Electronic information content distribution processing system, information distribution apparatus, information processing apparatus, and electronic information content distribution processing method

• US 7,200,853 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawai, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hossain; Farzana E.
• Application Number:
  US09/800,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,218 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36, 725/42
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/91 broadcasting computer programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A system is provided to distribute electronic information contents D0 containing advertisement to a user, and process advertisement information D2 at the user side. This system comprises an information distribution apparatus 19 for distributing advertisement information D2 to the user; and a plurality of information processing apparatuses 8 for receiving and storing the electronic information contents D0 distributed from the information distribution apparatus 19, reading out the electronic information contents D0 according to the user operation, and processing the electronic information contents D2, thereby outputting the advertisement video image and its audio. With this configuration, after receipt of advertisement information, the user can see and hear an advertisement video image or audio freely processed with respect to an advertisement by the information processing apparatuses 8 in unreal time (asynchronously) like playing a game.

In this manner, there can be constructed a electronic advertisement medium which reverses a concept of an advertisement of big four mass media, the advertisement having been supplied one-sidedly conventionally, and which performs an advertisement interactively.

Claims

1. An interactive advertising system comprising:

an electronic distribution apparatus adapted to distribute electronic information content which includes interactive advertisements and broadcast information, wherein the data format of the electronic information comprises;

a transfer request command at the beginning of the data,

dummy packet following the transfer request command,

a program start command, and

program data packets;

a tuner adapted to receive the interactive advertisements and broadcast information and store the interactive advertisements and broadcast information in a first storage device; and

an electronic gaming console adapted to retrieve the interactive advertisements and broadcast information from the first storage device, store the interactive advertisements and broadcast information in a second storage device, and process either the interactive advertisements or broadcast information for display based on a user selection.

2. The interactive advertising system of claim 1, wherein there is provided an interactive advertisement specific channel for distributing only the electronic information contents concerning said interactive advertisements.

3. The interactive advertising system of claim 1, wherein said electronic information contents are provided so as to be distributed using existing broadcasting infrastructure or communication infrastructure.

4. The interactive advertising system of claim 3, wherein in the case of using said existing broadcasting infrastructure or communication infrastructure, at least broadcasting information content and interactive advertisement content are constructed in a group of data, and the data are transmitted to be multiplexed in a vertical blanking period of a television broadcast signal adopted at said existing broadcasting infrastructure or communication infrastructure.

5. The interactive advertising system of claim 1, wherein said electronic gaming console displays at least one interactive advertisement prior to displaying said broadcasting information contents.

6. The interactive advertising system of claim 5, wherein when the display of broadcasting information contents is terminated, said electronic gaming console displays at least one interactive advertisement.

7. The interactive advertising system of claim 5, wherein when an interactive advertisement is displayed, said electronic gaming console executes a control program so as to select whether to set a mode for displaying said broadcasting information content or a mode for continuously displaying said interactive advertisement content.

8. The interactive advertising system of claim 1, wherein the interactive advertisements are displayed either as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image.

9. The interactive advertising system of claim 8, wherein the electronic gaming console comprises:

a controller adapted to allow a user to manipulate interactive features of the selected interactive advertisement.

10. The interactive advertising system of claim 9, wherein the interactive features may include zooming, rotating, manipulating colors, changing viewing perspectives, and accessing other images.

11. An interactive advertising system comprising:

an electronic distribution apparatus adapted to distribute electronic information content which includes interactive advertisements and broadcast information, wherein the data format of the electronic information comprises;

a transfer request command at the beginning of the data,

dummy packet following the transfer request command,

a program start command, and

program data packets;

a tuner adapted to receive the interactive advertisements and broadcast information and store the interactive advertisements and broadcast information in a first storage device; and

a hand held terminal device connectable to said tuner device, wherein said hand held terminal device comprises;

a computing unit adapted to retrieve the interactive advertisements and broadcast information from the first storage device, store the interactive advertisements and broadcast information in a second storage device, and process either the interactive advertisements or broadcast information for display based on a user selection;

a control unit adapted to enter said user selection; and

a display unit adapted to display the processed interactive advertisements and the broadcast information.

12. The interactive advertising system of claim 11, wherein a communication modem is provided at said hand held terminal device so as to receive said electronic information contents distributed by using an existing communication infrastructure.

13. The interactive advertising system of claim 11, wherein there is provided an interactive advertisement specific channel for distributing only the electronic information contents concerning said interactive advertisements.

14. The interactive advertising system of claim 11, wherein said electronic information contents are provided so as to be distributed using existing broadcasting infrastructure or communication infrastructure.

15. The interactive advertising system of claim 14, wherein in the case of using said existing broadcasting infrastructure or communication infrastructure, at least broadcasting information content and interactive advertisement content are constructed in a group of data, and the data are transmitted to be multiplexed in a vertical blanking period of a television broadcast signal adopted at said existing broadcasting infrastructure or communication infrastructure.

16. The interactive advertising system of claim 11, wherein said hand held terminal device displays at least one interactive advertisement prior to displaying said broadcasting information contents.

17. The interactive advertising system of claim 16, wherein when the display of broadcasting information content is terminated, said hand held terminal device displays at least one interactive advertisement.

18. The interactive advertising system of claim 16, wherein when an interactive advertisement is displayed, said hand held terminal device executes a control program so as to select whether to set a mode for displaying said broadcasting information content or a mode for continuously displaying said interactive advertisement content.

19. The interactive advertising system of claim 11, wherein the interactive advertisements are displayed either as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image.

20. The interactive advertising system of claim 19, wherein the hand held terminal device comprises:

a controller adapted to allow a user to manipulate interactive features of the selected interactive advertisement.

21. The interactive advertising system of claim 20, wherein the interactive features may include zooming, rotating, manipulating colors, changing viewing perspectives, and accessing other images.

22. A method of displaying electronic information content which includes interactive advertisements and broadcast information, comprising:

transferring the electronic information content to an information processing apparatus by a terrestrial wave, wherein the data format of the electronic content comprises;

a transfer request command at the beginning of the data,

dummy packet following the transfer request command,

a program start command, and

program data packets;

initially displaying a spot advertisement and not broadcast information in response to a user selecting to view broadcast information;

executing a control program such that the user may select whether to proceed to view broadcast information or view interactive advertisements;

displaying, in response to a selection to view interactive advertisements, an interactive advertisement comprising a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional video image with at least a hierarchy of the display contents of the spot advertisement that may be navigated by the user; and

displaying, in response to a selection to view the broadcast information, broadcast information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the information processing apparatus is a video game console.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the information processing apparatus is a personal computer.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the information processing apparatus is a hand held terminal device.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the program data packets are organized into blocks and wherein each block comprises:

a block header;

a program start command at the beginning of the program data packets; and

the data packets themselves.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein data of the program data packets comprises:

program information, wherein the program information comprises;

an application main body;

a module group; and

a library group;

and a video image element information and audio information, wherein the video image element information and audio information comprises;

a graphic model data group;

a graphic texture data group;

a sound sequence data group; and

a sound wave group.

28. An electronic gaming console comprising a user selectable device allowing a user to select between operations modes comprising:

a game mode for executing a game based on data from an optical disk device;

a program reproduction mode for displaying broadcast information data stored within an internal memory, wherein the broadcast information data is transmitted to the electronic gaming console using a data format comprising;

a transfer request command at the beginning of the data

dummy packet following the transfer request command,

a program start command, and

program data packets; and

an interactive advertisement operating mode for displaying interactive advertisements stored within an internal memory.

29. A hand-held information processing apparatus comprising a user selectable device allowing a user to select between operations modes comprising:

a game mode for executing a game based on data from a memory device;

a program reproduction mode for displaying broadcast information data stored within an internal memory, wherein the broadcast information data is transmitted to the electronic gaming console using a data format comprising;

a transfer request command at the beginning of the data,

dummy packet following the transfer request command,

a program start command, and

program data packets; and

an interactive advertisement operating mode for displaying interactive advertisements stored within an internal memory.