SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING INTERACTIVE SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH BROADCAST CONTENTS, IN REAL TIME OR OFF LINE

• US 20080072270A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Baynaud, Erwan, DELEGUE, Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/69 Optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/89 using three or more audio channels, e.g. triphonic or quadraphonic
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/38 for identifying broadcast time or space
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/52 of users

Abstract

A system is dedicated to the transmission of additional contents (CA) accessible in interactive mode and associated with contents (CP) broadcast to primary communication terminals (TP1, TP2), connected to a broadcasting network (R1) and associated with programming information (PI). This system comprises i) an equipment (ST) required to associate a data set (ES) with each additional content (CA), including a content definition, an address to access it and a broadcast date, depending on programming information (PI), and to transmit each set (ES) through the broadcasting network before the broadcast date contained in it, ii) primary communication terminals (TP1, TP2) required to store each transmitted set (ES) and to enable loading of the definition and the address contained in it during a time interval including the broadcast date contained in it, and iii) secondary communication terminals (TS11-TS23) each being capable of loading each definition and the associated address, stored by a neighbouring primary communication terminal (TP1, TP2), during the associated time interval so as to immediately display and/or broadcast it and thus enable its user to select it to request transmission of the additional content associated with it to the associated address through a communication network (R2).

Claims

1. Method for transmitting additional contents (CA) accessible in interactive mode and associated with contents (CP) broadcast to primary communication terminals (TPi) connected to a broadcasting network (RI), characterised in that it comprises the following steps:

associate a data set (ES) with each additional content (CA) including a content definition, an address used to access the content and a broadcast date.

transmit each set (ES) through said broadcasting network (RI) before the broadcast date contained in it, to the primary communication terminals (TPi),

load each definition and the address associated with it during the loading time interval that includes the broadcast date associated with this definition and this address in a stored set (ES), into at least one secondary communication terminal (TSij) located in a neighbourhood of a primary communication terminal (TPi),

display and/or broadcast said loaded definition, by means of said secondary communication terminal (TSij), and

request transmission of an additional content (CA) associated with a displayed or broadcast definition selected by the user to the address associated with this selected definition by means of said secondary communication terminal (TSij) through a two-directional communication network (R2).

2. Primary communication terminal (TPi), capable of being connected to a broadcasting network (RI) so as to receive broadcast contents (CP), associated with additional contents (CA), accessible in interactive mode and associated with information (PI), characterised in that it can i) store sets of data (ES) defined by an equipment (ST) as a function of said information (PI) and each including an additional content definition (CA), an address to access this additional content (CA) and a broadcast date, and broadcast by said broadcasting network (R1) before the broadcast dates contained in it, and ii) transmit a definition and the associated address, that are contained in a stored set (ES) to at least one neighbouring secondary communication terminal (Tsij), during a loading time interval including the broadcast date contained in said set (ES).

3. Primary communication terminal according to claim 2, characterised in that it is designed to automatically transmit a definition and the associated address to neighbouring secondary communication terminals (TSij), during the loading time interval that includes the broadcast date associated with this definition and this address in a received set (ES).

4. Primary communication terminal according to claim 2, characterised in that it is designed to delete a set (ES) that it stored when the loading time interval that includes the broadcast date contained in this set (ES) has expired.

14. System for transmitting additional contents (CA) accessible in interactive mode and associated with contents (CP) broadcast to primary communication terminals (TPi) connected to a broadcasting network (R1), characterised in that it comprises an equipment (ST), primary communication terminals (TPi) and secondary communication terminals (TSij) according to claim 2, said equipment (ST) being connected to said primary communication terminals (TPi) through said broadcasting network (R1) so as to transmit sets of data (ES) to them, each data set being associated with an additional content (CA) and each including a content definition, an address to access it and a broadcast date, before their broadcast date, such that said primary communication terminals (TPi) enable loading of a definition and an address contained in a set (ES) received during a time interval including the broadcast date contained in said set (ES), and that said secondary communication terminals (TSij) display and/or broadcast a loaded definition from a neighbouring primary communication terminal (TPi), and thus enable their users to select it to request transmission of the additional content (CA) associated with it to the address associated with this definition, through a two-directional communication network (R2).

5. Secondary communication terminal (TSij) capable of being connected to a two-directional communication network (R2), characterised in that it is designed i) to load additional content definitions (CA) and addresses used to access these additional contents (CA) during chosen loading time intervals, stored by a neighbouring primary communication terminal (TPi), ii) to display and/or broadcast at least some of said loaded definitions so that its user can select them, and iii) to request transmission of the additional content (CA) associated with a selected definition to the address associated with this selected definition, through said two-directional communication network (R2).

6. Secondary communication terminal according to claim 5, characterised in that it is capable of storing at least some of the loaded definitions and the associated addresses so that its user can select one of them after it has been displayed and/or broadcast, in order to request transmission of the additional content (CA) associated with it to the associated address through said two-directional communication network (R2).

7. Secondary communication terminal according to claim 5, characterised in that it is designed to send requests to a primary communication terminal (TPi), to retrieve said definitions to be loaded and the associated addresses.

8. Secondary communication terminal according to claim 5, characterised in that it is designed to analyse each loaded definition so as to only display and/or broadcast it if it satisfies a profile related to its user.

9. Equipment (ST) capable of being connected to a broadcasting network (RI) required to broadcast contents (CP) associated with additional contents (CA), accessible in interactive mode and associated with information (PI), characterised in that it is designed to i) associate a set of data (ES) with each additional content (CA), including a content definition, an address used to access it and a broadcast date, as a function of said information (PI), and ii) transmit each set (ES) through said broadcasting network (RI) before the broadcast date that it contains, to primary communication terminals (TPi) designed to store each set of data (ES) and enable loading of the definition and address contained in this set (ES) during a time interval including the broadcast date contained in it, by at least one neighbouring secondary communication terminal (TSij).

10. Equipment according to claim 9, characterised in that it is designed to associate a set of data with each additional content (CA), including a content definition composed of a category representative of said additional content (CA) and/or at least one word related to said additional content (CA).

11. Equipment according to claim 9, characterised in that it is designed to store said additional contents (CA) and in that part of the address associated with a content definition refers to its own communication address (ST).

12. Equipment according to claim 9, characterised in that it is connected to a two-directional communication network (R2), and in that when it receives a request to obtain an additional content (CA) associated with a content definition selected by the user of a secondary communication terminal (TSij) connected to said two-directional communication network (R2) and transmitted through this network, it is designed to transmit the required additional content (CA) to this secondary communication terminal (TSij) through said two-directional communication network (R2).

13. Equipment according to claim 12, characterised in that it is designed to count each additional content (CA) transmitted to a secondary communication terminal (TSij), for billing purposes.