Reserved image transmission system and method

• US RE46,644 E1
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Kyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S.
• Application Number:
  US12/858,126
• Time in Patent Office: 2,681 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32, 725 46, 725134, 705 27, 707631-635, 707781-788
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An image transmission system for reserving and transmitting an image to be broadcast is provided. The image transmission system includes: an uploading unit for inputting reservation request information for reservation of image transmission and uploading an image; and a server for storing the reservation request information and the image and transmitting the image to one or more recipients'"'"' display devices according to the reservation request information.

Claims

1. An image transmission system comprising:

an uploading unit for uploading an image and for inputting reservation request information for reserving transmission of the image to at least one display device of a predetermined recipient, the reservation request information comprising recipient information and a desired broadcast time selected by a user of the uploading unit; and

a server for storing the reservation request information and the image, for transmitting the stored image to the at least one display device according to the reservation request information, and for determining a reserved broadcast time based on the desired broadcast time,

wherein the server transmits the stored image to the at least one display device at the reserved broadcast time, the at least one display device of the predetermined recipient identified according to an ID or an IP address of the at least one display device included in the recipient information.

2. An image transmission method comprising:

inputting to a server reservation request information for reserving transmission of an image to at least one display device of a predetermined recipient, the reservation request information comprising recipient information and a desired broadcast time selected by a user of an uploading unit;

uploading the image to the server, the uploaded image to be stored in the server in association with the input reservation request information;

determining a reserved broadcast time based on the desired broadcast time; and

transmitting the stored image from the server to the at least one display device according to the reservation request information,

wherein the server transmits the stored image to the at least one display device at the reserved broadcast time, the at least one display device of the predetermined recipient identified according to an ID or an IP address of the at least one display device included in the recipient information.

3. An image A content transmission system comprising:

a server; and

an uploading unit uploader for uploading a first content including at least one of an image, and for inputting a voice and a message with reservation request information for reserving transmission of the image to at least one display device of a predetermined recipient, the at least one display device of the predetermined recipient identified according to recipient information included in the reservation request information input by a user of said uploading unit; and

a the first content to the server, wherein the server for storing the reservation request information and stores the uploaded image first content with the reservation request information, and for transmitting transmits a signal including a second content with the stored image first content to the at least one a display device at the same time, said first content being carried by the signal according to the reservation request information,

wherein the reservation request information includes user information and recipient information, the user information comprising a phone number of a user of the uploader and the recipient information comprises an ID or an IP address of the at least one comprising a phone number of a recipient'"'"'s display device,

wherein the server transmits information including a service fee and a result of transmission of the first content to the uploader based on the user information and transmits information including transmission time of the stored first content to the display device based on the recipient information,

wherein the second content is output via a main screen of the display device and the first content is automatically output via a sub-screen of the display device,

wherein a voice of the first content is muted during outputting via the sub-screen of the display device, and

wherein the display device stores the output first content when receiving a request for turned-off state on the display device, and then the display device displays a message for informing that the output first content has been stored when receiving a request for turned-on state on the display device.

4. The image content transmission system of claim 3, wherein the reservation request user information further comprises user information of at least one of the a user'"'"'s name, a user'"'"'s address, a user'"'"'s phone number an identifier (ID) of the uploader, an Internet Protocol (IP) address and a user'"'"'s e-mail address.

5. The image content transmission system of claim 3, wherein the reservation request information comprises at least one of a type of the image first content and a display option.

6. The image content transmission system of claim 3, wherein the uploading unit uploader is connected to the server to input the reservation request information, wherein the server generates a user menu for display by the uploading unit uploader, the user menu for selecting the reservation request information, and wherein the user registers the reservation request information with the server.

7. The image transmission system of claim 3, wherein the server transmits a message preannouncing the reserved image transmission to the at least one display device.

8. The image content transmission system of claim 3, wherein the at least one display device receives the transmitted image first content, determines whether the received image first content has been displayed by the at least one display device, and transmits to the server a confirmation message for informing the server whether the image first content has been displayed.

9. The image content transmission system of claim 3, wherein the reservation request information comprises a message for the first content to be displayed by the at least one display device together with the image first content.

10. The image content transmission system of claim 8, wherein the at least one display device receives the transmitted image first content, determines whether the received image first content has been displayed by the at least one display device, and stores the received image first content when it is determined that the image first content has not been displayed.

11. The image content transmission system of claim 8, wherein the server receives the confirmation message from the at least one display device and uploads the received confirmation message to the uploading unit uploader.

30. The image transmission system of claim 3, wherein the reservation request information comprises a desired broadcast time selected by the user.

31. The image transmission system of claim 30, wherein the server determines a reserved broadcast time based on the desired broadcast time.

32. The image transmission system of claim 31, wherein the server stores the uploaded image in a database in correspondence to the reserved broadcast time and transmits the stored image to the at least one display device at the reserved broadcast time.

33. The image transmission system of claim 31, wherein the server transmits to the uploading unit a broadcast time confirmation message for informing the user of the reserved broadcast time.

34. The image transmission system of claim 31, wherein the reservation request information further comprises user information including at least one of a user name, a user address, a user phone number, and a user e-mail address, and wherein the server transmits a broadcast time confirmation message for informing the user of the reserved broadcast time and a service fee.

35. The image transmission system of claim 31, wherein the server transmits a preannouncing message preannouncing the image transmission to the at least one display device, and wherein the preannouncing message includes the reserved broadcast time.

36. The image content transmission system of claim 7 claim 3, wherein the recipient information further comprises at least one of a telephone number and an e-mail address of the predetermined recipient and wherein the preannouncing message preannouncing the image content transmission is also transmitted to the predetermined recipient using at least of one of the predetermined recipient'"'"'s e-mail address and the predetermined recipient'"'"'s telephone number.

37. The image transmission system of claim 36, wherein the preannouncing message preannouncing the image transmission is transmitted to the predetermined recipient together with an indication of a service fee for receiving the image transmission.

38. The image content transmission system of claim 3, wherein the at least one display device includes a broadcast television receiver, wherein the server includes a broadcast station, and wherein the image content transmission is carried to the at least one display device over a broadcast television channel.

12. An image A content transmission method comprising:

inputting to a server reservation request information for reserving transmission of an image to at least one display device of a predetermined recipient, the at least one display device of the predetermined recipient identified according to recipient information included in the reservation request information input to the server;

uploading the image to the server, the uploaded image to be stored in the server in association with the input reservation request information a first content including at least one of an image, a voice and a message with reservation request information for the first content from an uploader to a server; and

storing the uploaded first content with the reservation request information at the server; and

transmitting a signal including a second content with the stored image first content from the server to the at least one a display device at the same time, said first content being carried by the signal according to the reservation request information at the server,

wherein the reservation request information includes user information and recipient information, the user information comprising a phone number of a user of the uploader and the recipient information comprises an ID or an IP address comprising a phone number of the at least one a recipient'"'"'s display device,

wherein the server transmits information including a service fee and a result of transmission of the first content to the uploader based on the user information and transmits information including transmission time of the stored first content to the display device based on the recipient information,

wherein the second content is output via a main screen of the display device and the first content is automatically output via a sub-screen of the display device, and

wherein a voice of the first content is muted during outputting via the sub-screen of the display device, and

wherein the display device stores the output first content when receiving a request for turned-off state on the display device, and then the display device displays a message for informing that the output first content has been stored when receiving a request for turned-on state on the display device.

13. The image content transmission method of claim 12, wherein the reservation request user information further comprises user information of at least one of a user'"'"'s name, a user'"'"'s address, a user'"'"'s phone number an identifier (ID) of the uploader, an Internet Protocol (IP) address and a user'"'"'s e-mail address.

14. The image content transmission method of claim 12, wherein the reservation request information comprises at least one of a type of the image first content and a display option.

15. The image transmission method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting a message preannouncing the reserved image transmission from the server to the at least one display device.

16. The image content transmission method of claim 12, further comprising determining at a broadcaster station the server, whether the uploaded image first content is suitable for broadcast transmitting based on whether the image first content includes a content deemed by the broadcaster station server to be unsuitably lewd or violent.

17. The image content transmission method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the transmitted image first and second content at the at least one display device;

determining, at the at least one display device, whether the received images first content has been displayed by the at least one display device; and

transmitting from the at least one display device to the server a confirmation message for informing the server whether the image first content has been displayed on the at least one display device.

18. The image content transmission method of claim 12, wherein the reservation request information comprises a message for the first content to be displayed by the at least one display device together with the image first content.

19. The image content transmission method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the transmitted image first and second content at the at least one display device;

determining, at the at least one display device, whether the received images first content has been displayed by the at least one display device; and

storing the received image first content when it is determined that the image first content has not been displayed on the at least one display device.

20. The image content transmission method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting the confirmation message from the server to an uploading unit the uploader for performing said inputting of the reservation request information and the uploading of said image first content.

21. The image transmission method of claim 12, wherein the reservation request information comprises a desired broadcast time selected by a user of an performing said inputting of the reservation request information and the uploading of said image.

22. The image transmission method of claim 21, further comprising determining a reserved broadcast time based on the desired broadcast time.

23. The image transmission method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing the uploaded image in a database in correspondence to the reserved broadcast time; and

transmitting the stored image to the at least one display device at the reserved broadcast time.

24. The image transmission method of claim 22, further comprising transmitting from the server to the uploading unit a broadcast confirmation message for informing the user of the reserved broadcast time.

25. The image transmission method of claim 22, wherein the reservation request information further comprises user information including at least one of a user name, a user address, a user phone number, and a user e-mail address, and wherein the server transmits a broadcast confirmation message for informing the user of the reserved broadcast time and a service fee.

26. The image transmission method of claim 22, wherein the server transmits a preannouncing message preannouncing the image transmission to the at least one display device and wherein the preannouncing message includes the reserved broadcast time.

27. The image content transmission method of claim 15 12, wherein recipient information further comprises at least one of a telephone number and an e-mail address of the predetermined recipient, and wherein the message preannouncing the image content transmission is also transmitted to the recipient using at least of one of the predetermined recipient'"'"'s e-mail address and the predetermined recipient'"'"'s telephone number.

28. The image content transmission method of claim 27, wherein the message preannouncing the image content transmission is transmitted to the predetermined recipient together with an indication of a service fee for receiving the image transmission.

29. The image content transmission method of claim 12, wherein the at least one display device includes a broadcast television receiver, wherein the server includes a broadcast station, and wherein the image content transmission is carried to the at least one display device over a broadcast television channel.