Transmission/reception system and method for data broadcast, and transmission apparatus for data broadcast

• US 6,954,795 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kakuya, Takao, Naoya, Ishikawa, Akira, Mori, Toshiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey C.
• Application Number:
  US09/826,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/223, 709/231, 725/64, 725/67, 725/114, 725/115, 725/143, 725/144, 725/145, 725146-148, 725/151
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A transmission/reception system for data broadcast comprising: a transmission apparatus transmitting audiovisual stream data for a series of plural programs and plural data broadcasting contents relating to programs, which are multiplexed to each other, and a receiving apparatus receiving the audiovisual stream data and presenting the corresponding program, while superimposing and presenting the data broadcasting content to the audiovisual data. The transmission apparatus starts to transmit the data broadcasting content relating to the program 2, before the time “t0” when audiovisual data should change from the program 1 to 2, and transmits the presentation start instruction message at “t0”. While, the receiving apparatus receives the data broadcasting content relating to the program 2, and performs a process for forming an image, and invisibly presents the data broadcasting content. Thereafter, the receiving apparatus changes the state of the data broadcasting content to visible when receiving the presentation start instruction message.

Claims

1. A transmission and reception system for data broadcast, including a transmission apparatus which transmits a data broadcasting content and a receiving apparatus which receives and presents the transmitted data broadcasting content, the transmission apparatus comprising:

a presentation schedule time obtaining means for obtaining a presentation schedule time when the data broadcasting content is to be presented,

a data broadcasting content transmission means for starting to transmit preceding data broadcasting content and then the data broadcasting content before the presentation schedule time, each of the preceding data broadcasting content and the data broadcasting content being repeatedly transmitted,

the preceding data broadcasting content including first control information including an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of an invisible presentation instruction message, start to receive the data broadcasting content and designate the data broadcasting content to be presented,

the data broadcasting content including image structure information and second control information, the second information including

(a) an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, when the data broadcasting content is designated to be presented, form an image according to the image structure information and invisibly present the image,

(b) an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of a presentation start instruction message, visibly present the image; and

a message transmission means for (i) transmitting the invisible presentation instruction message at a time when the data broadcasting contents transmission means starts to transmit the data broadcasting content, and (ii) transmitting the presentation start instruction message at the presentation schedule time, and

the receiving apparatus including an event-driven mechanism that executes an instruction corresponding to a received message, comprising;

a data broadcasting contents reception and presentation means for receiving the preceding data broadcasting content, starting to receive the data broadcasting content on reception of the invisible presentation instruction message, designating the data broadcasting content to be presented on completion of receiving the data broadcasting content, forming the image in accordance with the second control information, and invisibly presenting the image; and

a data broadcasting contents visualization means for visibly presenting the image which has been invisibly presented by the data broadcasting contents reception and presentation means, on reception of the presentation start instruction message.

2. The transmission and reception system for data broadcast of claim 1, wherein

to invisibly present the data broadcasting content, the data broadcasting contents reception and presentation means forms the image according to the image structure information, stores the image in a frame memory and prohibits outputting a signal indicating the image, to a display apparatus to which the receiving apparatus is connected, and

to visibly present the image, the data broadcasting contents visualization means allows output of the signal indicating the image, to the display apparatus.

3. The transmission and reception apparatus for data broadcast of claim 2, wherein

the preceding data broadcasting content further includes preceding image structure information to form an image that is to be presented,

the instruction in the first control information instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of the invisible presentation instruction message, make the image, which is formed according to the preceding image structure information and visibly presented, invisible, before starting to receive the data broadcasting content and designate the data broadcasting content to be presented, and

the data broadcasting contents reception and presentation means

(a) on reception of the preceding data broadcasting content, visibly presents the image formed according to the preceding image structure information, and

(b) on reception of the invisible presentation instruction message, makes the image, which is formed and visibly presented according to the preceding image structure information, invisible, before starting to receive the data broadcasting content.

4. The transmission and reception system for data broadcast of claim 2, wherein

the preceding data broadcasting content further includes preceding image structure information in order to form an image that is to be presented,

the data broadcasting contents reception and presentation means

(a) includes a memory which has a space where the data broadcasting content and the preceding data broadcasting content can be stored at the same time,

(b) receives the preceding data broadcasting content, and stores the content in the memory, and then visibly presents the image formed according to the preceding image structure information, and

(c) on reception of the invisible presentation instruction message, starts to receive and store the data broadcasting content in the memory, and, erases the image visibly presented according to the preceding image structure information, on completion of storing the content in the memory.

5. The transmission and reception system for data broadcast of claim 3, wherein

the data broadcasting contents transmission means transmits the preceding data broadcasting content and the data broadcasting content which are multiplexed with video stream data, in which (a) visual data making up a first broadcast proaram relevant to the preceding data broadcasting content and (b) visual data making up a second broadcast program relevant to the data broadcasting content are continuously arranged,

the presentation schedule time is determined in advance so as to be concurrent with a time when the receiving apparatus is due to start to present the visual data making up the second broadcast program, and

the data broadcasting contents reception and presentation means receives the preceding data broadcasting content and the data broadcasting content multiplexed with the video stream data, and presents each of the first and second broadcast programs.

6. The transmission and reception system for data broadcast of claim 1, wherein

the data broadcasting contents transmission means transmits the data broadcasting content which is multiplexed with video stream data including visual data making up a broadcast program relevant to the data broadcasting content,

the presentation schedule time is determined in advance so as to be concurrent with a time when the receiving apparatus is due to start to present the visual data making up the broadcast program in the video stream data, and

the data broadcasting contents reception and presentation means receives the data broadcasting content multiplexed with the video stream data, and presents the broadcast program.

7. A transmission and reception method for data broadcast used in a system including a transmission apparatus which transmits a data broadcasting content and a receiving apparatus which receives and presents the transmitted data broadcasting content comprising:

a presentation schedule time obtaining step for obtaining a presentation schedule time when the data broadcasting content is to be presented, the obtaining step being performed at the transmission apparatus

a data broadcasting content transmission step for starting to transmit preceding data broadcasting content; and

then the data broadcasting content before the presentation schedule time, each of the preceding data broadcasting content and the data broadcasting content being repeatedly transmitted, the content transmission step being performed at the transmission apparatus,

the preceding data broadcasting content including first control information including an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of an invisible presentation instruction message, start to receive the data broadcasting content and designate the data broadcasting content to be presented,

the data broadcasting content including image structure information and second control information, the second information including

(a) an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, when the data broadcasting content is designated to be presented, form an image according to the image structure information and invisibly present the image,

(b) an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of a presentation start instruction message, visibly present the image; and

a message transmission step for (i) transmitting the invisible presentation instruction message at a time when the transmission apparatus starts to transmit the data broadcasting content in the data broadcasting content transmission step, and (ii) transmitting the presentation start instruction message at the presentation schedule time, the message transmission sten being performed at the transmission apparatus;

a data broadcasting contents reception and presentation step for receiving the preceding data broadcasting content, starting to receive the data broadcasting content on reception of the invisible presentation instruction message, designating the data broadcasting content to be presented on completion of receiving the data broadcasting content, forming the image in accordance with the second control information, and invisibly presenting the image, the reception and presentation step being performed at the receiving apparatus; and

a data broadcasting contents visualization step for visibly present the image which has been invisibly presented in the data broadcasting contents reception and presentation step, on reception of the presentation start instruction message.

8. A transmission apparatus which transmits a data broadcasting content to a receiving apparatus which receives and presents the data broadcasting content, comprising:

a presentation schedule time obtaining means for obtaining a presentation schedule time when the data broadcasting content is to be presented;

a data broadcasting content transmission means for starting to transmit preceding data broadcasting content and then the data broadcasting content before the presentation schedule time, each of the preceding data broadcasting content and the data broadcasting content being repeatedly transmitted,

the preceding data broadcasting content including first control information including an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of an invisible presentation instruction message, start to receive the data broadcasting content and designate the data broadcasting content to be presented,

the data broadcasting content including image structure information and second control information, the second information including

(a) an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, when the data broadcasting content is designated to be presented form an image according to the image structure information and invisibly present the image, and

(b) an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of a presentation start instruction message visibly present the image; and

a message transmission means for (i) transmitting the invisible presentation instruction message at a time when the data broadcasting contents transmission means starts to transmit the data broadcasting content, and (ii) transmitting the presentation start instruction message at the presentation schedule time.

9. The transmission apparatus of claim 8, wherein

the data broadcasting contents transmission means transmits the preceding data broadcasting content and the data broadcasting content which are multiplexed with video stream data, in which (a) visual data making up a first broadcast program relevant to the preceding data broadcasting content and (b) visual data making up a second broadcast program relevant to the data broadcasting content are continuously arranged, and

the presentation schedule time is determined in advance so as to be concurrent with a time when the receiving apparatus is due to start to present the visual data making up the second broadcast program.

10. A control program for enabling a transmission apparatus to perform a content transmission process in which the transmission apparatus transmits a data broadcasting content to a receiving apparatus which receives and presents the data broadcasting content, the content transmission process comprising:

a presentation schedule time obtaining step for obtaining a presentation schedule time when the data broadcasting content is to be presented;

a data broadcasting content transmission step for starting to transmit preceding data broadcasting content

and then the data broadcasting content before the presentation schedule time, each of the preceding data broadcasting content and the data broadcasting content being repeatedly transmitted,

the preceding data broadcasting content including first control information including an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of an invisible presentation instruction message, start to receive the data broadcasting content and designate the data broadcasting content to be presented,

the data broadcasting content including image structure information and second control information, the second inforniation including

(a) an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, when the data broadcasting content is designated to be presented, form an image according to the image structure information and invisibly present the image, and

(b) an instruction which instructs the receiving apparatus to, on reception of a presentation start instruction message, visibly present the image; and

a message transmission step for (i) transmitting the invisible presentation instruction message at a time when the data broadcasting content starts to be transmitted in the data broadcasting contents transmission step, and (ii) transmitting the presentation start instruction message at the presentation schedule time.