Method, system, and apparatus for acquiring information concerning broadcast information

• US 7,712,123 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kiyoshi, Akutsu, Akihito, Shigeyoshi, Hiroki, Tonomura, Yoshinobu, Miyaoku, Kento
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam; Mushfikh
• Application Number:
  US10/257,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,309 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; tracking of instant messages H04L51/234; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A technology is provided for a viewer of broadcast information or recorded information to easily obtain information related to the broadcast information or recorded information from a server, in which, in a system in which a viewer apparatus and a content providing server for providing content information related to video or voice are connected via a network, the viewer apparatus obtains related information necessary for obtaining the content information; sends the related information to the content providing server so as to request the content providing server to send the content information; and obtains the content information sent from the content providing server.

Claims

1. A broadcast synchronization type service providing method where a broadcasting station or a broadcast information storing server sends broadcast information including voice and video and performs a method comprising:

superimposing a data signal on voice at a same rate as a video frame rate of the video by deleting specific frequency components of the voice in response to a low or a high signal of binary data from said data signal; and

sending said broadcast information including said voice that includes said data signal, said data signal including a channel identifier uniquely assigned to a broadcast channel and an image frame identifier uniquely assigned to an image frame in video, said data signal does not include a voice frame identifier;

in a receiving side, a viewer apparatus performs a method comprising,

collecting broadcast voice output from a speaker of a broadcast receiving apparatus, that receives said broadcast information, by using a microphone, and converting said broadcast voice into an electrical signal;

extracting said data signal superimposed on said electrical signal continuously one after another by detecting the deleted frequency components of said voice and reproducing said binary data of said data signal;

extracting said channel identifier and said image frame identifier from said data signal;

obtaining related information corresponding to said channel identifier and said image frame identifier via a network;

sending the image frame identifier as a time-series continuous number by said broadcasting station or said broadcast information storing server;

using the image frame identifier by the viewer apparatus as an image frame identifier of an image that is currently reproduced by the broadcast receiving apparatus, when said viewer apparatus continuously extracts said data signal superimposed on said voice from said voice output from said speaker of said broadcast receiving apparatus, if said data signal is correctly extracted from said voice so that said image frame identifier is recognized; and

generating and using an image frame identifier by the viewer apparatus on the basis of a value of an image frame identifier that is most recently recognized, and on the basis of a difference between a time when said most recently recognized image frame identifier is recognized and a current time, if said data signal is not correctly extracted from said voice so that said image frame identifier is not recognized.

2. The broadcast synchronization type service providing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining said related information from a related information providing server connected to said network by the viewer apparatus, said related information is stored in a broadcast information database managed by said related information providing server, in which said related information is associated with said channel identifier and said image frame identifier.

3. The broadcast synchronization type service providing method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

storing, in said broadcast information database, viewer information indicating characteristics of a viewer by the related information providing server to which said related information is provided, and viewer apparatus information indicating characteristics of a terminal to which said related information is provided;

sending, in addition to said channel identifier and said image frame identifier, viewer information or viewer apparatus information specific for said viewer apparatus to said related information providing server by the viewer apparatus; and

obtaining related information by the related information providing server, and selecting related information on the basis of said viewer information or viewer apparatus information specific for said viewer apparatus, and sending selected related information to said viewer apparatus.

4. A broadcast synchronization type service providing system comprising a broadcasting station or a broadcast information storing server for sending broadcast information including voice and video, and a viewer apparatus in a receiving side, wherein

said broadcasting station or said broadcast information storing server comprising means for superimposing a data signal on voice at a same frame rate as a video frame rate of the video by deleting specific frequency components of the voice in response to a low or a high signal of binary data from said data signal, and sends said data signal, said data signal including a channel identifier uniquely assigned to a broadcast channel and an image frame identifier uniquely assigned to an image frame in video, said data signal does not include a voice frame identifier;

said viewer apparatus comprising;

a microphone for collecting broadcast voice output from a speaker of a broadcast receiving apparatus that receives the broadcast information, and converting said broadcast voice into an electrical signal;

data signal extraction means for extracting said data signal superimposed on said electrical signal continuously one after another by detecting the deleted frequency components of said voice and reproducing said binary data of said data signal, and extracting said channel identifier and said image frame identifier from said data signal; and

means for obtaining related information corresponding to said channel identifier and said image frame identifier via a network.

5. The broadcast synchronization type service providing system as claimed in claim 4, wherein

said viewer apparatus obtains said related information from a related information providing server connected to said network, in which said related information is stored in a broadcast information database managed by said related information providing server, which said related information being associated with said channel identifier and said image frame identifier.

6. The broadcast synchronization type service providing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein

said related information providing server stores, in said broadcast information database, viewer information indicating characteristics of a viewer to which said related information is provided, and viewer apparatus information indicating characteristics of a terminal to which said related information is provided;

said viewer apparatus sends, in addition to said channel identifier and said image frame identifier, viewer information or viewer apparatus information specific for said viewer apparatus to said related information providing server;

said related information providing server obtains related information, and selects related information on the basis of said viewer information or viewer apparatus information specific for said viewer apparatus, and sends selected related information to said viewer apparatus.

7. A viewer apparatus for receiving voice output from a broadcast receiving apparatus receiving broadcast information including voice and video sent from a broadcasting station or a broadcast information storing server, wherein

a data signal is superimposed on said voice of the broadcast information at a same rate as a video frame rate of the video by deleting specific frequency components of the voice in response to a low or a high signal of binary data from said data signal, said data signal including a channel identifier uniquely assigned to a broadcast channel and an image frame identifier uniquely assigned to an image frame in video, the data signal does not include a voice frame identifier;

said viewer apparatus comprising;

a microphone for collecting broadcast voice output from a speaker of a broadcast receiving apparatus and converting said broadcast voice in to an electrical signal;

data signal extraction means for extracting said data signal superimposed on said electrical signal continuously one after another by detecting the deleted frequency components of said voice and reproducing said binary data of said data signal, and extracting said channel identifier and said image frame identifier from said data signal;

means for obtaining related information corresponding to said channel identifier and said image frame identifier via a network;

when said data signal extraction means of said viewer apparatus continuously extracts said data signal superimposed on said voice from said voice output from said speaker of said broadcast receiving apparatus, if said data signal is correctly extracted from said voice so that said image frame identifier is recognized, said viewer apparatus uses said image frame identifier as an image frame identifier of an image that is currently reproduced by said broadcast receiving apparatus; and

if said data signal is not correctly extracted from said voice so that said image frame identifier is not recognized, said viewer apparatus generates and uses an image frame identifier on the basis of a value of an image frame identifier that is most recently recognized, and a difference between a time when said most recently recognized image frame identifier is recognized and a current time.

8. The viewer apparatus as claimed in claim 7, said viewer apparatus further comprising:

means for sending, in addition to said channel identifier and said image frame identifier, viewer information or viewer apparatus information specific for said viewer apparatus to a related information providing server connected to a network.

9. A computer readable medium storing program code for causing a viewer apparatus, and a broadcasting station or a broadcast information storing server to perform a method, said viewer apparatus receiving voice output from a broadcast receiving apparatus receiving broadcast information including voice and video sent from the broadcasting station or the broadcast information storing server, the viewer apparatus includes a microphone for collecting broadcast voice output from a speaker of the broadcast receiving apparatus and converting said broadcast voice into an electrical signal, said method comprising:

superimposing a data signal on said voice of the broadcast information by deleting specific frequency components of the voice in response to a low or a high signal of binary data from said data signal, said data signal including a channel identifier uniquely assigned to a broadcast channel and an image frame identifier uniquely assigned to an image frame in the video, the data signal not including a voice frame identifier;

extracting said data signal superimposed on said electrical signal, obtained from broadcast voice output from a speaker of a broadcast receiving apparatus, continuously one after another by detecting the deleted frequency components of said voice and reproducing said binary data of said data signal, and extracting said channel identifier and said image frame identifier from said data signal;

obtaining related information corresponding to said channel identifier and said image frame identifier, or said voice frame identifier via a network;

using the image frame identifier by the viewer apparatus as an image frame identifier of an image that is currently reproduced by the broadcast receiving apparatus, when said viewer apparatus continuously extracts said data signal superimposed on said voice from said voice output from said speaker of said broadcast receiving apparatus by said data signal extraction program code means, if said data signal is correctly extracted from said voice so that said image frame identifier is recognized; and

generating and using an image frame identifier by the viewer apparatus on the basis of a value of an image frame identifier that is most recently recognized, and on the basis of a difference between a time when said most recently recognized image frame identifier is recognized and a current time, if said data signal is not correctly extracted from said voice so that said image frame identifier is not recognized.

10. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 9, said method further comprising:

sending, in addition to said channel identifier and said image frame identifier, viewer information or viewer apparatus information specific for said viewer apparatus to a related information providing server connected to a network.