ON-DEMAND ACCESS TO SCHEDULED CONTENT

• US 20140137153A1
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter, FAY, Luke
• Granted Patent: US 9,253,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• 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

A method is provided for a reception apparatus to access content. The method includes outputting a distribution schedule for a plurality of content and receiving a selection of one of the plurality of content for which distribution started before or starts after a current time. At least one processor of the reception apparatus determines whether on-demand access is requested for the selected content. When on-demand access is determined to be requested for the selected content, a request for the selected content is sent over a first communication medium and the selected content is received via a second communication medium.

Claims

1. A method of a reception apparatus for accessing content, the method comprising:

outputting a distribution schedule for a plurality of content;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of content for which distribution started before or starts after a current time;

determine, by at least one processor of the reception apparatus, whether on-demand access is requested for the selected content; and

when on-demand access is determined to be requested for the selected content,

sending a request for the selected content over a first communication medium, and

receiving the selected content provided via a second communication medium in response to the request for the selected content.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of outputting comprises:

outputting an electronic programming guide (EPG) including the distribution schedule, the plurality of content including a plurality of television content.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, when on-demand access is requested for the selected content, the method further comprises:

executing, by the at least one processor of the reception apparatus, a triggered declarative object (TDO) associated with the selected content, wherein

the step of sending further comprises sending the request for the selected content over the first communication medium based on the TDO.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether any of the plurality of content included in the distribution schedule to be output in the step of outputting is associated with a TDO trigger, wherein

the step of outputting further comprises outputting an indication of which of the plurality of content is associated with a TDO trigger.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of executing comprises:

executing the TDO identified by a TDO trigger associated with the selected content.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication medium and the second communication medium are the Internet.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication medium is the Internet and the second communication medium is a terrestrial broadcast.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embedded therein instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method of a reception apparatus for accessing content, the method comprising:

outputting a distribution schedule for a plurality of content;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of content for which distribution started before or starts after a current time;

determining, by at least one processor of the reception apparatus, whether on-demand access is requested for the selected content; and

when on-demand access is determined to be requested for the selected content,

sending a request for the selected content over a first communication medium, and

receiving the selected content provided via a second communication medium in response to the request for the selected content.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the step of outputting comprises:

outputting an electronic programming guide (EPG) including the distribution schedule, the plurality of content including a plurality of television content.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein, when on-demand access is requested for the selected content, the method further comprises:

executing, by the at least one processor of the reception apparatus, a triggered declarative object (TDO) associated with the selected content, wherein

the step of sending further comprises sending the request for the selected content over the first communication medium based on the TDO.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether any of the plurality of content included in the distribution schedule to be output in the step of outputting is associated with a TDO trigger, wherein

the step of outputting further comprises outputting an indication of which of the plurality of content is associated with a TDO trigger.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the step of executing comprises:

executing the TDO identified by a TDO trigger associated with the selected content.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the first communication medium and the second communication medium are the Internet.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the first communication medium is the Internet and the second communication medium is a terrestrial broadcast.

15. An reception apparatus, comprising:

a first communication interface;

at least one processor configured to

output a distribution schedule for a plurality of content;

receive a selection of one of the plurality of content for which distribution started before or starts after a current time;

determine whether on-demand access is requested for the selected content, and

send a request for the selected content over a first communication medium, via the first communication interface, when the at least one processor determines on-demand access is requested for the selected content; and

a second communication interface configured to receive the selected content provided via a second communication medium in response to the request for the selected content.

16. The reception apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the at least one processor is configured to output an electronic programming guide (EPG) including the distribution schedule, the plurality of content including a plurality of television content.

17. The reception apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to

execute a triggered declarative object (TDO) associated with the selected content when the at least one processor determines on-demand access is requested for the selected content, and

send the request for the selected content over the first communication medium based on the TDO.

18. The reception apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to

determine whether any of the plurality of content to be output by the display interface is associated with a TDO trigger, and

output an indication of which of the plurality of content is associated with a TDO trigger.

19. The reception apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the TDO identified by a TDO trigger associated with the selected content.

20. The reception apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the first communication medium and the second communication medium are the Internet, and

the first communication interface and the second communication interface are the same.

21. The reception apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first communication medium is the Internet and the second communication medium is a terrestrial broadcast.

22. An information providing apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a triggered declarative object (TDO) associated with content which is distributed according to a predetermined schedule; and

at least one processor configured to provide the TDO to a reception apparatus via a communication interface, the TDO defining a location from which on demand access to the content can be requested.