Transmission apparatus, transmission method, reception apparatus, reception method, program, and broadcasting system

• US 8,918,801 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitazato, Naohisa, Dewa, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDERS, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US13/081,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 725/14, 725/32
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a transmission apparatus for transmitting AV (Audio/Video) content, including: an acquirer configured to acquire an estimated number of audience terminals indicative of an estimated number of reception apparatuses receiving the AV content; a computer configured, in conjugation with the AV content, to compute, on the basis of the estimated number of audience terminals, a validity probability of trigger information associated with control of an application program to be executed in the reception apparatus; a generator configured to generate the trigger signal including the computed validity probability; and a transmitter configured to transmit the generated trigger information with the AV content.

Claims

1. A transmission apparatus for transmitting AV (Audio/Video) content, comprising:

computation means for computing a first item to be included in a trigger associated with control of an application program to be executed in a reception apparatus, said first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when a server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program;

generation means for generating said trigger including a location of said application program on said server, said first item, and a second item indicating a version number; and

transmission means for transmitting said generated trigger with said AV content.

2. A transmission method for a transmission apparatus for transmitting AV (Audio/Video) content, comprising:

computing, by circuitry of said transmission apparatus, a first item to be included in a trigger associated with control of an application program to be executed in a reception apparatus, said first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when a server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program;

generating, by said circuitry of said transmission apparatus, said trigger including a location of said application program on said server, said first item, and a second item indicating a version number; and

transmitting, by said circuitry of said transmission apparatus, said generated trigger with said AV content.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling a transmission apparatus for transmitting AV (Audio/Video) content, said program causing a computer of said transmission apparatus to execute processing comprising:

computing, by said computer, a first item to be included in a trigger associated with control of an application program to be executed in a reception apparatus, said first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when a server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program;

generating said trigger including a location of said application program on said server, said first item, and a second item indicating a version number; and

transmitting said generated trigger with said AV content.

4. A reception apparatus for receiving transmitted AV (Audio/Video) content, comprising:

extraction means for extracting a trigger associated with control of an application program, transmitted with said AV content, to be executed in interlocked relation with said AV content, said trigger including a location of said application program on a server, a first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when said server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program, and a second item indicating a version number;

determination means for determining whether said extracted trigger includes said first item; and

control means for controlling processing associated with said application program in response to a command indicated by said extracted trigger based on whether said first item is included in said extracted trigger.

5. A reception method for a reception apparatus for receiving transmitted AV (Audio/Video) content, comprising:

extracting, by circuitry of said reception apparatus, a trigger associated with control of an application program, transmitted with said AV content, to be executed in interlocked relation with said AV content, said trigger including a location of said application program on a server, a first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when said server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program, and a second item indicating a version number;

determining, by the circuitry of said reception apparatus, whether said extracted trigger includes said first item; and

controlling, by the circuitry of said reception apparatus, processing associated with said application program in response to a command indicated by said extracted trigger based on whether said first item is included in said extracted trigger.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling a reception apparatus for receiving transmitted AV (Audio/Video) content, said program causing a computer of said reception apparatus to execute processing comprising:

extracting a trigger associated with control of an application program, transmitted with said AV content, to be executed in interlocked relation with said AV content, said trigger including a location of said application program on a server, a first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when said server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program, and a second item indicating a version number;

determining whether said extracted trigger includes said first item; and

controlling, by said computer, processing associated with said application program in response to a command indicated by said extracted trigger based on whether said first item is included in said extracted trigger.

7. A broadcasting system comprising:

a transmission apparatus for transmitting AV (Audio/Video) content; and

a reception apparatus for receiving said AV content transmitted from said transmission apparatus, wherein

said transmission apparatus includes circuitry configured to

generate a first item to be included in a trigger associated with control of an application program to be executed in said reception apparatus, said first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when a server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program,

generate said trigger including a location of said application program on said server, said first item, and a second item indicating a version number, and

transmit said generated trigger with said AV content; and

said reception apparatus includes circuitry configured to

extract said trigger associated with control of said application program, transmitted with said AV content, to be executed in interlocked relation with said AV content,

determine whether said extracted trigger includes said first item, and

control processing associated with said application program in response to a command indicated by said extracted trigger information based on whether said first item is included in said extracted trigger.

8. A transmission apparatus for transmitting AV (Audio/Video) content, comprising:

circuitry to

compute a first item to be included in a trigger associated with control of an application program to be executed in a reception apparatus, said first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when a server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program;

generate said trigger including a location of said application program on said server, said first item, and a second item indicating a version number; and

transmit said generated trigger with said AV content.

10. The transmission apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said circuitry transmits a plurality of triggers that identify said location of said application program stored on said server and said second item, and

only a smaller subset of said plurality of triggers includes said first item.

11. The transmission apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said circuitry transmits a plurality of triggers that identify said location of said information stored on said server and said second item, and

at least two of said plurality of triggers include different first item values.

12. The transmission apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said first item is spreads in time accesses from a plurality of reception apparatuses to said server identified by said trigger including said first item.

13. The transmission apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said circuitry transmits a digital television broadcast signal that includes said trigger and AV content, said trigger being associated with said application program to be executed in synchronization with said AV content.

9. A reception apparatus for receiving transmitted AV (Audio/Video) content, comprising:

circuitry to

extract a trigger associated with control of an application program, transmitted with said AV content, to be executed in interlocked relation with said AV content, said trigger including a location of said application program on a server, a first item representing a decimal number and said decimal number relating to a random time within a predetermined time period when said server is accessed by said reception apparatus to retrieve said application program, and a second item indicating a version number;

determine whether said extracted trigger information includes said first item; and

control processing associated with said application program in response to a command indicated by said extracted trigger based on whether said first item is included in said extracted trigger.

14. The reception apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said circuitry extracts a plurality of triggers that identify said location of said application program stored on said server and said second item, and

only a smaller subset of said plurality of triggers includes said first item.

15. The reception apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said circuitry extracts a plurality of triggers that identify said location of said application program stored on said server and said second item, and

at least two of said plurality of triggers include different first item values.

16. The reception apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said first item spreads in time accesses from a plurality of reception apparatuses to said server.

17. The reception apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the circuitry receives a digital television broadcast signal that includes said trigger and AV content, the trigger being associated with said application program to be executed in synchronization with said AV content.