On-demand access to scheduled content

• US 9,253,518 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fay, Luke, Shintani, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US13/963,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• 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

A method is provided for a reception apparatus to access content. The method includes outputting a distribution schedule for a plurality of content and receiving a selection of one of the plurality of content for which distribution started before or starts after a current time. At least one processor of the reception apparatus determines whether on-demand access is requested for the selected content. When on-demand access is determined to be requested for the selected content, a request for the selected content is sent over a first communication medium and the selected content is received via a second communication medium.

Claims

1. A method of a reception apparatus for accessing content, the method comprising:

outputting a distribution schedule interface for display, the distribution schedule interface identifying a plurality of content that is distributed in real-time and predetermined distribution times of the plurality of content;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of content identified in the displayed distribution schedule interface and for which distribution started before or starts after a current time from a user using the distribution schedule interface;

determine, by circuitry of the reception apparatus, whether on-demand access is requested for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface; and

when on-demand access is determined to be requested for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface,

executing, by the circuitry, a declarative object (DO) for acquiring the content selected using the distribution schedule interface,

sending, by the circuitry, a request for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface over a first communication medium based on the DO, and

receiving the content selected using the distribution schedule interface provided via a second communication medium in response to the request for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the distribution schedule interface includes an electronic programming guide (EPG), and

the plurality of content includes a plurality of broadcast television content.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether any of the plurality of content included in the distribution schedule interface to be output in the step of outputting is associated with a DO trigger, wherein

the step of outputting further comprises outputting an indication of which of the plurality of content is associated with a DO trigger.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of executing comprises:

executing the DO identified by a DO trigger associated with the content selected using the distribution schedule interface.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication medium and the second communication medium are the Internet.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication medium is the Internet and the second communication medium is a terrestrial broadcast.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embedded therein instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method of a reception apparatus for accessing content, the method comprising:

outputting a distribution schedule interface for display, the distribution schedule interface identifying a plurality of content that is distributed in real-time and predetermined distribution times of the plurality of content;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of content identified in the displayed distribution schedule interface and for which distribution started before or starts after a current time from a user using the distribution schedule interface;

determining whether on-demand access is requested for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface; and

when on-demand access is determined to be requested for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface,

executing a declarative object (DO) for acquiring the content selected using the distribution schedule interface,

sending a request for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface over a first communication medium based on the DO, and

receiving the content selected using the distribution schedule interface provided via a second communication medium in response to the request for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

the distribution schedule interface includes an electronic programming guide (EPG), and

the plurality of content includes a plurality of broadcast television content.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether any of the plurality of content included in the distribution schedule interface to be output in the step of outputting is associated with a DO trigger, wherein

the step of outputting further comprises outputting an indication of which of the plurality of content is associated with a DO trigger.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the step of executing comprises:

executing the DO identified by a DO trigger associated with the content selected using the distribution schedule interface.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the first communication medium and the second communication medium are the Internet.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the first communication medium is the Internet and the second communication medium is a terrestrial broadcast.

13. A reception apparatus, comprising:

a first communication interface;

circuitry configured to

output a distribution schedule interface for display, the distribution schedule interface identifying a plurality of content that is distributed in real-time and predetermined distribution times of the plurality of content;

receive a selection of one of the plurality of content identified in the displayed distribution schedule interface and for which distribution started before or starts after a current time from a user using the distribution schedule interface;

determine whether on-demand access is requested for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface, and

when on-demand access is determined to be requested for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface,

execute a declarative object (DO) for acquiring the content selected using the distribution schedule interface, and

send a request for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface over a first communication medium, via the first communication interface, based on the DO; and

a second communication interface configured to receive the content selected using the distribution schedule interface provided via a second communication medium in response to the request for the content selected using the distribution schedule interface.

14. The reception apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the distribution schedule interface includes an electronic programming guide (EPG), and

the plurality of content includes a plurality of broadcast television content.

15. The reception apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the circuitry is configured to

determine whether any of the plurality of content included in the distribution schedule interface to be output by the circuitry is associated with a DO trigger, and

output an indication of which of the plurality of content is associated with a DO trigger.

16. The reception apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the circuitry is configured to execute the DO identified by a DO trigger associated with the content selected using the distribution schedule interface.

17. The reception apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the first communication medium and the second communication medium are the Internet, and

the first communication interface and the second communication interface are the same.

18. The reception apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first communication medium is the Internet and the second communication medium is a terrestrial broadcast.

19. An information providing apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a declarative object (DO) associated with a particular content which is distributed in real-time and according to a predetermined schedule; and

circuitry configured to provide the DO to a reception apparatus via a communication interface, the DO defining a location from which on-demand access to the content can be requested, wherein

the DO is executed by the reception apparatus when on-demand access to the particular content associated with the DO is determined to be requested by a user using a distribution schedule interface displayed to the user, the distribution schedule interface identifying a plurality of content that is distributed in real-time and predetermined distribution times of the plurality of content.