Storage-type broadcast service system and reception storage unit

• US 7,330,635 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujita, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNN, MISHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US10/049,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20030185540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,437 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/46, 386/83, 386/55, 386/57, 386/84, 725/35, 725 46- 49, 725/52, 725/54, 725/58, 725143-153, 725/74
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/60 Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client , e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

The object of the invention is to assure storage of data in information delivery services using storage media and providing services that promises the viewer'"'"'s convenience.

Receiving/storage apparatus (11) according to the invention holds exclusive storage regions in one or more physical or logical units to allocate to storage channels. The receiving/storage apparatus (11) comprises a storage channel management section (101) for managing storage channels, a reservation processing section (102) for making reservation for receiving information on storage channels, a receiver (103) for receiving information, a storage management section (104) for managing the received information and holding the relationship between reference names and storage names, and a storage channel operation application section (105) for implementing features necessary for the store and forward broadcast service based on the information managed in said storage channel management section (101).

Claims

1. A store and forward broadcast service system comprising an information transmitter for transmitting information and receiving/storage apparatus for receiving and storing information,

wherein said receiving/storage apparatus manages storage regions exclusively available to a specific storage channel and information transmitted as the storage channel is stored into the exclusive storage regions in said receiving/storage apparatus,

wherein the capacity of the exclusive storage regions is specified per storage channel and that the exclusive storage regions matching the storage capacity specified for the storage channel are exclusively assigned to the storage channel in said receiving/storage apparatus,

wherein said information transmitter transmits service configuration information describing at least storage capacity to be reserved in said receiving/storage apparatus, software necessary for use of storage channels, contract information concerning use of storage channels, encryption information for decoding information that is encrypted and transmitted, delivery schedule information for receiving information, entry information specifying the initial operation of selection of storage channels, or information for receiving such information, and

wherein said receiving/storage apparatus uses service configuration information to install storage channels.

2. A store and forward broadcast service system according to claim 1, wherein said receiving/storage apparatus mounts a plurality of exclusive storage regions of a fixed capacity in advance and defines the capacity of the storage regions to be specified per storage channel in units of said fixed capacity.

3. A store and forward broadcast service system comprising an information transmitter for transmitting information and receiving/storage apparatus for receiving and storing information,

wherein said receiving/storage apparatus manages storage regions exclusively available to a specific storage channel and information transmitted as the storage channel is stored into the exclusive storage regions in said receiving/storage apparatus,

wherein the capacity of the exclusive storage regions is specified per storage channel and that the exclusive storage regions matching the storage capacity specified for the storage channel are exclusively assigned to the storage channel in said receiving/storage apparatus,

wherein said information transmitter transmits service configuration information describing at least storage capacity to be reserved in said receiving/storage apparatus, software necessary for use of storage channels, contract information concerning use of storage channels, encryption information for decoding information that is encrypted and transmitted, delivery schedule information for receiving information, entry information specifying the initial operation of selection of storage channels, or information for receiving such information, and wherein said receiving/storage apparatus reserves exclusive storage regions based on the storage capacity described in the service configuration information, manages the reserved regions in association with the storage channels as well as receives software, a contract key and an encryption key, and after said reception is successfully complete, starts information reception on the storage channel.

4. A store and forward broadcast service system comprising an information transmitter for transmitting information and receiving/storage apparatus for receiving and storing information,

wherein said receiving/storage apparatus manages storage regions exclusively available to a specific storage channel and information transmitted as the storage channel is stored into the exclusive storage regions in said receiving/storage apparatus,

wherein the capacity of the exclusive storage regions is specified per storage channel and that the exclusive storage regions matching the storage capacity specified for the storage channel are exclusively assigned to the storage channel in said receiving/storage apparatus, wherein at least storage channel identity and storage channel list information describing service configuration information per storage channel or information for receiving service configuration information is transmitted as list information of the storage channel under operation.

5. Receiving/Storage apparatus wherein said apparatus has a storage channel management section for managing storage channels, a reservation processing section for making reservation processing to receive information on storage channels, a receiver for receiving information, and a storage management section for storing/managing the received information and managing the names used for referencing information and the names stored in the receiving/storage apparatus in association,

wherein said storage channel management section comprises a storage channel control application section for managing storage channel list information as well as using said storage channel list information to generate a storage channel list screen,

wherein information on individual storage channels is displayed on the storage channel list screen, the displayed information including at least one of an installation state and a subscription state.

6. Receiving/Storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the subscription state includes the states of non-subscription, subscription and subscription interruption.

7. Receiving/Storage apparatus according to claim 5, wherein storage channels can be selected using the same user interface as that for an ordinary broadcast service.

8. Receiving/Storage apparatus wherein said apparatus has a storage channel management section for managing storage channels, a reservation processing section for making reservation processing to receive information on storage channels, a receiver for receiving information, and a storage management section for storing/managing the received information and managing the names used for referencing information and the names stored in the receiving/storage apparatus in association, wherein an installation screen is displayed in case an uninstalled storage channel is selected.

9. Receiving/Storage apparatus wherein said apparatus has a storage channel management section for managing storage channels, a reservation processing section for making reservation processing to receive information on storage channels, a receiver for receiving information, and a storage management section for storing/managing the received information and managing the names used for referencing information and the names stored in the receiving/storage apparatus in association, wherein the subscription restart screen is displayed in case a storage channel in the subscription interruption state is selected.

10. Receiving/Storage apparatus wherein said apparatus has a storage channel management section for managing storage channels, a reservation processing section for making reservation processing to receive information on storage channels, a receiver for receiving information, and a storage management section for storing/managing the received information and managing the names used for referencing information and the names stored in the receiving/storage apparatus in association, wherein, in case a storage channel in the subscription state is selected, presence/absence of the contract is checked and in case the contract check is successful, operation is made in accordance with the entry information, and in case the contract check fails, a message indicating the contract is invalid is displayed on the screen.

11. Receiving/Storage apparatus wherein said apparatus has a storage channel management section for managing storage channels, a reservation processing section for making reservation processing to receive information on storage channels, a receiver for receiving information, and a storage management section for storing/managing the received information and managing the names used for referencing information and the names stored in the receiving/storage apparatus in association, wherein said receiving/storage apparatus further comprises a capacity management section and said capacity management section monitors the capacity of the exclusive storage regions on the storage channels.

12. Receiving/Storage apparatus wherein said apparatus has a storage channel management section for managing storage channels, a reservation processing section for making reservation processing to receive information on storage channels, a receiver for receiving information, and a storage management section for storing/managing the received information and managing the names used for referencing information and the names stored in the receiving/storage apparatus in association, wherein said receiving/storage apparatus further comprises a contract management section and, in case contract information is present in said service configuration information received by said receiver, said contract management section checks the validity of the contract.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a general-purpose computer having a receiving/storage program installed thereon, wherein said receiving/storage program makes the general-purpose computer to work as a storage channel management section for managing storage channels, a reservation processing section for making reservation processing to receive information on storage channels, a receiver for receiving information, and a storage management section for storing/managing the received information and managing names used for referencing information and names stored in the receiving/storage apparatus in association,

wherein said receiving/storage program is used by a storage channel management section to work as a storage channel control application section for managing storage channel list information as well as using said storage channel list information to generate a storage channel list screen, and

wherein information on individual storage channels is displayed on the storage channel list screen, the displayed information including at least one of an installation state and a subscription state.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein subscription state includes the states of non-subscription, subscription and subscription interruption.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein storage channels can be selected using the same user interface as that for an ordinary broadcast service.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the installation screen is displayed in case an uninstalled storage channel is selected.

17. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the subscription restart screen is displayed in case a storage channel in the subscription interruption state is selected.

18. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, in case a storage channel in the subscription state is selected, presence/absence of the contract is checked and in case the contract check is successful, operation is made in accordance with the entry information, and in case the contract check fails, a message indicating the contract is invalid is displayed on the screen.

19. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said receiving/storage program further comprises a feature as a capacity management section for monitoring the capacity of the exclusive storage regions on the storage channels.

20. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said receiving/storage program further comprises a feature as a contract management section for checking the validity of the contract in case contract information is present in said service configuration information received by said receiver.