System for capturing resources in broadcast and data communication in unification mode

• US 6,934,966 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1998
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ochiai, Katsuhiro, Matoba, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US09/195,270
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 725/93, 725/94, 725/95, 725/98, 725/116, 725/118, 725/146, 725/148, 725/87, 725/68, 725/54, 725/71, 725/100, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 386/83, 370/395.42, 370/444, 370/455, 709238-240, 709/244
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/24 Arrangements for distribution of identical information via broadcast system and non-broadcast system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• 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 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]

Abstract

A system is provided that can easily capture the same broadcast stream from an arbitrary application. An interface between application and a reception route selection mechanism describes in a unified mode a broadcast resource capture specification method and a communication resource capture specification method. The interface employs a description scheme in which an application does not recognize whether or not a broadcast stream is captured through broadcast or communication. In the reception route selection, the reception route selection mechanism checks for a broadcast time contained in the identifier of a broadcast stream to be input so that a zone where a broadcast time is earlier than the current time by using a communication resource receiver while a zone where the broadcast time is later than the current time is selected by using a broadcast resource receiver.

Claims

1. A system for capturing resources in broadcast and data communications comprising:

a broadcast resource receiver receiving at least a first broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to a unified notation, said unified notation identifying at least said first broadcast stream and a second broadcast stream, said unified notation being independent from a capture route, a capture time, and an inherent name;

a communication resource receiver receiving at least said second broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to said unified notation;

a reception route selection apparatus being responsive to said unified notation, said reception route selection apparatus selecting said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver for receiving one of said broadcast streams based on at least a first broadcast time corresponding to said first and second broadcast streams;

further comprising route selection for capturing said broadcast streams, said route selection being uniquely decided dependent on a broadcast time of said broadcast streams; and

wherein when the broadcast time of said broadcast streams simultaneously includes a past zone, a future zone, and a current zone inserted between said past zone and said future zone, a zone for a period between a current time and the end of a future time is received using said broadcast resource receiver or communication resource receiver while the past zone is received using the other of said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver, wherein said unified notation comprises a broadcast station code, a broadcast start time, and a broadcast end time.

2. A system for capturing resources in broadcast and data communications comprising:

a broadcast resource receiver receiving at least a first broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to a unified notation, said unified notation identifying at least said first broadcast stream and a second broadcast stream, said unified notation being independent from a capture route, a capture time, and an inherent name;

a communication resource receiver receiving at least said second broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to said unified notation;

a reception route selection apparatus being responsive to said unified notation, said reception route selection apparatus selecting said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver for receiving one of said broadcast streams based on at least a first broadcast time corresponding to said first and second broadcast streams;

further comprising route selection for capturing said broadcast streams, said route selection being uniquely decided dependent on a broadcast time of said broadcast streams; and

wherein when the broadcast time of said broadcast streams simultaneously includes a past zone, a future zone, and a current zone inserted between said past zone and said future zone, a zone for a period between a current time and the end of a future time is received using said broadcast resource receiver or communication resource receiver while the past zone is received using the other of said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver.

3. A system for capturing resources in broadcast and data communications comprising:

a broadcast resource receiver receiving at least a first broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to a unified notation, said unified notation identifying at least said first broadcast stream and a second broadcast stream, said unified notation being independent from a capture route, a capture time, and an inherent name;

a communication resource receiver receiving at least said second broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to said unified notation;

a reception route selection apparatus being responsive to said unified notation, said reception route selection apparatus selecting said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver for receiving one of said broadcast streams based on at least a first broadcast time corresponding to said first and second broadcast streams;

further comprising route selection for capturing said broadcast streams, said route selection being uniquely decided dependent on a broadcast time of said broadcast streams; and

wherein when the broadcast time of said broadcast streams simultaneously includes a past zone, a future zone, and a current zone inserted between said past zone and said future zone, a zone for a period between a current time and the end of a future time is received using said broadcast resource receiver or communication resource receiver while the past zone is received using the other of said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver, wherein at least one of said broadcast streams is a TV broadcast program.

4. A system for capturing resources in broadcast and data communications comprising:

a broadcast resource receiver receiving at least a first broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to a unified notation, said unified notation identifying at least said first broadcast stream and a second broadcast stream, said unified notation being independent from a capture route, a capture time, and an inherent name;

a communication resource receiver receiving at least said second broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to said unified notation;

a reception route selection apparatus being responsive to said unified notation, said reception route selection apparatus selecting said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver for receiving one of said broadcast streams based on at least a first broadcast time corresponding to said first and second broadcast streams;

further comprising route selection for capturing said broadcast streams, said route selection being uniquely decided dependent on a broadcast time of said broadcast streams; and

wherein when the broadcast time of said broadcast streams simultaneously includes a past zone, a future zone, and a current zone inserted between said past zone and said future zone, a zone for a period between a current time and the end of a future time is received using said broadcast resource receiver or communication resource receiver while the past zone is received using the other of said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver, wherein at least one of said broadcast streams is a radio broadcast program.

5. A system for capturing resources in broadcast and data communications comprising:

a broadcast resource receiver receiving at least a first broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to a unified notation, said unified notation identifying at least said first broadcast stream and a second broadcast stream, said unified notation being independent from a capture route, a capture time, and an inherent name;

a communication resource receiver receiving at least said second broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to a said unified notation;

a reception route selection apparatus being responsive to said unified notation, said reception route selection apparatus selecting said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver for receiving one of said broadcast streams based on at least a first broadcast time corresponding to said first and second broadcast streams;

further comprising route selection for capturing said broadcast streams, said route selection being uniquely decided dependent on a broadcast time of said broadcast streams; and

wherein when the broadcast time of said broadcast streams simultaneously includes a past zone, a future zone, and a current zone inserted between said past zone and said future zone, a zone for a period between a current time and the end of a future time is received using said broadcast resource receiver or communication resource receiver while the past zone is received using the other of said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver, wherein at least one of said broadcast streams is an Internet broadcast program.

6. A system for capturing resources in broadcast and data communications comprising:

a broadcast resource receiver for receiving at least a first broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver being responsive to a unified notation;

wherein

said unified notation identifies at least said first and a second broadcast streams, said unified notation being independent from a capture route, a capture time, and an inherent name;

a communication resource receiver for receiving at least said second broadcast stream, said broadcast resource receiver responsive to said unified notation;

a reception route selection apparatus for selecting at least one of said broadcast streams, said reception route selection apparatus selecting said broadcast resource receiver or said communication resource receiver for receiving one of said broadcast streams based on a broadcast time for said broadcast streams, said route selection being uniquely decided dependent on a broadcast time of said broadcast stream;

wherein

when said broadcast time of said broadcast stream simultaneously includes a past zone, a future zone, and a current zone inserted between said past zone and said future zone, a zone for a period between said current time and the end of said future time is received using said broadcast resource receiver while the past zone is received using said communication resource receiver.