conventionally, and which performs an advertisement interactively.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. An information distribution apparatus for distributing electronic information contents containing an advertisement to a user, said apparatus comprising:

a data inserter for constructing the electronic information contents concerning said advertisement in a group of data, and inserting the contents into a carrying signal; and

a transmitter for transmitting the carrying signal produced by constructing and inserting the data into said data inserter to a user'"'"'s information processing apparatus.

13. An information distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said data is distributed by using existing broadcasting infrastructure or communication infrastructure.

14. An information distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said data is provided so as to be transmitted after multiplexed in a vertical blanking period of a television broadcast signal adopted by said broadcasting infrastructure.

15. An information distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said data inserter is provided so as to construct and insert the electronic information contents concerning said advertisement and broadcast information contents concerning an arbitrary program in a group of data.

16. An information distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said electronic information contents are provided so as to be distributed to a user through a advertisement specific channel assigned in advance.

17. An information distribution apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein video image element information and audio information concerning a plurality of advertisements whose information can be operated;

and program information for processing these items of information are provided so as to be distributed by using said advertisement specific channel.

18-51. -51. (canceled)

52. An information distributing method, comprising the steps of:

inserting electronic information contents containing video image element information and audio information concerning an advertisement that can be operated; and

program information for processing these items of information into a carrying signal; and

transmitting the carrying signal having said electronic information contents inserted thereinto.

53. An information distributing method as claimed in claim 52, wherein said electronic information contents are distributed by using an existing broadcasting infrastructure or communication infrastructure.

54. An information distributing method as claimed in claim 52, wherein said electronic information contents are transmitted to multiplied in a vertical blanking period of a television broadcast signal adopted by said broadcasting infrastructure.

55. An information distributing method as claimed in claim 54, wherein the step of inserting said electronic information contents is executed to insert the electronic information contents concerning said advertisement and broadcasting information contents concerning an arbitrary program to be constructed in a group of data.

56. An information distributing method as claimed in claim 52, wherein said electronic information contents are provided to be distributed to an user through an advertisement specific channel that has been assigned in advance, and wherein the electronic information contents are provided to be distributed using said advertisement specific channel.

57-73. -73. (canceled)