Digital Broadcast Playback Device and Method, Computer Program, and Storage Medium

• US 20070220564A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Imanishi, Yoshinori, Hiramoto, Takeshi, Yano, Masako
• Application Number:
  US11/578,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220564A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

A digital broadcast playback device for playing back AV content included in a broadcast program and executing an application included in the broadcast program is provided. A playback mode management unit manages whether the AV content is to be played in a real-time mode or in a time-shift mode. A section analysis unit acquires applications included in the broadcast program and information showing activation conditions of the respective applications, from a digital stream containing the broadcast program. A filtering unit selects an application whose activation condition is the real-time mode if the AV content is to be played in the real-time mode, and an application whose activation condition is the time-shift mode if the AV content is to be played in the time-shift mode. An application execution unit activates the selected application, with playback of the AV content.

Claims

1. A digital broadcast playback device for playing back AV content included in a broadcast program and executing an application included in the broadcast program, comprising:

a playback mode judgment unit operable to judge whether the AV content is to be played back in a real-time mode or a time-shift mode;

an application acquisition unit operable to acquire, from a digital stream that contains the broadcast program, applications included in the broadcast program and information showing activation conditions of the respective applications;

a selection unit operable to select;

from the applications, an application whose activation condition is the real-time mode if the AV content is to be played back in the real-time mode, and an application whose activation condition is the time-shift mode if the AV content is to be played back in the time-shift mode; and

an activation unit operable to activate the selected application, with the playback of the AV content.

2. The digital broadcast playback device of claim 1 further comprising

a playback time specification unit operable to specify, a time when the AV content is played back,

wherein said application acquisition unit further acquires, from the digital stream, information showing expiration times of the respective applications, and

said selection unit further selects, from the applications, an application whose expiration time is after the time when the AV content is played back.

3. The digital broadcast playback device of claim 2,

wherein the expiration time is a time after which a server device no longer provides a service for the application through communication.

4. The digital broadcast playback device of claim 1 further comprising

a display capacity acquisition unit operable to acquire display capacity information showing a display capacity of a display device used to display an image generated by playing back the AV content,

wherein said application acquisition unit further acquires, from the digital stream, information showing display capacities required for the respective applications, and

said selection unit further selects, from the applications, an application whose required display capacity is within the display capacity of the display device.

5. The digital broadcast playback device of claim 4,

wherein the display capacity of the display device is at least one of a screen resolution, an aspect ratio, and a screen size of the display device.

6. The digital broadcast playback device of claim 1 further comprising

a playback control unit operable to receive a designation of a playback position of the AV content, and play back the AV content from the designated playback position,

wherein an application whose activation condition is the time-shift mode has a function of presenting, based on index information showing a correspondence between portions and playback positions of the AV content, information about the portions of the AV content to a user and designating the playback position corresponding to a portion selected by the user to said playback control unit.

7. The digital broadcast playback device of claim 6,

wherein said application acquisition unit further acquires the index information from the digital stream.

8. The digital broadcast playback device of claim 1 further comprising

a communication unit operable to receive a designation of a server device, and acquire information from the designated server device via a network,

wherein an application whose activation condition is the time-shift mode has a function of designating the server device to said communication unit and presenting the information acquired from the server device to a user, and

the server device provides the information which relates to the broadcast program and covers a time period from after broadcast of the broadcast program ends to when the AV content is played back.

9. A digital broadcast playback method for use in a playback device for playing back AV content included in a broadcast program and executing an application included in the broadcast program, comprising steps of:

judging whether the AV content is to be played back in a real-time mode or a time-shift mode;

acquiring, from a digital stream that contains the broadcast program, applications included in the broadcast program and information showing activation conditions of the respective applications;

selecting, from the applications, an application whose activation condition is the real-time mode if the AV content is to be played back in the real-time mode, and an application whose activation condition is the time-shift mode if the AV content is to be played back in the time-shift mode; and

activating the selected application, with the playback of the AV content.

10. A computer program used in a computer for playing back AV content included in a broadcast program and executing an application included in the broadcast program, comprising:

program code operable to cause the computer to judge whether the AV content is to be played back in a real-time mode or a time-shift mode;

program code operable to cause the computer to acquire, from a digital stream that contains the broadcast program, applications included in the broadcast program and information showing activation conditions of the respective applications;

program code operable to cause the computer to select, from the applications, an application whose activation condition is the real-time mode if the AV content is to be played back in the real-time mode, and an application whose activation condition is the time-shift mode if the AV content is to be played back in the time-shift mode; and

program code operable to cause the computer to activate the selected application, with the playback of the AV content.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program used in a computer for playing back AV content included in a broadcast program and executing an application included in the broadcast program, the computer program comprising:

program code operable to cause the computer to judge whether the AV content is to be played back in a real-time mode or a time-shift mode;

program code operable to cause the computer to acquire, from a digital stream that contains the broadcast program, applications included in the broadcast program and information showing activation conditions of the respective applications;

program code operable to cause the computer to select, from the applications, an application whose activation condition is the real-time mode if the AV content is to be played back in the real-time mode, and an application whose activation condition is the time-shift mode if the AV content is to be played back in the time-shift mode; and

program code operable to cause the computer to activate the selected application, with the playback of the AV content.