JP2003069984A - On-demand broadcasting method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] In general, currently broadcasts are so-called comprehensive programs in which a broadcast station determines a program schedule in a fixed manner. Required, and the program must be transmitted according to the scheduled program schedule, so that it can be performed only by broadcasting stations with a certain number of personnel, and in CS satellite broadcasting etc. where economic efficiency is particularly important Is not a suitable broadcast format. SOLUTION: In an on-demand broadcasting method in which a broadcast receiving receiver 4 is constantly connected to a broadcasting station 1 via the Internet 7 and a broadcast program is broadcast in response to a request of the viewer 5, the receiver 4 is provided to the viewer 5 in advance. From the list of broadcast programs that have been distributed, the requests of viewers collected by the broadcasting station via the Internet 7 are totaled, and a program schedule created automatically is generated by taking into account the totaled results. 3
Alternatively, the content is distributed to the viewer 5 via the Internet 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a satellite broadcast or a terrestrial broadcast in which a receiver for receiving a broadcast is constantly connected to a broadcast station via the Internet and a broadcast program or a data service is broadcast in response to a request from a viewer. , Or on-demand broadcasting method for cable television.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Broadcasting currently being carried out is generally so-called comprehensive organization in which all broadcasts, including digital satellite broadcasts, fixedly determine the program organization on the broadcast station side, and depending on the viewer's request. It is not a form that can be changed flexibly.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Many broadcasters are mobilized to organize programs, and broadcasting is performed based on the results of the organization. The organized program guide is published in newspapers on television, radio columns, television program magazines, and the like. The problem of this comprehensive programming is that it takes a lot of people and time to program, and since it is necessary to send out the program according to the organized program schedule, it is only performed at a broadcasting station that has some personnel. However, it is not suitable for CS satellite broadcasting, where economic efficiency is particularly important.

On the other hand, the on-demand broadcasting method demands (requests) a program desired by a viewer from among a large number of programs distributed in advance to the viewer,
In the form in which broadcasting is performed based on the result, the program organization can be flexibly changed according to the viewer's request.

In recent years, I have been using cable TV and telephone lines.
SDN (Integrated Services Digital Network),
Due to the rapid spread and low cost of ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) and optical fiber networks, it is possible to connect to a home PC (broadband) with a broadband (high-speed, broadband) Internet at all times, and to watch broadcast stations. It has become possible for users to interactively acquire and send various data information in addition to video information and audio information including moving images.

[0006] Under such circumstances, a receiver for receiving home broadcasting is always connected to a broadcasting station on the Internet, and on-demand using various media such as satellite broadcasting using CS or BS, terrestrial broadcasting, or cable TV. Considering that broadcasting can be carried out, in the past, a large number of personnel were mobilized within a broadcasting station to organize a program, but by changing to on-demand broadcasting, the program organization performed at the broadcasting station is replaced by the viewer. The part that can be obtained comes out. Therefore, if this is realized, the broadcasting station may have a minimum number of personnel for program organization, and therefore, the burden of operation becomes light in CS satellite broadcasting and the like.

An object of the present invention is to assume that a receiver for home broadcast reception is always connected to a broadcasting station on the Internet, and the broadcasting station takes into consideration the number of viewer requests and the purchase price of programs. To automatically organize programs to be broadcast by
In addition to automatically setting the viewing charge, programs are broadcast using different media (broadcasting, Internet, etc.) depending on whether the program emphasizes image quality or not, and as many programs as possible are broadcast within a limited time. It is to provide an on-demand broadcasting method capable of broadcasting the.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention is such that a receiver for receiving a broadcast is always connected to a broadcasting station via the Internet, and broadcasting is performed in response to a request from a viewer. In the on-demand broadcasting method for satellite broadcasting, terrestrial broadcasting, or cable television, where programs or data services are broadcast, broadcast via the Internet from the list of broadcast programs or data services that have been distributed to viewers in advance. The request of the viewers collected in the station is totaled, and the composition table of the program or data automatically created by taking the totalized result into consideration is distributed to the viewer through the broadcast wave or the Internet. .

Further, the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention is characterized in that the viewing fee of the program or data is automatically set, taking into consideration the totaled result and the purchase price of the program or data. .

In the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention, when broadcasting the programs or data described in the above-mentioned composition table, the broadcasting data consisting of a large amount of video / audio or the programs or data in which image quality is emphasized is broadcasted. According to the present invention, peculiar data relating to a program or a program or data in which importance is not attached to the image quality is broadcast on the Internet.

Further, the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention is characterized in that the specific data relating to the program includes software relating to the presentation function of the digital satellite broadcasting receiver 4.

In addition, the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention, when broadcasting the programs or data described in the above-mentioned composition table, enables the broadcasting of a plurality of types of programs or data at a common transmission rate, if necessary. It is characterized in that individual programs or data are time-compressed or time-decompressed in advance.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below in detail based on the embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1
Shows a system diagram of a first embodiment of the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a broadcasting station, 2-
1, 2-2, 2-3 are program providers, 3 is CS or B
S, 4 are digital satellite broadcast receivers, 5 are viewers, 6 is a broadband internet terminal, 7 is a broadband internet network, and 8 is an internet backbone.

The operation will be described. In FIG. 1, a broadcasting station 1 has a program sending facility (hardware) and a program (software) managed by a database,
In addition to programs produced by own station, program providers 2-1 and 2
From -2, 2-3, a television program such as HDTV or SDTV, data of data service broadcasting, programs or data such as game software are supplied.

CS or BS indicated by reference numeral 3 from broadcasting station 1
The programs or data that are uplinked to the satellites are downlinked to the digital satellite broadcast receivers 4 of the viewers 5 who are within the service area of those satellites. The downlink program or data is received and decoded by the digital satellite broadcast receiver 4, and the program or data is displayed on the display screen of the receiver 4 or stored in an attached storage device. Also, the digital satellite broadcast receiver 4 and the broadband internet terminal 6 described below are connected to each other,
For example, the video received by the broadband internet terminal 6 can be displayed on the screen of the digital satellite broadcast receiver 4.

Next, an application (request) for viewing the program or data from the viewer 5 to the broadcasting station 1 will be described. The program groups provided by the program providing companies 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 are registered in the program organization database of the broadcasting station 1. Further, the broadcasting station 1 and the broadband internet terminal 6 are constantly connected via the broadband internet network 7, and bidirectional access is always possible. The digital satellite broadcast receiver 4 and the broadband internet terminal 6 are also connected to each other.

In this state, the viewer 5 receives the program list distributed in advance from the broadcasting station 1 via the broadcast wave or the broadband internet network 7 (the digital satellite broadcast receiver 4 or the broadband internet terminal 6 respectively). The desired program name and desired viewing time zone are selected from among these, and a viewing application (request) is transmitted to the broadcasting station 1 via the broadband internet network 7.

At the broadcasting station 1, the desired program from the viewer 5,
After comprehending the desired number of broadcasts and distribution of broadcast time, a program transmission schedule is automatically created and fed back to the viewer 5 by the day before the broadcast. The viewer 5, who has already applied for the program, views or records the program or data broadcast via the CS or BS indicated by reference numeral 3 in the time zone designated in the feedback schedule by paying or free of charge. And watch it. Also, the viewer 5 who has not applied for the subscription will be valid if he / she makes an application for the viewing by the broadcast time zone with reference to the program schedule table distributed by the previous day. .

By performing on-demand broadcasting by the method as described above, the viewer 5 can apply from the programs or data services that the broadcasting station 1 has contracted for the broadcasting right or purchased in advance from the program provider 2. Accordingly, it is possible to automatically set the program to be transmitted and set the viewing charge.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing a second embodiment of the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention. Note that, in FIG. 2, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 2, 9 is a broadband internet terminal on the side of the broadcasting station, 10 is a program organization database, 11 is broadcast data consisting of large-capacity video / audio, and 12 is an antenna at the viewer's house.

The operation will be described. In FIG. 2, a viewer 5 requests the broadcasting station 1 to watch a desired program via the broadband internet network 7 by operating the broadband internet terminal 6. This application is registered in the program organization database 10 via the broadband internet terminal 9 on the broadcasting station side. Based on this, the broadcasting station determines the composition table and the viewing fee according to the number of viewing applications (requests), and broadcasts the program. However, it goes without saying that when determining the composition table, the condition value for determining the viewing charge and the time zone is created in consideration of the purchase price of the program and the like.

At this time, the broadcast data 11 including a large amount of video / audio of a television program such as HDTV or SDTV.
Is broadcast via CS or BS indicated by reference numeral 3 according to the composition table, is captured by the antenna 12 at the viewer's house, and is displayed on the digital satellite broadcast receiver 4.

On the other hand, when a viewer views a program for which he / she has subscribed, unique data that the viewer's digital satellite broadcast receiver 4 should prepare beforehand, for example, software relating to the presentation function of the digital satellite broadcast receiver 4 If there is peculiar data regarding a program to be viewed, the data is transmitted through the broadband internet network 7 in the opposite direction from the viewer request, that is, from the broadband internet terminal 9 on the broadcasting station side to the broadband internet network 7. It is possible to update the presentation function of the viewer's digital satellite broadcast receiver 4 in advance by being sent to the broadband Internet terminal 6 on the viewer side via the.

By adopting the above-mentioned configuration, the broadcasting station, before the program to which the application is made, is broadcasted by the broadcasting station via the broadband internet network 7 for each group of viewers who have made an application for the same program. The presentation function software and related data may be transmitted prior to broadcasting and downloaded to the digital satellite broadcast receiver 4 of the viewer so as to be prepared for receiving the requested program.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing from the viewer's viewing application to the program being broadcast and the viewing fee being determined. First, the viewer browses a program list (program schedule) sent from the broadcasting station and displayed on the viewer's broadband Internet terminal (S-1), selects a desired program from among them, and selects a broadband Internet. Application for viewing from a broadcasting station via the network (request: REQ)
Is performed (S-3).

At the broadcasting station, the requests sent from the above viewers are combined with the requests sent from other viewers, and are totaled and sorted (S-4). This sorting is performed not only by requesting many requests, but also by referring to, for example, aggregation parameters in consideration of regional differences and the program information (S-5) for each program stored in consideration of regional differences. The step of automatic composition (S-) for judging whether or not the result of the sorting (S-4) satisfies the composition standard.
6) and collated with the organization reference data (S-7) that is also stored in the broadcasting station, and the above totalization and sorting (S-
It is judged whether the program sent from step 4) satisfies the organization standard.

When it is judged that the condition is satisfied, it is decided to broadcast it, and the viewing fee is determined with reference to the viewing fee table (S-8) by program providing conditions together with the broadcast time (S-9). . Although not shown in FIG. 3, the broadcast time and the viewing fee determined in this step (S-9) are to be viewed by the viewer by the day before the broadcast via the broadband internet network. The program decided to be broadcast is automatically aired (broadcast) at the time decided in step (S-9) (S-10).

For a certain program, the above sort (S-
If it is determined in step (S-6) that the result of 4) does not meet the organization standard, the sorting result of the program is again subjected to request aggregation and sorting (S-4), and the subsequent viewing is performed. It will be added to the application request,
An on-air opportunity is given.

The following is a description of a portion that has not been fully explained, although it partially overlaps with the above-mentioned drawings.
First, the present invention constructs an environment in which a digital satellite broadcasting receiver is constantly connected to a broadcasting station via a broadband internet network in a pay satellite digital broadcasting system using CS or BS. After making a request to the broadcasting station by specifying the program or data by the viewer, the number of requests at the broadcasting station and the purchase of programs at the broadcasting station In consideration of the price, and after judging whether the organization standard is satisfied, the broadcasting time and the viewing fee are decided for those decided to be broadcast, and the broadcasting time and the viewing time are set via the internet two-way line. The program schedule listing the charges is delivered to the viewer one day before the broadcast date.

Further, in the present invention, the broadcast reception form of the program or data to be broadcast is the broadcast wave reception for HDTV, SDTV, games, etc., and HTML or XM including moving images.
Receiving images and characters in L format are broadcast in their respective forms so that they can be received by the Internet terminal. Further, instead of the above, it is also possible to perform on-demand broadcasting by properly using the broadcast wave or the Internet line according to the number of requests counted by the broadcasting station side.

Further, according to the present invention, the broadcasting station and the digital satellite broadcasting receiver of each viewer are constantly connected via the always-connected line of the broadband Internet network, and it is necessary regardless of whether the broadcasting reception is contracted or not. Depending on the requirements, small capacity information programs such as broadcast programs and data service trailers, spot programs, and streaming broadcasts, as well as program-related information, program guides (EPG), program presentation function software, receiver version upgrade software, etc. While transmitting and receiving information while bidirectionally managing information, general Internet information can be freely received and displayed on the display screen of the broadband Internet terminal at hand, and at the same time appropriately displayed on the large screen of the digital satellite broadcast receiver. Can also be displayed in an on-screen display (OSD) format.

Also, by applying the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention, a public broadcasting company or the like can provide a high-quality streaming information service through a broadband Internet network by connecting with a video material center. In this case, a paid providing service can be provided in response to a request from a general viewer for the material video of the broadcasted program. Also, in the case of a CS operator, for programs of genres such as movies, sports, and entertainment, automatic transmission is performed with HDTV broadcasting of high quality broadcasting quality (MP @ HL) at a frequency and a viewing charge according to a viewing request. Can provide services. By doing so, it is expected that the number of broadcast subscribers for 110-degree CS digital broadcasting in the near future and the activation of the broadcasting business will be promoted.

Next, the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention will be described. 1. Types of programming and data services 2. Transmission method 3. Reception method The three items will be described in detail.

First, 1. Now, the types of programs and data services will be described. After classifying content production sources and transmission modes into the following five types, conventional HDTV and SDTV type video / audio programs and game software programs are broadcast waves, and other programs according to viewer requests. The related information data and general Internet information are respectively broadcast on the Internet interactive line (here, transmission to the unspecified large number of viewers by the Internet is also considered as broadcasting).

That is, (1) HDTV program source: MP @ HL base program group (TS (Transport Stream) of about 21 Mbps) (2) SDTV program source: MP @ ML base program Group (TS of about 7 Mbps) (3) Game software program source group: Program group mainly composed of PS2 compatible game software (file capacity of about 800 MB) Also, for those broadcasting on the Internet interactive line, (4) Program-related information data: SI information, meta information, EP
G information, download software for receiver presentation, program interlocking information, program preview streaming information, streaming broadcasting, etc. (5) General Internet information (free access, information extraction display), two-way mail function.

Next, 2. Will be described.
In the conventional broadcast wave transmission method, (1) an automatic transmission system corresponding to an on-demand request and program priority transmission according to the number of requests. * It will be streamed according to the number of pre-registration registered programs and will be sent out, and the pre-registration registrant will be notified one day in advance. * Based on the results, create an EPG table and notify it by email. Uncontracted viewers can receive spots. After seeing the EPG table and making a spot reservation on the Internet, the receiver corresponding key is received and viewed in that time zone.

(2) Automatic viewing / listening charge setting system corresponding to on-demand requests, and automatically sets viewing / listening charges according to the number of requests. * For each program, not only pre-registration registrants, but also the number of requests from spot recipients are automatically set for viewing charges. (However, it seems necessary to indicate the upper limit of the viewing fee at the time of reservation.) (3) Broadcasting on broadcast waves is mainly large-capacity data services and conventional broadcasting services. High-performance game software will be distributed to the broadcast wave.

On the other hand, in the broadcasting system for broadcasting using the Internet bidirectional line, the following small capacity information (1) to (5) is transmitted. (1) Small-capacity video data (program notice, CM), streaming broadcast (2) Program complement information (3) Receiver presentation function software (4) Receiver presentation function software version management information (5) Broadcast reception / Internet reception viewing Charge management information

Next, 3. The reception method of will be described.
The feature of this receiving system is that it receives the broadcast wave and the Internet interactive line in parallel. A typical example will be described. First, the reception environment is as follows: (1) When using broadcast waves, a flat screen display with a large screen is used (broadcast reception type in conventional living room, couch potato type). (2) Basically, on the internet bidirectional line, the reception is at hand, and the reception and display is done by the laptop computer at hand. The surface is a touch panel type, and items can be freely selected. In addition, if necessary, the screen at hand is displayed on the whole or part of the large display of the broadcast wave receiver (OS
D) is also possible.

Next, the broadcast wave receiving method is as follows: (1) In addition to the CS satellite under contract, BS, terrestrial, and cable television can also be received. The display form at this time is based on MP @ HL display, and S
DTV broadcasting is also up-converted and displayed in the HDTV standard.
If no upcon is performed, 2 to 4 screens are displayed.

Further, the Internet interactive line receiving system is (1) the conventional Internet with the addition of an information site under a contract with a broadcasting station, but the viewer is not particularly conscious of it. If necessary, front surface information or trimming information can be displayed on the broadcast wave reception display. The receiving terminal at hand has a great meaning in making the receiving environment interactive. That is, with one receiving terminal at hand, a remote controller for operating the receiver for broadcast wave reception (including a VTR remote controller, etc.)
Can be substituted. In this way, the Internet receiving terminal can handle any of a program guide table (EPG board), a program reservation board, a contract information notification board, and an EC compatible board.

As described above, according to the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention, the program SI information (contents similar to that of the current BS data broadcasting), etc. in the HDTV or SDTV video, audio, and the data broadcasting area are broadcasted. Related information is broadcasted (a full-scale data broadcasting service is entrusted to the broadband Internet), and information broadcasting that complements the program is mainly broadcasted by the Internet interactive line, but normal Internet information can be freely accessed. Here, the complementary information of the program is a program guide, a cast profile, a synopsis, etc., which are displayed on a liquid crystal display of about 15 inches of the receiving terminal at hand, and broadcast by a control button of the same receiving terminal. It can also be displayed on the display of the HDTV receiver for wave reception (O
SD).

Note that, for example, program SI other than broadcast programs
The related information is sent at the same time as the broadcast program (or in parallel, the carousel method is used), and the "broadcast system software data" related to the program presentation function is sent in advance (or immediately before the broadcast program is sent). However, in the latter case, there is also the option of sending in advance separately via an Internet interactive line.

As a modified example of the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention, (1) the viewer side confirms the reservation acceptance notice on the broadcasting station side, and then sets the broadcast wave receiver to the automatic reception mode, and when the time comes, (2) To automatically receive the requested program, (2) After receiving the requested package file, enter the viewing mode to view the decoding or decompression mode, or enjoy the game, and (3) HDTV or SDTV image data files have copyright management and protection (RMP: Rights Management).
& Protection) processing is performed, and a predetermined release key can be used to decode only once, and copying of the file to other media can be made impossible (however, copying is possible at the time of analog output).

Finally, in the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention, in order to efficiently send the program or data requested by the viewer, the form of the broadcast program and data service to be sent is, for example, HDTV, SDTV,
Game software and others are classified as follows: (1) For HDTV, 21 Mbps x 2 minutes, 5
Minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes and 120 minutes (2) For SDTV, 7 Mbps x 6 minutes (21M
bps x 2 minutes), 15 minutes (21 Mbps x 5 minutes), 30
Minutes (21 Mbps x 10 minutes), 60 minutes (21 Mbps x
20 minutes, 90 minutes (21 Mbps x 30 minutes) and 12
0 minutes (21 Mbps x 40 minutes) (3) For game software and other services, the transmission format is limited to a unit time of approximately 800 MB (21 Mbps x 5 minutes), and 21 Mbps slots are automatically transmitted in a unified manner. To do so.

As described above, according to the present invention, in order to be able to broadcast a plurality of types of programs or data at a specific common transmission rate using a broadcast wave or an Internet bidirectional line, prior to broadcasting, Each program or data is previously time-compressed or time-expanded. Of course, a program that is time-compressed or time-expanded and broadcast is not suitable for viewing in real time, so the recorded one is viewed with the time axis changed.

[0047]

According to the present invention, conventionally, a large number of personnel are mobilized in a broadcasting station to organize a program, but the on-demand broadcasting is performed on behalf of the viewer for the program organization performed by the broadcasting station. The part that can be obtained comes out. Therefore, if this is realized, the broadcasting station may have a minimum number of personnel for programming.
Therefore, the operation burden is reduced in CS satellite broadcasting and the like.

Further, according to the present invention, in the broadcasting station, the program to be broadcast is automatically organized in consideration of the number of viewers' requests and the purchase price of the program, the viewing fee is automatically set, and the image quality is emphasized. Broadcast using different media (broadcasting, Internet, etc.) for programs that are enabled and programs that are not
In broadcasting, it is possible to provide an on-demand broadcasting method capable of broadcasting as many programs as possible within a limited time.

Further, according to the present invention, in the case of a CS digital broadcasting station which is operated by a limited number of personnel, a program VTR group containing programs is collected as a request via an Internet interactive line. It is possible to automatically transmit the program meta information and the key information of the reception permission to the viewer in addition to the automatic transmission according to the number of cases. On the other hand, viewers should obtain download software related to the viewing request status, broadcast time, and program presentation function in advance through the Internet interactive line, and receive various programs at a low reception fee depending on the number of applicants. You can

According to the present invention, it is also possible to provide a program service via the Internet interactive line when the number of programs or viewing requests that do not place importance on image quality does not reach the specified number.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a first embodiment of an on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing a second embodiment of the on-demand broadcasting method of the present invention.

[Figure 3] The program is broadcast from the viewer's viewing application,
In addition, it shows in a flow chart until the viewing fee is determined.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 broadcasting station 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 Program provider 3 CS or BS 4 Digital satellite receiver 5 viewers 6 Broadband Internet terminal 7 Broadband Internet network 8 Internet backbone 9 Broadband Internet terminal at broadcasting station 10 Programming database 11 Broadcast data consisting of large amount of video and audio 12 Viewer's home antenna

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A satellite broadcast, a terrestrial broadcast, or a cable television, in which a receiver for broadcast reception is constantly connected to a broadcast station via the Internet and broadcast programs or data services are broadcast in response to a viewer's request. In the demand broadcasting method, the requests of viewers collected by the broadcasting station via the Internet from the list of broadcast programs or data services distributed to the viewers in advance are totaled, and the totaled results are taken into consideration. An on-demand broadcasting method characterized in that a composition table of programs or data automatically created is distributed to viewers via broadcast waves or the Internet. 2. The on-demand broadcasting method according to claim 1, wherein the viewing charge of the program or data is automatically set in consideration of the totaled result and the purchase price of the program or data. On-demand broadcasting method. 3. The on-demand broadcasting method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when broadcasting the programs or data described in the composition table, broadcast data consisting of a large amount of video / audio or a program in which importance is attached to image quality Alternatively, an on-demand broadcasting method is characterized in that data is broadcast by a broadcast wave, and specific data relating to a program or a program or data that does not emphasize image quality is broadcast over the Internet. 4. The on-demand broadcasting method according to claim 3, wherein the data specific to the program includes software related to the presentation function of the digital satellite broadcast receiver 4. 5. The on-demand broadcasting method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when broadcasting the programs or data listed in the schedule, a plurality of types of programs or data are transmitted at a common transmission rate. An on-demand broadcasting method in which individual programs or data are time-compressed or time-decompressed in advance so that they can be broadcasted in.