JP2005269494A - Data distribution management device and content downloading system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique to distribute a CM efficienty in a technique for distributing a content such as a TV program to a user terminal through a network. <P>SOLUTION: This program viewing and listening system 1 is provided with a user terminal 10 connected to an optical fiber network 9, a management device 7, a program storage device 5, and a CM storage device 6. The program device 5 stores past program contents, and the CM device 6 stores various CM contents. If distribution of a program is instructed from the user terminal 10, the management device 7 selects a CM from an area where the user terminal is installed. The program device 5 and the CM device 6 perform streaming distribution of a content to the user terminal 10, based on the instruction of the management device 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for distributing content such as a TV program to a user terminal through a network, and more particularly to a technique for inserting and distributing a commercial in the content.

With the widespread use of the Internet, various information distribution services have emerged, and the capacity and performance of communication networks have been demanded. Internet technology has been applied to a wide range of fields, such as music and video distribution, and has greatly changed our lifestyle. The demand for high-speed lines is high, and recently, broadband networks have been generally constructed by using optical fibers laid for cable television (CATV: community antenna television). There is also a proposal for a method for efficiently inserting a commercial (CM) into content.
JP-A-9-217974 JP 2001-309345 A

  Due to work or other reasons, there are few users who can view a TV program in real time, and many users generally view the program by recording it on a video tape or hard disk. When shifting from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting, the number of programs may increase significantly, and it is expected that viewing all programs that the user wants to view in real time will become even more difficult. Under these circumstances, the present inventor has devised a new viewing mode for TV programs by enhancing the infrastructure in which the optical fiber is laid, and uses the optical fiber infrastructure to efficiently execute the CM. I came up with a technology that could be delivered. An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for efficiently distributing CMs as described above.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an aspect of the present invention provides a reception unit that receives content identification information and user terminal information for identifying content instructed to be distributed from a user terminal, and region information included in the user terminal information. There is provided a data distribution management device including a region information acquisition unit to be acquired and a CM selection unit that selects a CM to be inserted into content based on the region information. Since the CM is selected on the basis of the regional information, it becomes possible for the user to stream a local-specific CM, for example, a local CM such as an okonomiyaki or supermarket, after selecting the user. Considering the area to which the user terminal belongs at the time of content distribution on the network, it is possible to efficiently distribute the CM. The data distribution management device may include a table creation unit that creates a time table for distributing content and CM to user terminals. The time table is created as a content and CM distribution time. According to this data distribution management device, an arbitrary CM is inserted into the content, unlike the time table at the time of TV broadcasting, so the distribution time of the content varies depending on the time length of the CM. Therefore, by creating a time table corresponding to the CM to be inserted, the content storage device connected to the network and the CM storage device can perform streaming delivery at an appropriate time.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, content identification information for identifying content instructed to be distributed by the user is transmitted to the data distribution management device together with the user terminal information, and the content is based on the user terminal information. Select a CM to be inserted, create a time table for distributing the content and CM to the user terminal, and distribute the content and CM to the content storage device and the CM storage device according to the time table, respectively. Provided is a content distribution system comprising a data distribution management device for instructing, a content storage device for distributing content according to an instruction from the data distribution management device, and a CM storage device for distributing CM according to an instruction from the data distribution management device To do. The user terminal, the data distribution management device, the content storage device, and the CM storage device may be connected via an optical fiber network.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology for efficiently distributing CMs.

  The embodiment of the present invention proposes a system that allows a user to freely view a digital broadcast program, for example, at a timing after the end of the broadcast in a user's favorite time zone. In this system, program AV data is stored in a server connected to a network, and even after the broadcast ends, the user can download the program content streaming from this server and view it freely. . A user, a CM sponsor, a program production company, and the like can participate in this system, and a business model in which each can enjoy the benefits can be realized.

  For business reasons, it is preferable that an environment in which a program can be viewed via a network is provided as a paid service to the user. This is because if it is a free service, it is expected that all users will view the program via the network, not from the broadcast wave, and the advertising effect of the sponsor who provides the original program will not be expected. By using a paid service, usage restrictions are imposed on this system, and a coexistence environment for TV broadcasting and content distribution services is realized. The service subscription fee may be, for example, a monthly fixed amount, or may take a pay-per-view method.

  An entity that provides this service collects program content from a broadcasting station or a program production company having copyrights related to the program, and stores it in a storage device. The service provider may pay a data usage fee to a broadcasting station, a program production company, or the like according to the number of times the program is downloaded. As a result, it is possible to provide incentives for creating interesting programs to program producers. In addition, in this system, it is possible to view programs of various local stations. Furthermore, it is also possible to view a program that is not broadcasted, for example, a program that has been distributed on a conventional cable television. Thereby, the user can view not only the program of the key station but also various programs, and there is an advantage that the user can participate in an environment in which great possibilities are widened from the viewpoint of the producer. Moreover, in this system, the advertising effect of the commercial can be enhanced by efficiently inserting the commercial into the program content for each user. This is a merit for the CM sponsor.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a program viewing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this program viewing system 1, a user can receive a broadcast signal to be digitally broadcast by an antenna and view the program in real time, and can download and view the program through the network 9 even after the broadcast ends. can do. The former is a function as a normal broadcast receiving system, and the latter is a function as a content distribution system. The management device 7 comprehensively manages content distribution.

  The broadcasting stations 2a, 2b, and 2c broadcast programs from the television tower 8 along their respective program guides. The broadcasting station 2 produces a program based on the advertising revenue from the sponsor, or is entrusted to the program production company 3, and a commercial (CM) provided by the sponsor is inserted into the program at a timing such as every 15 minutes. ing. Due to the nature of the broadcast wave, the CM inserted into the program is fixed, and the CM cannot be changed for each viewer. In the user terminal 10, a broadcast wave is received through a TV antenna with a channel matched, and a program is viewed through a display and a speaker.

  The user terminal 10 may be a TV terminal connected to the network 9 or a PC terminal that can receive broadcast waves. In order to reduce the cost of the user terminal 10, it is preferable to configure it as a so-called diskless terminal that does not have a hard disk or the like even when it is configured as a PC terminal. Here, the network 9 is formed by laying optical fiber cables. This makes it possible to realize large-capacity data streaming distribution. At least the user terminal 10, the program storage device 5, the CM storage device 6, and the management device 7 constituting the content distribution system are connected to the optical fiber network 9. The program storage device 5 and / or the CM storage device 6 may be configured integrally with the management device 7. It is preferable that the broadcasting station 2, the program production company 3, and the CM production company 4 that update data to the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6 are also connected to the optical fiber network 9.

  In the program viewing system 1 of the present embodiment, the broadcast station 2 or the program production company 3 stores the program content data in the program storage device 5. This accumulation timing may be after the program ends or before the program starts. The user terminal 10 can receive the streaming distribution of the program content from the program storage device 5, but in any case, the streaming distribution of the program content is performed on the condition that the broadcasting of the program has ended. It is preferable. By giving priority to the broadcast in time, the CM sponsor can obtain the advertising effect of the TV broadcast.

  Similarly, in the program viewing system 1, the broadcast station 2 or the CM production company 4 stores CM content data in the CM storage device 6. The CM storage device 6 and the program storage device 5 may be distributed throughout the country.

  In the program viewing system 1, a new business opportunity is created in order to provide an environment in which the user can easily view the program after the broadcast is completed. That is, conventionally, a program that has been broadcast has been re-broadcasted or re-videoized to be reused, but in this embodiment, the user is free to do whatever he wants. Since it can be viewed, the program content can be effectively reused without being buried, and the user can easily view the program even if the user misses the TV broadcast time and forgets to set the recording. can do.

  FIG. 2 virtually shows a state in which the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6 are arranged throughout the country. The program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6 are preferably arranged in each region in order to improve the efficiency of data transmission and data update, and these are connected by a network 9 using optical fibers. The stored contents of the program storage device 5 are preferably always synchronized with each other in the latest state, but may be different for each installed region. The same applies to the CM storage device 6.

  FIG. 3 shows a broadcasted program and CM time table. Basically, TV programs are edited on the assumption that a CM is inserted in the middle. Specifically, a technique is often used in which the program ends with an effect that raises the viewer's expectation before the CM, and after the CM, the program immediately repeats the effect immediately before the CM. This is devised so that the viewer does not switch the channel during the CM, or may be a consideration for the viewer who newly starts viewing from the end of the CM. Since the program content stored in the program storage device 5 is originally such a broadcast program content, it is designed on the assumption that a CM is inserted. In the example of FIG. 3, CMs are inserted every 15 minutes from the start of broadcasting of a one-hour program. The partial program contents a, b, c, and d constitute one program content in this order. During the broadcast, a one-minute CM is inserted between each program content.

  The program contents a, b, c, and d are stored in the program storage device 5 as one program. The management device 7 has a program list stored in the program storage device 5. For example, in the case of the program shown in FIG. 3, the time of the program content a is 15 minutes, the time of the program content b is 14 minutes, The fact that the time of c is 14 minutes and the time of the program content d is 13 minutes is also stored in association with the program name. Similarly, the management device 7 has a CM list stored in the CM storage device 6. In the CM list, CM attributes such as a CM name, a CM genre, an advertisement area, and a display time are associated. Here, the advertisement area means an area where a CM is meaningful to flow. In the case of an area-specific CM, there is no point in flowing it to another area. In this case, the management apparatus 7 appropriately selects a CM to be inserted into the program content according to the installation area of the user terminal 10. Note that the management device 7 does not need to know the CM inserted at the time of broadcasting.

  FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram of the management apparatus 7. The management device 7 includes a reception unit 20, a region information acquisition unit 22, a CM selection unit 24, a time table creation unit 26, and a distribution instruction unit 28. The receiving unit 20 receives identification information and user terminal information for identifying a program instructed to be distributed from the user terminal 10. The user terminal information includes area information where the user terminal 10 exists. The area information acquisition unit 22 extracts area information from the user terminal information, and the CM selection unit 24 selects a CM to be inserted into the program content based on the area information. The time table creation unit 26 creates a time table for distributing the program content and CM to the user terminal 10. The distribution instruction unit 28 instructs the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6 on the timing of streaming distribution based on the created time table. The details of this processing will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 shows a viewing sequence of program content through the network. First, the user accesses the data distribution management device 7 from the user terminal 10 through the network 9 and selects program content to be viewed. For example, the program table before the current day is displayed on the display of the user terminal 10, and the user designates a program that the user wants to view based on the program table. The program guide may be prepared not only for the key station but also for the local station, and further for the cable TV. That is, it is preferable that various programs are stored in the program storage device 5 in advance, and the user can freely select a program. As is clear when compared with broadcasts that have restrictions on the number of channels due to broadcast bandwidth problems, the user can select a program from a number of options, which is a great advantage of viewing a program through communication. It can be said.

  To make it easy for anyone to use this system, the cursor can be moved freely on the program table displayed on the display, and the program is selected by pressing the cursor key at the position of the program you want to watch. Thus, it is preferable to use a user interface such that content identification information for identifying the program content is transmitted to the management device 7 through the network 9. By using such a user interface, even an elderly person or a child who is unfamiliar with computer operation can easily and easily select a program.

  When the program content is selected, user terminal information and program content identification information are transmitted to the management device 7 through the network 9 (S12). The user terminal information includes position information where the user terminal is installed. For example, when the user terminal is a mobile terminal, user terminal information including position information detected by GPS or the like is transmitted to the management device 7.

  The management device 7 receives the user terminal information and the program content identification information, and extracts area information from the user terminal information (S14). The management device 7 manages the storage information of the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6. There is no problem when the stored contents of all the program storage devices 5 are synchronized and completely the same, but for example, local program content is stored only in the program storage device 5 arranged in the region. In this case, it is necessary for the management device 7 to appropriately manage the program content storage destination. Based on the program content identification information selected by the user, the management device 7 specifies the program storage device 5 to which the program content is to be distributed.

  Subsequently, the management device 7 selects a CM to be inserted between programs (S16). The management device 7 first refers to the program information of the selected program. For example, when the program shown in FIG. 3 is selected by the user, the program is divided into four, and it is recognized that there are three timings for inserting a CM. The management device 7 appropriately determines the number of CMs to be inserted at one timing. As shown in FIG. 3, the CM time at the time of broadcasting is 1 minute, but is not limited to this time and can be set to an arbitrary time. At this time, the management device 7 selects a CM based on the area information so as to enhance the advertising effect. For example, a CM of a store in A city is distributed to the user terminal 10 arranged in A city, and a CM of a store in B city is distributed to the user terminal 10 arranged in B city. As a result, it becomes possible to effectively distribute commercials in very subdivided areas, and there are also small shops that could not provide commercials over the broadcast wave, where advertising costs were excessive. It is also possible to distribute CMs by participating in this system. Note that the management device 7 may select a CM based not only on the regional information but also on the user's preference, the content of the selected program content, or the time zone. In particular, by using the time zone as an index for selecting a CM, it is possible to achieve CM distribution with a targeted user target. For example, it is considered that there are many housewives who desire content distribution in the daytime. In this case, it is possible to select a detergent CM.

  The management device 7 creates a program content and CM time table (S18). In the program shown in FIG. 3, the time of the program content a is 15 minutes, the time of the program content b is 14 minutes, the time of the program content c is 14 minutes, and the time of the program content d is 13 minutes. A time table is created based on the CM to be performed. This time table determines the timing of streaming distribution by the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6. Based on this time table, the management device 7 sends an output request for notifying the program content distribution time and the CM content distribution time to the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6, respectively (S20, S22). .

  The program storage device 5 distributes the program content according to the notified distribution time. Therefore, in this case, four times of delivery times of contents a, b, c, and d are notified to the program storage device 5. Similarly, the CM storage device 6 is notified of the delivery time of three times. The program storage device 5 distributes the program content a at the distribution time (S24), and after 15 minutes, the CM storage device 6 distributes the CM selected by the management device 7 (S26). Similarly, the program storage device 5 distributes the program content b at the distribution time (S28), and after 14 minutes, the CM storage device 6 distributes the CM selected by the management device 7 (S30). Further, the program storage device 5 distributes the program content c (S32), and after 14 minutes, the CM storage device 6 distributes the CM selected by the management device 7 (S34), and the program storage device 5 receives the program content d. Is distributed (S36), and the distribution of the program content ends.

  Even when the user terminal 10 is configured as a diskless terminal, it is preferable to have a frame memory for a plurality of frames to absorb the time lag between the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6. As a result, the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6 may distribute predetermined content at a predetermined distribution time without synchronizing with each other, and can simplify the system. At this time, a time stamp is added to each of the contents distributed from the program storage device 5 and the CM storage device 6, and the user terminal 10 performs reproduction processing in an appropriate order based on the time stamp. It is preferable.

In the above, this invention was demonstrated based on the Example. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications thereof are also effective as an embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the management device 7 manages and manages the entire content distribution system. However, in another modification, the program storage device 5 may have the function of the management device 7. In this case, the program storage device 5 realizes two functions of a program storage function and a management function. Note that some functions of the management device 7, such as a time stamp creation function, may be provided to the program storage device 5.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the program viewing-and-listening system concerning an Example. It is a figure which shows virtually the state by which the program storage apparatus and CM storage apparatus are arrange | positioned in the whole country. It is a figure which shows the time table of the program and CM which are broadcast. It is a functional block diagram of a management apparatus. It is a figure which shows the viewing-and-listening sequence of the program content through a network.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Program viewing system, 2 ... Broadcasting station, 3 ... Program production company, 4 ... CM production company, 5 ... Program storage device, 6 ... CM storage device, 7 ... Management device, 8 ... TV tower, 9 ... Network, 10 ... User terminal, 20 ... Reception unit, 22 ... Regional information acquisition unit, 24 ... CM selection unit, 26 ... Time table creation unit, 28 ... delivery instruction unit.

Claims (4)

A reception unit for receiving content identification information and user terminal information for identifying content to be distributed from the user terminal;
An area information acquisition unit for acquiring area information included in the user terminal information;
A CM selection unit that selects a CM to be inserted into the content based on the regional information;
A data distribution management device comprising:   The data distribution management device according to claim 1, further comprising a table creation unit that creates a time table for distributing content and CM to a user terminal. A user terminal that transmits content identification information for identifying the content instructed by the user to the data distribution management device together with the user terminal information;
Based on the user terminal information, a CM to be inserted into the content is selected, a time table for distributing the content and the CM to the user terminal is created, and the time table is stored in the content storage device and the CM storage device. Therefore, a data distribution management device that instructs to distribute content and CM respectively,
A content storage device for distributing content in accordance with an instruction from the data distribution management device;
In accordance with an instruction from the data distribution management device, a CM storage device that distributes CMs,
A content distribution system comprising:   4. The content distribution system according to claim 3, wherein the user terminal, the data distribution management device, the content storage device, and the CM storage device are connected by an optical fiber network.

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