Interactive video distribution systems – Access control or blocking
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-25
2004-02-10
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Access control or blocking
C725S027000, C725S030000, C725S039000, C380S210000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06691310
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of information transmission between an information transmitter and an information receiver. It also relates to the information transmitter and the information receiver.
Conventionally, when information is broadcast from an information transmitter to an information receiver, the information receiver records whether or not the information has been received. In this recording method, the date and time the information was received and the number of channel through which data was transmitted are recorded.
This method assumes that the received information is television programs, that is, video and sounds played back in real time, and that the received information is displayed at the same time it is received. However, the received information is sometimes recorded on such devices as a video cassette recorder but will not actually be played back. In addition, when multiple pieces of information are received in a specific period of time concurrently, only one of them is sometimes displayed and others are not.
Another type of received information is data, that is, text or still images. Unlike TV program video, these are independent of the time for the TV program, in other words, the TV broadcasting time. That is, a TV program is usually broadcast in a specific period of time through a specific channel according to the TV program, while data may be broadcast multiple times a day or across multiple channels. In this case, the conventional method in which the date/time and the number of channel are recorded does not determine which data was received.
Data, one type of received information, is also easy to record on a storage unit, meaning that there is also the problem that data was received but not was displayed and, as a result, the program rating cannot be determined.
Another problem is that, when the audience received but did not displayed data, there is no device to estimate the reason for it.
The conventional method by which the reception date/time and the number of channel used for reception are recorded does not indicate whether or not the audience actually displayed the received information.
In particular, when the received information is data, the method does not indicate which data was received.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and a method indicating which information was received and whether or not the received information was displayed when information is sent from sending equipment to receiving equipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device indicating, when the audience received but not displayed data, the reason for it.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention attaches an identification number, called a package number, to transmission information. A receiver manages reception and display separately with package numbers as the key, and records the reception time and the display time so that data received but not displayed can be identified. The present invention also adds a content code representing the contents of received information to received information, and a display code representing a display priority to transmission data. This makes it possible, when the audience received but not displayed data, to estimate the reason for it.
A system according to the present invention has a configuration described below. An information transmitter transmitting information comprises a unit creating a package number identifying the transmission information, a unit adding the package number to the transmission information, and a unit transmitting the transmission information having the package number to an information receiver.
The information receiver comprises a unit receiving the transmission information having the package number identifying the transmission information and a unit determining, with the use of the package number, if the received transmission information was displayed on a display unit.
The unit determining if the received transmission information was displayed, which is included in the information receiver, may determine if the received transmission information was displayed on the display unit based on a reception time at which the transmission information was received and a display time at which the transmission information was displayed.
The information receiver has a first storage unit where the fact that the transmission information was received and the package number are stored and a second storage unit where, when the transmission information was displayed, the fact that the transmission information was displayed and the package number are stored. The unit determining if the received transmission information was displayed may determine whether the information was displayed, based on the contents stored in the first and second storage units.
The information receiver may further comprise a unit adding a content code indicating the contents of the transmission information received by the unit receiving the transmission information and a display code indicating the display priority of the transmission information.
The present invention also provides a method for use in the information receiver where information indicating whether or not the transmission information is to be displayed is stored, the information receiver receiving the transmission information from the information transmitter transmitting the information. The method comprises the steps of receiving the transmission information having the package number added by the information transmitter and identifying the transmission information, storing the fact that the transmission information was received and the package number added to the received transmission information, storing, when the received transmission information was displayed on the display unit of the information receiver, the fact that the transmission information was displayed and the package number added to the displayed transmission information, and determining whether or not the transmission information was displayed based on the stored package number.
According to the present invention, when information is transmitted from transmission equipment to reception equipment, it is possible to determine which information was received and whether received information was displayed.
The present invention also provides materials for use in estimating, when audience received but did not display data, the reason for it.
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Hirasawa Shigeki
Morioka Michio
Takahashi Nobukage
Yagawa Yuichi
Yamada Toru
Brown Reuben M.
Faile Andrew
Hitachi , Ltd.
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