APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING PROGRAM INFORMATION, COMMUNICATING SYSTEM, METHOD OF TRANSMITTING PROGRAM INFORMATION, METHOD OF INSTRUCTING PROGRAM RECORDING OPERATION, AND METHOD OF INSTRUCTING PROGRAM PURCHASING OPERATION

• US 7,088,952 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Advanced Technology Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Advanced Technology Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagaoka, Tatsuji, Wakaizumi, Mariko, Saito, Hiroji, Matsuura, Tomoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/830,750
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/3.04, 725/46, 725/91, 386/83
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• 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 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Program guide information of the program to be broadcast by the broadcast station 1 is reserved in the EPG server 15 of the center station 11. The EPG server 15 retrieves for each user, the program satisfying the conditions such as the category of the program registered in the personal information database 16, and then transmits the guide information of the retrieved programs to the portable telephone 14 of a user who has set the conditions, via the communication network 10. Thereby, even if the user is outside the home, if there is a program satisfying the conditions specified by the user, the user can obtain the information concerning the program by utilizing the portable telephone 14. Then, the user can instruct, with reference to the obtained program information, a recording operation from the portable telephone 14 to the VTR 6 in the home 12.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wirelessly transmitting program information concerning a program to be broadcast, to a plurality of radio communication terminals, comprising:

a program information database in which program information concerning a program to be broadcast is reserved;

retrieving-conditions-storing-means for storing retrieving conditions which are set corresponding to the plurality of radio communication terminals;

retrieving means for retrieving a program satisfying the retrieving conditions stored in said retrieving-conditions-storing-means from said program information database; and

transmitting means for voluntarily transmitting, when a program satisfying said retrieving conditions is retrieved by means of said retrieving means, the program information concerning said retrieved program to said radio communication terminals corresponding to said retrieving conditions.

2. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmission-conditions-storing-means for storing transmission conditions corresponding to said radio communication terminal, said transmission conditions being used for transmitting the program information retrieved by said retrieving means to said radio communication terminal,

wherein said transmitting means transmits the program information to said radio communication terminal corresponding to said transmission conditions, when the transmission conditions stored in said transmission-conditions-storing-means are satisfied.

3. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmitting means transmits the program information retrieved by said retrieving means to said radio communication terminal, when it reaches a time that is a predetermined time before the start of broadcasting of the program.

4. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in any one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the program information reserved in said program information database includes a basic information including the broadcast date-and-time of the program, channel, and program name information, and a detailed information concerning the contents of the program, the amount of said detailed information being larger than that of said basic information;

and wherein said transmitting means voluntarily transmits said basic information of the program retrieved by said retrieving means to said radio communication terminal, and subsequently transmits said detailed information of the program retrieved by said retrieving means when an instruction is provided from said radio communication terminal.

5. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in claim 4, said apparatus further comprising:

history-information-obtaining-means for obtaining history information concerning a watching operation, a recording operation or both of these operations of the user, for the program broadcast in the past; and

retrieving-conditions-writing-means for setting, based on the history information obtained by said history-information-obtaining-means, the retrieving conditions corresponding to said radio communication terminal of said user, so as to write the retrieving conditions into said retrieving-conditions-storing-means.

6. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, said apparatus further comprising:

history-information-obtaining-means for obtaining history information concerning a watching operation, a recording operation or both of these operations of the user, for the program broadcast in the past; and

retrieving-conditions-writing-means for setting, based on the history information obtained by said history-information-obtaining-means, the retrieving conditions corresponding to said radio communication terminal of said user, so as to write the retrieving conditions into said retrieving-conditions-storing-means.

7. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in claim 1, wherein the retrieving conditions comprises personal information of users of the communication terminals.

8. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in claim 7, wherein the personal information is registered by the users of the communication terminals.

9. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in claim 8, wherein the personal information is capable of being modified.

10. An apparatus for transmitting program information as defined in claim 1, wherein at least a part of the retrieving conditions are different for at least two of the communication terminals.

11. A communicating system comprising a plurality of radio communication terminals for performing radio communication;

a program-information-transmitting-apparatus for transmitting information concerning a program to be broadcast to said radio communication terminals;

a program recording apparatus for recording a program to be broadcast; and

a communication network connecting the apparatuses with one another,

wherein said program-information-transmitting-apparatus has a program information database in which program information concerning a program to be broadcast is reserved;

retrieving-conditions-storing-means for storing retrieving conditions which are set corresponding to said plurality of radio communication terminals;

retrieving means for retrieving a program satisfying the retrieving conditions stored in said retrieving-conditions-storing-means from said program information database; and

transmitting means for voluntarily transmitting, when a program satisfying the retrieving conditions is retrieved by means of said retrieving means, a program information concerning the retrieved program to said radio communication terminals corresponding to said retrieving conditions;

said radio communication terminals have program-information-storing-means for storing a program information transmitted from said program-information-transmitting-apparatus;

displaying means for displaying a program information stored in said program-information-storing-means; and

recording-instruction-transmitting-means for transmitting recording-instruction-information instructing a program recording operation to said program recording apparatus via said communication network; and

said program recording apparatus has instruction-information- receiving-means for receiving said recording-instruction-information transmitted via said communication network and recording-operation-executing-means for recording a program to be broadcast in accordance with the recording-instruction-information received by said instruction-information-receiving means.

13. A communicating system as defined in claim 11 or 12, wherein said program-information-transmitting-apparatus further comprises transmission-conditions-storing means for storing transmission conditions corresponding to said radio terminal, said transmission conditions being used for transmitting the program information retrieved by said retrieving means to said radio communication terminal;

wherein said transmitting means transmits the program information to said radio communication terminal corresponding to said transmission conditions, when the transmission conditions stored in said transmission-conditions-storing-means are satisfied.

14. A communicating system as defined in claim 13, wherein the program information reserved in said program information database includes a basic information including the broadcast date-and-time of the program, channel, and program name information and a detailed information concerning the contents of the program, the amount of said detailed information being larger than that of said basic information;

said transmitting means voluntarily transmits said basic information of the program retrieved by said retrieving means to said radio communication terminal, and subsequently transmits said detailed information of the program retrieved by said retrieving means when an instruction is provided from said radio communication terminal.

15. A communicating system as defined in claim 13, said system further comprising history-information-obtaining-means connectable to said communication network, for obtaining history information concerning a watching operation, a recording operation or both of these operations, of the user, for the program broadcast in the past, so as to transmit the history information to said program-information-transmitting-apparatus;

wherein said program-information-transmitting-apparatus has retrieving-conditions-writing-means for setting, based on the history information transmitted from said history-information-obtaining-means, the retrieving conditions corresponding to said radio communication terminal of said user, so as to write the retrieving conditions into said retrieving-conditions-storing-means.

16. A communicating system as defined in claim 11 or 12, wherein said transmitting means transmits the program information retrieved by said retrieving means to said radio communication terminal, when it reaches a time that is a predetermined time before the start of broadcasting of the program.

17. A communicating system as defined in claim 16, wherein the program information reserved in said program information database includes a basic information including the broadcast date-and-time of the program, channel, and program name information and a detailed information concerning the contents of the program, the amount of said detailed information being larger than that of said basic information;

said transmitting means voluntarily transmits said basic information of the program retrieved by said retrieving means to said radio communication terminal, and subsequently transmits said detailed information of the program retrieved by said retrieving means when an instruction is provided from said radio communication terminal.

18. A communicating system as defined in claim 16, said system further comprising history-information-obtaining-means connectable to said communication network, for obtaining history information concerning a watching operation, a recording operation or both of these operations, of the user, for the program broadcast in the past, so as to transmit the history information to said program-information-transmitting-apparatus;

wherein said program-information-transmitting-apparatus has retrieving-conditions-writing-means for setting, based on the history information transmitted from said history-information-obtaining-means, the retrieving conditions corresponding to said radio communication terminal of said user, so as to write the retrieving conditions into said retrieving-conditions-storing-means.

19. A communicating system as defined in claim 11 or 12, wherein the program information reserved in said program information database includes a basic information including the broadcast date-and-tine of the program, channel, and program name information and a detailed information concerning the contents of the program, the amount of said detailed information being larger than that of said basic information;

said transmitting means voluntarily transmits said basic information of the program retrieved by said retrieving means to said radio communication terminal, and subsequently transmits said detailed information of the program retrieved by said retrieving means when an instruction is provided from said radio communication terminal.

20. A communicating system as defined in claim 19, said system further comprising history-information-obtaining-means connectable to said communication network, for obtaining history information concerning a watching operation, a recording operation or both of these operations, of the user, for the program broadcast in the past, so as to transmit the history information to said program-information-transmitting-apparatus;

wherein said program-information-transmitting-apparatus has retrieving conditions-writing-means for setting, based on the history information transmitted from said history-information-obtaining-means, the retrieving conditions corresponding to said radio communication terminal of said user, so as to write the retrieving conditions into said retrieving-conditions-storing-means.

21. A communicating system as defined in claim 11 or 12, said system further comprising history-information-obtaining-means connectable to said communication network, for obtaining history information concerning a watching operation, a recording operation or both of these operations, of the user, for the program broadcast in the past, so as to transmit the history information to said program-information-transmitting apparatus;

wherein said program-information-transmitting-apparatus has retrieving-conditions-writing-means for setting, based on the history information transmitted from said history-information-obtaining-means, the retrieving conditions corresponding to said radio communication terminal of said user, so as to write the retrieving conditions into said retrieving-conditions-storing-means.

12. A communicating system comprising a plurality of radio communication terminals for performing radio communication;

a program-information-transmitting-apparatus for transmitting information concerning a program to be broadcast to said radio communication terminals;

a program-providing-apparatus for providing a program to the user when a registered user purchases the program; and

a communication network connecting the apparatuses with one another,

wherein said program-information-transmitting-apparatus has a program information database in which program information concerning a program to be broadcast is reserved;

retrieving-conditions-storing-means for storing retrieving conditions which are set corresponding to said plurality of radio communication terminals- retrieving means for retrieving a program satisfying the retrieving conditions stored in said retrieving-conditions-storing-means from said program information database; and

transmitting means for voluntarily transmitting, when a program satisfying said retrieving conditions is retrieved by means of said retrieving means, the program information concerning the retrieved program to said radio communication terminals corresponding to said retrieving conditions;

said radio communication terminals have program-information-storing means for storing a program information transmitted from said program-information-transmitting-apparatus;

displaying means for displaying a program information stored in said program information storing means; and

purchasing-instruction-transmitting-means for transmitting purchasing-instruction-information instructing a program purchasing operation to said program-providing-apparatus via said communication network; and

said program-providing-apparatus has purchasing-information-receiving-means for receiving a purchasing-instruction-information transmitted via said communication network and program-providing-means for providing a program to the user in accordance with the purchasing-instruction-information received by said purchasing-information-receiving means.

22. A method of wirelessly transmitting a program information concerning a program to be broadcast to a plurality of radio communication terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

a retrieving step of retrieving a program satisfying retrieving conditions which are set corresponding to the radio communication terminals, from a program information database in which program information concerning a program to be broadcast is reserved; and

a transmitting step of, when a program satisfying said retrieving conditions is retrieved in said retrieving step, voluntarily transmitting a program information concerning the retrieved program to said radio communication terminal corresponding to said retrieving conditions.

23. A method of transmitting program information as defined in claim 22, wherein, in said transmitting step, when the transmission conditions which are set corresponding to said radio terminal are satisfied, the program information retrieved in said retrieving step is transmitted to said radio communication terminal corresponding to said transmission conditions.

24. A method of transmitting program information as defined in claim 22, wherein, in said transmitting step, the program information retrieved in said retrieving step is transmitted to said radio communication terminal, when it reaches a time that is a predetermined time before the start of broadcasting of the program.

25. A method of transmitting program information as defined in any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein said program information reserved in said program information database includes a basic information including the broadcast date-and-time of the program, channel, and program name information and a detailed information concerning the contents of the program, the amount of said detailed information being larger than that of said basic information;

and wherein, in said transmitting step, said basic information of the program retrieved in said retrieving step is voluntarily transmitted to said radio communication terminal, and said detailed information of the program retrieved in said retrieving step is sequentially transmitted to said radio communication terminal when an instruction is provided from said radio communication terminal.

26. A program-recording-instruction-method of instructing a recording operation of a program from a radio communication terminal to a program-recording-apparatus for recording a program to be broadcast, comprising the steps of:

a program-retrieving-step of retrieving a program which satisfies retrieving conditions preset by a user of said radio communication terminal, from a database in which program information concerning a program to be broadcast is reserved;

a program-information-transmitting-step, in which, when a program satisfying said retrieving conditions is retrieved, a program information concerning the retrieved program is obtained from said database, so that the program information is voluntarily transmitted to said radio communication terminal;

a program-information-displaying-step of receiving the transmitted program information at said radio terminal and displaying the received program information, so as to prompt the user to instruct the recording operation of the program; and

a recording-instruction-transmitting-step, in which, when the recording operation of the program is instructed, recording-instruction-information is transmitted from said radio communication terminal to said program-recording-apparatus.

27. A method of instructing a program recording operation as defined in claim 26, wherein, in said program-information-transmitting-step, when the transmission conditions which are set corresponding to the user of said radio terminal are satisfied, the program information retrieved in said retrieving step is transmitted.

28. A method of instructing a program recording operation defined in claim 26 or 27, wherein the program information reserved in said database includes a basic information including the broadcast date-and-time of the program, channel, and program name information and a detailed information concerning the contents of the program, the amount of said detailed information being larger than that of said basic information;

and wherein, in said program-information-transmitting-step, said basic information of the program retrieved in said program retrieving step is voluntarily transmitted to said radio communication terminal, and said detailed information of the program retrieved in said retrieving step is sequentially transmitted to said radio communication terminal when an instruction is provided from said radio communication terminal.

29. A program-recording-instruction-method of instructing a purchasing operation of a program from a radio communication terminal to a program-providing-apparatus, said program-providing-apparatus providing a registered user with a program instructed from the user to purchase it, comprising the steps of:

a program-retrieving-step of retrieving a program satisfying the retrieving conditions which are set corresponding to a user of said radio communication terminal from a database in which program information concerning a program to be broadcast is reserved;

a program-information-transmitting-step, in which, when a program satisfying said retrieving conditions is retrieved, a program information concerning the retrieved program is obtained from said database, so that the program information is voluntarily transmitted to said radio communication terminal;

a program-information-displaying-step of receiving the transmitted program information at said radio terminal and displaying the received program information, so as to prompt the user to instruct the purchasing operation of the program; and

a purchasing-instruction-transmitting-step, in which, when the purchasing operation of the program is instructed, the purchasing-instruction-information is transmitted from said radio communication terminal to said program-providing-apparatus.

30. A method of instructing a program purchasing operation as defined in claim 29, wherein, in said program-information-transmitting-step, when the transmission conditions which are set corresponding to the user of said radio terminal are satisfied, the program information retrieved in said retrieving step is transmitted.

31. A method of instructing a program purchasing operation as defined in claim 29 or 30, wherein the program information reserved in said database includes a basic information including the broadcast date-and-time of the program channel, and program name information and a detailed information concerning the contents of the program, the amount of said detailed information being larger than that of said basic information;

and wherein, in said program-information-transmitting-step, said basic information of the program retrieved in said retrieving step is voluntarily transmitted to said radio communication terminal, and said detailed information of the program retrieved in said program-retrieving-step is sequentially transmitted to said radio communication terminal when an instruction is provided from said radio communication terminal.

32. An apparatus for wirelessly transmitting program information concerning a program to be broadcast, to a plurality of radio communication terminals, comprising:

a first memory comprising program information concerning a program to be broadcast;

a second memory comprising retrieving conditions which are set corresponding to the plurality of radio communication terminals;

a server which is adapted to access the first memory and the second memory, the server retrieving a program satisfying the retrieving conditions stored in the second memory from the program information stored in the first memory; and

transmitter for transmitting the program information concerning said retrieved program to said radio communication terminals corresponding to said retrieving conditions.