Transmitting apparatus and receiving apparatus

• US 7,627,881 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Information Broadcasting Laboratories Incorporated, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Information Broadcasting Laboratories Incorporated, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishio, Fumihiko, Haraoka, Kazuo, Yamagishi, Yasuaki, Takabayashi, Kazuhiko, Gonno, Yoshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris; Joseph G
• Application Number:
  US09/647,332
• Time in Patent Office: 3,595 Days
• Field of Search: 725/54, 725/44, 725/45, 725/46, 725/47, 725/39, 725/114, 725/131, 725/132, 725/133, 725/139, 725/140, 725/141, 725/151, 725/152, 725/153, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A transmitting system for transmitting contents data, meta data, and meta data schema. A meta data schema that represents the structure of meta data of contents data is stored in a meta data schema storing portion. A contents segmenting portion generates segmentation data for selecting a particular segment from successive contents data supplied from a contents storing portion and supplies the generated segmentation data to a meta data combining portion. The meta data combining portion correlates meta data with corresponding segmentation data in a format corresponding to the structure of the meta data schema, combines the meta data with the segmentation data, and outputs the combined data. The meta data schema, meta data with segmentation data, and contents data are converted in a transmission format.

Claims

1. A transmitting apparatus for transmitting contents data and corresponding meta data over a network, comprising:

contents storing means for storing contents data comprising broadcast programs and corresponding meta data in a broadcast format;

meta data schema storing means for storing a meta data schema defining a data structure for said meta data that is compatible with a network transmission format;

contents segmenting means for segmenting said contents data and generating segmentation information of the contents data;

contents converting means for converting the segmented contents data into said network transmission format;

meta data combining means for combining the corresponding meta data and segmentation information for the segmented contents data corresponding to the meta data schema;

meta data converting means for converting the meta data and segmentation information from the broadcast format into the network transmission format,

wherein the broadcast programs are restructured by a user based on the segmentation information, the meta data schema and the meta data being transferred according to the restructured broadcast programs, and

wherein the meta data schema is transmitted to a receiving apparatus and updated by the receiving apparatus according to a user'"'"'s favorite before the meta data is transmitted so that the meta data of each segmented contents data is selectively delivered based on the updated meta data schema, and

wherein said meta data converting means converts the meta data with the segmentation information and represents the meta data with the segmentation information in a descriptor format of an MPEG system section;

meta data schema converting means for converting the meta data schema into the network transmission format; and

transmitting means for transmitting the converted meta data and segmentation information, the converted meta data schema, and the converted contents data in the network transmission format over the network.

2. The transmitting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said meta data schema converting means converts the meta data schema and represents the meta data schema in an MPEG system section format.

3. A transmitting apparatus for transmitting contents data and corresponding meta data over a network, comprising:

contents storing means for storing contents data comprising broadcast programs and corresponding meta data in a broadcast format;

meta data schema storing means for storing a meta data schema defining a data structure for said meta data that is compatible with a network transmission format;

contents segmenting means for segmenting said contents data and generating segmentation information of the contents data;

contents converting means for converting the segmented contents data into said network transmission format;

segmentation information storing means for storing the segmentation information of the contents data;

meta data combining means for correlating an identifier of the segmentation information with the corresponding meta data for the segmented contents data, the corresponding meta data being combined with the segmented contents data corresponding to the meta data schema;

meta data converting means for converting the meta data and identifier into the network transmission format, wherein said meta data converting means converts the meta data with the segmentation information and represents the meta data with the segmentation information in a descriptor format of an MPEG system section;

meta data schema converting means for converting the meta data schema from the broadcast format into the network transmission format;

segmentation information converting means for converting the segmentation information into the network transmission format; and

transmitting means for transmitting the converted meta data and identifier, the converted meta data schema, the converted segmentation information, and the converted contents data in the network transmission format over the network,

wherein the broadcast programs are restructured by a user based on the segmentation information, the meta data schema and the meta data being transferred according to the restructured broadcast programs, and

wherein the meta data schema is transmitted to a receiving apparatus and updated by the receiving apparatus according to a user'"'"'s favorite before the meta data is transmitted so that the meta data of each segmented contents data is selectively delivered based on the updated meta data schema.

4. The transmitting apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said meta data schema converting means converts the meta data schema and represents the meta data schema in an MPEG system section format.

5. A receiving apparatus for receiving contents data and corresponding meta data transmitted over a network, comprising:

receiving means for receiving segmented contents data comprising broadcast programs, corresponding meta data and segmentation information, and a meta data schema in a network transmission format from the network, the corresponding meta data being combined with the segmented contents data corresponding to the meta data schema,

wherein said corresponding meta data includes electronic program guide data converted for transmission from a broadcast transmission format into said network transmission format, and

wherein said meta data with said segmentation information is represented in a descriptor format of an MPEG system section;

meta data schema storing means for storing the received meta data schema defining a data structure for the corresponding meta data;

meta data storing means for storing the received meta data and segmentation information corresponding to the segmented contents data;

meta data analyzing means for analyzing the stored meta data and segmentation information on the basis of the meta data schema; and

contents reproduction controlling means for controlling reproduction of the segmented contents data on the basis of the segmentation information analyzed by said meta data analyzing means,

wherein the broadcast programs are restructured by a user based on the segmentation information, the meta data schema and the meta data being transferred according to the restructured broadcast programs, and

wherein the receiving apparatus updates the meta data schema according to a user'"'"'s favorite and transmits the updated meta data schema to a transmitting apparatus before receiving the meta data so that the meta data of each segmented contents data is selectively delivered based on the updated meta data schema.

6. A receiving apparatus for receiving contents data and corresponding meta data transmitted over a network, comprising:

receiving means for receiving segmented contents data comprising broadcast programs, corresponding meta data and an identifier, segmentation information, and a meta data schema in a network transmission format from the network, the corresponding meta data being combined with the segmented contents data corresponding to the meta data schema,

wherein said corresponding meta data includes electronic program guide data converted for transmission from a broadcast transmission format into said network transmission format, and

wherein said meta data with said segmentation information is represented in a descriptor format of an MPEG system section;

meta data schema storing means for storing the received meta data schema defining a data structure for the corresponding meta data;

meta data storing means for storing the received meta data and identifier corresponding to the segmentation information for the contents data;

segmentation information storing means for storing the received segmentation information;

meta data analyzing means for analyzing the stored meta data on the basis of the meta data schema, and the stored segmentation information on the basis of the identifier; and

contents reproduction controlling means for controlling reproduction of the segmented contents data on the basis of the segmentation information analyzed by said meta data analyzing means,

wherein the broadcast programs are restructured by a user based on the segmentation information, the meta data schema and the meta data being transferred according to the restructured broadcast programs, and

wherein the receiving apparatus updates the meta data schema according to a user'"'"'s favorite and transmits the updated meta data schema to a transmitting apparatus before receiving the meta data so that the meta data of each segmented contents data is selectively delivered based on the updated meta data schema.