Broadcast reception system, mobile terminal and server

• US 7,509,091 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ito, Tamotsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tu X
• Application Number:
  US11/196,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20060117345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/3.02, 455/414.4, 455/427, 370/389
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/24 Arrangements for distribution of identical information via broadcast system and non-broadcast system
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• 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 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6371 directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6473 Monitoring network processes errors for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40

Abstract

A broadcast reception system with improved usability is disclosed. The system includes a broadcast receivable mobile terminal and a server capable of sending and receiving data to and from the mobile terminal. This terminal has a first broadcast receiver and a first communication unit for data communication with the server. The server has a second broadcast receiver, a second communication unit for data communication with the mobile terminal, and a storage unit for storing therein the data received by the second broadcast receiver. When the first broadcast receiver goes bad in reception state, the mobile terminal transmits by the first communication unit to the server a send request information signal which calls for transmission of broadcast data. Upon receipt of this request, the server sends the data received from the storage unit to the mobile terminal by the second communication unit.

Claims

1. A broadcast reception system comprising:

a mobile terminal capable of receiving a broadcast; and

a server capable of sending and receiving data to and from the mobile terminal;

the mobile terminal including a first broadcast receiver for receiving a broadcast and a first communication unit capable of sending and receiving data to and from the server; and

the server including a second broadcast receiver for receiving a broadcast, a second communication unit capable of sending and receiving data to and from the mobile terminal, and a memory capable of storing data received from the second broadcast receiver, wherein;

when a reception state of the first broadcast receiver becomes inferior, the mobile terminal transmits by the first communication unit toward the server a send request information for requesting transmission of broadcast data,

upon receipt of the send request information from the mobile terminal, the server reads data out of the memory and transmits the data by the second communication unit toward the mobile terminal, and

the send request information contains identification information indicative of a type of broadcast program and time information indicating a time point whereat the reception state of the first broadcast receiver becomes inferior.

2. The broadcast reception system according to claim 1, wherein the type of broadcast program is any one of information relating to a broadcast program title and a program identification number.

3. The broadcast reception system according to claim 1, wherein the data as read out of the memory is broadcast data within a time period in which broadcast reception is failed by the first broadcast receiver.

4. The broadcast reception system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first broadcast receiver has an antenna and a channel selector, and

an event that the reception state becomes inferior is one of a state in which the antenna is incapable of receiving a broadcast and a state in which the channel selector is incapable of demodulating the broadcast received by the channel selector.

5. A mobile terminal comprising:

a broadcast receiver which receives a broadcast;

a communication unit capable of sending and receiving data to and from a broadcast recordable server; and

a controller for controlling, when a reception state of the broadcast receiver becomes inferior, so that the communication unit transmits to the server a send request information for requesting transmission of broadcast data, wherein;

the communication unit receives one of the broadcast data incapable of being received by the broadcast receiving unit and data within a time period incapable of demodulating the broadcast received, and

the send request information contains identification information indicative of a type of broadcast program and time information indicating a time point whereat the reception state of the broadcast receiver becomes inferior.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, wherein the type of broadcast program is any one of information concerning a broadcast program title and a program identification number.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, further comprising:

a memory capable of storing data received by one of the broadcast receiver and the communication unit; and

a playback device for reproducing the data being stored in the memory, wherein;

the data sent from the server is stored in the memory while letting the data received by the broadcast receiver be stored in the memory when the reception state of the broadcast receiver becomes good, and

the playback device reproduces the data received by the broadcast receiver after having reproduced the data as sent from the server from the memory.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 7, wherein the playback device has a first playback mode for reproduction of the data being stored in the memory at a one-time speed and a second playback mode for reproduction of the data at a speed greater than the one-time speed.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, wherein:

the broadcast receiver has an antenna and a channel selector, and

an event that the reception state becomes inferior is one of a state in which the antenna is incapable of receiving a broadcast and a state in which the channel selector is incapable of demodulating the broadcast received by the channel selector.

10. A mobile terminal comprising:

a broadcast receiver which receives a broadcast;

a communication unit capable of sending and receiving data to and from a broadcast recordable server;

a memory capable of storing therein data received by one of the broadcast receiver and the communication unit;

a setup unit which sets a broadcast program to be stored in the memory; and

a controller which provides control in such a way as to (i) store in the memory broadcast data received by the broadcast receiver upon startup of the broadcast program as set by the setup unit, (ii) stop storage of broadcast data into the memory when the broadcast receiver becomes inferior in reception state, (iii) when the reception state of the broadcast receiver becomes good, restart the storage of the broadcast data received by the broadcast receiver while causing the communication unit to send forth toward the server a send request information for requesting transmission of broadcast data, the request information containing identification information indicative of a type of broadcast program, (iv) receive by the communication unit broadcast data within one of a time period in which the broadcast receiver is incapable of receiving a broadcast and a period in which the broadcast received is incapable of demodulation, and (v) store in the memory the broadcast data received by the communication unit.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the memory stores the broadcast data received by the communication unit along with broadcast data received by the broadcast receiver.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the broadcast receiver has an antenna and a channel selector, wherein an event that the reception state becomes inferior is one of a state in which the antenna is incapable of receiving a broadcast and a state in which the channel selector is incapable of demodulating the broadcast received by the channel selector, and wherein an event that the reception state becomes good is a state in which the antenna is capable of receiving a broadcast and the channel selector is capable of demodulating the broadcast received by the channel selector.