On-demand access to scheduled content

• US 9,699,492 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• 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: Shintani, Peter, Fay, Luke
• Primary Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US14/949,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• 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 on a plurality of broadcast channels and predetermined distribution times for 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, 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, acquiring the content selected using the distribution schedule interface based on information received from one of the plurality of broadcast channels, the content being acquired from a broadcast stream transmitted on the broadcast channel on which the content was or is scheduled to be distributed in real-time.

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 on-demand access is available for any of the plurality of content included in the distribution schedule interface to be output in the step of outputting, wherein

the step of outputting further includes outputting an indication of which of the plurality of content is available on demand.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the selection comprises:

receiving the selection of the one of the plurality of content for which distribution started after the current time.

5. 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 on a plurality of broadcast channels and predetermined distribution times for 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, acquiring the content selected using the distribution schedule interface based on information received from one of the plurality of broadcast channels, the content being acquired from a broadcast stream transmitted on the broadcast channel on which the content was or is scheduled to be distributed in real-time.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 5, wherein

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

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

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether on-demand access is available for any of the plurality of content included in the distribution schedule interface to be output in the step of outputting, wherein

the step of outputting further includes outputting an indication of which of the plurality of content is available on demand.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the step of receiving the selection comprises:

receiving the selection of the one of the plurality of content for which distribution started after the current time.

9. A reception apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of broadcast channels;

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 on the plurality of broadcast channels 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, acquire the content selected using the distribution schedule interface based on information received from one of the plurality of broadcast channels, the content being acquired from a broadcast stream transmitted on the broadcast channel on which the content was or is scheduled to be distributed in real-time.

10. The reception apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

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

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

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the circuitry is configured to

determine whether on-demand access is available for any of the plurality of content included in the distribution schedule interface to be output in the step of outputting, and

output an indication of which of the plurality of content is available on demand.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the selection of the one of the plurality of content for which distribution started after the current time.

13. An information providing apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store information that indicates on-demand access is available for one of a plurality of content identified by a distribution schedule interface, the distribution schedule interface identifying the plurality of content that is distributed in real-time on a plurality of broadcast channels and predetermined distribution times for the plurality of content; and

circuitry configured to transmit the information to a reception apparatus which acquires the one of the plurality of content based on the information when the one of the plurality of content is selected by a user of the reception apparatus, the one of the plurality of content being acquired from a broadcast stream transmitted on the broadcast channel on which the one of the plurality of content was or is scheduled to be distributed in real-time.