Information receiving device and its method, and information transmission device and its method

• US 7,770,194 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US11/699,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 725/23, 725/24, 725 60- 61, 725/22, 725/87
• US Class Current: 725/23
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 Control of the passage of the selected programme

Abstract

The present invention makes viewers surely view commercial programs.

When a commercial program is broadcasted and displayed on a display (7A), a viewer is requested a response. The viewer operates a prescribed key in the ten key (32) of a remote controller (31) for response. If the viewer responds to the response request of the commercial program, points are added to a smart card (10). The viewer can view a pay program using the points recorded in the smart card (10).

Claims

1. An information receiving device for viewing programs, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a program to be viewed by a viewer;

determining means for determining whether the program is a commercial program or a pay program;

conditional access means for determining, when the program is a commercial program, whether said commercial program includes an identifier for a response request of the viewer to take particular action with respect to viewing the commercial program;

display controlling means responsive to the identifier for simultaneously displaying to said viewer the received program and a message corresponding to the response request; and

input means for receiving from the viewer a representation of particular action with respect to said response request included in the received commercial.

2. The information receiving device of claim 1 wherein the program that includes a request is a commercial program.

3. The information receiving device of claim 2, wherein said commercial program selectively includes a flag indicative of said request of the viewer, and said determining means detects said flag.

4. The information receiving device of claim 1, wherein said input means comprises an interface for receiving a signal remotely generated by said viewer as a representation of said particular action.

5. The information receiving device of claim 4, wherein said signal is remotely generated from a remote controller.

6. The information receiving device of claim 1, wherein said commercial program displays goods or services for sale, wherein said message displayed to said viewer is a sales message, and said particular action is the purchase of said displayed goods or services.

7. A method for inviting a viewer to take particular action in response to a received program, comprising the steps of:

receiving a program to be viewed by said viewer;

determining whether the program is a commercial program or a pay program;

determining, when the program is a commercial program, whether said commercial program includes an identifier for a response request of the viewer to take particular action with respect to viewing the commercial program;

simultaneously displaying to said viewer, in response to the identifier, the received program and a message corresponding to the response request included in the received program; and

receiving from the viewer a representation of particular action taken by said viewer with respect to said response request included in the received commercial program.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the program that includes a request is a commercial program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said commercial program selectively includes a flag indicative of said request of the viewer, and said determining step detects said flag.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said representation of particular action taken by said viewer is a signal remotely generated from a remote controller by said viewer.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said commercial program displays goods or services for sale, wherein said message displayed to said viewer is a sales message, and said particular action is the purchase of said displayed goods or services.