Watch information content distribution processing system, information distribution apparatus, information distribution system, hand held terminal device, information recording medium, and information processing method

• US 7,859,947 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawai, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit W
• Application Number:
  US12/582,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/46, 368/47, 368/82, 375/368, 375/370, 375/509, 375/512, 345/1.2, 345/2.1, 345/2.3, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0011 using coded signals synchronisation combined with automatic setting at regular intervals, e.g. by coded signals G04G7/00

Abstract

A system for distributing and information processing watch information contents D1 concerning a variety of clocks, the system comprising: an information distribution device 19 that distributes watch information contents D1 concerning a variety of clocks, the contents being created in advance, as data to an information user'"'"'s hand held terminal device #i (i=1 to n); and a plurality of hand held terminal devices #i that acquires and processes watch information contents D1 distributed as data by this information distribution device 19, wherein a software watch based on the watch information contents D1 is displayed as a video image, and a time is clocked at the hand held terminal device #i. In this manner, a plurality of software watches with different designs can be configured, and time display of these software watches can be automatically corrected.

Claims

1. A system for distributing watch information and processing information, said system comprising:

a plurality of hand held terminal devices that maintain a current time, the plurality of hand held terminal devices configured to acquire and process the watch information, the watch information including a plurality of software watches, each of a different design;

an information distribution apparatus for distributing the watch information to the plurality of hand held terminal devices; and

display means for displaying the watch information, including a user-selected software watch from the plurality of software watches, on at least one of the plurality of hand held terminal devices;

wherein the watch information is displayed on the display means of the plurality of hand held terminal devices as a video image that depicts at least the current time, and

wherein,

the information distribution apparatus distributes additional information comprising advertisement information to the plurality of hand held terminal devices at the same time as the watch information so that the additional information is displayed on a portion of the display means of the plurality of hand held terminal devices, and

the advertisement information is displayed as an Internet banner depicting items for sale and is displayed with the watch information.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information distribution apparatus comprises:

a data inserting section for inserting the watch information into a carrier signal in a group of data rows; and

a transmission section for transmitting the carrier signal to the plurality of hand held terminal devices.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the watch information is distributed as data to the plurality of hand held terminal devices by using existing broadcast infrastructure and/or communication infrastructure.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the watch information comprises at least video image information of a clock character board.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of hand held terminal devices comprise:

an operating section operated to input operational information concerning the watch information;

a receiving section that receives the watch information;

a storage device that stores the watch information received by the receiving section; and

a control unit that reads out the watch information from the storage device according to the operational information.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of hand held terminal devices are hand held telephone sets that comprise:

a tuner that receives watch information from a broadcast station;

a storage device that stores the watch information received by the tuner;

a data processing section that reads out and processes the watch information stored in the storage device; and

a hand held telephone function controlled by the data processing section.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an information provider records the watch information in an information recording medium, and provides the watch information to a user, and wherein the user mounts the information recording medium on a hand held terminal device, to use the watch information via the recording medium.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the watch information is associated with time information managed by the plurality of hand held terminal devices.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein time information provided by an information provider is distributed as data to a user, so that the user is able to correct the watch information managed by the plurality of hand held terminal devices based on the time information received from the information provider.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the watch information is distributed in a regular or irregular updating period from an information provider to the plurality of hand held terminal devices by using a broadcast infrastructure so that the display means automatically displays a clock design based on the regular or irregular updating period.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a video image associated with a season is automatically displayed on the display means of the plurality of hand held terminal devices.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of hand held terminal devices are a foldable type, and an opening angle of the plurality of hand held terminal devices is adjusted according to a user'"'"'s preference.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein short-distance wireless communication is made between at least two hand held terminal devices so as to obtain time synchronization.

14. An information processing method for processing watch information comprising the steps of:

preparing watch information, including a plurality of software watches, each of a different design;

distributing the watch information to a plurality of hand held terminal devices so that a user is able to display video images associated with a user-selected software watch from the plurality of software watches on a display means based on the watch information;

maintaining a current time in said terminal devices and displaying the current time on the display means

distributing additional information including advertisement information to the plurality of hand held terminal devices at the same time as the watch information so as to display the additional information on a portion of the display means of the plurality of hand held terminal devices, wherein

the advertisement information is displayed as an Internet banner depicting items for sale and is displayed with the watch information.

15. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the user acquires the watch information, and creates a desired watch design based on the acquired watch information.

16. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the watch information is distributed to the plurality of hand held terminal devices by using existing broadcast infrastructure and/or communication infrastructure.

17. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the watch information is recorded in an information recording medium, and is provided to a user, and wherein the user mounts the information recording medium to a hand held terminal device to use the watch information via the recording medium.

18. The information processing method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the information recording medium is provided by using an existing sales infrastructure.

19. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the watch information is associated with time information already managed by the plurality of hand held terminal devices.

20. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein time information provided by an information provider is distributed as data to the user so that the user is able to correct the watch information managed by the plurality of hand held terminal devices based on the time information received from the information provider.

21. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the watch information is distributed in a regular or irregular updating period from an information provider to the plurality of hand held terminal devices by using a broadcast infrastructure so that a display means automatically displays a clock design based on the regular or irregular updating period.

22. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a video image associated with a season is automatically displayed on a display means of the plurality of hand held terminal devices.

23. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of hand held terminal devices are a foldable type, and an opening angle of the plurality of hand held terminal devices is adjusted according to the user'"'"'s preference.

24. The information processing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein short-distance wireless communication is made between at least two hand held terminal devices so as to obtain time synchronization.