CONTENT DISTRIBUTION METHOD AND CONTENT RECEPTION DEVICE

• US 20110158251A1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: KOREEDA, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/912,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20110158251A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

Both a first method, in which a packet used to transmit distribution content is divided into two or more containers and the divided containers are transmitted at the same time, and a second method, in which the divided containers are transmitted at different times, are executed in a content distribution system. A download terminal selectively executes high-speed downloading by the first method and low-speed downloading by the second method, thus allowing the user to use a download service according to the terminal performance.

Claims

1. A content distribution method used by a content distribution device to distribute content to a content reception device wherein

said content distribution device comprises a multiplexer,

said content distribution method comprising the steps by said multiplexer of:

dividing a packet, used to transmit content, into two or more containers; and

transmitting stream information, which includes the containers, while switching between a first transmission method and a second transmission method, said first transmission method being a method in which the divided containers are multiplexed and transmitted at the same time, said second transmission method being a method in which the divided containers are multiplexed and transmitted at different times,

each of the containers has container identification information identifying the container,

said content distribution method further comprising the steps by said content reception device of;

accepting a specification of content to be downloaded;

demodulating received stream information;

acquiring the container identification information on the containers, corresponding to the content, from meta-information on the specified content; and

extracting the containers, corresponding to the acquired container identification information, from the demodulated stream information.

2. The content distribution method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps by said content reception device of

acquiring distribution bit rate information defined in the meta-information on the specified content;

comparing the acquired distribution bit rate information with a download processing capability of said content reception device; and

if the distribution bit rate information indicates a value processable by said content reception device, downloading the stream information at a distribution start date/time included in the meta-information.

3. The content distribution method according to claim 2, further comprising the step by said multiplexer of said content distribution device of:

multiplexing the meta-information, which includes the distribution bit rate information and the content identification information identifying the content, and transmitting the multiplexed meta-information to said content reception device.

4. A content reception device that receives content from a content distribution device wherein

said content distribution device comprises a multiplexer that

divides a packet, used to transmit content, into two or more containers;

and

transmits stream information, which includes the containers, while switching between a first transmission method and a second transmission method, said first transmission method being a method in which the divided containers are multiplexed and transmitted at the same time, said second transmission method being a method in which the divided containers are multiplexed and transmitted at different times,

each of the containers has container identification information identifying the container, and

said content reception device comprises;

an acceptance unit that accepts a specification of content to be downloaded;

a demodulation unit that demodulates received stream information; and

an extraction unit that acquires the container identification information on the containers, corresponding to the content, from the meta-information on the specified content and extracts the containers, corresponding to the acquired container identification information, from the demodulated stream information.

5. The content reception device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a download control unit that downloads the content wherein

said download control unit

acquires distribution bit rate information defined in the meta-information on the specified content;

compares the acquired distribution bit rate information with a download processing capability of said content reception device; and

if the distribution bit rate information indicates a value processable by said content reception device, downloads the stream information at a distribution start date/time included in the meta-information.

6. The content reception device according to claim 5 wherein

the stream information includes therein the meta-information that is multiplexed wherein the meta-information includes the distribution bit rate information and the content identification information identifying the content.