Data transmission method and system of same, information processing method and system of same, data transmitter, signal processor, content data processing method, and data serving method

• US 7,707,605 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Isao, Tanaka, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US09/733,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20010014906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,427 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/34, 725/36, 725/42, 725 89- 90, 725/133, 725/135, 725/141, 725/153, 725/40, 725/44, 725/48, 463/1, 463 30- 35, 463 40- 44, 345/418, 345/473
• US Class Current: 725/48
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/02 Arrangements for generating broadcast information; Arrangements for generating broadcast-related information with a direct linking to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for simultaneous generation of broadcast information and broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/98 Physical distribution of media, e.g. postcards, CDs or DVDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 : Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 : specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control

Abstract

A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel having a plurality of pixels on a display line. A set of drivers drives a set of pixels, the set of drivers receiving display data and providing video signals to the set of pixels. A clock provides a clock signal to the set of drivers to latch the display data based on a frequency of the clock signal, and receives a feedback signal from the set of drivers prior to an end of the display data received by the set of drivers. A delay circuit stops the clock signal to the set of drivers, based on the feedback signal, after delaying for a first time period that is no less than a predetermined time period between the feedback signal and the end of the display data received by the set of drivers.

Claims

1. A data transmission method comprising:

broadcasting, from a transmitter to a viewer apparatus, television content data, command data, and complementary data;

receiving the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data at the viewer apparatus;

generating first output content data at the viewer apparatus, without requiring any transmission to the transmitter, the generating of the first output content data comprising;

(i) outputting an operation signal based on an operation performed by a viewer; and

(ii) processing software stored in a data storage medium using the operation signal as an input to generate the first output content data;

incorporating the complementary data into the first output content data, according to commands of the command data, to generate second output content data; and

outputting the second output content data to a monitor.

2. A data transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising, at the viewer apparatus, combining the first output content data with the television content data to generate the second output content data.

3. A data transmission method according to claim 1, wherein the first output content data at the viewer apparatus comprises data that describes a game character, and

further comprising, at the viewer apparatus, replacing video data of a predetermined object contained in the television content data with the data describing the game character to generate the second output content data.

4. A data transmission method according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the television content data and the complementary data comprise advertisement data, and

further comprising, at the viewer apparatus, combining the first output content data with the advertisement data to generate the second output content data.

5. A data transmission method according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the television content data and the complementary data comprise a plurality of advertisement data, and further comprising selectively combining one or more of the plurality of advertisement data with the first output content data to generate the second output content data.

6. A data transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting feedback data from the viewer apparatus to the transmitter; and

at the transmitter, updating the television content data for broadcast based on the feedback data.

7. A data transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving additional command data at the viewer apparatus, and wherein

processing the software stored in the storage medium comprises processing the software based on the additional command data.

8. A data transmission system having a transmitter for broadcasting data and a plurality of viewer apparatuses for receiving the data, wherein

the transmitter broadcasts television content data, command data, and complementary data, and

each viewer apparatus of the viewer apparatuses comprises:

a receiving means for receiving the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data;

a generating means for generating first output content data without requiring any transmission to the transmitter, the generating means comprising;

(i) an operating means for a viewer to perform an operation and to output an operation signal based on the operation;

(ii) a first signal processing means for processing software stored in a data storage medium using the operation signal as an input to generate the first output content data;

a second signal processing means for incorporating the complementary data into the first output content data, according to commands of the command data, to generate second output content data; and

an outputting means for outputting the second output content data to a monitor.

9. A data transmission system according to claim 8, wherein each of the viewer apparatuses further comprises a transmitting means for transmitting feedback data to the transmitter, and wherein the transmitter is adapted to prepare at least one of the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data for broadcast based on the feedback data.

10. A data transmission system according to claim 8, wherein the first output content data comprises data that describes a game character, and wherein the second signal processing means of each of the viewer apparatuses is adapted to replace video data of a predetermined object contained in the television content data with the data describing the game character to generate the second output content data.

11. A data transmission system according to claim 8, wherein one or both of the television content data and the complementary data comprise advertisement data, and wherein the second signal processing means of each of the viewer apparatuses is adapted to combine the first output content data and the advertisement data to generate the second output content data.

12. A data transmission system according to claim 8, wherein one or both of the television content data and the complementary data comprise a plurality of advertisement data, and wherein the second signal processing means of the viewer apparatus is adapted to selectively combine the first output content data with one or more of the plurality of advertisement data to generate the second output content data.

13. A data transmission system having a transmitter for broadcasting data and a plurality of viewer apparatuses for receiving the data, wherein

the transmitter broadcasts television content data, command data, and complementary data, the complementary data comprising video data, and

each viewer apparatus of the viewer apparatuses comprises:

a receiving means for receiving the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data;

a generating means for generating processed television data that comprises video data without requiring any transmission to the transmitter, the generating means comprising;

(i) an operating means for a viewer to perform an operation and to output an operation signal based on the operation; and

(ii) a signal processing means for processing software stored in a removable recording medium using the operation signal as an input to generate the processed television content data that comprises video data;

a signal combining means for incorporating the video data of the complementary data into a predetermined region of the video data of the processed television content data, according to commands of the command data, to generate output content data that comprises video data; and

an outputting means for outputting the output content data to a monitor.

14. A data transmission system according to claim 13, wherein the complementary data comprises advertisement data, and

wherein the signal combining means of each of the viewer apparatuses is adapted to combine the advertisement data with a predetermined region of the video data of the processed television content data to generate the output content data comprising the video data.

15. A data transmission system according to claim 14, wherein the signal combining means of each of the viewer apparatuses is adapted to selectively combine the advertisement data with the processed television content data to generate the output content data.

16. An information processing method comprising:

generating, at a transmitter, television content data, command data, and complementary data, and broadcasting the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data to a viewer apparatus;

receiving, at the viewer apparatus, the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data;

generating first output content data at the viewer apparatus, without requiring any transmission to the transmitter, the generating of the first output content data comprising;

(i) outputting an operation signal based on an operation performed by a viewer; and

(ii) processing software stored in a data storage medium at the viewer apparatus using the operation signal as an input to generate the first output content data;

incorporating the complementary data into the first output content data, according to commands of the command data, to generate second output content data;

outputting the second output content data to a monitor;

transmitting at least one of the first output content data and the second output content data from the viewer apparatus to the transmitter as feedback data; and

at the transmitter, processing the feedback data to update the television content data for broadcast.

17. An information processing system comprising a transmitter for broadcasting data and a plurality of viewer apparatuses for receiving the data,

the transmitter comprising:

a data generating means for generating television content data, command data, and complementary data;

a first transmitting means for broadcasting the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data to the viewer apparatuses; and

an information processing means for processing feedback data received from the viewer apparatuses to output a processing result;

wherein the content data creating means generates the television content data to be broadcasted based on the processing result;

and each viewer apparatus of the plurality of viewer apparatuses comprising;

a receiving means for receiving the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data;

a generating means for generating first output content data without requiring any transmission to the transmitter, the generating means comprising;

(i) an operating means for a viewer to perform an operation and to output an operation signal based on the operation; and

(ii) a first signal processing means for processing software stored in a data storage medium using the operation signal as an input to generate the first output content data;

a second signal processing means for incorporating the complementary data into the first output content data, according to commands of the command data, to generate second output content data;

an outputting means for outputting the second output content data to a monitor; and

a second transmitting means for transmitting at least one of the first output content data and the second output content data to the transmitter as the feedback data.

18. A data transmitter for transmitting data to a plurality of viewer apparatuses, each of the viewer apparatuses being adapted to:

generate first output content data at the viewer apparatus, without requiring any transmission to the transmitter, the generating of the first output content data comprising;

(i) outputting an operation signal based on an operation performed by a viewer; and

(ii) processing software stored in a data storage medium using the operation signal as an input and based on command data, to generate the first output content data;

(iii) incorporate complementary data into the first output content data, according to commands of the command data, to generate second output content data; and

(iv) output the second output content data to a monitor,

the data transmitter comprising;

a data generating means for generating television content data, the command data to control the generation of the first output content data and to control the generation of the second output content data, and the complementary data; and

a broadcasting means for broadcasting the television content data, the command data, and the complementary data to the plurality of viewer apparatuses.

19. A data transmitter according to claim 18, further comprising:

a receiving means for receiving feedback data transmitted from the plurality of viewer apparatuses; and

a computer means for collecting the feedback data transmitted from the plurality of viewer apparatuses and performing a predetermined computation to generate a result,

wherein the data generating means is adapted to generate data based on the feedback data or the result of the predetermined computation.

20. A data transmitter according to claim 18, wherein the data generating means is adapted to generate the television content data to comprise video data and is adapted to generate the command data to comprise information for replacing a predetermined object in the video data with another object.

21. A data transmitter according to claim 18, wherein the data generating means is adapted to generate one or both of said the television content data and the complementary data to comprise advertisement data that includes video data.

22. A signal processor for receiving data from a transmitter, the signal processor comprising:

a receiving means for receiving television content data, command data, and complementary data from a transmitter;

a generating means for generating first output content data without requiring any transmission to the transmitter, the means for generating the first output content data comprising;

(i) an operating means for a viewer to perform an operation and to output an operation signal based on the operation; and

(ii) a first signal processing means for processing software stored in a data storage medium using the operation signal as an input to generate the first output content data;

a second signal processing means for incorporating the complementary data into the first output content data, according to commands of the command data, to generate second output content data; and

an outputting means for outputting the second output content data to a monitor.

23. A signal processor according to claim 22, wherein the first signal processing means is adapted to control the processing of the software based on the command data.

24. A signal processor according to claim 22, wherein the second signal processing means is adapted to combine video data of the first output content data with a predetermined region of video data of the television content data to generate the second output content data.

25. A signal processor according to claim 24, wherein the first output content data comprises data that describes a game character, and wherein the second signal processing means is adapted to replace video data of a predetermined object contained in the television content data with the data describing the game character to generate the second output content data.

26. A signal processor as set forth in claim 22, wherein the second signal processing means is adapted to combine video data of the television content data with a predetermined region of video data of the first output content data to generate the second output content data.

27. A signal processor according to claim 22, wherein the second signal processing means is adapted to combine the first output content data with advertisement data contained in the television content data to generate the second output content data.

28. A signal processor according to claim 27, wherein the second signal processing means is adapted to selectively combine one or more of a plurality of advertisement data contained in the television content data with the first output content data to generate the second output content data.

29. A signal processor according to claim 22, further comprising a transmitting means for transmitting feedback data to the transmitter.