BROADCAST RECEIVING APPARATUS AND PAY PROGRAM PROVIDING SYSTEM

• US 20090031373A1
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hogyoku, Itaru
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A broadcast receiving apparatus receives a broadcast signal containing video image information representing a video image, pay program identifying information indicating whether or not the video image is a pay program video image, and address information indicating a predetermined communications server, the broadcast signal containing the video image information, the pay program identifying information, and the address information in a predetermined format. The broadcast receiving apparatus has: a display portion displaying the video image; a pay program judging portion judging whether or not the video image information is pay program video image information based on the pay program identifying information; and a recording portion recording the video image information. If the pay program judging portion judges that the video image information is pay program video image information, the recording portion records the address information in addition to the video image information. A pay program providing system includes the broadcast receiving apparatus. Thus, provided are the broadcast receiving apparatus and the pay program providing system that, without hampering collection of a viewing fee, make it easy for a viewer to record a pay program without the need for making a subscription agreement or the like in advance.

Claims

1. A broadcast receiving apparatus receiving a broadcast signal containing video image information representing a video image, pay program identifying information indicating whether or not the video image is a pay program video image, and address information indicating a predetermined communications server, the broadcast signal containing the video image information, the pay program identifying information, and the address information in a predetermined format, the broadcast receiving apparatus comprising:

a display portion displaying the video image;

a pay program judging portion judging whether or not the video image information is pay program video image information based on the pay program identifying information; and

a recording portion recording the video image information,

wherein, if the pay program judging portion judges that the video image information is pay program video image information, the recording portion records the address information in addition to the video image information.

2. The broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a QR code producing portion producing, based on the address information, a QR code (registered trademark) indicating the address information;

a video image playback portion making the display portion play back the video image of the video image information recorded in the recording portion according to a playback start instruction; and

a pay program guide displaying portion producing a display of a predetermined pay program guide image if the video image to be played back is a pay program video image,

wherein the pay program guide displaying portion produces a display of the pay program guide image including the QR code.

3. The broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 2,

wherein, if the video image to be played back is a pay program video image, the video image playback portion temporarily suspends playback of the video image.

4. The broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the pay program guide displaying portion produces a display in which the pay program guide image is superimposed on a whole or part of the video image of the video image information.

5. The broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the pay program guide displaying portion produces a display of the pay program guide image including an image for notifying a user that the video image to be played back is a pay program video image.

6. The broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus receives a broadcast signal containing video image information representing a video image, pay program identifying information indicating whether or not the video image is a pay program video image, address information indicating a predetermined communications server, and information indicating a type of pay program, the broadcast signal containing the video image information, the pay program identifying information, the address information, and the information indicating a type of pay program in a predetermined format,

wherein the pay program guide displaying portion has a notification image corresponding to the type of pay program,

wherein the pay program guide displaying portion produces a display of the pay program guide image including the notification image.

7. The broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus receives a broadcast signal containing video image information representing a video image, pay program identifying information indicating whether or not the video image is a pay program video image, address information indicating a predetermined communications server, and information representing a notification image corresponding to a type of pay program, the broadcast signal containing the video image information, the pay program identifying information, the address information, and the information representing a notification image corresponding to the type of pay program in a predetermined format,

wherein the pay program guide displaying portion produces a display of the pay program guide image including the notification image.

8. The broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the notification image includes at least an image indicating a name and a viewing fee of a pay program.

9. A pay program providing system, comprising:

the broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 3;

a communications terminal that can read a QR code, and that stores identifiable information by which an individual or organization can be identified; and

a communications server having a key required to lift a suspension of playback,

wherein the pay program providing system performs

a first step in which the communications terminal reads the QR code displayed by the broadcast receiving apparatus, and makes access to a communications server identified by the address information,

a second step in which the communications server transmits the key to the communications terminal only when the communications server receives the identifiable information from the communications terminal,

a third step in which the communications terminal transmits the key to the broadcast receiving apparatus, and

a fourth step in which the broadcast receiving apparatus lifts a suspension of playback when obtaining the key.

10. A pay program providing system, comprising:

the broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 4;

a communications terminal that can read a QR code, and that stores identifiable information by which an individual or organization can be identified; and

a communications server having a key required to stop a display of the pay program guide image,

wherein the pay program providing system performs

a first step in which the communications terminal reads the QR code displayed by the broadcast receiving apparatus, and makes access to a communications server identified by the address information,

a second step in which the communications server transmits the key to the communications terminal only when the communications server receives the identifiable information from the communications terminal,

a third step in which the communications terminal transmits the key to the broadcast receiving apparatus, and

a fourth step in which the broadcast receiving apparatus stops a display of the pay program guide image when obtaining the key.

11. A pay program providing system, comprising:

the broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 2, the broadcast receiving apparatus receiving a broadcast signal containing video image information representing a scrambled video image, pay program identifying information indicating whether or not the video image is a pay program video image, and address information indicating a predetermined communications server, the broadcast signal containing the video image information, the pay program identifying information, and the address information in a predetermined format;

a communications terminal that can read a QR code, and that stores identifiable information by which an individual or organization can be identified; and

a communications server having a key required to descramble the video image,

wherein the pay program providing system performs

a first step in which the communications terminal reads the QR code displayed by the broadcast receiving apparatus, and makes access to a communications server identified by the address information,

a second step in which the communications server transmits the key to the communications terminal only when the communications server receives the identifiable information from the communications terminal,

a third step in which the communications terminal transmits the key to the broadcast receiving apparatus, and

a fourth step in which the broadcast receiving apparatus descrambles the video image by using the key.

12. The pay program providing system of claim 9,

wherein the communications terminal is a cellular phone owned by a subscriber making an agreement with a telephone company about a use of a communication line,

wherein the identifiable information is information by which the subscriber can be identified.

13. The pay program providing system of claim 9,

wherein the identifiable information is ID information unique to the communications terminal.

14. The pay program providing system of claim 9,

wherein the communications terminal performs a decision process for making a user decide whether to transmit the identifiable information to the communications server.

15. The pay program providing system of claim 14,

wherein, if the first step is performed, the communications server transmits software to the communications terminal,

wherein the software makes the communications terminal perform the decision process.

16. The pay program providing system of claim 15,

wherein the software makes the communications terminal perform a process for making the user decide whether to agree to pay a viewing fee of a pay program.

17. The pay program providing system of claim 15,

wherein the software makes the communications terminal display an image for notifying the user that the viewing fee of the pay program can be paid by using fee collection services offered by a cellular phone company.

18. The pay program providing system of claim 9,

wherein the identifiable information obtained by the communications server is used for collecting the viewing fee of the pay program.

19. The pay program providing system of claim 9,

wherein, in the third step, transmission of the key is performed via infrared communication using an IrDA interface.

20. The pay program providing system of claim 9,

wherein the key is an encrypted key,

wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus decrypts the encrypted key.

21. A pay program providing system, comprising:

a broadcast station broadcasting a video signal of a pay program;

a broadcast receiving apparatus receiving the video signal and recording the video signal thus received, and displaying a video image based on the video signal; and

a communications server that can communicate with a communications device,

wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus comprises

a restricting portion imposing a restriction on a display of the video image by a predetermined method, and

a lifting portion lifting the restriction by obtaining a predetermined key,

wherein the communications server transmits the key to the communications device.

22. The pay program providing system of claim 21,

wherein the restricting portion imposes the restriction by a first method by which a display of the video image is suspended, or a second method by which the video image is displayed with a predetermined image being superimposed on a whole or part thereof,

wherein, if the restriction is imposed by the first method, the lifting portion lifts a suspension of the display of the video image,

wherein, if the restriction is imposed by the second method, the lifting portion lifts the restriction by stopping a display of the predetermined image.