TERMINAL APPARATUS, SERVER APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND LINKING APPLICATION SUPPLY SYSTEM

• US 20130145414A1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: YAMAGISHI, Yasuaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/438 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

[Object]

To execute applications in link with the progression of content being viewed at user'"'"'s home.

[Solving Means]

A terminal apparatus practiced as one embodiment of the present disclosure has an extracting block configured to extract signature data indicative of features of content to be reproduced, a query generating block configured to generate a query that at least includes the above-mentioned extracted signature, a communication block configured to transmit the above-mentioned generated query to a server apparatus and receive a response returned by this server in response to the above-mentioned response, and an application executing block configured to obtain an application on the basis of an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which at least application identification information is written, this URL being included in the above-mentioned received response, and execute the obtained application. The above-mentioned terminal apparatus practiced as one embodiment of the invention is applicable to TV receivers.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus comprising:

an extracting block configured to extract signature data indicative of a feature of content from said content to be reproduced;

a query generating block configured to generate a query that at least includes said extracted signature data;

a communication block configured to transmit said generated query to a server apparatus and receive a response returned by said server apparatus in response to said query; and

an application executing block configured to obtain an application on the basis of an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which at least application identification information is written, said application URL being included in said response, and execute said application.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

execution time information indicative of an execution time of said application is further written to said application URL and

said application executing block obtains said application with a timing which it is ready in time for said execution time.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

at least one of extraction local time information indicative of a time at which said signature data was extracted by said extracting block, content identification information indicative of said corresponding content, and extraction reproduction time information indicative of an extraction time at a content reproduction timing of said corresponding signature data is further written to said application URL.

4. The terminal apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said terminal apparatus is incorporated in a reproducing apparatus configured to reproduce content,

said terminal apparatus further comprising:

a content supply block configured to supply all pieces of content to be reproduced by said reproducing apparatus to said extracting block.

5. An information processing method for a terminal apparatus, comprising the steps of:

extracting signature data indicative of a feature of content from said content to be reproduced;

generating a query that at least includes said extracted signature data;

transmitting said generated query to a server apparatus and receiving a response returned by said server apparatus in response to said query; and

obtaining an application on the basis of an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which at least application identification information is written, said application URL being included in said response, and executing said application.

6. A program for making a computer function as:

an extracting block configured to extract signature data indicative of a feature of content from said content to be reproduced;

a query generating block configured to generate a query that at least includes said extracted signature data;

a communication block configured to transmit said generated query to a server apparatus and receive a response returned by said server apparatus in response to said query; and

an application executing block configured to obtain an application on the basis of an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which at least application identification information is written, said application URL being included in said response, and execute said application.

7. A server apparatus comprising:

a database configured to indicate a relation between signature data indicative of a feature of content extracted therefrom, content identification information indicative of said content of extraction source, and application identification information indicative of an application to be executed in link with said content;

a response generating block configured to identify content from which signature data included in a query transmitted from a terminal apparatus was extracted by referencing said database and generate a response at least including an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which said application identification information indicative of an application to be executed in link with said identified content is written;

a transmitting block configured to transmit said generated response to said terminal apparatus; and

an application supply block configured to supply said application to said terminal apparatus in response to a request from said terminal apparatus on the basis of said application URL included in said response.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said application supply block regenerates said application and supply the regenerated application to said terminal apparatus in response to a request from said terminal apparatus on the basis of said application URL included in said response.

9. The server apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said application supply block adjusts at least one of an execution timing of said application and an event fire timing in said application being executed as regeneration of said application.

10. The server apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

at least one of extraction local time information indicative of a time at which said corresponding signature data was extracted in said terminal apparatus, content identification information indicative of said corresponding content, and extraction reproduction time information indicative of an extraction timing in a content reproduction timing of said corresponding signature data is further written to said application URL.

11. An information processing method for a server apparatus, comprising the steps of:

identifying content from which signature data included in a query transmitted from a terminal apparatus was extracted by referencing a database configured to indicate a relation between signature data indicative of a feature of content extracted therefrom, content identification information indicative of said content of extraction source, and application identification information indicative of an application to be executed in link with said content and generating a response at least including an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which said application identification information indicative of an application to be executed in link with said identified content is written;

transmitting said generated response to said terminal apparatus; and

supplying said application to said terminal apparatus in response to a request from said terminal apparatus on the basis of said application URL included in said response.

12. A program for making a computer function as:

a database configured to indicate a relation between signature data indicative of a feature of content extracted therefrom, content identification information indicative of said content of extraction source, and application identification information indicative of an application to be executed in link with said content;

a response generating block configured to identify content from which signature data included in a query transmitted from a terminal apparatus was extracted by referencing said database and generate a response at least including an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which said application identification information indicative of an application to be executed in link with said identified content is written;

a transmitting block configured to transmit said generated response to said terminal apparatus; and

an application supply block configured to supply said application to said terminal apparatus in response to a request from said terminal apparatus on the basis of said application URL included in said response.

13. A linking application supply system comprising:

a terminal apparatus; and

a server apparatus,

said terminal apparatus having

an extracting block configured to extract signature data indicative of a feature of content from said content to be reproduced;

a query generating block configured to generate a query that at least includes said extracted signature data;

a communication block configured to transmit said generated query to a server apparatus and receive a response returned by said server apparatus in response to said query; and

an application executing block configured to obtain an application on the basis of an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which at least application identification information is written, said application URL being included in said response, and execute said application,

said server apparatus having

a database configured to indicate a relation between signature data indicative of a feature of content extracted therefrom, content identification information indicative of said content of extraction source, and application identification information indicative of an application to be executed in link with said content;

a response generating block configured to identify content from which signature data included in the query transmitted from the terminal apparatus was extracted by referencing said database and generate the response at least including an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which said application identification information indicative of an application to be executed in link with said identified content is written;

a transmitting block configured to transmit said generated response to said terminal apparatus; and

an application supply block configured to supply said application to said terminal apparatus in response to a request from said terminal apparatus on the basis of said application URL included in said response.