Broadcast receiver, broadcast control method, and computer readable recording medium

• US 7,013,477 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2001
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yasufumi, Ito, Tetsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/777,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20010051516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32- 36, 725 40- 44, 725/59, 345/700, 345/723, 348563-568
• US Class Current: 725/32
• 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 21/4586 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A broadcast receiver is provided. This broadcast receiver is capable of preventing the problem of an audience losing interest in broadcasted program, even during a CM (commercial message) broadcasting time range contained in this broadcast program, and without requiring the audience to not perform a zapping operation. In the broadcast receiver according to the present invention, a single set of highlight scene, or plural sets of highlight scenes, are detected from a broadcast program provided to the audience, and then stored in a storage device. Thereafter, when a CM broadcast program is commenced, the highlight scene is read out from the storage device and is reproduced.

Claims

1. A broadcast receiver to receive broadcast data, comprising:

a highlight scene detecting unit detecting a highlight scene of a broadcasted program;

a store unit storing at least said detected highlight scene of said program into a storage device, the storage device storing thereinto a data portion of the broadcast data corresponding to a predetermined time duration at any time;

a CM detecting unit detecting a CM (commercial message) broadcast program; and

a reproducing control unit reproducing said highlight scene stored in said storage device while said CM program is broadcasted, and reproducing, in such a case that when the reproduction of the highlight scene has not yet completed by end of the CM broadcast, such broadcast data, that appeared just after said CM broadcast ended, after the reproduction of said highlight scene has been completed.

2. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said CM detecting unit includes;

a CM start detecting unit detecting a commencement of said CM broadcast; and

when said CM broadcast is commenced, the reproduction of said highlight scene is commenced.

3. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the reproduced highlight scene is provided with an audience instead of said CM broadcast program.

4. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the reproduced highlight scene is provided with an audience in conjunction with said CM broadcast program.

5. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said highlight scene detecting unit detects the highlight scene based upon an index indicative of the highlight scene contained in broadcast data of said broadcast program.

6. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said highlight scene detecting unit detects the highlight scene in response to an instruction issued from the audience.

7. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

in such a case that when the broadcast data is reproduced, a next CM broadcast is commenced, if a time difference between a broadcast time instant and a reproduction time instant exceeds broadcast time of the next CM broadcast program, said reproducing control unit continues to reproduce said broadcast data without executing the reproduction of said highlight scene.

8. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said reproducing control unit reproduces a program digest constructed of a plurality of highlight scenes as said highlight scene.

9. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said storage device stores thereinto a data portion of the broadcast data corresponding to a predetermined time duration at any time; and

when the CM broadcast is commenced, said reproducing control unit reproduces, as said highlight scene, a broadcast data portion which is stored in said storage device and is defined as from a time instant when the CM broadcast is started and until a preselected time duration is retraced.

10. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said storage device stores thereinto a plurality of highlight scenes to which importance degrees are allocated respectively; and

said reproducing control unit reproduces a highlight scene at a speed corresponding to an importance degree thereof.

11. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said reproducing control unit reproduces a still image as the highlight scene.

12. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said broadcast program contains first speech (voice) and second speech (voice); and

said broadcast receiver is further comprised of;

speech control means for providing any one of said first speech and said second speech when the broadcast program is provided in connection with a broadcast time instant; and

also for switching the provided speech to the other of said first speech and said second speech when the highlight scene is reproduced.

13. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said reproducing control unit reproduces such a highlight scene having a length which is made coincident with broadcast time of a CM program inserted into the broadcast program.

14. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said broadcast receiver is further comprised of;

a highlight scene classifying unit classifying the highlight scenes stored in said storage device into plural sorts of classifications; and

said reproducing control unit reads out such a highlight scene having a sort corresponding to a taste of an audience with having a top priority from said storage device to reproduce the read highlight scene in such a case that the CM broadcast is commenced.

15. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a display control unit displaying at the same time, both an image of broadcast data in response to a broadcast time instant and an image of a reproduced highlight scene on a single display screen.

16. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 15 wherein:

said display control unit changes any one of sizes and display positions with respect to said display screen as to both a display area for said image of the broadcast data and a display area for said image of the highlight scene in the case that the CM broadcast is ended.

17. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

said storage device stores thereinto any one of a single set and plural sets of highlight scenes; and

said broadcast receiver is further comprised of;

an index providing unit providing an index used to select a desirable highlight scene when the CM broadcast is commenced.

18. A broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said reproducing control unit reproduces any one of the highlight scene and a digest constituted of plural highlight scenes of a certain broadcast program during a time period defined after said certain broadcast program is ended and until a next broadcast program is commenced.

19. A method of controlling broadcast data comprising:

detecting a highlight scene of a broadcasted program;

storing at least said detected highlight scene of said program and a data portion of the broadcast data corresponding to a predetermined time duration at any time into a storage device;

detecting a CM (commercial message) broadcast program; and

reproducing said highlight scene stored in said storage device while said CM program is broadcasted, and reproducing such broadcast data that appeared just after said CM broadcast is ended after the reproduction of said highlight scene has been completed in such a case when the CM broadcast is ended and the reproduction of the highlight scene has not yet completed.

20. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

detecting a commencement of said CM broadcast; and

commencing the reproduction of said highlight scene when said CM broadcast is commenced.

21. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

providing the reproduced highlight scene with an audience instead of said CM broadcast program.

22. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

providing the reproduced highlight scene with an audience in conjunction with said CM broadcast program.

23. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

detecting the highlight scene based upon an index indicative of the highlight scene contained in broadcast data of said broadcast program.

24. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

detecting the highlight scene in response to an instruction issued from the audience.

25. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

commencing a next CM broadcast if a time difference between a broadcast time instant and a reproduction time instant exceeds broadcast time of the next CM broadcast program in such a case that when the broadcast data is reproduced, and

continuing the reproduction of said broadcast data without executing the reproduction of said highlight scene.

26. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 wherein:

said highlight scene is a program digest constructed of a plurality of highlight scenes.

27. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

storing a data portion of the broadcast data corresponding to a predetermined time duration at any time into said storage device; and

reproducing a broadcast data portion which is stored in said storage device, and is defined from a time instant when the CM broadcast is started and until a preselected time duration is retraced when the CM broadcast is commenced, as said highlight scene.

28. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

storing a plurality of highlight scenes to which importance degrees are allocated respectively into said storage device; and

reproducing a highlight scene at a speed corresponding to an importance degree thereof.

29. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

reproducing a still image as the highlight scene.

30. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 wherein:

said broadcast program contains first speech (voice) and second speech (voice); and

any one of said first speech and said second speech is provided when the broadcast program is provided in connection with a broadcast time instant; and

also the provided speech is switched to the other of said first speech and said second speech when the highlight scene is reproduced.

31. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 wherein:

said highlight scene owns a length which is made coincident with broadcast time of a CM program inserted into the broadcast program.

32. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

classifying the highlight scenes stored in said storage device into plural sorts of classifications;

reading such a highlight scene having a sort corresponding to a taste of an audience with a top priority from said storage device in such a case that the CM broadcast is commenced; and

reproducing the read highlight scene.

33. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 22 further comprising:

simultaneously displaying both an image of broadcast data in response to a broadcast time instant and an image of a reproduced highlight scene on a single display screen.

34. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 33 further comprising:

changing any one of sizes and display positions with respect to said display screen as to both a display area for said image of the broadcast data and a display area for said image of the highlight scene in the case that the CM broadcast is ended.

35. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

storing any one of a single set and plural sets of highlight scenes into said storage device; and

providing an index used to select a desirable highlight scene with the audience when the CM broadcast is commenced.

36. A broadcast control method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

reproducing any one of the highlight scene and a digest constituted of plural highlight scenes of a certain broadcast program during a time period defined after said certain broadcast program is ended and until a next broadcast program is commenced.

37. A recording medium for recording thereon a program used to cause a computer to execute a process of controlling broadcast data, comprising:

a step for detecting a highlight scene of a broadcasted program;

a step for storing at least said detected highlight scene of said program and temporarily storing thereinto a data portion of the broadcast data corresponding to a predetermined time duration into a storage device;

a step for detecting a CM (commercial message) broadcast program; and

a step for reproducing said highlight scene stored in said storage device while said CM program is broadcasted, and reproducing such broadcast data that appeared just after said CM broadcast is ended after the reproduction of said highlight scene has been completed in such a case when the CM broadcast is ended and the reproduction of the highlight scene has not yet completed.

38. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said CM broadcast detecting step detects a commencement of the CM broadcast; and

said program is further comprised of;

a step for starting the reproduction of said highlight scene when said CM broadcast is commenced.

39. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said program is further comprised of a step for providing the reproduced highlight scene with an audience instead of said CM broadcast program.

40. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said program is further comprised of a step for providing the reproduced highlight scene with an audience in conjunction with said CM broadcast program.

41. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

in said highlight scene detecting step, the highlight scene is detected based upon an index indicative of the highlight scene contained in broadcast data of said broadcast program.

42. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

in said highlight scene detecting step, the highlight scene is detected in response to an instruction issued from the audience.

43. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

in such a case that when the broadcast data is reproduced, a next CM broadcast is commenced, if a time difference between a broadcast time instant and a reproduction time instant exceeds broadcast time of the next CM broadcast program, said program continues to reproduce said broadcast data without executing the reproduction of said highlight scene.

44. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said program reproduces a program digest constructed of a plurality of highlight scenes as said highlight scene.

45. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said storage device stores thereinto a data portion of the broadcast data corresponding to a predetermined time duration at any time; and

when the CM broadcast is commenced, said program reproduces as said highlight scene, a broadcast data portion which is stored in said storage device, and is defined from a time instant when the CM broadcast is started and until a preselected time duration is retraced.

46. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said storage device stores thereinto a plurality of highlight scenes to which importance degrees are allocated respectively; and

said program reproduces a highlight scene at a speed corresponding to an importance degree thereof.

47. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said program reproduces a still image as the highlight scene.

48. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said broadcast program contains first speech (voice) and second speech (voice); and

said program provides any one of said first speech and said second speech when the broadcast program is provided in connection with a broadcast time instant; and

also switches the provided speech to the other of said first speech and said second speech when the highlight scene is reproduced.

49. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said program contains such a highlight scene having a length which is made coincident with broadcast time of a CM program inserted into the broadcast program.

50. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said program is further comprised of;

a step for classifying the highlight scenes stored in said storage device into plural sorts of classifications; and

said program reads out such a highlight scene having a sort corresponding to a taste of an audience with having a top priority from said storage device to reproduce the read highlight in such a case that the CM broadcast is commenced.

51. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 40 wherein:

a step for displaying at the same time, both an image of broadcast data in response to a broadcast time instant and an image of a reproduced highlight scene on a single display screen.

52. A computer readable recording method as claimed in claim 51 wherein:

said program changes any one of sizes and display positions with respect to said display screen as to both a display area for said image of the broadcast data and a display area for said image of the highlight scene in the case that the CM broadcast is ended.

53. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said storage device stores thereinto any one of a single set and plural sets of highlight scenes; and

said program is further comprised of;

a step for providing an index used to select a desirable highlight scene when the CM broadcast is commenced.

54. A computer readable recording medium as claimed in claim 37 wherein:

said program reproduces any one of the highlight scene and a digest constituted by plural highlight scenes of a certain broadcast program during a time period defined after said certain broadcast program is ended and until a next broadcast program is commenced.