329results about "Broadcast information update" patented technology

A method and an apparatus suggests programs for viewing by a subscriber. Terminals installed at a subscriber's home and at central locations, such as bookstores, video rental stores and libraries, provide responsive or intelligent search functions to suggest programs for viewing according to a subscriber's viewing preferences. Responsive searching includes posing questions to and receiving answers from the subscribers. Intelligent searching includes gathering historical data, such as the subscriber's history of programs watched. The programs include videotapes, videodiscs, television programs and electronic books. Subscribers indicate their selection and order the programs using a menu system. An automated billing system tracks the programs ordered.

To provide a control program downloading method that is used by a digital broadcast receiving apparatus equipped with a storing device which stores an update program and a non-update program that compose a control program. Under control of the update program, a new update program is received and written over data stored in a part of an area in the storing device where the non-update program has been stored. At the same time, a part of a new non-update program is received and written over data stored in another part of the area in the storing device where the non-update program has been stored. Once the new update program has been completely written into the storing device, under control of the new update program, the reception and writing of the part of the new non-update program is continued.

An acoustic channel is used for fault diagnosis, repair, and upgrades. Remote diagnosis uses self-test data encoded into sound waves. Repair data and upgrades are also encoded and transmitted as sound waves.

Disclosed is a method for transmitting a notification message in a mobile broadcast system that includes transmitting common notification message channel information necessary for receiving a common notification message for all users capable of receiving broadcast services, along with an Electronic Service Guide (ESG) for the broadcast services or a control signal for the broadcast services; transmitting specific notification message channel information necessary for receiving a specific notification message for a specific user group to a terminal in the specific user group along with the ESG; generating at least one of the common notification message and the specific notification message; and transmitting the generated notification message to the terminal using the corresponding channel information.

According to a request from a broadcast facility or a user terminal, a billing server encrypts broadcast data for a broadcast facility or a user terminal that will receive the broadcast data, distributes encryption keys for decrypting the encrypted broadcast data, stores the viewing commencement time of the program and the user information, periodically carries out updating of the encryption key, and carries out confirmation of reception of the encryption key, and at the same time, in the case that a request from the user terminal to terminate viewing of a program that is being viewed is received, or in the case that the confirmation of the reception of the encryption key is not obtained during the update, determines that the reception should terminate, and carries out billing processing such that the billing assessed depending on the time that the user of the user terminal was viewing the program.

A video signal has a visual image (12) and carries data for optical detection (54) via the image. The data for optical detection is encoded (52) as data bits in a plurality of lines within a defined region (14) within the image. A corresponding decoder (16, 58) uses maximal energy methods to detect the defined region prior to decoding the data.

There is provided a method for provisioning a network service provider application in a digital interactive broadcasting environment. The method comprises the steps of: A) at a broadcasting headend server, incorporating an application provisioning descriptor including at least an application version information and a location information of the application to be provisioned into an application information table (AIT table) and transmitting the AIT table through a digital broadcasting network in a form of ATTS (always tuned transport stream); and B) at a user set-top box, b-1) checking the application version information specified in the application provisioning descriptor and a downloaded status of the application, and comparing the application version information with a version information of an application previously stored into the set-top box, b-2) if the application version specified in the application provisioning descriptor is the same with the version of the application previously stored in the set-top box and downloading of the application has been performed normally, executing the previously stored application without any downloading, and b-3) if the application version specified in the application provisioning descriptor is different from the version of the application previously stored in the set-top box or if downloading of the application has been performed abnormally, accessing and downloading the application based on the location information of the application to be provisioned, which is specified in the application provisioning descriptor.

Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving a frame including control information in a broadcasting system. A frame for a broadcast service is generated using an in-band signaling scheme, and includes location information of control information in a next frame and indication information indicating a change/no-change in the control information in the next frame. The new frame structure minimizes power consumption of a receiver supporting the broadcast service.

A live event may be broadcasted by producing a computer coded description of the sub-events that constitute the event. The coded description is stored in a centralized computer data base and the information thus stored is accessible by a viewer's computer. That viewer computer then produces a computer simulation of the live event using the coded description.

In a mobile communications device, a method of processing data received from digital audio broadcast receiver hardware to generate an electronic programme guide for the content provided by a plurality of sub-channels received by said receiver, the method comprising: i) processing each file containing electronic programme information for a plurality of programmes within a predetermined period of time to extract at least one relevant informational element relating to a characteristic of each of said plurality of individual programmes; ii) generating a data record for each individual programme, the data record having a structure which includes at least one said informational element as a searchable index enabling subsequent retrieval of said information; iii) storing each said data record received in a data store, wherein said data store is configured to be searchable using said one or more indices.

A content channel is periodically or permanently allocated for use as an “update channel” or “firmware-image download” channel. Any firmware images downloaded to receivers in the system are thoroughly tested prior to being distributed among the receivers. Header information is included in the firmware image when it is transmitted to the receivers, and the firmware image is not accepted for use by the receivers until it is verified on the receiver side. Further, rather than overwriting the existing firmware, the new validated firmware updates are stored separately on the receivers and are utilized when the receiver is rebooted during power-up or by the host controller. If, during this reboot process, an error occurs in the new firmware image, the receiver is configured to revert back to the original firmware image so that it will remain operational, albeit without the updated firmware features.

Provided are apparatuses and methods for transmitting and receiving information corresponding to a program or service such as Electronic Service Guide information. In one example, a user device, such as a mobile terminal, monitors usage of the user device and creates a statistical model for determining a probability of usage of the user device during periods of time. Based on the statistical model, information corresponding to the program or service may be delivered to the user device from a service provider. For example, when the probability of usage of the user device is less than a predetermined threshold value, the information corresponding to the program or service may be delivered to the user device.

In a digital radio system including a transmitter unit and at least one receiver unit, changes to the system can implemented without modifying the hardware components by providing the transmitter unit and the receiver unit with processing capability. With respect to the transmitter unit, the principal function of the processing capability is to modify the encoding of the transmitted signal stream. The processing capability of the receiver unit provides the ability to identify when the decoding algorithms are not compatible with the transmitted signal stream. The decoding algorithms of receiver unit can be updated to be compatible with transmitted signals in several different embodiments. According to one embodiment, the updated decoding algorithm can be transmitted to the receiver unit along with, or in place of, the program signal stream. The programmable processor of the receiver unit identifies the decoder algorithm signal stream and installs the decoder algorithm in the programmable processor. In this embodiment of the invention, the upgrade of the receiver unit can be transparent to the user. The upgrade of the receiver unit can also be accomplished by manual intervention by the user.

A broadcast receiving method comprises storing first control information in a storage device, the first control information containing information unique to a receiver and required for the receiver to select broadcasted and encrypted contents information, and receiving second control information with a receiver via a bi-directional communications channel, the second control information being for updating at least some contents of the first control information, updating the first control information in the storage device on the basis of the second control information, receiving broadcasted key information independent from the receiver and required to decrypt the contents information, and selecting and decrypting the encrypted contents information based on the key information and updated first control information.

An information method and system enables information, from a set of original information which is updated at regular or irregular intervals, to be provided to each information receiving apparatus of respective users via a data transmission path which can be selected in accordance with the type of data to be transferred, stated preferences of the user with regard to providing of data, current operating status of a data communication network, etc. A set of framework data are selected as data which are rarely updated, by monitoring original information that is to be provided, over a suitably long period, and are stored at the information providing apparatus and each information receiving apparatus. Thereafter until a new set of framework data are selected, any differences between newly updated original information and the framework data are obtained as variation data, and transmitted to be stored at each information receiving apparatus, which can reconstitute desired data on request from a user by combining appropriate parts of the locally stored framework and variation data, thereby minimizing the amounts of data which must be transmitted to the information receiving apparatuses.

The invention provides an efficient transportation of ESG fragments to a mobile device through the formation of containers. In this sense, a container comprises at least one ESG fragment, but may contain a plurality of fragments. A fragment may be also carried in more than one container. Aspects of the present invention utilize a simple and extensible header structure apart from the fragments independent of the type and format of the individual fragments. In further embodiments, compression is applied over the entire container, including the fragments and any headers. In yet further embodiments, a 3GPP metadata envelope is carried within the container without the need for unnecessary repetition of parameters, such as for example, version, validity time, and identification. In further embodiments, a simplified container system allowing for the updating of previously received fragments is disclosed.

A mobile broadcast system for delivering a notification event for generation of a notification message for information provisioning to a subscriber receiving a broadcast service is provided. The mobile broadcast system includes a first apparatus for managing subscriber information of the broadcast service, handling generation of at least one notification message according to at least one notification event, and generating a response message indicating generation end of the notification message; and a second apparatus for sending a notification event message for requesting generation of the notification message to the first apparatus according to the at least one notification event, receiving the response message in response thereto, and then handling delivery of the notification message over a broadcast channel or an interaction channel.

A communication terminal device comprising a TV broadcasting tuner for receiving a TV broadcasting, a display device for displaying a video image of the received TV broadcasting, and a transceiver for communicating with a base station. The transceiver acquires base station information for an optional one of base station areas, and acquires a TV broadcasting frequency corresponding to the optional base station area. The TV broadcasting tuner receives the TV broadcasting at the acquired TV broadcasting frequency.

A method and apparatus for informing a plurality of terminals receiving the same Mobile Broadcast (BCAST) service of an upcoming event such as a BCAST service change in a BCAST system are provided. When receiving a notice of a notification event related to a BCAST service or an Service Guide (SG), a BCAST Subscription Management (SM), including a Notification Generation Function (NTG), creates a notification message about the notification event and sends it to a BCAST Service Distribution/Adaptation (SD/A). The BCAST SD/A sends the notification message to one terminal or a group of terminals through a Broadcast Distribution System (BDS) or an interaction network.