Receiver set, information apparatus and receiving system

• US 8,233,504 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Akamatsu, Chiyo, Shinagawa, Tetsuo, Kudo, Yoshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US11/826,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 370/486, 725/85, 725/100, 725/133, 725/153
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

An information apparatus connectable with plural external apparatuses including an audio visual data outputting portion, a command input portion which inputs a command from an external apparatus for requesting audio visual data, an information managing portion which manages a number of external apparatuses to audio visual data can be distributed to be simultaneously viewed or recorded and a controller portion which controls distribution of the data to the external apparatus which sent the command depending upon a distributing condition. The controller portion makes a decision on whether the number of external apparatuses to which data can be distributed is equal to or smaller than a limited number, and controls the distribution of data to the external apparatus based on a result of the decision.

Claims

1. A receiver set connectable with a plural number of information apparatus through a network, comprising:

an audio visual data outputting portion for outputting audio visual data;

a command input portion which is configured to input a command, from one of the plural number of information apparatuses, for requesting distribution of said audio visual data;

an information managing portion which is configured to manage a number of said information apparatuses to which said audio visual data can be distributed from said audio visual data outputting portion to be simultaneously viewed or recorded; and

a controller portion which is configured to control distribution of the audio visual data to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses which sent out said command when said command input portion receives said command from the one of the plural number of information apparatuses depending upon a distributing condition of said audio visual data to information apparatuses other than the one of the plural number of information apparatuses which sent out said command,

wherein said controller portion makes a decision on whether the number of said information apparatuses to which said audio visual data can be distributed is equal to a limited number or not, or the number of said information apparatuses to which said audio visual data can be distributed is smaller than said limited number or not when said command input portion receives said command from the one of the plural number of information apparatuses, and controls the distribution of audio visual data to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses which sent out said command based on a result of said decision.

2. The receiver set, as described in the claim 1, wherein said controller portion transmits a signal of not distributing the audio visual data, which is requested, from said audio visual data outputting portion to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses which sent out said command, when said controller portion decides that the number of the information apparatuses to which said audio visual data can be distributed is equal to said limited number, or when said control portion decides that the number of said information apparatuses to which said audio visual data can be distributed is not smaller than said limited number.

3. The receiver set, as described in the claim 1, further comprising:

a certifying portion, which is configured to certify that said information apparatus, to which said data is distributed, is a regularly certified one or not,

wherein said controller portion makes said certifying portion certify as to whether said information apparatuses are the regularly certified ones or not, when deciding that the number of said information apparatuses to which said audio visual data can be distributed is smaller than said limited number.

4. The receiver set, as described in the claim 3, wherein said controller portion distributes the audio visual data from said audio visual data outputting portion to said information apparatus, when said certifying portion certifies that the information apparatus which sent out said data distribution request command is the regularly certified one.

5. A receiver set connectable with a plural number of information apparatus through a network, comprising:

an audio visual data outputting portion for outputting audio visual data;

a command input portion which is configured to input a command, from one of the plural number of information apparatuses, for requesting distribution of said audio visual data;

an information managing portion which is configured to manage a number of said information apparatuses to which said audio visual data can be distributed from said audio visual data outputting portion to be simultaneously viewed or recorded; and

a controller portion, which is configured to control distribution of the audio visual data to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses which sent out the command when the command input portion receives said command from the one of the plural number of information apparatuses depending,

wherein said controller portion makes a decision as to whether the number, which is obtained by adding a number of information apparatuses under distribution of audio visual data and a number of information apparatuses which sent out the data distribution request command, exceeds a limit number or not, when the command input portion receives the command, and controls the distribution of data to the one of plural number of information apparatuses which sent out said command based on a result of said decision.

6. The receiver set, as described in the claim 5, wherein said controller portion transmits a signal of not distributing the audio visual data, which is requested, from said audio visual outputting portion to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses which sent out said command, when said controller portion decides that the number exceeds said limit number.

7. The receiver set, as described in the claim 5, further comprising:

a certifying portion, which is configured to certify that said information apparatus, to which said data is distributed, is a regularly certified one or not,

wherein said controller portion makes said certifying portion certify as to whether said other information apparatuses are the regularly certified ones or not, when the number does not exceed said limit number.

8. The receiver set, as described in the claim 7, wherein said controller portion distributes the audio visual data from said audio visual data outputting portion to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses, which sent out the command, when said certifying portion certifies that said information apparatus which sent out said data distribution request command is the regularly certified one.

9. A receiver set connectable with a plural number of information apparatus through a network, comprising:

an audio visual data outputting portion for outputting audio visual data;

a command input portion which is configured to input a command, from one of the plural number of information apparatuses, for requesting distribution of said audio visual data;

an information managing portion which is configured to manage a number of said information apparatuses to which said audio visual data can be distributed from said audio visual data outputting portion to be simultaneously viewed or recorded; and

a controller portion, which is configured to control distribution of the audio visual data to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses which sent out the command, when the command input portion receives said command from the one of the plural number of information apparatuses upon said number of possibilities for distributing said data to said information apparatuses,

wherein said controller portion controls the distribution of audio visual data to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses, which sent out said command, based on the number of possibilities for distributing said audio visual data to said information apparatuses, when the command input portion receives the command.

10. The receiver set, as described in the claim 9, wherein said controller portion transmits a signal of not distributing the audio visual data, which is requested, from said audio visual data outputting portion to the one of the plural number of information apparatuses which sent out said command, when deciding that a number of information apparatuses which sent out the command exceeds said number of possibilities for distributing the data.

11. The receiver set, as described in the claim 9, further comprising:

a certifying portion, which is configured to certify that said information apparatus, to which said data is distributed, is a regularly certified one or not,

wherein said controller portion makes said certifying portion certifies as to whether said information apparatuses are the regularly certified ones or not, when deciding that a number of the information apparatuses which sent out the command is smaller than said number of possibilities for distributing the data.

12. The receiver set, as described in claim 11, wherein said controller portion distributes the data from said audio visual data outputting portion to said information apparatuses, when said certifying portion certifies that said information apparatuses which sent out said command are the regularly certified ones.