Terminal apparatus, server apparatus, information processing method, program, and linking application supply system

• US 9,015,785 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Yasuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chokshi, Pinkal R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gee, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/679,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20130145414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 725/109, 725/110, 725/112
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/438 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

[Object]

To execute applications in link with the progression of content being viewed at user'"'"'s home.

[Solving Means]

A terminal apparatus practiced as one embodiment of the present disclosure has an extracting block configured to extract signature data indicative of features of content to be reproduced, a query generating block configured to generate a query that at least includes the above-mentioned extracted signature, a communication block configured to transmit the above-mentioned generated query to a server apparatus and receive a response returned by this server in response to the above-mentioned response, and an application executing block configured to obtain an application on the basis of an application URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in which at least application identification information is written, this URL being included in the above-mentioned received response, and execute the obtained application. The above-mentioned terminal apparatus practiced as one embodiment of the invention is applicable to TV receivers.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

extract signature data from content that is output for display to a user, said signature data being indicative of a feature of said content;

generate a query that includes said extracted signature data;

transmit said generated query to a server apparatus and receive a response returned by said server apparatus in response to said query, said response including a single character string that includes an application identifier, a content identifier of said content, and time information;

obtain an application on the basis of a domain name and directory path included in said application identifier, and

execute said application.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

execution time information indicative of an execution time of said application is included in said character string, and

said circuitry is configured to obtain said application with a timing which it is ready in time for said execution time.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

at least one of extraction local time information indicative of a time at which said signature data was extracted by said circuitry and extraction reproduction time information indicative of an extraction time at a content reproduction timing of said corresponding signature data is included in said character string.

4. The terminal apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said terminal apparatus is incorporated in a reproducing apparatus configured to reproduce said content, and

said circuitry is configured to receive all pieces of content to be reproduced by said reproducing apparatus.

14. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the time information is a media time of the content.

15. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the time information is a start time of the application, which allows the application to be ready in time for accurate execution start timing.

5. An information processing method for a terminal apparatus, comprising the steps of:

extracting signature data from content that is output for display to a user, said signature data being indicative of a feature of said content;

generating a query that includes said extracted signature data;

transmitting said generated query to a server apparatus;

receiving, by circuitry of the terminal apparatus, a response returned by said server apparatus in response to said query, said response including a single character string that includes an application identifier, a content identifier of said content, and time information;

obtaining, by the circuitry of the terminal apparatus, an application on the basis of a domain name and directory path included in said application identifier; and

executing said application.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which when executed by a computer causes the computer to:

extract signature data from content that is output for display to a user, said signature data being indicative of a feature of said content;

generate a query that includes said extracted signature data;

transmit said generated query to a server apparatus and receive a response returned by said server apparatus in response to said query, said response including a single character string that includes an application identifier, a content identifier of said content, and time information;

obtain an application on the basis of a domain name and directory path included in said application identifier, and

execute said application.

7. A server apparatus comprising:

a database configured to indicate a relation between signature data indicative of a feature of content extracted therefrom, a content identifier of said content, and an application identifier of an application to be executed in conjunction with said content; and

circuitry configured to

identify said content from which said signature data included in a query transmitted from a terminal apparatus was extracted by referencing said database and generate a response, the response including a single character string that includes said application identifier, said content identifier, and time information; and

transmit said generated response to said terminal apparatus;

wherein

said terminal apparatus acquires said application on the basis of a domain name and directory path included in said application identifier.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said circuitry is configured to regenerate said application and supply the regenerated application to said terminal apparatus in response to a request from said terminal apparatus on the basis of said domain name and directory path included in said application identifier.

9. The server apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said circuitry is configured to adjust at least one of an execution timing of said application and an event fire timing in said application being executed as regeneration of said application.

10. The server apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

at least one of extraction local time information indicative of a time at which said corresponding signature data was extracted in said terminal apparatus and extraction reproduction time information indicative of an extraction timing in a content reproduction timing of said corresponding signature data is included in said character string.

11. An information processing method for a server apparatus, comprising the steps of:

identifying content from which signature data included in a query transmitted from a terminal apparatus was extracted by referencing a database configured to indicate a relation between said signature data indicative of a feature of said content extracted therefrom, a content identifier of said content and an application identifier of an application to be executed in conjunction with said content;

generating a response, the response including a single character string that includes said application identifier, said content identifier, and time information; and

transmitting said generated response to said terminal apparatus, wherein

said terminal apparatus acquires said application on the basis of a domain name and directory path included in said application identifier.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which when executed by a computer causes the computer to:

identify content from which signature data included in a query transmitted from a terminal apparatus was extracted by referencing a database configured to indicate a relation between said signature data indicative of a feature of said content extracted therefrom, a content identifier of said content, and an application identifier of an application to be executed in conjunction with said content;

generate a response, the response including a single character string that includes said application identifier, said content identifier, and time information; and

transmit said generated response to said terminal apparatus, wherein

said terminal apparatus acquires said application on the basis of a domain name and directory path included in said application identifier.

13. A linking application supply system comprising:

a terminal apparatus; and

a server apparatus,

said terminal apparatus including circuitry configured to

extract signature data from content that is output for display to a user, said signature data being indicative of a feature of said content;

generate a query that includes said extracted signature data;

transmit said generated query to said server apparatus and receive a response returned by said server apparatus in response to said query, said response including a single character string that includes an application identifier, a content identifier of said content, and time information;

obtain an application on the basis of a domain name and directory path included in said application identifier, and

execute said application,

said server apparatus including

a database configured to indicate a relation between said signature data indicative of said feature of said content extracted therefrom, said content identifier of said content, and said application identifier of said application to be executed in conjunction with said content; and

circuitry configured to

identify said content from which the signature data included in the query transmitted from the terminal apparatus was extracted by referencing said database and generate the response; and

transmit said generated response to said terminal apparatus; and

supply said application to said terminal apparatus in response to a request from said terminal apparatus on the basis of said domain name and directory path included in said application identifier.