RECEIVING DEVICE, BROADCASTING SYSTEM, RECEIVING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20130303077A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nippon Hoso Kyokai
• Original Assignee: Nippon Hoso Kyokai
• Inventors: Otsuki, Kazuhiro, Fujii, Arisa, Ohmata, Hisayuki, Majima, Keigo, Inoue, Tomoyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/981,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20130303077A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• 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 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

A receiving device includes: a policy data storing unit configured to store a policy level table and an output determination table, the policy level table indicating, for each content, a policy level representing a level of a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application, and the output determination table indicating, for each policy level, a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application; an application execution unit configured to execute an application; a broadcast receiving unit configured to receive a broadcast signal; a policy level comparing unit configured to read from the policy level table stored in the policy data storing unit, a policy level associated with the content included in the broadcast signal received by the broadcast receiving unit; and a policy mediation unit configured to read from the output determination table stored in the policy data storing unit, the method of displaying the windows associated with the policy level read by the policy level comparing unit, and instruct, in accordance with the read method of displaying the windows, to display a window for the content included in the broadcast signal and a window for the application being executed by the application execution unit.

Claims

1. A receiving device comprising:

a policy data storing unit configured to store a policy level table and an output determination table, the policy level table indicating, for each content, a policy level representing a level of a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application, and the output determination table indicating, for each policy level, a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application;

an application execution unit configured to execute an application;

a broadcast receiving unit configured to receive a broadcast signal;

a policy level comparing unit configured to read from the policy level table stored in the policy data storing unit, a policy level associated with the content included in the broadcast signal received by the broadcast receiving unit; and

a policy mediation unit configured to read from the output determination table stored in the policy data storing unit, the method of displaying the windows associated with the policy level read by the policy level comparing unit, and instruct, in accordance with the read method of displaying the windows, to display a window for the content included in the broadcast signal and a window for the application being executed by the application execution unit.

2. The receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the content is general content to be broadcast in accordance with a predetermined schedule,

the policy level comparing unit is configured to receive data indicating broadcast start time of the general content, and read a policy level associated with the general content from the policy level table, and

the policy mediation unit is configured to change, at the broadcast start time indicated by the data received by the policy level comparing unit, the policy level present before the broadcast start time to the policy level of the general content associated with the data indicating the broadcast start time.

3. The receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the content is emergent content to be broadcast in non-synchronization with general content to be delivered in accordance with a predetermined schedule,

the receiving device further comprises:

an event interpretation unit configured to detect that emergent content is included in the broadcast signal, and output an occurrence of the emergent content to the policy level comparing unit,

wherein the policy level comparing unit is configured to read from the policy level table stored in the policy data storing unit, a policy level associated with the emergent content, the occurrence of which is detected by the event interpretation unit.

4. The receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the content is any one of general content to be broadcast in accordance with a predetermined schedule and emergent content to be broadcast in non-synchronization with the general content,

the receiving device further comprises:

an event interpretation unit configured to detect that emergent content is included in the broadcast signal, and output an occurrence of the emergent content to the policy level comparing unit,

wherein the policy level comparing unit is configured to read from the policy level table, a policy level associated with the general content included in the broadcast signal, and read from the policy level table, a policy level in association with the emergent content in a case that the event interpretation unit detects an occurrence of the emergent content, and

the policy mediation unit is configured to read from the output determination table, a method of displaying windows associated with the policy level of the general content in a case that the emergent content is not occurring, and the policy mediation unit is configured to, in a case that the emergent content is occurring, read from the output determination table, a method of displaying windows associated with the policy level of the emergent content, or compare the policy level of the emergency content and the policy level of the general content, read from the output determination table a method of displaying windows associated with a greater one of the compared policy levels, and instruct, in accordance with the read method of displaying windows, to display a window for the content included in the broadcast signal and a window for the application being executed by the application execution unit.

5. The receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a policy data management unit configured to obtain from the broadcast signal received by the broadcast receiving unit, an output determination table transmitted in a section system, engineering service, or a data carousel system, and write the output determination table in the policy data storing unit.

6. The receiving device according to claim 4, wherein the policy level comparing unit is configured to read a policy level from the broadcast signal in a case that a policy level is set to the broadcast signal, and

the policy mediation unit is configured to, in a case that the emergent content is not occurring and a policy level is set to the broadcast signal, read from the output determination table, a method of displaying windows associated with the policy level set to the broadcast signal, and the policy mediation unit is configured to, in a case that the emergent content is not occurring and a policy level is not set to the broadcast signal, read from the output determination table, a method of displaying windows associated with the policy level of the general content, and instruct, in accordance with the read method of displaying windows, to display a window for the content included in the broadcast signal and a window for the application being executed by the application execution unit.

7. The receiving device according to claim 4, wherein the policy level comparing unit is configured to read the policy level from any one of a program map table, an application information table, and an event information table, and

the policy mediation unit is configured to arrange the program map table, the application information table, and the event information table in this order that is a descending order of priority thereof, and the policy mediation unit is configured to, in a case that the emergent content is not occurring and the policy level comparing unit reads the policy level from two or more different tables included in the broadcast signal, read from the output determination table, a method of displaying windows associated with the policy level of the table with high priority, and instruct, in accordance with the read method of displaying windows, to display a window for the content included in the broadcast signal and a window for the application being executed by the application execution unit.

8. The receiving device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a communication input output unit configured to transmit and receive data via a network; and

a policy data management unit configured to obtain from the broadcast signal received by the broadcast receiving unit, storing destination information that specifies an output determination table storing device to be connected to the network, and write in the policy data storing unit, the output determination table that the communication input and output unit receives from the output determination table storing device specified by the storing destination information.

9. The receiving device according to claim 8, wherein the policy data storing unit is configured to further store version data of the output determination table,

the version data of the output determination table is added to the storing destination information, and

the policy data management unit is configured to, in a case that the version data of the output determination table obtained from the broadcast signal indicates a version newer than indicated by the version data stored in the policy data storing unit, update the output determination table and the version data which are stored in the policy data storing unit with the output determination table that the communication input and output device receives from the output determination table specified by the storing destination information, and the version data added to the storing destination information.

10. The receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a policy data management unit configured to write in the policy data storing unit, an output determination table obtained from the broadcast signal received from the broadcast receiving unit, or an output determination table received by a communication unit configured to receive data transmitted via a network.

11. The receiving device according to claim 10, wherein the policy data storing unit is configured to further store version data,

version data is added to the output determination table, and

the policy data management unit is configured to, in a case that the version data added to the output determination table obtained from the broadcast signal or the output determination table received by the communication unit indicates a version newer than indicated by the version data stored in the policy data storing unit, update the output determination table and the version data which are stored in the policy data storing unit with the output determination table obtained from the broadcast signal or the output determination table received by the communication unit, and the version data added to the output determination table.

12. The receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an application control unit is configured to, in a case that a control code indicating a force-quit of all applications is set to the broadcast signal received by the broadcast receiving unit, terminate all the applications being executed by the application execution unit.

13. A broadcasting system comprises:

a transmitting device configured to transmit a broadcast signal; and

a receiving device configured to receive the broadcast signal,

wherein the transmitting device comprises;

a broadcast transmitting unit configured to transmit a broadcast signal including content,

the receiving device comprises;

a policy data storing unit configured to store a policy level table and an output determination table, the policy level table indicating, for each content, a policy level representing a level of a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application, and the output determination table indicating, for each policy level, a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application;

an application execution unit configured to execute an application;

a broadcast receiving unit configured to receive a broadcast signal;

a policy level comparing unit configured to read from the policy level table stored in the policy data storing unit, a policy level associated with the content included in the broadcast signal received by the broadcast receiving unit; and

a policy mediation unit configured to read from the output determination table stored in the policy data storing unit, the method of displaying the windows associated with the policy level read by the policy level comparing unit, and instruct, in accordance with the read method of displaying the windows, to display a window for the content included in the broadcast signal and a window for the application being executed by the application execution unit.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program to be executed by a computer of a receiving device to perform:

storing a policy level table and an output determination table, the policy level table indicating, for each content, a policy level representing a level of a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application, and the output determination table indicating, for each policy level, a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application;

executing an application;

receiving a broadcast signal;

reading from the policy level table stored, a policy level associated with the content included in the broadcast signal received;

reading from the output determination table stored, the method of displaying the windows associated with the policy level read; and

instructing, in accordance with the read method of displaying the windows, to display a window for the content included in the broadcast signal and a window for the application being executed.

15. A receiving method comprising:

storing a policy level table and an output determination table, the policy level table indicating, for each content, a policy level representing a level of a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application, and the output determination table indicating, for each policy level, a method of displaying windows for a broadcast and an application;

executing an application;

receiving a broadcast signal;

reading from the policy level table stored, a policy level associated with the content included in the broadcast signal received;

reading from the output determination table stored, the method of displaying the windows associated with the policy level read; and

instructing, in accordance with the read method of displaying the windows, to display a window for the content included in the broadcast signal and a window for the application being executed.