RECEIVING DEVICE, RECEIVING METHOD, PROVIDING DEVICE, PROVIDING METHOD, PROGRAMS, AND BROADCASTING SYSTEM

• US 20130283328A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitazato, Naohisa
• Granted Patent: US 9,271,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/40 characterised in that additional data relating to the broadcast data are available via a different channel than the broadcast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/241 Operating system [OS] processes, e.g. server setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/45 Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• 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 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80

Abstract

This technique relates to a receiving device, a receiving method, a providing device, a providing method, a program and a broadcasting system that can notify the receiving side of control information such as the timing to synchronize an application program with progress of a show without using a television broadcast signal.

When the application control type written in the application control descriptor is 3, the receiving device acquires application control data from a server, and, for example, acquires and starts a new information service application in accordance with the segment data forming the application control data. When an external device is designated as the command destination device, the receiving device generates a command for the external device, and outputs the command to the external device. In accordance with the command from the receiving device, the external device, for example, acquires and starts the new information service application. This disclosure can be applied in a case where the receiving device is controlled from the broadcasting side.

Claims

1. A receiving device that receives content broadcast via a broadcasting network,

the receiving device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a broadcast signal broadcast via the broadcasting network;

an application control data acquiring unit configured to acquire application control data from a predetermined server via a network, the application control data containing a command related to a predetermined application program to be run in synchronization with progress of the content; and

an application control data analyzing unit configured to perform an operation related to the predetermined application program, in accordance with the application control data.

2. The receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising

an application control descriptor acquiring unit configured to acquire an application control descriptor from the received broadcast signal,

wherein the application control data acquiring unit acquires the application control data via a network from the server designated by the acquired application control descriptor.

3. The receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the application control data acquiring unit acquires the application control data from the server via the network, in accordance with an application control type written in the acquired application control descriptor.

4. The receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the application control data is formed with a segment sequence including a plurality of sets of segment data, each of the sets of segment data containing a segment valid period and one of command data and metadata.

5. The receiving device according to claim 4, wherein the segment valid period is written by using a PTS of the corresponding content.

6. The receiving device according to claim 4, wherein the command data contains one of a command for acquiring the predetermined application program, a command for starting the predetermined application program, a command for causing the predetermined application program to fire an event, a command for suspending the predetermined application program, and a command for ending the predetermined application program.

7. The receiving device according to claim 4, wherein the metadata is subtitles data of the corresponding content.

8. The receiving device according to claim 3, further comprising

an application control descriptor analyzing unit configured to perform an operation related to the predetermined application program in accordance with the application control descriptor, when the application control data is not acquired from the server in accordance with the application control type written in the acquired application control descriptor.

9. A receiving method for a receiving device that receives content broadcast via a broadcasting network,

the receiving method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving a broadcast signal broadcast via the broadcasting network;

an application control data acquiring step of acquiring application control data from a predetermined server via a network, the application control data containing a command related to a predetermined application program to be run in synchronization with progress of the content; and

an application control data analyzing step of performing an operation related to the predetermined application program, in accordance with the application control data,

the steps being carried out by the receiving device.

10. A program for a computer that receives content broadcast via a broadcasting network,

the program causing the computer to function as:

a receiving unit configured to receive a broadcast signal broadcast via the broadcasting network;

an application control data acquiring unit configured to acquire application control data from a predetermined server via a network, the application control data containing a command related to a predetermined application program to be run in synchronization with progress of the content; and

an application control data analyzing unit configured to perform an operation related to the predetermined application program, in accordance with the application control data.

11. A providing device that provides content to a receiving device via a broadcasting network,

the providing device comprising:

a broadcasting unit configured to broadcast a broadcast signal containing an application control descriptor and the content via the broadcasting network, the application control descriptor containing information designating a server to provide application control data containing a command related to a predetermined application program to be run in synchronization with progress of the content; and

the server configured to provide the application control data to the receiving device via a network.

12. The providing device according to claim 11, wherein the application control data is formed with a segment sequence including a plurality of sets of segment data, each of the sets of segment data containing a segment valid period and one of command data and metadata.

13. The providing device according to claim 12, wherein the segment valid period is written by using a PTS of the corresponding content.

14. The providing device according to claim 12, wherein the command data contains one of a command for acquiring the predetermined application program, a command for starting the predetermined application program, a command for causing the predetermined application program to fire an event, a command for suspending the predetermined application program, and a command for ending the predetermined application program.

15. A providing method for a providing device that provides content to a receiving device via a broadcasting network,

the providing method comprising:

a broadcasting step of broadcasting a broadcast signal containing an application control descriptor and the content via the broadcasting network, the application control descriptor containing information designating a server to provide application control data containing a command related to a predetermined application program to be run in synchronization with progress of the content; and

a providing step of providing the application control data to the receiving device via a network,

the steps being carried out by the providing device.

16. A program for a computer that provides content to a receiving device via a broadcasting network,

the program causing the computer to function as:

a broadcasting unit configured to broadcast a broadcast signal containing an application control descriptor and the content via the broadcasting network, the application control descriptor containing information designating a server to provide application control data containing a command related to a predetermined application program to be run in synchronization with progress of the content; and

the server configured to provide the application control data to the receiving device via a network.

17. A broadcasting system that provides content from a providing device to a receiving device via a broadcasting network,

the providing device comprising:

a broadcasting unit configured to broadcast a broadcast signal containing an application control descriptor and the content via the broadcasting network, the application control descriptor containing information designating a server to provide application control data containing a command related to a predetermined application program to be run in synchronization with progress of the content; and

the server configured to provide the application control data to the receiving device via a network,

the receiving device comprising;

a receiving unit configured to receive the broadcast signal broadcast via the broadcasting network;

an application control descriptor acquiring unit configured to acquire the application control descriptor from the received broadcast signal;

an application control data acquiring unit configured to acquire the application control data from the server designated by the acquired application control descriptor via the network; and

an application control data analyzing unit configured to perform an operation related to the predetermined application program, in accordance with the application control data.