Data transmission device, reception device, data transmission system, and data transmission method

• US 6,549,528 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yuzawa, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M
• Application Number:
  US09/758,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20010001611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 370/345, 370/486, 370/498, 370/503, 370/537, 370/539, 370/541, 370/326, 370/487, 348/423.1, 348/464, 348/491, 348/492, 348/734, 455/45, 455/42, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/91 broadcasting computer programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/70 characterised in that receivers can be addressed
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8402 involving a version number, e.g. version number of EPG data arrangements for version control in computers G06F8/71

Abstract

Proper data is selected from a plurality of data which are multiplexed and transmitted to download the proper data. The maker and model of a receiver and the version of a control program are stored in a load section as a maker ID, a model ID, and a version ID. The section number and the total number of sections are also stored. It is checked whether the maker ID and the model ID coincide with those stored in the ROM of the receiver to check whether the version number is newer than that of the control program of the receiver. Therefore, it can be checked whether the program should be downloaded. With reference to the list of section numbers which have been downloaded, it can be found whether a program divided into a plurality of sections to be transmitted is completely downloaded. With reference to the list of section numbers and the total number of sections, the progress state of downloading can be known.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting one or more signals to one or more receivers over a communications channel, comprising:

at least one multiplexer operable to;

(i) receive audio/video data, control program data capable of execution by the receivers to control one or more functions of the receivers, receiver make data, and receiver model data, and (ii) produce a data stream; and

one or more modulators operable to receive the data stream and produce the one or more signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control program data includes different control program data for different receiver makes and models.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the modulators are operable to produce each of the signals for transmission over the communications channel in different frequency bands.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the signal containing the control program data for a given one of the different receiver makes and models is modulated for transmission over the communications channel in only one of the frequency bands.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the multiplexer is further operable to receive location data indicative of which of the frequency bands contains one or more of the different control programs, such that the one or more signals contains the location data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the signals are capable of transmission to one or more satellite stations over a portion of the communications channel, each of the different frequency bands correspond to respective transponder channels of the satellite station, and the location data indicates which transponder channels contain the respective different control programs.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control program data includes different versions thereof, and the multiplexer is further operable to receive version data indicative of the different versions of the control programs such that the one or more signals contains the version data.

8. A method of transmitting one or more signals to one or more receivers over a communications channel, comprising:

producing a multiplexed data stream including audio/video data, control program data capable of execution by the receivers to control one or more functions of the receivers, receiver make data, and receiver model data; and

modulating the multiplexed data stream and produce the one or more signals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the control program data includes different control program data for different receiver makes and models.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising modulating at least some of the signals for transmission over the communications channel in different frequency bands.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising modulating the signal containing the control program data for a given one of the different receiver makes and models for transmission over the communications channel in only one of the frequency bands.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the multiplexed data stream further includes location data indicative of which of the frequency bands contains one or more of the different control programs such that the one or more signals contains the location data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the signals are capable of transmission to one or more satellite stations over a portion of the communications channel, each of the different frequency bands correspond to respective transponder channels of the satellite station, and the location data indicates which transponder channels contain the respective different control programs.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the control program data includes different versions thereof, and the multiplexed data stream includes version data indicative of the different versions of the control programs such that the one or more signals contains the version data.

15. A receiver for receiving one or more signals over a communications channel, each signal including one or more modulated data streams including audio/video data, control program data capable of execution by the apparatus to control one or more functions thereof, receiver make data, and receiver model data, the receiver comprising:

a tuner operable to receive the signals over one or more frequency bands; and

a separation unit operable to extract the receiver make data and receiver model data from the data stream such that a determination can be made as to whether to download the control program data.

16. The receiver of claim 15, wherein the control program data includes different control program data for different receiver makes and models.

17. The receiver of claim 16, further comprising a controller operable to compare stored make and model data pertaining to the receiver and download control program data when the extracted make and model data matches the stored make and model data of the receiver.

18. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the signal containing the control program data for a given one of the different receiver makes and models is transmitted over the communications channel in only one of a plurality of different frequency bands, the signal further includes location data indicative of which of the frequency bands contains one or more of the different control programs, the separation unit is further operable to extract the location data, and the controller is further operable to determine a desired frequency band over which to receive the control program data pertaining to the stored make and model data of the receiver.

19. The receiver of claim 18, wherein the controller is further operable to command the tuner to the desired frequency band such that the control program data pertaining to the stored make and model data of the receiver may be downloaded.

20. The receiver of claim 19, wherein the signals are capable of transmission to one or more satellite stations over a portion of the communications channel, each of the different frequency bands correspond to respective transponder channels of the satellite station, and the location data indicates which transponder channels contain the respective different control programs.

21. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the control program data includes different versions thereof, the one or more signals contain the version data, and the controller is further operable to determine that a given control program should be downloaded only if the version data indicates that an existing control program of the receiver is older.

22. A method of receiving one or more signals over a communications channel into a receiver, each signal including one or more modulated data streams including audio/video data, control program data capable of execution by the apparatus to control one or more functions thereof, receiver make data, and receiver model data, comprising:

receiving the signals over one or more frequency bands;

extracting the receiver make data and receiver model data from the data stream; and

determining whether to download the control program data based on the receiver make data and receiver model data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the control program data includes different control program data for different receiver makes and models.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising comparing stored make and model data pertaining to the receiver and downloading control program data when the extracted make and model data matches the stored make and model data of the receiver.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the signal containing the control program data for a given one of the different receiver makes and models is transmitted over the communications channel in only one of a plurality of different frequency bands, the signal further includes location data indicative of which of the frequency bands contains one or more of the different control programs, the method further comprising:

extracting the location data; and

determining a desired frequency band over which to receive the control program data pertaining to the stored make and model data of the receiver.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising commanding the tuner to the desired frequency band such that the control program data pertaining to the stored make and model data of the receiver may be downloaded.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the signals are capable of transmission to one or more satellite stations over a portion of the communications channel, each of the different frequency bands correspond to respective transponder channels of the satellite station, and the location data indicates which transponder channels contain the respective different control programs.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the control program data includes different versions thereof, the one or more signals contain the version data, the method further comprising determining that a given control program should be downloaded only if the version data indicates that an existing control program of the receiver is older.

29. A system, comprising:

an apparatus for transmitting one or more signals over a communications channel, including at least one multiplexer operable to;

(i) receive audio/video data, control program data capable of execution by the receivers to control one or more functions of the receivers, receiver make data, and receiver model data, and (ii) produce a data stream; and

one or more modulators operable receive the data stream and produce the one or more signals; and

a receiver for receiving the signals over the communications channel, the receiver including a tuner operable to receive the signals over one or more frequency bands; and

a separation unit operable to extract the receiver make data and receiver model data from the data stream such that a determination can be made as to whether to download the control program data.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the control program data includes different control program data for different receiver makes and models.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the receiver further comprises a controller operable to compare stored make and model data pertaining to the receiver and download control program data when the extracted make and model data matches the stored make and model data of the receiver.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the modulators are operable to produce each of the signals for transmission over the communications channel in different frequency bands.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the signal containing the control program data for a given one of the different receiver makes and models is modulated for transmission over the communications channel in only one of the frequency bands.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the multiplexer is further operable to receive location data indicative of which of the frequency bands contains one or more of the different control programs, such that the one or more signals contains the location data.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the separation unit is further operable to extract the location data, and the controller is further operable to determine a desired frequency band over which to receive the control program data pertaining to the stored make and model data of the receiver.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller is further operable to command the tuner to the desired frequency band such that the control program data pertaining to the stored make and model data of the receiver may be downloaded.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the signals are capable of transmission to one or more satellite stations over a portion of the communications channel, each of the different frequency bands correspond to respective transponder channels of the satellite station, and the location data indicates which transponder channels contain the respective different control programs.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein the control program data includes different versions thereof, and the multiplexer is further operable to receive version data indicative of the different versions of the control programs such that the one or more signals contains the version data.

39. The receiver of claim 38, wherein the controller is further operable to determine that a given control program should be downloaded only if the version data indicates that an existing control program of the receiver is older.