Reception apparatus, reception method and recording medium

• US 7,780,528 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirayama, Tomoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frisby, Kesha Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/793,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20010036272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,465 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/41, 273/430, 273/431
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/81 characterised by the transmission system itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84

Abstract

A transmission apparatus used for transmitting a question to a recipient. Generates a control signal for limiting an answer-inputting function of a reception apparatus used by the recipient; adds the control signal generated by a generation mechanism and used for limiting the answer-inputting function of the reception apparatus and an address of a recipient reception collector unit showing a collection destination of where an answer entered by said recipient in response to the question is transmitted when an amount of recipient responses stored in a storage unit exceeds a predetermined number. The apparatus then transmits the broadcast signal including the control signal and the address of a recipient reception collector unit to the recipient.

Claims

1. A reception apparatus used for receiving a broadcasted signal broadcasted from a broadcast station, said apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving said broadcasted signal, the broadcast signal including a quiz or questionnaire, a control signal and an address of a selected destination apparatus of a plurality of destination apparatuses to which the reception apparatus sends an answer to the quiz or questionnaire, the destination apparatus being different than the broadcast station and being determined in accordance with the quiz or questionnaire included in the broadcast signal;

playback means for playing back said broadcasted signal received by said reception means;

extraction means for extracting the control signal and the address of the selected destination apparatus added to said broadcasted signal received by said reception means separate from a reproduction of the broadcast signal by the reception apparatus;

accepting means for accepting an answer to the quiz or questionnaire included in a broadcast obtained as a result of a playback operation carried out by said playback means;

limitation means for limiting a period of said accepting means to accept an answer to said quiz or questionnaire in accordance with said control signal extracted by said extraction means; and

transmission means for transmitting, in response to the accepting means accepting the answer and via the internet using a URL, the URL being the address of the extracted selected destination apparatus, said answer accepted by said accepting means in response to said quiz or questionnaire and information identifying said quiz or questionnaire to the selected destination apparatus, the address of which is included in said broadcasted signal,

wherein said transmission means transmits information identifying said reception apparatus to the selected destination apparatus, the address of which is included in said broadcasted signal.

2. A reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means transmits at least one of a broadcasting time and a broadcasting channel as said information identifying said quiz or questionnaire.

3. A reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means transmits quiz or questionnaire identification information added to said broadcasted signal as said information identifying said quiz or questionnaire.

4. A reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said accepting means further includes display means for displaying information indicating that a period of said accepting means to accept an answer has not expired.

5. A reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said accepting means further includes increment means for incrementing said value of an answer to said quiz or questionnaire and decrement means for decrementing said value of an answer to said quiz or questionnaire.

6. The reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast signal further includes encrypted content multiplexed into the broadcast signal.

7. The reception apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the broadcast signal further includes an encrypted decryption key that enables decryption of the encrypted content.

8. A reception method adopted for receiving a broadcasted signal broadcasted from a broadcast station, said method comprising:

receiving said broadcasted signal, the broadcast signal including a quiz or questionnaire, a control signal and an address of a selected destination apparatus of a plurality of destination apparatuses to which the reception apparatus sends an answer to the quiz or questionnaire, the destination apparatus being different than the broadcast station and being determined in accordance with the quiz or questionnaire included in the broadcast signal;

playing back said broadcasted signal received at said reception step;

extracting the control signal and the address of the selected destination apparatus added to said broadcasted signal received at said reception separate from a reproduction of the broadcast signal by the reception apparatus;

accepting an answer to the quiz or questionnaire included in a broadcast obtained as a result of the playing back;

limiting a period to accept an answer to said quiz or questionnaire at said accepting in accordance with said control signal extracted at said extraction; and

transmitting, in response to the accepting an answer and via the internet using a URL, the URL being the address of the extracted selected destination apparatus, said answer accepted at said accepting in response to said quiz or questionnaire and information identifying said quiz or questionnaire to the selected destination apparatus, the address of which is included in said broadcasted signal,

wherein said transmission further includes transmitting information identifying said reception apparatus to the selected destination apparatus, the address of which is included in said broadcasted signal.

9. A computer readable recording medium storing computer readable instructions thereon for receiving a broadcasted signal broadcasted from a broadcast station, the computer readable instructions when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method comprising:

receiving said broadcasted signal, the broadcast signal including a quiz or questionnaire, a control signal and an address of a selected destination apparatus of a plurality of destination apparatuses to which the reception apparatus sends an answer to the quiz or questionnaire, the destination apparatus being different than the broadcast station and being determined in accordance with the quiz or questionnaire included in the broadcast signal;

playing back said broadcasted signal received at said reception step;

extracting the control signal and the address of the selected destination apparatus added to said broadcasted signal received at said reception separate from a reproduction of the broadcast signal by the reception apparatus;

accepting an answer to the quiz or questionnaire included in a broadcast obtained as a result of the playing back;

limiting a period to accept an answer to said quiz or questionnaire at said accepting in accordance with said control signal extracted at said extraction; and

transmitting, in response to the accepting an answer and via the internet using a URL, the URL being the address of the extracted selected destination apparatus, said answer accepted at said accepting in response to said quiz or questionnaire and information identifying said quiz or questionnaire to the selected destination apparatus, the address of which is included in said broadcasted signal,

wherein said transmission further includes transmitting information identifying said reception apparatus to the selected destination apparatus, the address of which is included in said broadcasted signal.

10. A reception apparatus used for receiving a broadcasted signal broadcasted from a broadcast station, said apparatus comprising:

reception unit configured to receive said broadcasted signal, the broadcast signal including a quiz or questionnaire, a control signal and an address of a selected destination apparatus of a plurality of destination apparatuses to which the reception apparatus sends an answer to the quiz or questionnaire, the destination apparatus being different than the broadcast station and being determined in accordance with the quiz or questionnaire included in the broadcast signal;

playback unit configured to play back said broadcasted signal received by said reception unit;

extraction unit configured to extract the control signal and the address of the selected destination apparatus added to said broadcasted signal received by said reception unit separate from a reproduction of the broadcast signal by the reception apparatus;

accepting unit configured to accept an answer to the quiz or questionnaire included in a broadcast obtained as a result of a playback operation carried out by said playback unit;

limitation unit configured to limit a period of said accepting unit to accept an answer to said quiz or questionnaire in accordance with said control signal extracted by said extraction unit; and

transmission unit configured to transmit, in response to the accepting an answer and via the internet using a URL, the URL being the address of the extracted selected destination apparatus, said answer accepted by said accepting unit in response to said quiz or questionnaire and information identifying said quiz or questionnaire to the selected destination apparatus, the address of which is included in said broadcasted signal,

wherein said transmission unit is configured to transmit information identifying said reception apparatus to the selected destination apparatus, the address of which is included in said broadcasted signal.