INFORMATION-PROVIDING SYSTEM, PORTABLE TERMINAL DEVICE, SERVER, AND PROGRAM

• US 20130279300A1
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Iwase, Hiroyuki, Koezuka, Shinji, Sakurada, Shinya, Fukui, Mitsuru
• Granted Patent: US 9,721,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/197
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/00 Non-electrical signal transmission systems, e.g. optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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

Provided is an information-providing system whereby a variety of information can be provided using a sound to a portable terminal device used by a user. The information-providing system includes a sound output device outputting, as a sound wave, identifying information modulated into a sound signal, an identifying-information resolution server, connected to an information-communication network, for identifying, based on the identifying information, address information for accessing a content server connected to an information-communication network; and a portable terminal device including a sound receiving section for receiving the sound wave outputted by the sound-emitting device, a demodulating section for demodulating the identifying information from the received sound wave, a resolution section for sending the demodulated identifying information to the identifying-information resolution server and acquiring the address information, and an accessing section for accessing the content server using the acquired address information.

Claims

1. An information-providing system comprising:

a sound output device adapted to output, as a sound wave, identifying information which is modulated into a sound signal;

an identifying-information resolution server connected to an information-communication network, and adapted to identify address information for accessing a content server which is connected to the information-communication network, based on the identifying information; and

a portable terminal device that includes a sound receiving section adapted to receive the sound wave outputted from the sound output device, a demodulating section adapted to demodulate the identifying information from the received sound wave, a resolution section adapted to send the demodulated identifying information to the identifying-information resolution server to acquire the address information, and an access section adapted to access the content server using the address information acquired.

2. The information-providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the portable terminal device further includes a position acquiring section adapted to acquire position information which indicates a position of the portable terminal device,

the identifying-information resolution server is configured to identify the address information based on the identifying information and the position information sent from the portable terminal device, and

the resolution section of the portable terminal device sends the identifying information demodulated by the demodulation section and the position information acquired by the position acquiring section to the identifying-information resolution server to acquire the address information.

3. The information-providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the portable terminal device further includes a time acquiring section adapted to acquire time information, wherein the time information indicates a time when the sound receiving section receives the sound wave outputted by the sound output device, or a time when the identifying information is sent to the identifying-information resolution server,

the identifying-information resolution server is a server adapted to identify the address information based on the identifying information and the time information sent from the portable terminal device, and

the resolution section of the portable terminal device sends the demodulated identifying information and the time information acquired by the time acquiring section to the identifying-information resolution server to acquire the address information.

4. The information-providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the sound output device is a broadcast receiving device,

the sound wave outputted from the sound output device includes a sound sent from a broadcasting station, the sound being a sound of a program or advertisement of a broadcast, and

the identifying-information resolution server identifies the address information for accessing the content server having a content about the program or advertisement of the broadcast based on the received identifying information.

5. The information-providing system according to claim 1, wherein

the sound output device includes a speaker device installed inside, outside or in a vicinity of a facility, and

the identifying-information resolution server identifies the address information for accessing the content server having a content about the facility based on the received identifying information.

6. A portable terminal device comprising:

a sound receiving section adapted to receive a sound wave of identifying information which is modulated into a sound signal;

a demodulating section adapted to demodulate the identifying information from the received sound wave;

a resolution section adapted to send the demodulated identifying information to an identifying-information resolution server via an information-communication network to acquire address information of a content server connected to the information-communication network; and

an access section adapted to access the content server via the information-communication network using the address information acquired.

7. A server capable of resolving identifying information, the server comprising:

a receiving section adapted to communicate with a portable terminal device, which demodulates the identifying information from a received sound wave, via an information-communication network, and to receive the identifying information from the portable terminal device; and

a resolution section adapted to identify address information for accessing a content server connected to the information-communication network based on the received identifying information.

8. A non-transitory computer readable-medium in which is stored a program capable of causing a computer to function as:

demodulation means for demodulating identifying information from a received sound wave;

identifying-information resolution means for sending the demodulated identifying information to an identifying-information resolution server via a information-communication network to acquire address information of a content server connected to the information-communication network; and

network access means for accessing the content server via the information-communication network using the address information acquired.

9. An information-providing system comprising:

a sound output device adapted to output, as a sound wave, identifying information which is modulated into a sound signal;

an identifying-information resolution server connected to an information-communication network, and adapted to identify first address information for accessing a distribution server which is connected to the information-communication network, based on the identifying information;

the distribution server connected to the information-communication network, identified by the first address information, and adapted to identify second address information for accessing a content server, having a desired content, which is connected to the information-communication network, based on the first address information; and

a portable terminal device that includes a sound receiving section adapted to receive the sound wave outputted from the sound output device, a demodulating section adapted to demodulate the identifying information from the received sound wave, a network communication section adapted to communicate via the information-communication network, and a control section adapted to send the demodulated identifying information to the identifying-information resolution server to acquire the first address information, to access the distribution server using the first address information acquired, to send the identifying information to the distribution server to acquire the second address information, and to access the content server using the second address information acquired.

10. The information-providing system according to claim 9, wherein

the identifying-information resolution server associates one first address information with pieces of identifying information, and

the distribution server which is accessed with the one first address information associates different pieces of second address information with the pieces of identifying information.

11. The information-providing system according to claim 9, wherein

the distribution server and the content server which is accessed with the second address information identified by the distribution server are configured by a common server.

12. The information-providing system according to claim 9, wherein

the sound output device is a broadcast receiving device,

the sound wave outputted from the sound output device includes a sound sent from a broadcasting station, the sound being a sound of a program or advertisement of a broadcast, and

the distribution server identifies the second address information for accessing the content server having a content about the program or advertisement of the broadcast based on the received identifying information.

13. The information-providing system according to claim 9, wherein

the sound output device includes a speaker device installed inside, outside or in a vicinity of a facility, and

the distribution server identifies the second address information for accessing the content server having a content about the facility based on the received identifying information.

14. The information-providing system according to claim 9, whether

the portable terminal device further includes a position acquiring section adapted to acquire position information which indicates a position of the portable terminal device,

the distribution server is configured to identify the second address information based on the identifying information and the position information sent from the portable terminal device, and

the control section of the portable terminal device sends the identifying information and the position information acquired by the position acquiring section to the distribution server to acquire the second address information.

15. The information-providing system according to claim 9, wherein

the portable terminal device further includes a time acquiring section adapted to acquire time information, wherein the time information indicates a time when the sound receiving section receives the sound wave outputted by the sound output device, or a time when the identifying information is sent to the distribution server,

the distribution server is configured to identify the second address information based on the identifying information and the time information sent from the portable terminal device, and

the control section of the portable terminal device sends the identifying information and the time information acquired by the time acquiring section to the distribution server to acquire the second address information.

16. A portable terminal device comprising:

a sound receiving section adapted to receive a sound wave of identifying information which is modulated into a sound signal;

a demodulating section adapted to demodulate the identifying information from the received sound wave;

a network communication section adapted to communicate via a information-communication network; and

a control section adapted to send the demodulated identifying information to an identifying-information resolution server via the information-communication network to acquire first address information, to access a distribution server via the information-communication network using the first address information acquired, to send the identifying information to the distribution server to acquire second address information, and to access a content server having a desired content via the information-communication network using the second address information acquired.

17. A server capable of resolving identifying information, the server comprising:

a receiving section adapted to communicate with a portable terminal device, which demodulates the identifying information from a received sound wave, via an information-communication network, and to receive the identifying information from the portable terminal device; and

a resolution section adapted to identify first address information for accessing a distribution server connected to the information-communication network based on the received identifying information.

18. A server for distribution, comprising:

a receiving section adapted to communicate with a portable terminal device, which demodulates identifying information from a received sound wave, via an information-communication network, and to receive the identifying information from the portable terminal device; and

a distribution section adapted to identify second address information for accessing a content server having a desired content and being connected to the information-communication network based on the received identifying information.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in which is stored a program capable of causing a computer to function as:

means for sending identifying information which is demodulated from a received sound wave to an identifying-information resolution server to acquire first address information;

means for accessing a distribution server using the first address information acquired, and sending the identifying information to the distribution server; and

means for accessing a content server having a desired content using the second address information acquired.