Multi-media data automatic delivery system

• US 7,350,223 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Kiyoharu, Tsuda, Kunikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US10/796,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 725/22, 725 32- 36, 725/86, 725 95- 96, 725/100, 725/110, 725/114, 725/122, 725/134, 725/142, 725/12, 709206-207, 705/14, 705/16, 348/722, 715/716, 715/733
• US Class Current: 725/97
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A system for delivering contents includes a center system which delivers the contents, a plurality of terminal systems which receive the contents from the center system and displays the contents, and communication lines connecting the center system to the plurality of terminal systems. The center system includes a delivery-schedule setting unit which sets a schedule of delivery, and a contents-delivery unit which delivers the contents to the terminal systems according to the schedule of delivery during a time period when a load on the terminal systems is lower than a predetermined level.

Claims

1. A delivery system for delivering a plurality of contents, comprising:

a center system configured to deliver the plurality of contents;

a plurality of terminal apparatuses configured to receive the plurality of contents from the center system and to display the plurality of contents; and

communication lines connecting said center system to said plurality of terminal apparatuses and configured to transmit the plurality of contents,

wherein said center system comprises;

a delivery-schedule setting unit configured to set a schedule of delivery of the plurality of contents;

a content-delivery unit configured to identify the contents to be delivered to one of the terminal apparatuses based on attribute information indicative of at least one characteristic of the one of the terminal apparatuses and to deliver the contents to the one of the terminal apparatuses,

wherein the one of the terminal apparatuses sends the center system a picture of a screen of said the one of the terminal apparatuses on which the contents received from the center system is displayed; and

a remote monitoring unit configured to determine based on the received picture of the screen of said one of the terminal apparatuses whether any of the plurality of contents are displayed on the screen of said the one of the terminal apparatuses.

2. The delivery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an output schedule setting unit configured to set an output schedule as the attribute information of the one of the terminal apparatuses, said output schedule defining a schedule according to which the contents to be delivered to and stored at the one of the terminal apparatuses are displayed at the one of the terminal apparatuses, and wherein the output schedule set by the output schedule setting unit is transmitted to the one of the terminal apparatuses.

3. The delivery system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the delivery schedule setting unit is configured to set a delivery schedule as the attribute information of the one of the terminal apparatuses, said delivery schedule defining a schedule according to which contents are delivered during a low utilization period in which a utilization of the one of the terminal apparatuses drops below a predetermined level.

4. The delivery system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the delivery schedule setting unit derives the utilization of the one of terminal apparatus apparatuses based on a preset output schedule.

5. The delivery system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the delivery schedule setting unit includes a delivery scheduling function to control the delivery of the contents identified for the one of the terminal apparatuses based on the delivery schedule already set for the one of the terminal apparatuses and the output schedule already transmitted to the one of the terminal apparatuses.

6. The delivery system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the delivery schedule setting unit is provided with a function to modify a currently effective delivery schedule, and wherein when the delivery schedule is to be newly set for the one of the terminal apparatuses to deliver new contents to the one of the terminal apparatuses, said function derives an available time according to the output schedule and the delivery schedule and a time required to deliver the contents based on the output schedule and delivery schedule currently set for the one of the terminal apparatuses and the low utilization period of the one of the terminal apparatuses.

7. The delivery system of claim 2, wherein the output schedule transmitted to the one of the terminal apparatuses includes a date and time for display of the contents on the screen of the one of the terminal apparatuses.

8. A contents delivery method for delivering contents to be stored and displayed at a terminal apparatus that is connected thereto via a network, comprising:

causing a contents storing unit to store contents to be delivered to the terminal apparatus;

causing an attribute information storing unit to store attribute information indicative of at least one characteristic of the terminal apparatus on a terminal-apparatus-specific basis;

identifying the contents to be delivered to the terminal apparatus among the contents stored in the contents storing unit based on the attribute information of the terminal apparatus;

retrieving the identified contents from the contents storing unit for delivery to the terminal apparatus;

delivering the identified contents to the terminal apparatus;

receiving a picture of a screen of said terminal apparatus on which the contents is displayed; and

determining, based on the received picture of the screen of said terminal apparatus, whether any of the plurality of contents are displayed on the terminal apparatus.

9. The contents delivery method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

setting an output schedule as the attribute information of the terminal apparatus, said output schedule defining a schedule according to which the contents to be delivered to and stored at the terminal apparatus are displayed at the terminal apparatus; and

transmitting the output schedule to the terminal apparatus.

10. The contents delivery method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising setting a delivery schedule as the attribute information of the terminal apparatus, said delivery schedule defining a schedule according to which contents are delivered during a low utilization period in which a utilization of the terminal apparatus drops below a predetermined level.

11. The contents delivery method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the utilization of the terminal apparatus is derived based on a preset output schedule.

12. The contents delivery method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the delivery of the contents identified for the terminal apparatus is controlled by referring to the delivery schedule set for the terminal apparatus.

13. The contents delivery method as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the delivery schedule is to be newly set for the terminal apparatus, a currently effective delivery schedule is modified by deriving an available time according to the output schedule and the delivery schedule and a time required to deliver the contents based on the output schedule and delivery schedule currently set for the terminal apparatus and the low utilization period of the terminal apparatus.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the output schedule transmitted to the terminal apparatus includes a date and time for display of the contents on the screen of the terminal apparatus.