JP2008306313A - Content transmission / reception system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a simpler technique for acquiring unviewed content.
First, in step S1, a TV terminal receives a program and, for example, recording starts. Next, in step S2, the program being recorded is analyzed, the start time of the program is compared with the start time of program recording in step S1, and if the former is earlier, the program is started from the start of the program. For the missing part between the recording start time and the server side, a lack part supplement request is made to the server side (step S3). In response to the request, the server side creates the missing content in step S4. Next, the content of the created missing part is transmitted to the TV terminal side in steps S5 and S6, and the missing part is received in step S7. In step S8, the content that has started recording from step S2 and the content of the missing portion received in step S7 are combined in step S8, and the recording ends with the content completed in step S9.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a content transmission / reception system, and more particularly to a system capable of receiving an unviewed portion of streaming content.

  Viewing streaming content such as a broadcast program from the start to the end can satisfy the user. However, in a user's daily life, there is little time to be free, and it is not always possible to view the content to be viewed on the spot from the start to the end. Recently, it has become possible to record a broadcast program to be viewed from the beginning to the end by reserved recording using a hard disk recorder or the like and view it at any time.

  For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, a system that allows a user to transmit a program requested by a viewer even in a past program broadcast according to a schedule and allow a user to view a desired program broadcast in the past. There is disclosure about.

Japanese Patent Application No. 11-326576

  Conventional techniques including the above technique display a list of programs broadcast in the past, and when a user selects a desired program from the list and makes a program request to the center, the program is distributed from the center. However, this list is limited to programs limited by high audience ratings, high national requests, etc., and is not flexible. Also, this technique acquires all requested programs.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a simpler technique for acquiring unviewed content.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a content receiving device that stores and reproduces content, and a server that stores and transmits content to the content receiving device, the content receiving device includes: The information which can identify the missing part of the missing content is transmitted to the server, and the communication part which receives the missing part transmitted from the server, and the acquired missing part and the accumulated content are combined. A content transmission / reception system including a content combining unit is provided. Thereby, even if there is a missing portion in the accumulated content, the missing portion can be complemented and completed as one content.

  It is preferable that the content is content of a broadcast program, and the information that can identify the lacking portion is information regarding a channel number of the program and a lacking time zone. It is preferable that the content receiving device has a content information analysis unit that acquires information that can identify the missing portion from an electronic program guide and a timer. Preferably, the content combining unit combines the missing portion after storing the accumulated content. Alternatively, the content combining unit may combine the missing portion while accumulating the accumulated content.

  In addition, according to the present invention, there is provided a content receiving apparatus for storing and reproducing content, wherein the information that can identify a missing part of the stored content is stored and the content is received. A communication unit that transmits to a server that transmits to the apparatus and receives a content lacking part transmitted from the server, and a content combining unit that combines the acquired lacking part of content and the accumulated content. Is provided.

  In addition, in response to a transmission request for a content lacking part from a content storage unit for storing content and a content receiving device, only the requested part is edited from the contents stored in the content storage part. A content storage server for transmitting to a content receiving device is provided.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a step of detecting a missing portion of accumulated content, a step of extracting information specifying the missing portion, and requesting transmission of the missing portion based on the information, the request And combining the lacking portion transmitted in response to the stored content. The present invention may be a program for causing a computer to execute the steps described above.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the content receiving device includes a content receiving device that acquires and reproduces content, and a server that accumulates content and transmits the content to the content receiving device. There is provided a content transmission / reception system comprising: a communication unit that transmits information that can identify a lacking part of content lacking to the server and that receives the lacking part transmitted from the server. The

  The user can acquire an unviewed portion with a simple operation while viewing a portion of the program. Since the entire program is not acquired, there is an advantage that the communication time and the storage part of the receiver are saved, which is efficient.

  Hereinafter, a content transmission / reception system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this technology, by operating the buttons on the remote control while watching a program, the terminal is currently watching the channel, time, metadata associated with the program, EPG information, and not watching or recording. I have a system that puts time information in the center without any part. As a result, the center only has to deliver the desired part, and communication time or storage capacity can be saved.

  FIG. 1A is a diagram showing one form of a content transmission / reception system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 (A), a content transmission / reception system A includes a content viewing device (TV terminal) 1 and a content distribution server 3, both pipes being connected by a network NT.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the TV terminal 1. The TV terminal 1 shown in FIG. 2 includes an operation unit 31 such as a remote control device, an antenna 33 for broadcast reception, a reception unit 35 that performs program reception processing, a hard disk that stores received program content, a memory card, and the like. Content storage unit 37, display unit 41 using an LCD or the like, communication unit 45, and a second part for complementing a missing part in the first content stored in content storage unit 37. An optical cable 47 that forms a content path, a CPU 51 that controls the whole, and a program information analysis unit that extracts the broadcast time, channel, content name, and the like of the program by acquiring and analyzing data such as an electronic program guide (EPG) 53, and a content combining unit 55 that combines the content stored in the content storage unit 37 and the lacking part acquired through the communication unit 45. It is constructed by. Note that a case where the first content is acquired via the cable 47 instead of the first content acquisition via the receiving unit 35 is also included.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the content distribution server according to the present embodiment. The content distribution server 3 includes an antenna 61 that receives a program broadcast, a reception unit 63 that performs processing related to reception, a content storage unit 65 that includes a large-capacity recording unit, a content editing unit 71, the Internet, and the like. A communication unit 67 that performs communication to the network and an optical cable 73. The content distribution server 3 may be a service provider's server or a home server installed in the home.

  The content distribution server 3 may store all broadcast programs in real time for each broadcast station, or store the program only during the broadcast time zone of a certain program, and the broadcast ends. It may be deleted immediately or after a certain period of time after the end. Distribution may be permitted only during the broadcast time period.

  Next, content complementing processing based on the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. First, in step S1, a program is received on the TV terminal side, and for example, recording is started. Next, in step S2, the program being recorded is analyzed, the start time of the program is compared with the start time of program recording in step S1, and if the former is earlier, the program is started from the start of the program. For the missing part between the recording start time and the server side, a lack part supplement request is made to the server side (step S3). In response to the request, the server side creates the missing content in step S4. Next, the content of the created missing part is transmitted to the TV terminal side in steps S5 and S6, and the missing part is received in step S7. In step S8, the content that has started recording from step S2 and the content of the missing portion received in step S7 are combined in step S8, and the recording ends with the content completed in step S9.

  We will explain how to supplement missing content. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of the first complementing process. For example, when a program starts from 19:00 but starts to be stored after 19:30 and the program end time is 21:00, an unstored part before the stored part 101 It can be inferred from, for example, EPG that 103 exists. Based on this estimation, the server 3 is requested to supplement the time information and channel information regarding the non-accumulated portion 103. Then, the server 3 sends the complement part 105 to the TV 1 by communication. For example, at 21:30, the complementary part 105 from the 19:00 start part to the 19:30 part is combined with the stored part 101 that has been stored at 21:00, and a new part is created by combining 101a and 103a. An accumulated portion 107 is generated. The user can obtain the same recorded program from 19:00 to 21:00 with the new accumulated portion 107, and later reproduce and view the accumulated portion with a recorder or the like. Can be recorded as one program.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the content of the second complement processing. This process is an example of real-time interpolation. In the same condition as in the example of FIG. 5, when a supplement request is made for the part from 19:00 to 19:30, the supplement part is requested from 19:00 (X1) to 19:30 (X2). When the supplementary part is received by communication, for example, it accumulates in the order of X1 to X2 from 19:30 (in the order of the arrow AR1), and the accumulation processing from 19:30 to 21:00 is also performed. As a result, by 19:00 at the end of the program, all of 19: 0 to 21:00 can be stored. In addition, by doing in this way, when performing rewind playback, it is possible to view from the portion supplemented between X1 and X2.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the content of the third complement processing. This process is a second example of real-time interpolation. Under the same conditions as in the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, when a complement request is made for the portion from 19:00 to 19:30, the complement portion is changed from 19:00 (X1) to 19:30 (X2), When a complement request is made and the supplement part is received by communication, for example, from 19:30, it is accumulated in the order of X2 to X1 (in the order of arrow AR2), and the accumulation process from 19:30 to 21:00 is also performed. As a result, by 19:00 at the end of the program, all of 19: 0 to 21:00 can be stored. In addition, by doing in this way, viewing can be started from the point in time when completion up to X1 is completed. Further, in the case of fast-forward playback, there is an advantage that playback (viewing) can be naturally performed from that point if it is later in time than the position where the connection from X2 is completed.

  Furthermore, as an example of the content of the fourth complement processing, if complement is possible from both sides, the complement time can be shortened.

  Next, another system configuration example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. A system B shown in FIG. 1B is an example in which a TV 1 and a home server 5 are connected by, for example, a LAN. Although the home server 5 does not have a recording device with such a large capacity, for example, it is possible to record a program of about 2 hours in each channel in each channel, and by sequentially updating the recording Correspondence is possible.

  Next, still another system configuration example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. A system C illustrated in FIG. 1C is a mobile phone 11 having a TV function 23, and includes a communication antenna 15, a display unit 17, and an operation unit 21. The communication antenna 15 can communicate with the server 3. If the content has a capacity that can be played back by a mobile phone, the load on the storage capacity on the server 3 side can be reduced.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when watching a program is started from the middle, or when watching a program that is only partially recorded, the user is interested in the program and wants to watch it all. In this case, program information and metadata of the corresponding program are sent by pressing a remote control button or the like. Then, by transmitting the time information corresponding to the missing content portion to the center side, the missing content portion is transmitted via communication to the terminal that the center desires to view, and the receiver side can record the recorded portion and They can be combined into one program.

  In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the content combination in the content transmitting / receiving device is essential. For example, the content receiving device acquires, plays back, and views content that is missing from the content that is being viewed. Information that can identify the missing part is transmitted to a server that accumulates the content and is transmitted to the content receiving device, and the missing part transmitted from this server is received from the communication unit, and accumulated in, for example, an HDD or accumulated as it is. You may make it possible to view without watching.

  The present invention can be used as a content transmission / reception system.

FIG. 1A is a diagram showing one form of a content transmission / reception system according to this embodiment. FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are diagrams showing other system configuration examples. It is a figure which shows one structural example of TV terminal. It is a figure which shows one structural example of a content delivery server. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of a content complement process. It is a figure which shows the example of the content of the 1st complementation process regarding the complement of the content of a missing part. It is a figure which shows the example of the content of the 2nd complementation process regarding the complement of the content of a missing part. It is a figure which shows the example of the content of the 3rd complementation process regarding the complement of the content of a missing part.

Explanation of symbols

  A ... content transmission / reception system, 1 ... TV, 3 ... server, NT ... network, 31 ... operation unit, 33 ... antenna, 35 ... reception unit, 37 ... content storage unit, 41 ... display unit, 45 ... communication unit, 47 ... Optical cable, 51 ... CPU, 53 ... Program information analysis unit, 55 ... Content combination unit, 61 ... Antenna, 63 ... Reception unit, 65 ... Content storage unit, 67 ... Communication unit, 71 ... Content editing unit, 73 ... Optical cable.

Claims (10)

A content receiving device that stores and reproduces content, and a server that stores and transmits content to the content receiving device;
The content receiving apparatus transmits to the server information that can identify a missing portion of the content that is missing from the stored content, and acquires a communication portion that receives the missing portion transmitted from the server. A content transmission / reception system, comprising: a content combining unit configured to combine the missing portion and the accumulated content.   2. The content transmission / reception system according to claim 1, wherein the content is content of a broadcast program, and the information capable of specifying the lacking portion is information regarding a channel number of the program and a lacking time zone. .   The content transmission / reception system according to claim 1, wherein the content receiving device has a content information analysis unit that obtains information that can identify the missing portion from an electronic program guide and a timer.   The content transmission / reception system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content combining unit combines the missing portion after accumulating the content.   The content transmission / reception system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the content combining unit combines the missing portion while accumulating the content. A content receiving device for accumulating and playing back content,
The information that can identify the missing part of the missing content among the stored contents is transmitted to the server that accumulates the content and transmits it to the content receiving device, and receives the content missing part transmitted from the server. A content receiving apparatus comprising: a communication unit; and a content combining unit configured to combine the acquired lacking part of content and the accumulated content.   In response to a transmission request for a content lacking portion from a content receiving unit and a content receiving device from the content receiving device, only the requested portion is edited from the content stored in the content accumulating portion, and the content reception is performed. Content storage server that transmits to the device. Detecting a lack of accumulated content;
Extracting information identifying the missing portion and requesting transmission of the missing portion based on the information;
A content transmitting / receiving method comprising: combining the lacked portion transmitted in response to the request with the stored content.   The program for making a computer perform the step of Claim 8. A content receiving device that acquires and reproduces content, and a server that stores and transmits the content to the content receiving device;
The content receiving apparatus includes a communication unit that transmits information that can identify a missing part of missing content among the contents to be viewed to the server and receives the missing part transmitted from the server. The content transmission / reception system characterized by the above-mentioned.

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