TERMINAL DEVICE, SERVER DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND COLLABORATIVE APPLICATION SUPPLY SYSTEM

• US 20140310759A1
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Yasuaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/8405 represented by keywords

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a terminal device, a server device, an information processing method, a program, and a linked application supplying system, which are capable of executing an application in conjunction with progress of content being viewed at a user'"'"'s home.

The terminal device of the present disclosure is characterized in including a database cache unit that acquires and holds reference data which is held in a database of the server device, and a response generation unit that identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in a second query in response to the second query transmitted from a separate terminal device belonging to a common network, by referring to the reference data in the database cache unit, and generates a second response to be returned to the separate terminal device, including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content. The terminal device of the present disclosure can be applied to a TV receiver.

Claims

1. A terminal device comprising:

an extraction unit that extracts, from content being reproduced, signature data representing characteristics of the content;

a query generation unit that generates a first query including at least the extracted signature data;

a communication unit that transmits the generated first query to a server device and receives a first response which is returned by the server device in response to the first query;

an application execution unit that acquires and executes an application corresponding to an application identifier included in the received first response;

a database cache unit that acquires and holds reference data in which signature data that is held in a database of the server device and represents characteristics of content extracted from the content is associated with a content identifier representing the content of an extraction source and an application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the content; and

a response generation unit that identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in a second query in response to the second query transmitted from a separate terminal device belonging to a common network, by referring to the reference data in the database cache unit, and generates a second response to be returned to the separate terminal device, including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1,

wherein the response generation unit further identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in the first query which is generated by the query generation unit, by referring to the reference data in the database cache unit, and generates the third response including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified application, and

wherein the application execution unit further acquires and executes an application corresponding to an application identifier included in the generated third response.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2,

wherein the query generation unit generates the first query including at least the extracted signature data and an extraction time stamp representing a timing when the signature data is extracted, and

wherein the application execution unit or an application executed by the application execution unit acquires associated metadata which is selected by the server device based on the extraction time stamp which is included in the received second response, and performs a predetermined process.

4. The terminal device according to claim 2,

wherein the terminal device is built into a reproduction device which reproduces content, and

wherein the terminal device further includes a content supply unit that supplies all pieces of content which are reproduced by the reproduction device, to the extraction unit.

5. An information processing method of a terminal device causing the terminal device to execute:

an extraction step of extracting, from content to be reproduced, signature data representing characteristics of the content;

a query generation step of generating a first query including at least the extracted signature data;

a communication step of transmitting the generated first query to a server device and of receiving a first response which is returned by the server device in response to the first query;

an application execution step of acquiring and executing an application corresponding to an application identifier included in the received first response;

a database cache step of acquiring reference data in which signature data that is held in a database of the server device and represents characteristics of content extracted from the content is associated with a content identifier representing the content of an extraction source and an application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the content, and of holding the acquired reference data in a database cache unit; and

a response generation step of identifying content of an extraction source of signature data included in a second query in response to the second query transmitted from a separate terminal device belonging to a common network, by referring to the reference data in the database cache unit, and of generating a second response to be returned to the separate terminal device, including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content.

6. A program causing a computer to function as:

an extraction unit that extracts, from content being reproduced, signature data representing characteristics of the content;

a query generation unit that generates a first query including at least the extracted signature data;

a communication unit that transmits the generated first query to a server device and receives a first response which is returned by the server device in response to the first query;

an application execution unit that acquires and executes an application corresponding to an application identifier included in the received first response;

a database cache unit that acquires and holds reference data in which signature data that is held in a database of the server device and represents characteristics of content extracted from the content is associated with a content identifier representing the content of an extraction source and an application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the content; and

a response generation unit that identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in a second query in response to the second query transmitted from a separate terminal device belonging to a common network, by referring to the reference data in the database cache unit, and generates a second response to be returned to the separate terminal device, including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content.

7. A server device comprising:

a database that holds reference data in which signature data representing characteristics of content extracted from the content is associated with a content identifier representing the content of an extraction source and an application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the content;

a response generation unit that identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in a query transmitted from a terminal device, by referring to the reference data, and generates a response including at least the application identifier representing the application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content;

a transmission unit that transmits the generated response to the terminal device; and

a supply unit that supplies the reference data which is held in the database to the terminal device through a predetermined network.

8. The server device according to claim 7,

wherein the database holds reference data in which signature data representing characteristics of content extracted from the content is associated with a content identifier representing the content of an extraction source, an application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the content, and associated metadata processed in the application, and

wherein the response generation unit identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in a query transmitted from the terminal device, by referring to the reference data, and generates the response including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content and the associated metadata.

9. The server device according to claim 7,

wherein the response generation unit identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in a query transmitted from the terminal device, by referring to the reference data, and generates the response including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content and the associated metadata which is selected based on an extraction time stamp included in the query.

10. The server device according to claim 9,

wherein the response generation unit further generates the response including a content identifier representing the identified content.

11. An information processing method of a server device causing the server device to execute:

a reception step of receiving a query transmitted from a terminal device;

a response generation step of identifying content of an extraction source of signature data included in the received query, by referring to reference data in which signature data representing characteristics of content extracted from the content is associated with a content identifier representing the content of an extraction source and an application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the content, and of generating a response including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content;

a transmission step of transmitting the generated response to the terminal device; and

a supply step of supplying the reference data to the terminal device through a predetermined network.

12. A program causing a computer to function as:

a database that holds reference data in which signature data representing characteristics of content extracted from the content is associated with a content identifier representing the content of an extraction source and an application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the content;

a response generation unit that identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in a query transmitted from a terminal device, by referring to the reference data, and generates a response including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content;

a transmission unit that transmits the generated response to the terminal device; and

a supply unit that supplies the reference data which is held in the database to the terminal device through a predetermined network.

13. A linked application supplying system comprising a terminal device and a server device,

wherein the terminal device includes:

an extraction unit that extracts, from content being reproduced, signature data representing characteristics of the content;

a query generation unit that generates a first query including at least the extracted signature data;

a communication unit that transmits the generated first query to a server device and receives a first response which is returned by the server device in response to the first query;

an application execution unit that acquires and executes an application corresponding to an application identifier included in the received first response;

a database cache unit that acquires and holds reference data in which signature data that is held in a database of the server device and represents characteristics of content extracted from the content is associated with a content identifier representing the content of an extraction source and an application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the content; and

a response generation unit that identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in a second query in response to the second query transmitted from a separate terminal device belonging to a common network, by referring to the reference data in the database cache unit, and generates a second response to be returned to the separate terminal device, including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content, and

wherein the server device includes;

a database that holds the reference data;

a response generation unit that identifies content of an extraction source of signature data included in the first query transmitted from the terminal device, by referring to the reference data, and generates the first response including at least the application identifier representing an application to be executed in conjunction with the identified content;

a transmission unit that transmits the generated first response to the terminal device; and

a supply unit that supplies the reference data which is held in the database to the terminal device through a predetermined network.