Broadcasting system, broadcast receiving unit, and recording medium used in the broadcasting system

• US 6,157,809 A
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kambayashi, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US08/907,091
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 455/5.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/42 for identifying broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/83 accessed over telephonic networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• 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 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides a broadcasting system which includes a broadcasting unit for broadcasting program information, a reception unit for receiving the program information broadcast by the broadcasting unit, a reproduction section for reproducing a picture from the program information received by the reception unit, a first display unit for displaying the picture reproduced by the reproduction section, an event acquisition section for acquiring regarding the picture displayed on the first display unit, a terminal information holding section for holding terminal information, a server selecting section for acquiring destination information of a broadcasting station server based on the terminal information, a server access section for transmitting an ID of the event acquired by the event acquiring section and the terminal information held in the terminal information holding section to the broadcasting station server through a two-way communication line based on the destination information acquired by the server selecting section, a broadcasting station server for acquiring information data corresponding to the ID of the event and the terminal information both transmitted by the server access section and for transmitting the acquired information data through the two-way communication line based on the terminal information, a server access section for receiving the information data, and a second display unit for displaying the information data received by the server access section on at least part of the picture.

Claims

1. A broadcast system comprising:

at least one broadcast station including a broadcast device which broadcasts video programs via a one-way network and a broadcast server which transmits information data related to the video programs via a two-way communication network; and

terminal devices which receive the video programs broadcast from said at least one broadcast station, each of the terminal devices having a display which displays a selected one of the video programs received, an event occurring circuit which generates an event in response to a manual operation by a user of one of the terminal devices, and a network access circuit which transmits an event identification data, a time information at which the event is generated, and a channel information of the selected one of the video programs displayed to the broadcast server via the two-way communication network,

wherein when said broadcast server receives the event identification data, the time information, and the channel information from one of the terminal devices, said broadcast server transmits the information data related to the selected one of the video programs to the one of the terminal devices and when said one of the terminal devices receives the information data, said one of the terminal devices changes a display content of said display in accordance with the information data received.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the video program comprises main program information indicative of a picture of a program and sub-program information displayed on at least part of the picture of the program and indicating a picture of a menu of the picture of the program.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a selection server having a table in which the channel information and destination information of the server are stored so as to correspond to each other and means for acquiring the destination information corresponding to the channel information, and wherein said one of the terminal devices transmits the channel information based on the destination information acquired.

4. The system according to claim 1, where said network access circuit further transmits return destination information for receiving said information data from the broadcast server and said broadcast server transmits the information data to one of the terminal devices based on the return destination information.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network access circuit comprises a table in which the channel information and destination information of the server are stored so as to correspond to each other and further comprising means for acquiring the destination information corresponding to the channel information by using the table.

6. The system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the video programs includes a parameter relating to a standard time counted by said broadcast station,

and each of said terminal devices further comprises:

means for separating the parameter from the video program received; and

wherein each of said terminal devices transmits the parameter separated to the broadcast server.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said two-way communication network is a telephone network.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said two-way communication network is an ISDN network.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said event occurring circuit generates the event when the user designates a command button displayed on a screen of said display.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said two-way communication network is an internet.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein

said two-way communication network is an internet, and

said network access circuit transmits to said broadcast server an IP address of the terminal which is to be used by said broadcast server to access the terminal.

12. A broadcast reception device comprising:

a display which selectively displays a video program broadcast from a broadcast station via a one-way network or information data related to the video program transmitted from the broadcast station via a two-way communication network,

an event occurring circuit which generates an event relating to the video program displayed in response to a manual operation by a user of the reception device;

a network access circuit which transmits an event identification data, a time information at which the event is generated, and a channel information of the video program displayed to the broadcast station via the two-way communication network to thereby change the information data transmitted from said broadcast station; and

a display controller which changes a display content of said display in accordance with the information data received.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the video program comprises main program information indicative of a picture of a program and subprogram information displayed on at least part of the picture of the program and indicating a picture of a menu of the picture of the program.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein said network access circuit further transmits return destination information for receiving said information data from the broadcast server and said broadcast server transmits the information data to the terminal device based on the return destination information.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein said network access circuit comprises a table in which the channel information and destination information of the server are stored so as to correspond to each other and further comprising means for acquiring the destination information corresponding to the channel information by using the table.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein said two-way communication network is a telephone network.

17. The device according to claim 12, wherein said two-way communication network is an ISDN network.

18. The device according to claim 12, wherein said event occurring circuit generates the event when the user designates a command button displayed on a screen of said display.

19. The device according to claim 12, wherein each of the video programs includes a parameter relating to a standard time counted by said broadcast station, said device further comprising:

means for separating tbh parameter from the video program received; and

wherein each of said terminal devices transmits the parameter separated to the broadcast server.

20. The device according to claim 12, wherein said two-way communication network is an internet.

21. The reception device according to claim 12, wherein

said two-way communication network is an internet, and

said network access circuit transmits to said broadcast station an IP address of the broadcast reception device which must be used by the broadcast station in order for the broadcast station to access the broadcast reception device.

22. A communications method comprising:

providing at least one broadcast station including a broadcast device and a broadcast server;

broadcasting video programs via a one-way network from said broadcast device;

transmitting information data related to the video programs via a two-way communication network from said broadcast server;

providing terminal devices;

receiving at the terminal devices the video programs broadcast from said broadcast device;

providing each of the terminal devices with a display;

displaying a selected one of the video programs received at the terminal devices;

providing an event occurring circuit;

generating an event using the event occurring circuit in response to a manual operation by a user of one of the terminal devices;

providing a network access circuit; and

transmitting event identification data, time information at which the event is generated, and channel information of the selected one of the video programs displayed to the broadcast server via the two-way communication network,

wherein when receiving the event identification data, the time information and the channel information from one of the terminal devices, said broadcast server transmits the information data related to the selected one of the video programs to the one of the terminal devices and when receiving the information data, said one of the terminal devices changes a display content of said display in accordance with the information data received.

23. The communications method according to claim 22, wherein

said two-way communication network is an internet, and

said network access circuit transmits to said broadcast server an IP address of the terminal device which is used by said broadcast server to access the terminal device.

24. A communication method comprising:

providing a reception device with a display;

receiving a video program broadcast from a broadcast station via a one -way network or information data related to the video program transmitted from the broadcast station via a two-way communication network at the reception device

displaying the received video program broadcast from a broadcast station via a one-way network or information data related to the video program transmitted from the broadcast station via a two-way communication network on said display;

providing an event occurring circuit;

generating an event from the event occurring circuit relating to the video program displayed in response to a manual operation by a user of the reception device;

providing a network access circuit;

transmitting information data including event identification data, time information at which the event is generated, and channel information data of the video program displayed from the network access circuit to the broadcast station via the two-way communication network; and

providing a display controller for changing a display content of said display in accordance with the information data received.