JP2002247472A - Digital television apparatus and control method therefor, content distribution apparatus, method and system, storage medium, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a digital television apparatus or the like which can easily display contents closely related to program contents in conjunction with a program and enhance the effect of providing the contents. SOLUTION: A digital television apparatus 4 is provided to a program viewer 3 in advance, and a content distribution apparatus 1 provides contents and attribute-attached contents including content attribute information to the television apparatus 4, and stores the contents in an accumulation unit 402. Stored. When the program viewer 3 views the program, the storage control means 403 extracts keywords (program title, genre, etc.) extracted from digital broadcast program data from the broadcast station 5.
Then, by searching for each piece of content attribute information, a content that is strongly related to the program content is selected and read out from a plurality of stored contents, and is displayed in the content display area 404.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital television apparatus for receiving and displaying digital broadcast data transmitted from a broadcasting station, a control method therefor, a content distribution apparatus, a method and a system, a storage medium, and a program. The present invention relates to a digital television apparatus for providing content provided by a content provider to a viewer, a control method thereof, a content distribution apparatus, a method and a system, a storage medium, and a program, separately from information provided in the main broadcast.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in television broadcasting, digital broadcasting services have begun in addition to conventional analog broadcasting. In the United States, digital terrestrial broadcasting has begun since 1998, and in Japan since the end of 2000, BS
Digital broadcasting using (broadcasting satellites) began,
The terrestrial digital broadcasting is scheduled to start in the year. In digital broadcasting, large-capacity data transmission is possible by digital compression technology, high-efficiency coding technology, and the like. As a result,
Compared to conventional analog broadcasting, digital broadcasting can be used to broadcast many channels, and video information,
Broadcasting of various information (contents) in addition to audio information is also possible.

The various information includes attribute information (channel, broadcast time, genre, etc.) relating to a program, commercial information, data for a personal computer, and the like. Digital broadcast viewers can not only receive video / audio information and view programs on digital television devices, but also receive various services by using these contents. In addition, a content provider having content such as program attribute information and commercial information can provide content to viewers of more interest by linking content related to the program content to digital broadcasting, thereby enabling content to be provided to viewers of higher interest. It has become possible to increase the added value possessed.

[0004]

However, since these contents are provided only as a part of the digital main broadcast, the contents provider generally grasps the contents of each program and determines that it is most suitable for interlocking with the contents. It is necessary to select a program that seems to be conceivable and request a broadcast station to add content at the stage of producing the program, which requires a complicated response.
It is not easy to determine the optimal program selection, and since the programs whose contents are to be displayed in conjunction with each other are basically limited to the requested program, the contents provided to the viewer must be And it was not easy to optimize for the viewer.

[0005] Further, since the contents possessed by the content provider are temporarily stored in the storage device of the digital television apparatus before being displayed, the display state of each content cannot be understood by the content provider. Therefore, if the viewer does not see the broadcast program linked to the content, the linked content will not be displayed, and even if the content is displayed, the degree of interest of the viewer is not known. For example, there has been a situation where, for example, an advertising effect or the like cannot be clearly grasped by a content provider. This has been an obstacle to providing content that is truly useful to viewers, and has also been an obstacle to increasing the effectiveness of providing content to content providers.

[0006] Further, since the contents provider does not know the storage status of each content, even if the viewer is interested in the contents, the contents are not stored in the digital television apparatus or the stored contents are the latest. It is difficult to provide appropriate content to the viewer when the content is not the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. A first object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily display contents closely related to program contents in conjunction with the program. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital television apparatus and a control method therefor, a content distribution apparatus, a method and a system, a storage medium, and a program that can enhance the effect of providing contents.

[0008] A second object of the present invention is to make it possible to monitor the status of contents in a digital television apparatus and to provide and obtain useful and detailed information useful to both viewers and content providers. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital television apparatus and a control method therefor, a content distribution apparatus, a method and a system, a storage medium, and a program.

[0009]

In order to achieve the first object, a digital television apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program. Content receiving means for receiving, from the content distribution device, attributed content including content different from the digital broadcast program and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program, and the content receiving means; Content storage means for storing the content with the attribute, and when the digital broadcast program is displayed, the content related to the displayed digital broadcast program is stored in the content included in the content with the attribute stored by the content storage means. From the attributed content stored Content selection means for selecting based on the content attribute information and the displayed digital broadcast program, and content display control means for reading the content selected by the content selection means from the content storage means and displaying the content on a display unit It is characterized by having.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the digital television device according to the first aspect, the content selection by the content selection means is performed by converting the content attribute information using a keyword extracted from program data of the digital broadcast program. It is characterized by being performed by searching.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the digital television device according to the first or second aspect, the content attribute information includes a genre, an audience, and a content corresponding to the content attribute information. It is characterized in that at least one piece of information on the required time is included.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the digital television device according to the first aspect, the content receiving means is connectable to a network, and the attributed content is transmitted from the content distribution device through the network. It is characterized by the following.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the digital television apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the content includes at least one of text information, audio information, still image information, and moving image information. One is included.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the digital television apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, a display history management means for individually managing display histories of contents stored by the content storage means. And a display history transmitting unit that transmits a display history managed by the display history managing unit to the content distribution device.

In order to achieve the second object, a digital television apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is a digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program, the digital television apparatus being connected via a network. From a content distribution device, content receiving means for receiving content different from a digital broadcast program, content storing means for storing content received by the content receiving means, and content stored by the content storing means being read and displayed Content display control means to be displayed on the display unit, display history management means for individually managing the display history of the content stored by the content storage means, and display history managed by the display history management means via the network. Display content to be transmitted to the content distribution device Characterized by comprising a transmission unit.

In the digital television device of the present invention, the display history management means may be configured as described above.
It is characterized in that identification information for specifying each of the contents is stored, and the display history of each content is individually managed using the stored identification information.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the seventh or eighth aspect, the display history includes identification information for specifying each of the contents and the number of times of display of each of the contents. And

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the ninth aspect, the display history further includes a type of each of the contents, a display date and time of each of the contents, and a display or partial display of each of the contents. At least one of a display status indicating whether the content is displayed and a utilization rate indicating a ratio of the number of times of display of each content to the total number of times of display of all the stored contents is included.

In order to achieve the first object, a content distribution apparatus according to claim 11 of the present invention distributes the attribute-added content to the digital television apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. It is characterized by being possible.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the eleventh aspect, the content with attributes can be distributed to a plurality of digital television devices, and each of the plurality of digital television devices is identified. A television identification unit, and a selection transmission unit for selectively transmitting the attributed content to a specific digital television apparatus identified by the television identification unit based on content attribute information included in the attributed content. And characterized in that:

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the twelfth aspect, the television identification means stores contractor information of a special channel in a digital broadcast program, and stores the plurality of pieces of information based on the contractor information. Each of the digital television devices is identified.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a content distribution apparatus capable of distributing the content to the digital television apparatus according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects. There is a feature.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the fourteenth aspect, the content distribution device receives a display history transmitted from the digital television device, and controls the distribution of the content based on the received display history. And a distribution control unit that performs the operation.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the content distribution device according to the fifteenth aspect, the distribution control means includes:
A new content for updating the content stored by the content storage unit of the digital television device is delivered.

In order to achieve the first object, a control method of a digital television apparatus according to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention is the control method of a digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program. A content receiving step of receiving, from the content distribution apparatus, an attributed content including content different from the digital broadcast program and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program, and the content receiving step; A content storage step of storing the attributed content in the storage unit, and when the digital broadcast program is displayed, the content related to the displayed digital broadcast program is included in the attributed content stored in the content storage step. From the contents, the stored attributed A content selection step of selecting based on the content attribute information included in the content and the displayed digital broadcast program, and a content display control of reading out the content selected in the content selection step from the storage unit and displaying the content on a display unit And a process.

According to a eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the seventeenth aspect, the content selection in the content selection step is performed by using a keyword extracted from program data of the digital broadcast program. It is characterized by being performed by searching attribute information.

[0027] According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the digital television device control method according to the seventeenth aspect,
The content attribute information includes at least one of a genre, a viewer demographic, and a required time for displaying a content corresponding to the content attribute information.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the seventeenth aspect, the content receiving step is connectable to a network, and the attribute-added content is transmitted from the content distribution device via the network. It is transmitted.

[0029] According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, in the control method of the digital television device according to any one of the seventeenth to twentieth aspects, the content includes text information, audio information, still image information, and moving image information. Wherein at least one of the following is included.

According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, in the control method for a digital television apparatus according to any one of the seventeenth to twenty-first aspects, a display for individually managing display histories of contents stored in the contents storing step. It is characterized by comprising a history management step and a display history transmission step of transmitting a display history managed by the display history management step to the content distribution device.

In order to achieve the second object, a control method of a digital television apparatus according to claim 23 of the present invention is a method of controlling a digital television apparatus capable of receiving and displaying a digital broadcast program. Receiving a content different from a digital broadcast program from a content distribution device connected via a PC, a content storing step of storing the content received in the content receiving step in a storage unit, and the content storing step A content display control step of reading the content stored by the content display unit and displaying the content on the display unit; a display history management step of individually managing display histories of the content stored in the content storage step; and a display history management step. Display history via the network. And having a display history transmission step of transmitting to the Ceiling delivery device.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, in the digital television device control method according to the twenty-third aspect, the display history management step stores identification information for specifying each of the contents in a memory. The display history of each content is individually managed using the identification information.

[0033] According to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital television apparatus control method as defined in the twenty-third aspect.
The display history includes identification information for identifying each of the contents and the number of times each of the contents is displayed.

According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, in the digital television device control method according to the twenty-seventh aspect, the display history further includes a type of each of the contents, a display date and time of each of the contents, and a full display of each of the contents. At least one of a display status indicating whether the content is displayed or a partial display and a usage rate indicating a ratio of the number of times of display of each content to the total number of times of display of all the stored contents is included.

In order to achieve the first object, a content distribution method according to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention provides a digital broadcast program for a plurality of digital television apparatuses configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program. A content distribution method in a content distribution device capable of distributing attributed content including content different from content and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program, wherein each of the plurality of digital television devices And selectively transmitting the attributed content to the specific digital television apparatus identified in the television identification step based on content attribute information included in the attributed content. And a selecting transmission step.

[0036] In a content distribution method according to a twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the twenty-seventh aspect, the television identification step stores contractor information of a specialty channel in a digital broadcast program, and based on the contractor information, Each of the digital television devices is identified.

In order to achieve the second object, a content distribution method according to claim 29 of the present invention provides a digital broadcast program for a plurality of digital television apparatuses configured to receive and display digital broadcast programs. And a content distribution method capable of distributing attributed content including content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program, wherein the content is transmitted from the digital television device. A display history is received, and the distribution of the content is controlled based on the received display history.

According to a thirtieth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the thirty-ninth aspect, the control of the distribution is performed by distributing a new content for updating the content stored in the digital television device. It is characterized by what is done.

In order to achieve the second object, a content distribution method according to claim 31 of the present invention is configured to be capable of receiving and displaying a digital broadcast program, receive contents different from the digital broadcast program, A digital TV device capable of storing the received content, reading the stored content and displaying the read content on a display unit is provided to a viewer in advance, and a network is provided to the provided digital TV device. The content is distributed to the digital television apparatus by accessing the digital television apparatus, and the content stored in the digital television apparatus is monitored.

According to a thirty-second aspect, in the content distribution method according to the thirty-first aspect, by monitoring the content, new content for updating the stored content is distributed to the digital television apparatus. It is characterized by doing.

According to a thirty-third aspect of the present invention, in the content distribution method according to the thirty-first or thirty-second aspect, the monitoring of the content includes acquiring and analyzing display history information of the stored content via the network. It is characterized by being done in.

A content distribution method according to a thirty-fourth aspect of the present invention is the content distribution method according to any one of the thirty-first to thirty-third aspects, wherein the distributed content has content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program. Is attached so that the content related to the digital broadcast program is displayed in conjunction with the display of the digital broadcast program on the digital television device.

In order to achieve the first object, the content distribution system according to claim 35 of the present invention is characterized in that:
2. A digital television apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
14. The content distribution apparatus according to any one of 1 to 13, wherein

In order to achieve the second object, a content distribution system according to claim 36 of the present invention provides a content distribution system according to claims 7 to 1
0, and a content distribution apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

In order to achieve the first object, a storage medium according to claim 37 of the present invention stores a program used in a control method of a digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program. Storage media,
A code for a content receiving step of receiving, from the content distribution device, an attributed content including content different from the digital broadcast program and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program, When a digital broadcast program and a code of a content storage step of storing the content with the attribute received by the code in the storage unit are displayed,
Content related to the displayed digital broadcast program,
A content to be selected based on the content attribute information included in the stored attributed content and the displayed digital broadcast program from the content included in the attributed content stored by the code of the content storage step A code for a selection step and a code for a content display control step of reading the content selected by the code of the content selection step from the storage unit and displaying the content on a display unit are stored.

In order to achieve the second object, a storage medium according to claim 38 of the present invention stores a program used in a control method of a digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program. Storage media,
A code of a content receiving step of receiving content different from a digital broadcast program from a content distribution device connected via a network, and a content storing step of storing the content received by the code of the content receiving step in a storage unit. A code, a code of a content display control step of reading the content stored by the code of the content storage step and displaying the content on a display unit, and a display for individually managing a display history of the content stored by the code of the content storage step. A code of a history management step and a code of a display history transmission step of transmitting a display history managed by the code of the display history management step to the content distribution device via the network are stored.

In order to achieve the first object, a program according to a thirty-ninth aspect of the present invention is used in a control method of a digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program, and can be executed by a computer. A code for a content receiving step of receiving, from the content distribution apparatus, a program, the content having an attribute including content different from the digital broadcast program and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program; A code of a content storing step of storing the content with the attribute received by the code of the content receiving step in a storage unit, and a content related to the displayed digital broadcast program when the digital broadcast program is displayed is stored in the content storing section. Context with attribute accumulated by process code From the content included in the tree,
A code of a content selection step for selecting based on the content attribute information included in the stored attributed content and the displayed digital broadcast program, and a content selected by the code of the content selection step are stored in the storage unit. A code of a content display control step to be read and displayed on the display unit is described.

In order to achieve the second object, a program according to claim 40 of the present invention is used in a control method of a digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program, and can be executed by a computer. A program, wherein a code of a content receiving step of receiving content different from a digital broadcast program from a content distribution apparatus connected via a network, and content received by the code of the content receiving step are stored in a storage unit. The code of the content storage step to be read, the code of the content display control step of reading out the content stored by the code of the content storage step and displaying it on the display unit, and the display history of the content stored by the code of the content storage step are Coordination of the display history management process that is managed individually When, characterized in that the code display history transmission step of transmitting the display history managed by the code of the display history management step to the content delivery apparatus via the network is described.

[0049]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a content distribution system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This system is a system for realizing a service in which contents different from a digital broadcast program are distributed via a network to a digital television apparatus capable of receiving the digital broadcast program.

In the present content distribution system, a content distribution device 1 managed by a system provider that operates a content distribution service, and a digital television device 4 owned by a program viewer 3 include a network 3 such as the Internet.
00 and are connected through a line. The digital television set 4 receives the digital broadcast transmitted from the broadcast station 5, and the program viewer 3 views it. The content distribution device 1 receives a supply of content from a content provider 2. The content provider 2 is a person having a content to be provided to the program viewer 3. The content distribution device 1 distributes the content to the digital television device 4 via the network 300 based on the request of the content provider 2.

The content provider 2 provides the content to be provided and the content attribute information (described later) to the system provider at a price. The consideration paid here is
Selecting a program whose content is to be linked, providing the content to the program viewer 3 without transmitting the content as part of the digital broadcast program data, and promptly updating the content when the content is updated. Is provided to the program viewer 3 or the like.

Although details will be described later, the content distribution device 1
Uses the content attribute information to associate the content with the program so that the content is linked to the content of the digital broadcast program.
The attribute-attached content is provided to the digital television device 4 via the 00 (FIG. 2). Also, the digital broadcast program viewer 3 can use the digital television device 4 to view these programs and obtain the contents.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing procedure of content distribution performed by the content distribution apparatus 1.

First, the content distribution device 1 collects content and content attribute information provided by the content provider 2 (step S101). Here, the content is information different from the digital broadcast program, and corresponds to advertisement information and the like. The content attribute information is information associated with the content and for associating the content with a broadcast program. Hereinafter, a combination of both the content and the content attribute information of the content is referred to as “content with attribute”.

For example, if the content provider 2 is a company that manufactures and sells toys for children, the content to be provided includes texts related to the name, price, and sales points of new products, voices, still images, moving images, and the like. Information is assumed, and the accompanying content attribute information is "
A genre of a program or content to be linked, such as "education", a time required for content reproduction, information on a purchase class, a viewer class, and the like are assumed. That is, the content provider 2 usually determines the content attribute information so that a program closely related to the content to be provided is easily selected, and provides this to the system provider together with the content.

Next, the content distribution device 1 uses the collected content and the content attribute information to generate and process the content that can be received by the digital television device 4 owned by the program viewer 3 (step S102). That is, information such as a sentence or an image included in the content is transferred to the content display area 40 in the digital television device 4 described later.
4 (display unit), and adds “information for linking to a program” of the digital broadcast using the content attribute information. Note that the “information for linking to a program” is information used by storage control means 403 (content selection means, content display control means) in the digital television device 4 described later, and includes information such as genre and playback time. In addition to the information, the information includes information for grasping the content storage time, the number of presentations, and the like.

Next, the attribute-added content which can be displayed on the digital television set 4 is transmitted to the plurality of digital television sets 4 connected via the network 300 (step S103). The transmitted content with the attribute is stored in a storage unit 4 in the digital television apparatus 4 described later.
02 (content storage means, storage unit, memory)
Will be accumulated.

When the contents provider 2 receives a notification that the contents to be provided have been updated from the contents provider 2, the contents distribution apparatus 1 is stored in the storage means 402 in the digital television apparatus 4 via the network 300. The status of the update of the content is checked, and the content is monitored and managed so that the latest content is provided to the program viewer 3 (step S104). Although details of this processing will be described later (FIG. 4), control information for inquiring the content attribute information of the content in the digital television device 4 is transmitted to the digital television device 4 via the network 300, and in response to this, If the returned content attribute information is not the latest one, the latest content with attributes is transmitted to monitor and manage the content. In addition, instead of the latest content with an attribute, it is also possible to transmit difference information of only a changed point.

In this way, the digital broadcast program viewer 3 can use the digital television apparatus 4 to watch and listen to the digital broadcast program transmitted from the broadcast station 5.
It is possible to view and obtain contents linked to the program contents. Note that the system provider provides the digital television device 4 to the program viewer 3 at low cost or free of charge. By providing the digital television device 4 at low cost or free of charge, the absolute number of program viewers 3 increases and the number of content viewers increases as compared with the case where the program viewer 3 purchases the digital television device 4 in a normal sales form. It is thought that the absolute number of the content providers 2 and the price to be paid are correspondingly increased, and the spread of the digital television apparatus 4 is promoted.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of digital television apparatus 4 according to the present embodiment.

The digital television apparatus 4 includes a general digital broadcast receiving unit 406 for receiving and displaying a digital broadcast transmitted from the broadcast station 5, and a communication unit 401 such as a modem for receiving contents via the network 300.
(Content receiving means, display history transmitting means), storage means 402 for storing and storing the received content, storage control means 403 for performing control such as reading out the stored and stored content in conjunction with the broadcast program, Content display area 4 for exclusively displaying read content
04 and display switching means 40 for switching display of contents
5 is added.

The digital broadcast receiving means 406 includes a monitor (not shown) for displaying the received digital broadcast. The content display area 404 may be constituted by a display provided separately from the monitor (not shown), but in the present embodiment, a part of the display area of the monitor (not shown) is used. I have to.

The storage unit 402 is, for example, a hard disk, and the storage control unit 104 is composed of a CPU, a RAM serving as a work area thereof, a ROM storing a control program, and the like.

On the other hand, although not shown, the content distribution apparatus 1 is connected to the digital television
00, communication means for distributing attributed contents and exchanging various information. The content distribution device 1 also includes a C for controlling the entire content distribution device 1 such as a control process of distribution of the content with the attribute.
A PU, a RAM used to execute processing, a ROM storing a control program, and the like are provided (none is shown).

The digital television apparatus 4 receives and displays the digital broadcast by the digital broadcast receiving means 406, and transmits the attribute-added content transmitted from the content distribution apparatus 1 to the network 300 using the communication means 401.
Receive through. The attributed content received is
The data is stored and stored in the storage unit 402 or is passed to the content display area 404 for display after the display layout processing. The storage unit 402 can store and store a plurality of attributed contents.

As described above, the attributed content is
It includes content including information such as text, audio, still images, and moving images, and content attribute information including information on the genre of the content, playback time, purchasing and audience segments, and further includes storage time and presentation times. Information for linking to a program ".

In order to identify a plurality of contents, the storage control means 403 assigns identification information of the contents to each of the contents when the storage means 402 stores and stores the attributed contents.

When displaying the stored contents, the storage control means 403 selects the contents related to the program contents from the plurality of contents stored in the storage means 402 when the program viewer 3 views the program. Select and read strong content. That is, by using the keywords (program title, genre, etc.) extracted from the digital broadcast program data transmitted from the broadcast station 5, each piece of content attribute information of a plurality of stored contents is searched, and Select and read the optimal content. Then, the accumulation control unit 403 passes display switching information for displaying the read content to the display switching unit 405. The content read in this way is
After the display layout processing, the content is displayed in the content display area 404 according to the display switching information from the display switching unit 405.

On the other hand, when the content is updated, the storage control unit 403 receives the control information for inquiring the content attribute information from the content distribution device 1 and stores the corresponding content attribute information into the storage unit 40.
2 from the communication means 401 to the network 3
00 to the content distribution device 1. After that, the latest content with attributes is received from the content distribution device 1 and updated. The flow of this series of procedures will be described with a flowchart.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the content update process executed by the content distribution device 1.

First, it is determined whether or not the content to be provided has been updated based on a notification from the content provider 2 (step S401). As a result of the determination, if the content to be provided has not been updated, this processing is terminated. On the other hand, if the content to be provided has been updated, the content already provided by the content provider 2 and stored in the storage unit 402 is stored. The control information for inquiring of the content attribute information is transmitted to the digital television device 4 via the network 300 in order to monitor the situation (step S402).

Eventually, in response to the transmission of the control information,
Since the content attribute information is returned from the digital television device 4, it is determined whether or not the content attribute information has been received (step S403). Then, the determination is repeated until the content attribute information is received. When the content attribute information is received, it is determined whether or not the received content attribute information is the latest one (step S404).

As a result of the determination, if the received content attribute information is the latest one, it is not necessary to update the content. Therefore, this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the received content attribute information is not the latest one, By transmitting the latest attributed content (step S40)
5) Update is performed. After that, the process ends.

In the digital television apparatus 4 which has received the latest content with the attribute, a process for updating the content with the attribute stored in the storage means 402 to the latest one is performed. Thus, the program viewer 3 can always obtain the latest content in conjunction with the program.

According to the present embodiment, a digital television apparatus 4 capable of receiving and displaying digital broadcast programs is provided to program viewers 3 in advance to distribute contents and display programs. In addition, content that is closely related to the program is selected based on the content attribute information, and the content is displayed in association with the program. Therefore, by appropriately setting the content attribute information, the complexity of selecting the optimal program is reduced, and it is easy to display content closely related to the program content in conjunction with the program. Further, since the program to be linked and displayed is not limited to a predetermined program, it is easy to optimize the content provided to the viewer for the content provider and the viewer.

Further, the content distribution device 1 distributes the content by accessing the provided digital television device 4 via a network,
After acquiring the content attribute information, the digital television device 4
Since the management is performed by monitoring the content stored in the server and updating the content as necessary, the content can always be provided in the latest state.

Therefore, it is possible to monitor the status of contents in the digital television apparatus, and to provide useful and detailed information useful to both viewers and content providers.
Can be made available.

For the system provider of the content distribution apparatus 1, by providing the digital television apparatus 4 at low cost and distributing the content, a commission from the content provider 2 is obtained and the program viewer 3 By increasing the absolute number, there is an advantage that it is possible to contribute to the spread of the digital television device 4 and thus the content distribution system.

(Second Embodiment) In the second embodiment of the present invention, the configurations of the content distribution system and the digital television set 4 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and are shown in FIGS. It is on the street. However, in the first embodiment, the same content is basically distributed to all the digital television devices 4 without particularly distinguishing the digital television devices 4 provided. . However, in the second embodiment, the digital TV apparatus 4 or its program viewers 3 can be individually identified and divided into categories so that the content to be distributed for each digital television apparatus 4 can be made different. Therefore, the configuration of the content distribution device 1 is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, but the processing procedure of the content distribution is different.
This will be described with reference to FIG. 5 instead of FIG. Note that the content update processing is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the setting of the transmission destination, and will be described with reference to FIG.

It has already been described that digital broadcasting enables broadcasting on a larger number of channels than conventional analog broadcasting. This means that digital broadcast program viewers often watch only some channels, not all channels. Selection criteria for watching a particular channel from a large number of channels may vary depending on the viewer, for example,
Selection criteria based on tastes, such as selecting specialized channels such as sports, movies, and music, can be considered. These specialty channels allow program distributors and viewers to sign subscriptions,
In many cases, a program is distributed by collecting a reception fee.

In view of such a situation, the system provider that provides the content distribution service recognizes the personal data of the program viewer 3 to which the digital television device 4 is provided, thereby allowing the specific digital television device 4 to A distribution method of providing specific content to the program viewer 3 can be considered.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a processing procedure of content distribution performed by the content distribution device 1 according to the second embodiment.

The processes in steps S501 and S502 are the same as steps S101 and S102 in FIG. next,
The destination of the attribute-added content that can be displayed is selected (step S505) (television identification means). This selection can be made by selecting the subscribers of the dedicated channel including the linked program from the program viewers 3 of the digital television device 4. That is, the contractor information of the specialty channel (information indicating the program viewer 3 and the contracted specialty channel)
Is acquired from the program distributor, and this is stored in the content distribution device 1 in association with the identification information of the digital television device 4 corresponding to the subscriber, so that the digital content possessed by the subscriber of the specialized channel is obtained. The television device 4 can be identified. As described above, in addition to the method of checking whether there is a contract between each program viewer 3 and a specific specialized channel, the method of identifying the digital television apparatus 4 includes a method of using a list of subscribers obtained in advance. Can be considered.

Next, the attribute-added content whose transmission destination is determined as described above is connected to the specific digital broadcast receiving apparatus 4 connected via the network 300 (step S503) (selective transmission). means). The transmitted content with the attribute is stored and stored in the storage unit 402 in the specific digital television apparatus 4.

Next, in step S 504, content monitoring and management processing is performed. The procedure is the same as that in step S 104 in FIG. 2 except that the procedure is performed for the specific digital television apparatus 4. . That is, the content is monitored and managed so that the latest content is provided to the specific digital television device 4.

According to the present embodiment, not only the same effects as in the first embodiment are exerted, but also the program viewer 3 who views the specialty channel is identified, and the attributed content is replaced with the content included therein. Since the content can be selectively transmitted to a specific digital television device 4 according to the attribute information, the content to be distributed can be made more suitable for the specialized channel. Therefore, it is considered that optimal content can be provided to viewers who are active in viewing programs, and more effective content can be provided to both the content provider and the program viewer 3 on the specialized channel.

Note that the fact that the content provider 2 can provide the content to the program viewer 3 on the specialty channel means that the content linked to the program can be provided to the viewer who has a high interest in a specific program. The added value of the content is increased, and the effect of providing the content is enhanced. Conventionally, the digital television apparatus 4 cannot be said to be widespread, and there is a problem that the range in which content can be provided is limited because the absolute number of viewers is not large. However, it is expected that the content provider 2 will pay more to the system provider by providing the content more efficiently as described above, and the system provider will provide a specialized channel for at least a part of the collected price. It is thought that flexible measures can be taken, such as giving preferential measures, such as replacement of the contract fee and return to the unit price of the digital television device 4 to the viewer 3. This can contribute to the further spread of the digital television device 4 to the content distribution system.

(Third Embodiment) In a third embodiment of the present invention, the display history of each content is managed in the digital television device, and the content distribution device can recognize the display history and distribute the content. By providing control, more detailed services are realized. Therefore, the overall configuration of the content distribution system is the same as in the first embodiment, and is as shown in FIG. The configuration of the digital television device is different from that of the first embodiment and is shown in FIG. 6 (described later). The configuration of the content distribution apparatus 1 and the processing procedure of the content distribution are basically the same as those of the first embodiment. However, the system provider can provide the display history of each content to the content provider 2 so that the digital television apparatus can be used. It is different from the first embodiment in that the contents stored in the server can be managed in more detail. The process of updating the content stored in the digital television device based on the content attribute information (FIG. 4) is the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of digital television apparatus 40 according to the present embodiment.

The digital television device 40 is different from the digital television device 4 in the first embodiment in that a counter function section 407 (display history management means) is added. The counter function unit 407 is connected to the communication unit 401 and the storage control unit 403, and manages the display history of the displayed content under the control of the digital television device 40.

In the digital television apparatus 40, the storage control means 403, in addition to the above-described processing, transmits the identification information of the content for prompting the display history of the content displayed in the content display area 404 to the counter function section 40.
7 to perform control for managing the display history.

The display history includes identification information of each content and the number of times each content is displayed. The counter function unit 407 always stores two pieces of information, that is, the identification information of the content that has been displayed even once in the content display area 404 and the number of times of display, and according to the identification information from the accumulation control unit 403, the corresponding content. By updating the number of display times, the display history is managed for each of the plurality of contents. The information stored by the counter function unit 407 includes the display history (identification information and the number of times of display).
May include a type of each content, a display date and time of each content, a display status indicating whether the content is displayed in whole or in part, or the like. Note that only some of these may be included in the display history.

When the content distribution apparatus 1 accesses via the communication unit 401, the counter function unit 407 transmits the managed display history to the content distribution apparatus 1 via the communication unit 401 in response to a request. Send. This is because, for example, the content distribution apparatus 1 transmits control information for requesting a display history and content identification information, and in response to this, the counter function unit 407 generates a display history of the content corresponding to the identification information. This can be realized by replying. In addition, when the digital television apparatus 40 receives the control information for inquiring the content attribute information as described above, the corresponding display history is attached to the content attribute information transmitted by the storage control unit 403 in response to the control information. You may do so. Thus, the display history of each content can be grasped on the content distribution device 1 side.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the counting process executed by the counter function unit 407. The counter function unit 407 receives the identification information assigned to the content being displayed from the accumulation control unit 403,
Start counting.

First, it is determined whether or not the identification information of the content received from the storage control unit 403 is stored in the counter function unit 407 (step S701). If it is determined that the received identification information is not stored, the process proceeds to step S702. That is, for the content provided to the program viewer 3 for the first time, neither the number of display times nor the identification information is stored, and in that case, the process proceeds to step S702.

In step S702, the received identification information is stored, the display count is set to "0" (step S703), and the flow advances to step S704. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S701, if the received identification information is stored, the content displayed this time is the second or subsequent display, and the process directly proceeds to step S704.

In step S704, the display count is updated by increasing (counting up) the display count corresponding to the corresponding identification information by "1", and this processing ends.

[0099] The content distribution device 1
00, the display history of the content can be accessed. Moreover, the display history of the content can be maintained through the network 300. This is also effective because the amount of the content display history that can be stored in the counter function unit 407 is not infinite. For example, the content distribution device 1 discards a content and a display history whose display count is not updated forever, or updates only the content without updating the identification information and the display count when the content is updated. , It is also possible to provide the program viewer 3 with individual services that differ for each content (distribution control means).

Further, by using the content display histories obtained from the plurality of digital television devices 40 in statistics, analysis, and the like, for example, it is possible to provide the content characteristics such as a content display frequency that is linked to a sports program, etc. By providing the information to the content provider 2, the content provider 2 can refer to the information and reflect the information in the production of new content and the setting of content attribute information. Therefore, it can be expected that more detailed information is provided. Moreover, it is also convenient for the system provider of the content distribution device 1 to obtain a fee according to the display effect.

According to the present embodiment, not only the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained, but also the digital TV device 40 has the counter function unit 407, so that the digital TV device 4
The display history for each of the program viewers 0 to 3 and the display history for each content of the specific program viewer 3 can be grasped on the content distribution device 1 side, and distribution control of various contents can be controlled. Therefore, it is much easier to provide and obtain finer and more useful information for both the viewer and the content provider.

(Fourth Embodiment) In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the number of times of display of each content to the total number of times of display of all the stored contents is stored in the display history in the third embodiment. The processing is performed further including the utilization rate indicating Therefore, the counting process executed by the counter function unit 407 is different from that of the third embodiment and is as shown in FIG. 8 (described later). Other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment. Needless to say, the type of each content may be included in the display history.

Each time a content linked to a digital broadcast program is displayed, the number of display times of the content is counted and used as a display history, so that both the content provider and the digital broadcast program viewer can efficiently provide information. Can already be mentioned. However, since the display history using the number of display times is an absolute numerical value such as whether the number of display times of the specific content is one or ten, the relative number of the display contents relative to the entire content stored in the digital television device 40 is relatively large. The display effect as a numerical value was not clear.

In view of such a situation, in the present embodiment, the usage rate of the content is used as the display history of the content stored in the digital television device 40.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the counting process executed by the counter function unit 407 in the present embodiment. The counter function unit 407 starts counting by receiving the identification information assigned to the content being displayed from the accumulation control unit 403.

First, in steps S801 to S803,
The same processing as steps S701 to S703 in FIG. 7 is executed. Next, in step S805, the usage rate is set to “0” as an initial setting for calculating the usage rate, and the process proceeds to step S804.

In step S804, step S804 in FIG.
The same processing as 704 is executed. Here, in the present embodiment, the counter function unit 407 stores the identification information, the number of times of display, and the usage rate for each of the contents, and also stores the total number of contents displayed so far.

In the following step S806, the total display number (total display count) is counted up by "1". That is, the total display number is incremented and updated by “1” each time the content stored in the storage unit 402 is read and displayed. Next, in step S807, the usage rate of the content being displayed is calculated. This calculation is performed according to the usage rate = display count / total display count. That is, since the content usage rate represents the ratio of the number of content displays to the total number of displays, it can be expressed by using the result of dividing the number of display times by the total number of displays. When calculating the utilization rate, since the obtained result is not always a divisible value, it is desirable to perform a fractional process such as cutting off or rounding off a specific decimal part. The usage rate of the content thus obtained is stored in the counter function unit 407. After that, the process ends.

Although the update of the total number of display is performed following the update of the number of display (step S 804),
It may be performed immediately before the display count is updated or immediately after the count is started.

In the present embodiment, the total number of displays is the total number of display times of the displayed content. However, the total number of display times may be the total number of display times of linked program genres such as sports, movies, and music. Alternatively, the total number of displays may be the total number of types of displayed content.

As described above, the content distribution device 1
Can access the display history of the content through the network 300. And network 3
00, the display history of the content can be maintained. Therefore, it is also possible to derive information such as an interlocking effect for each program genre using the above-mentioned usage rate together with various services similar to those of the third embodiment, and to provide the information to the content provider 2.

According to the present embodiment, by using the content usage rate as the content display history,
For example, the distinction as to whether the content display is performed once every 100 times or once every 10 times becomes clear, and the effect of providing the content becomes easier to grasp. In addition, for example, for specific content, detailed information such that the usage rate is higher when linked to a music program than when linked to a sports program can be grasped and provided to the content provider 2, It is easy to increase the added value of the content. As a result, more detailed services can be provided to both the content provider 2 and the program viewer 3.

Therefore, it is possible to provide a more detailed and useful information to both the viewer and the content provider, and to obtain a greater effect than in the case of the third embodiment.

The storage medium storing the program codes of the software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to the co-digital television device, the content distribution device, and the content distribution system, and the computer of the device and the system is provided. Alternatively, it is needless to say that the object of the present invention can be achieved even when a CPU or an MPU) reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the novel function of the present invention, and when the program code is supplied via a transmission medium or the like, the program code itself is used. It constitutes the invention. The storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

The functions of each of the above-described embodiments are realized not only by the computer executing the readout program code, but also by the operating system running on the computer based on the instructions of the program code. It goes without saying that a part or all of the actual processing is performed and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. Needless to say, a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0119]

As described above, according to the first aspect, it is possible to easily display content closely related to the program content in conjunction with the program, thereby enhancing the effect of providing the content.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to monitor the status of contents in a digital television apparatus and to provide and obtain useful and detailed information useful to both viewers and content providers. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a content distribution system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure of content distribution performed by the content distribution device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital television device in the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a content update process executed by the content distribution device in the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a processing procedure of content distribution performed by a content distribution device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital television device in the same embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a count process executed by a counter function unit in the same embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a count process executed by a counter function unit in the same embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Content distribution apparatus 2 Content provider 3 Program viewer 4 Digital television apparatus 5 Broadcasting station 40 Digital television apparatus 401 Communication means (content receiving means, display history transmitting means) 402 Storage means (content storage means, storage section, memory) 403 Storage control means (content selection means, content display control means) 404 content display area (display section) 405 display switching means 406 digital broadcast receiving means 407 counter function section (display history management means) 300 network

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 7/025 H04N 7/173 640Z 7/03 5/76 Z 7/035 7/08 A 7/173 640 // H04N 5/76 F term (reference) 5B075 NK31 NK46 PQ02 PQ05 PR03 UU34 5C025 AA30 BA14 BA22 BA25 BA27 BA28 CA02 CA09 CB10 DA05 5C052 AA01 CC01 DD10 EE03 5C063 AA01 AB03 AB07 AC01 AC10 CA29 BA36 DA03 BC BD02 BD08 BD09

Claims (40)

[Claims] 1. A digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program, wherein the digital television apparatus includes a content different from the digital broadcast program and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program. Receiving means for receiving the attributed content from the content distribution apparatus, content storing means for storing the attributed content received by the content receiving means, and a digital broadcast program displayed when the digital broadcast program is displayed A content related to the attribute information based on the content attribute information included in the stored attributed content and the displayed digital broadcast program from among the content included in the attributed content stored by the content storage unit. Content selection A digital television apparatus comprising: a selection unit; and a content display control unit that reads out the content selected by the content selection unit from the content storage unit and displays the content on a display unit. 2. The content selection unit according to claim 1, wherein the content selection unit selects the content by searching for the content attribute information using a keyword extracted from program data of the digital broadcast program. Digital television device. 3. The content attribute information includes at least one of a genre, a viewer demographic, and a time required to display a content corresponding to the content attribute information.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein two pieces of information are included.
Digital television device as described. 4. The digital television device according to claim 1, wherein the content receiving means is connectable to a network, and the content with the attribute is transmitted from the content distribution device via the network. 5. The digital television apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content includes at least one of text information, audio information, still image information, and moving image information. . 6. A display history management means for individually managing display histories of contents stored by said content storage means, and a display history transmission for transmitting a display history managed by said display history management means to said content distribution device. The digital television device according to claim 1, further comprising: 7. A digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program, comprising: a content receiving means for receiving a content different from the digital broadcast program from a content distribution apparatus connected via a network; A content storage unit that stores the content received by the content reception unit; a content display control unit that reads out the content stored by the content storage unit and displays the content on a display unit; Display history management means for individually managing display histories; and display history transmission means for transmitting the display histories managed by the display history management means to the content distribution device via the network. Digital television device. 8. The display history management means stores identification information for specifying each of the contents, and individually manages a display history of each content by using the stored identification information. The digital television device according to claim 7. 9. The digital television apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display history includes identification information for specifying each of the contents and the number of times of display of each of the contents. 10. The display history further includes a type of each of the contents, a display date and time of each of the contents, a display status indicating whether to display all or some of the contents, and a total of all of the stored contents. At least one of the usage rates indicating the ratio of the number of display times of each content to the number of display times
10. The digital television apparatus according to claim 9, wherein one of the digital television apparatuses is included. 11. A content distribution device capable of distributing the attribute-added content to the digital television device according to claim 1. Description: 12. A television identification unit capable of distributing the attribute-added content to a plurality of digital television devices, and identifying each of the plurality of digital television devices;
Selecting transmission means for selectively transmitting the attributed content to a specific digital television apparatus identified by the television identification means based on content attribute information included in the attributed content. The content distribution device according to claim 11, wherein: 13. The television identification unit according to claim 1, wherein subscriber information of a special channel in a digital broadcast program is stored, and each of the plurality of digital television devices is identified based on the subscriber information. 13. The content distribution device according to item 12. 14. A content distribution device capable of distributing the content to the digital television device according to any one of claims 7 to 9. 15. A display history transmitted from the digital television device is received, and based on the received display history,
15. The content distribution device according to claim 14, further comprising a distribution control unit that controls distribution of the content. 16. The content according to claim 15, wherein said distribution control means distributes new content for updating the content stored by said content storage means of said digital television device. Delivery device. 17. A method for controlling a digital television apparatus configured to be able to receive and display a digital broadcast program, comprising: a content different from the digital broadcast program; and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program. A content receiving step of receiving, from the content distribution device, the attributed content that includes the content storing step of storing the attributed content received in the content receiving step in a storage unit; The content related to the digital broadcast program to be displayed is selected from among the content included in the attributed content stored in the content storage step, the content attribute information included in the stored attributed content and the displayed content attribute information. Based on digital broadcast programs And a content display control step of reading the content selected in the content selection step from the storage unit and displaying the content on a display unit. 18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content selection in the content selection step is performed by searching the content attribute information using a keyword extracted from program data of the digital broadcast program.
A control method for a digital television device according to claim 7. 19. The content attribute information includes at least one of a genre, a viewer demographic, and a time required to display a content corresponding to the content attribute information.
19. The control method for a digital television device according to claim 17, wherein the information includes two pieces of information. 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the content receiving step is connectable to a network, and the content with the attribute is transmitted from the content distribution device via the network. . 21. The digital television apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the content includes at least one of text information, audio information, still image information, and moving image information. Control method. 22. A display history management step for individually managing display histories of contents stored in the content storage step, and a display history transmission for transmitting the display history managed in the display history management step to the content distribution device. 22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of: 23. A method of controlling a digital television apparatus capable of receiving and displaying a digital broadcast program, comprising: receiving a content different from the digital broadcast program from a content distribution apparatus connected via a network. A content storing step of storing the content received in the content receiving step in a storage unit; a content display controlling step of reading out the content stored in the content storing step and displaying the content on a display unit; A display history management step of individually managing the display histories of the content accumulated by the above, and a display history transmission step of transmitting the display history managed by the display history management step to the content distribution device via the network. Digital Control method of Levi apparatus. 24. The display history management step, wherein identification information for specifying each of the contents is stored in a memory, and the display history of each content is individually managed using the stored identification information. The method for controlling a digital television apparatus according to claim 23, wherein 25. The control method for a digital television device according to claim 23, wherein the display history includes identification information for specifying each of the contents and the number of times of display of each of the contents. 26. The display history further includes a type of each of the contents, a display date and time of each of the contents, a display status indicating whether each of the contents is to be displayed in whole or in part, and a total of all of the stored contents. At least 1 of the usage rate indicating the ratio of the number of display times of each content to the number of display times
26. The control method of a digital television device according to claim 25, wherein one of the control methods is included. 27. For a plurality of digital television apparatuses configured to be able to receive and display a digital broadcast program, a content different from the digital broadcast program and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program are provided. A content distribution method in a content distribution device capable of distributing attributed content including: a television identification step for identifying each of the plurality of digital television devices; and the attributed content included in the attributed content Selectively transmitting to the specific digital television apparatus identified in the television identification step based on the obtained content attribute information. 28. The television identification step, wherein subscriber information of a specialized channel in a digital broadcast program is stored, and each of the plurality of digital television devices is identified based on the subscriber information. 28. The content distribution method according to item 27. 29. For a plurality of digital television apparatuses configured to be able to receive and display a digital broadcast program, a content different from the digital broadcast program and content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program are provided. A content distribution method in a content distribution device capable of distributing attribute-added content including: receiving a display history transmitted from the digital television device, and distributing the content based on the received display history. A content distribution method characterized by controlling. 30. The content distribution according to claim 29, wherein the distribution control is performed by distributing new content for updating the content stored in the digital television device. Method. 31. A digital broadcast program is configured to be able to be received and displayed, a content different from the digital broadcast program is received, the received content is stored, and the stored content is read out and displayed on a display unit. A digital television device capable of being provided to a viewer in advance, and distributing the content to the digital television device by accessing the provided digital television device via a network, A content distribution method for monitoring content stored in a digital television device. 32. The content distribution method according to claim 31, wherein by monitoring the content, new content for updating the stored content is distributed to the digital television device. 33. The content distribution method according to claim 31, wherein the monitoring of the content is performed by acquiring and analyzing display history information of the stored content via the network. . 34. The distributed content is accompanied by content attribute information for associating the content with the digital broadcast program, so that the digital broadcast program is displayed in conjunction with the display of the digital broadcast program on the digital television apparatus. The content distribution method according to any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein content related to a broadcast program is displayed. 35. Content distribution, comprising: the digital television device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and the content distribution device according to any one of claims 11 to 13. system. 36. A digital television device according to claim 7, and any one of claims 14 to 16.
A content distribution system, comprising: the content distribution device according to any one of the preceding items. 37. A storage medium storing a program used in a control method of a digital television apparatus configured to be able to receive and display a digital broadcast program, wherein a content different from the digital broadcast program and the content are stored in the digital broadcast program. A code for a content receiving step of receiving from the content distribution device an attributed content including content attribute information for associating with a broadcast program, and storing the attributed content received by the content receiving step code in a storage unit. When the digital broadcast program is displayed, the content related to the digital broadcast program to be displayed is selected from the contents included in the attributed content stored by the code of the content storage step. The accumulated content with attributes A code of a content selection step for selecting based on the content attribute information included in the content and the displayed digital broadcast program, and a content selected by the code of the content selection step are read out from the storage unit and displayed on a display unit. A storage medium storing a code of a content display control step to be performed. 38. A storage medium storing a program used in a control method of a digital television apparatus configured to be capable of receiving and displaying a digital broadcast program, wherein a digital broadcast is transmitted from a content distribution apparatus connected via a network. A code of a content receiving step of receiving content different from the program, a code of a content storing step of storing the content received by the code of the content receiving step in a storage unit, and a content stored by the code of the content storing step A code of a content display control step of reading and displaying the content on the display unit; a code of a display history management step for individually managing a display history of the content stored by the code of the content storage step; and a code of the display history management step. Previous display history managed by Storage medium characterized by storing a code display history transmission step of transmitting the content delivery apparatus via a network. 39. A computer-executable program used in a control method of a digital television apparatus configured to receive and display a digital broadcast program, wherein the content is different from the digital broadcast program and the content is different from the digital broadcast program. A code for a content receiving step of receiving content with attribute including content attribute information for associating with a digital broadcast program from a content distribution device, and storing the content with attribute received by the code for the content receiving step in a storage unit When the digital broadcast program is displayed, the content related to the displayed digital broadcast program is selected from among the contents included in the attributed content stored by the content storage process code. , The stored attributed A code of a content selection step for selecting based on the content attribute information included in the content and the displayed digital broadcast program, and a content selected by the code of the content selection step are read from the storage unit and displayed on the display unit. And a code for a content display control step to be performed. 40. A computer-executable program used in a control method of a digital television apparatus configured to be capable of receiving and displaying a digital broadcast program, wherein the program is executed by a content distribution apparatus connected via a network. A code of a content receiving step of receiving a content different from the broadcast program; a code of a content storing step of storing the content received by the code of the content receiving step in a storage unit; and a code of the content storing step. A code of a content display control step of reading content and displaying the content on a display unit; a code of a display history management step of individually managing display histories of the content stored by the code of the content storage step; Display history managed by code A program characterized by a code display history transmission step of transmitting to the content delivery apparatus via the network is described.