Data transmitting method, data transmitting system, data receiving method and receiving terminal

• US 20070226322A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Uchiyama, Yoshinori, Yamazaki, Tomotaka, Takeda, Yoshiharu, Baba, Hiromitsu
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/91 broadcasting computer programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/70 characterised in that receivers can be addressed
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• 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 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

In a method and system for transmitting and receiving data, specified data can be transmitted only to a specific receiving terminal by assigning unique terminal information to the receiving terminal. When transmitted with data, the unique terminal information identifies the specific receiving terminal as the destination of transmission from among a plurality of receiving terminals. An update program for changing the processing of the receiving terminal may be transmitted to the specific receiving terminal along with the unique terminal information. The unique terminal information and the update program are stored in a prescribed storage location in the specific receiving terminal. Thus, a one-to-one broadcasting system is achieved.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data from a transmission apparatus to one of a plurality of receiving terminals, comprising:

communicating between said one receiving terminal and the transmission apparatus via an Internet system, said one receiving terminal being operable to receive a digital broadcasting signal;

receiving authentication data associated with said one receiving terminal;

authenticating said authentication data;

upon authenticating, converting unique terminal information identifying said one receiving terminal as a destination of transmission into converted unique terminal information comprising a key ID, said unique terminal identification information being selected in a manner unrelated to said authentication data;

transmitting said key ID, an update program to change the processing of said one receiving terminal, and a download application to said one receiving terminal;

executing said download application at said one receiving terminal to obtain an inputted key ID;

comparing said inputted key ID with said transmitted key ID to validate said inputted key ID;

upon validation of said inputted key ID, updating the processing of said one receiving terminal, said updating comprising;

returning said converted unique terminal information comprising said key ID to said unique terminal information,

installing said unique terminal information on a device of said one receiving terminal, and

executing said update program on said device of said one receiving terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting from said one receiving terminal to said transmission apparatus a transfer request based on said update program and said unique terminal information; and

supplying data responsive to said transfer request from said transmission apparatus to said one receiving terminal based on said unique terminal information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said update program and said download application are common to at least some of the plurality of receiving terminals while said key ID is uniquely associated with said one receiving terminal.

4. The data transmitting method according to claim 2, wherein said supplying step includes supplying said data from said transmission apparatus to said one receiving terminal via a communication satellite based on said unique terminal information.

5. The data transmitting method according to claim 2, wherein said supplying step includes supplying said data using an Internet connection from said transmission apparatus to said one receiving terminal based on said unique terminal information.

6. The data transmitting method according to claim 2, wherein said supplying step includes supplying said data from said transmission apparatus to said one receiving terminal through a terrestrial circuit based on said unique terminal information.

7. The data transmitting method according to claim 1, wherein said data supplied by said transmission apparatus is displayed on a display apparatus of said one receiving terminal based on said unique terminal information.

8. The data transmitting method according to claim 1, wherein said unique terminal information corresponds to a unique physical address assigned to said device of said one receiving terminal.

9. The data transmitting method according to claim 1, wherein said unique terminal identification information comprises a MAC address of said one receiving terminal.

10. A system for transmitting data comprising:

a plurality of receiving terminals; and

a transmission apparatus operable to receive authentication data associated with one of said plurality of receiving terminals, to authenticate said authentication data, to convert unique terminal information identifying said one receiving terminal as a destination of transmission into converted unique terminal information comprising a key ID, and transmitting said key ID, an update program to change the processing of said one receiving terminal, and a download application to said one receiving terminal;

said one receiving terminal being operable to output said authentication data, to receive said key ID, said update program and said download application, to communicate with said transmission apparatus via an Internet system, to execute said download application to obtain an inputted key ID, to compare said inputted key ID with said key ID received from said transmission apparatus to validate said inputted key ID, and to receive a digital broadcasting signal, and said one receiving terminal including a specified storage location operable to store said key ID and said update program to update said processing;

wherein said unique terminal identification information is selected in a manner unrelated to said authentication data, and upon validation of said inputted key ID, said one receiving terminal is further operable to update said processing by converting said key ID back to said unique terminal information, storing said unique terminal information in said storage location, installing said unique terminal information on a device of said one receiving terminal, and executing said update program on said device of said one receiving terminal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said one receiving terminal transmits to said transmission apparatus a transfer request based on said update program and said unique terminal information and said transmission apparatus supplies data responsive to said transfer request to said one receiving terminal based on said unique terminal information.

12. The data transmitting system according to claim 11, wherein said transmission apparatus supplies said data to said one receiving terminal via a communication satellite based on said unique terminal information.

13. The data transmitting system according to claim 11, wherein said transmission apparatus supplies said data using an Internet connection to said one receiving terminal based on said unique terminal information.

14. The data transmitting system according to claim 11, wherein said transmission apparatus supplies said data to said one receiving terminal through a terrestrial circuit based on said unique terminal information.

15. The data transmitting system according to claim 10, wherein data supplied from said transmission apparatus is displayed on a display apparatus of said one receiving terminal based on said unique terminal information.

16. The data transmitting system according to claim 10, wherein said unique terminal information corresponds to a unique physical address assigned to said device of said one receiving terminal.

17. The data transmitting system according to claim 10, wherein said unique terminal identification information comprises a MAC address of said one receiving terminal.

18. A receiving system for receiving data transmitted from a transmission apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of receiving terminals, one of said plurality of receiving terminals being operable to communicate with the transmission apparatus via an Internet system, to receive a digital broadcasting signal, to output authentication data associated with said one receiving terminal, and, upon authentication of said authentication data by said transmission apparatus, to receive a key ID derived from unique terminal information identifying said one receiving terminal as a destination of transmission, an update program for changing the processing of said one receiving terminal, and a download application, to execute said download application to obtain an inputted key ID, to compare said inputted key ID with said received key ID to validate said inputted key ID;

a storage location operable to store said key ID and said update program received by said one receiving terminal;

a transfer request generated based on said update program and transmitted to the transmission apparatus along with said unique terminal information; and

data responsive to said transfer request supplied by the transmission apparatus to said one receiving terminal based on said unique terminal information;

wherein said unique terminal information is selected in a manner unrelated to said authentication data; and

wherein upon validation of said inputted key ID, said one receiving terminal is further operable to change the processing by converting said received key ID to said unique terminal information, installing said unique terminal information on a device of said one receiving terminal, and executing said update program on said device of said one receiving terminal.

19. The receiving system according to claim 18, wherein said data is transmitted via a communication satellite based on said unique terminal information.

20. The receiving system according to claim 18, wherein said data is transmitted using an Internet connection based on said unique terminal information.

21. The receiving system according to claim 18, wherein said data is transmitted through a terrestrial circuit based on said unique terminal information.

22. The receiving system according to claim 18, wherein said data transmitted from the transmission apparatus is displayed on a display based on said unique terminal information.

23. The receiving terminal according to claim 18, wherein said unique terminal information is a unique physical address corresponding to said device of said receiving terminal, and is fixedly assigned to said device of said receiving terminal.

24. The receiving system according to claim 18, wherein said unique terminal information comprises a MAC address of said one receiving terminal.

25. A method of receiving data transmitted from a transmission apparatus to one of a plurality of receiving terminals, comprising:

communicating between said one receiving terminal and the transmission apparatus via an Internet system, said one receiving terminal being operable to receive a digital broadcasting signal;

receiving a key ID, an update program for changing the processing of said one receiving terminal, and a download application from said transmission apparatus, said key ID being derived from unique terminal information identifying said one receiving terminal as a destination of transmission and said unique terminal identification information being selected in a manner unrelated to authentication data associated with said one receiving terminal;

storing said unique terminal information and said update program received by said one receiving terminal in a storage location;

executing said download application to obtain an inputted key ID;

comparing said inputted key ID with said key ID received from said transmission apparatus to validate said inputted key ID;

upon validation, converting said received key ID to said unique terminal information, installing said unique terminal information on a device of said one receiving terminal, and executing said update program on said device of said one receiving terminal.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

transmitting said unique terminal information and a transfer request based on said update program from said one receiving terminal to said transmission apparatus; and

receiving data transmitted from said transmission apparatus in response to said transfer request based on said unique terminal information.

27. The data receiving method according to claim 26, wherein said data is transmitted from said transmission apparatus via a communication satellite based on said unique terminal information.

28. The data receiving method according to claim 26, wherein said data is transmitted from said transmission apparatus using an Internet connection based on said unique terminal information.

29. The data receiving method according to claim 26, wherein said data is transmitted from said transmission apparatus through a terrestrial circuit based on said unique terminal information.

30. The data receiving method according to claim 26, wherein said data transmitted from said transmission apparatus is displayed on a display based on said unique terminal information.

31. The data receiving method according to claim 26, wherein said unique terminal information is a unique physical address corresponding to said device of said one receiving terminal.

32. The data receiving method according to claim 25, wherein said unique terminal information comprises a MAC address of said one receiving terminal.

33. A method of transmitting data between a provider device and one of a plurality of client devices remote from the provider device, comprising:

transmitting recognition data from a first one of the client devices to the provider device, the recognition data being unique to the first client device;

the provider device authenticating the recognition data;

the provider device assigning a MAC address to a receiving device coupled to the first client device, the MAC address being a unique address for use with a receiver device and being unrelated to the recognition data of the first client device;

the provider device generating a unique key ID based on the MAC address;

transmitting a software application, a download application and the unique key ID from the provider device to the first client device;

executing the download application to identify the unique key ID on the first client device;

validating the unique key ID with the first client device; and

if the unique key ID is validated;

transferring the software application to the receiver device;

retrieving the MAC address from the unique key ID; and

transferring the MAC address to the receiver device for use as a new address of the receiver device.

34. A system, comprising:

a provider device;

a plurality of client devices remote from the provider device, a first one of the plurality of client devices having recognition data associated therewith, the recognition data being unique to the first client device; and

a plurality of receiver devices, a first one of the receiver devices having an address associated therewith and being coupled to the first client device;

wherein the provider device is operable to authenticate the recognition data of the first client device, to assign a unique MAC address unrelated to the recognition data of the first client device to the first receiver device, to generate a unique key ID based on the MAC address and to transmit a software application, a download application and the unique key ID to the first client device, and

wherein the client device is operable to execute the download application to identify the unique key ID, to validate the unique key ID, and, if the unique key ID is validated, to transfer the software application to the receiver device, to retrieve the MAC address from the unique key ID, and to transfer the MAC address to the receiver device for use as a new address of the receiver device.