Audio-visual content distribution system and audio-visual distribution method

Abstract

To provide a method for selecting distributed audio and video content on a television receiver varies depending on the configuration of the distribution system that distributes the audio and video, and directly affects the convenience of a viewer.SOLUTION: A video distribution system includes a distribution system that distributes video and audio content and program display management information to a television receiver, a program guide display management system that organizes the program display management information related to the programs being distributed from the distribution system and outputs program guide display management information, and a television receiver that acquires the program guide display management information, receives it on the basis of the viewer's screen operation information, and displays the screen in a selected manner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a video and audio content distribution system that distributes video and audio content, and to a distribution system and a television receiver thereof that support selection of a display method on a program guide so that viewers can more easily select programs. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, advances in networks have led to the launch of a wide range of video distribution services. In particular, large-screen television receivers can now not only receive broadcasts as before, but also connect to networks and play distributed videos, allowing users to enjoy higher-quality, more realistic images. This has become possible thanks to faster networks and improved processing capabilities in television receivers. In the future, it is expected that there will be even more opportunities to display and operate a variety of video and audio content provided over networks on television receivers.

[0003] On the other hand, television sets still receive broadcast audiovisual content, and many viewers continue to enjoy watching broadcasts. Therefore, viewers are increasingly choosing from a wide range of streaming audiovisual content in addition to watching broadcasts as before.

[0004] In this situation, viewers want an easier way to select their preferred video and audio content from the video and audio content distributed via broadcast or communication. However, currently, viewers have to select programs from a timetable-style program guide based on broadcast times, or search for desired programs from individual program guide UI screens provided by each distribution company. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Operational Standards ARIB TR-B14 Part 4 [Non-patent document 2] PSI / SI Operational Regulations for Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention is composed of a distribution system for transmitting programs and a receiving terminal for receiving video and audio contents, and when selecting a program, transmits meta information relating to program guides such as programs of interest to a television receiver side, and provides a more comfortable and user-friendly program selection screen on the television receiver side using a single standardized program guide screen based on the meta information from each transmitting side. [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The selection of audiovisual content via broadcasting and the current selection method for audiovisual content distribution via communication will be described.

[0008] An example of a conventional broadcasting system is shown in FIG. Broadcast program content 7001 in broadcasting system 7000 undergoes video and audio compression by encoder 7002 and is input to multiplexing device 7003. Meanwhile, program information necessary for program selection is generated as SI (service information) by SI generation unit 7004, input to multiplexing device 7003, multiplexed onto the video and audio stream, and transmitted. The multiplexed video and audio stream is transmitted to television receiver 7100 as broadcast waves. In television receiver 7100, reception separation 7103 receives the broadcast waves and separates the multiplexed SI signal and video and audio stream. The separated video and audio stream is input to decoder 7102, which decompresses the compressed video and audio stream. The decoded video and audio is input to content display unit 7101, where the video and audio are presented.

[0009] Meanwhile, the separated SI signal is input to the SI processing unit 7104, which stores information necessary for program explanations and program selection for each channel, and then inputs it to the program guide screen 7105. On the program screen 7105, a program guide that is easy for the viewer to understand is generated, input to the content display unit 7101, and then presented to the viewer.

[0010] The above processing is carried out by the control unit 7106 controlling each unit in response to a signal output from a remote control 7107 operated by the user.

[0011] FIG. 14 shows a conventional program guide displayed by FIG. 8100 shows a program guide. The horizontal axis shows channel numbers and the vertical axis shows time. Within the table, explanatory information about the programs showing the content is presented. Audio-visual content 1A to audio-visual content 3C shown in FIG. 14 show the program titles and text describing them.

[0012] The remote control is shown in 8000. The remote control has an EPG (Electric Program Guide) button to launch the program guide, number buttons 1 to 12 to select each channel, up / down / left / right keys to move the cursor to select video / audio content in the program guide, and an enter key.

[0013] When the EPG button on the remote control 8000 is pressed, a program guide is displayed on the TV screen. After that, the user moves the cursor 8101 using the up, down, left, and right keys on the remote control 8000 to select the desired video and audio content.

[0014] In the above, video and audio content was selected by activating the program guide using the EPG button program guide on the remote control 8000, but in the case of broadcast, it is possible to activate directly using the direct selection buttons numbered 1 to 12 on the remote control 8000. This is achieved by mapping the channel number to the direct selection button, since in broadcast, the broadcasting station can be identified by the channel number.

[0015] Next, an embodiment of a video distribution system is shown in FIG. In the distribution system 9000, the video and audio content (video and audio stream) distributed by the distribution content unit 9001 is compressed by an encoder 9002 and input to a multiplex distribution device 9003. Meanwhile, program display management information necessary for program selection is generated by a program information unit 9004, input to the multiplex distribution device 9003, multiplexed onto the video and audio stream, and transmitted. The multiplexed video and audio stream is transmitted to a television receiver 9100 via a stream distribution network communication path 9200, such as the Internet. In the television receiver 9100, a reception and separation unit 9103 receives the stream transmitted over the communication path and separates the multiplexed program display management information and the video and audio stream. The separated video and audio stream is input to a decoder 9102, which decompresses the compressed video and audio stream. The decoded video and audio is input to a content display unit 9101, where the video and audio are presented.

[0016] Meanwhile, the separated program display management information is input to the program information processing unit 9104, which generates a program selection screen. At this time, unlike when receiving a broadcast, icons or a program list screen is presented to the viewer. Normally, when distributing via communication, a program list is generated because VOD (Video On Demand) allows for the selection of video and audio content without a concept of time. The icons or program list generated by 9105 are input to the content display unit 9101 and displayed.

[0017] The above processing is carried out by the control 9106 controlling each section based on a signal output from a remote controller 9107 operated by the user.

[0018] FIG. 16 shows a conventional example of a selection screen for audiovisual content transmitted by conventional communication. When selecting distribution content, the television receiver first presents a distribution system selection screen 10100. The distribution system selection screen presents one or more icons for each distribution system, and the distribution system can be specified by selecting an icon.

[0019] If icon 1 is selected, a list 10200 of audio and video content provided by the distribution system indicated by icon 1 is presented. Since there is no concept of time, the content is presented as a list of audio and video content.

[0020] Here, these operations are performed by the remote control 10000. When the viewer presses the home button on the remote control 10000, a delivery system selection screen is presented. The viewer selects the icon representing the desired delivery system by operating the cursor 10101 using the up, down, left, and right keys on the remote control. After specifying the delivery system with the enter button, a content list 10200 is displayed. In the content list 10200, the user can also select the desired video and audio content by operating the cursor 10102 using the up, down, left, and right keys on the remote control 10000.

[0021] As described above, the content selection method differs depending on whether the television receiver receives broadcast content or distributed content. Therefore, conventional televisions that can receive both broadcast content and distributed content have the following problems:

[0022] 1) In broadcasting, the main method used is to introduce programs with text above the timeline of the program, starting from the broadcast timeline. This method does not necessarily make it easy to find programs that are attracting attention or that match the viewer's preferences, so viewers have to use the cursor to browse various times and channels themselves, or use a search function that allows them to input text.

[0023] 2) With online streaming, each distributor provides its own receiving app, and viewers select programs using a UI with a screen and operation individually designed for each distributor. With this method, each distributor may prioritize programs that are close to viewer needs, such as popular programs, but the UI operation differs from the moment the app is launched, and the process leading up to program selection varies, making it difficult for viewers to operate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0024] As a first step: In a video and audio content distribution system for distributing video and audio content, a distribution system that multiplexes audio-visual content and program display management information with the audio-visual content and distributes the content to a television receiver; a program guide display management system that organizes the program display management information related to the programs being distributed from the distribution system and outputs program guide display management information; the distribution system receives program guide display management information from the program guide display management system and distributes it to the television receiver; a television receiver that acquires the program guide display management information for the previous period, receives the information based on the viewer's screen operation information, and displays the screen in a selected manner; A video and audio content distribution system comprising:

[0025] Secondly, use: In the video and audio content distribution system of the first means, The program guide display management system includes an individual information management system that receives individual information from the television receiver and creates information for customizing a program guide for each of the television receivers, and an individual program guide display management unit that creates the individual program guide display information customized from the individual information management system and transmits it to the television receiver, The television receiver receives the individual program guide display information and displays a screen selected based on the individual program guide display information. A video and audio content distribution system comprising:

[0026] As a third option: In a video and audio content distribution system for distributing video and audio content, a distribution system that multiplexes audio-visual content and program display management information with the audio-visual content and distributes the content to a television receiver; an intermediate shared server that acquires the program display management information from a plurality of distribution systems and transmits the information to the television receiver; a cross-sectional program guide display management system that organizes the program display management information related to the programs distributed from the intermediate shared server and outputs program guide display management information; the intermediate shared server receives the program guide display management information from the cross-platform program guide display management system and distributes it to the television receiver; a television receiver that acquires the program guide display management information for the previous period, receives the information based on the viewer's screen operation information, and displays the screen in a selected manner; A video and audio content distribution system comprising:

[0027] As a fourth option: In the video and audio content distribution system of the third means, The cross-broadcast program guide display management system includes an individual information management system that receives individual information from the television receivers and creates information for customizing a program guide for each of the television receivers, and an individual program guide display management system that creates customized individual program guide display information from the individual information management system and transmits it to the television receivers, The television receiver acquires the individual program guide display information and displays a screen selected based on the individual program guide display information. A video and audio content distribution system comprising: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a diagram of a first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a diagram of an example implementation of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of program guide display management information according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration (using common meta data) based on the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration (using common meta data) based on the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration (using individual meta data) based on the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an example of an implementation configuration (controlled by the TWG) for inter-station crossing display according to the present invention. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of an implementation configuration (controlled by the TWG) for inter-station crossing display based on the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of program guide display management information (cross-station) based on the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display (cross-channel integrated display) using cross-channel program guide display management information that is distributed in common. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen when content evaluation information is used (content meta usage). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration (for common use) according to the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration (for common use) according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram of an embodiment of a conventional broadcasting system. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional program guide. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional network distribution system. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional distribution content selection screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention allows broadcast content and distribution content (audio and video content) to be selected using substantially the same operations, greatly improving convenience for viewers.

[0030] (First embodiment) 1A to 5, a first embodiment will be described in which a program guide is provided to a television receiver 1100 in a format separated by distribution system. FIG. 1A is made up of a distribution system 1000, a stream distribution network 1200, a television receiver 1100, and a program guide display management system 1300.

[0031] A program guide display management system 1300 has been added to the conventional configuration of Fig. 15. Regarding the distribution system 1000, stream distribution network 1200, and television receiver 1100, parts that have the same functions as those in Fig. 15 have been assigned the same last three digits, and descriptions of parts that operate in the same way as in the conventional example will be omitted, with the operation unique to this system being explained below.

[0032] The program guide display management system 1300 manages program display management information relating to programs distributed from the program information system 1004 in the distribution system 1000 in a program information database 1301 as a database.

[0033] The common program guide display management system 1302 includes a mechanism that allows distributors of the distribution system to independently specify the display order of the program guide. For example, they can specify programs that are expected to attract a lot of attention in the future, or programs that are expected to be popular among programs scheduled for distribution. There are various methods for specifying (selecting) programs, such as those specified from the distributor's business perspective, those based on world trends, or those extracted from viewing data using AI, but no specific method is essential here. The resulting selected program display management information is extracted from the program information database 1301 by the common program guide display management system 1302, which then executes the scheduling and creates the program guide display management information.

[0034] Thereafter, the program information system 1004 transmits the program display management information and the program guide display management information of the common program guide display management system 1302 to the multiplex distribution unit 1003 .

[0035] The multiplex distribution unit 1003 superimposes (multiplexes) the program display management information and the program guide display management information as common meta (meta information that can be used in common regardless of user) onto the video and audio content and distributes it to the television receiver 1100.

[0036] The television receiver 1100 separates the video and audio content and the common meta data in the reception separation unit 1103. The common meta data is processed in the program information processing unit 1104, and the screens shown in FIGS.

[0037] Figure 2 shows the program guide display management information generated by the common program guide display management system 1302 that can be received by the television receiver 1100 in Figure 1A, and shows an example of the program guide displayed on a television screen using the program guide display management information.

[0038] The priority display meta ID item indicates ID information for identifying each piece of program guide display management information to be transmitted.

[0039] The version item indicates the version number. The version number can indicate the generation of the content of the transmitted program guide display management information. For example, if the program guide display management information once transmitted changes due to changes in program scheduling or broadcast times, the receiver can recognize the change by the difference in version. The meta priority indicates the priority of each piece of program guide display management information. In this example, one piece of program guide management information is configured so that one priority title, which will be described later, can be specified. The priority of each piece of program guide display management information itself is specified so that a distribution station can operate multiple priority titles. The distribution station name field contains information specifying the distribution station that is distributing the program, and the priority item title field contains the title of the program list that should be displayed with priority on the program guide, such as "This month's special program" or "This month's featured program."

[0040] The individual meta acquisition destination item indicates the contact point for the television receiver 9100 to receive program guide display management information that is individually organized for each television receiver, as will be explained separately. For example, a connection URL such as https: / / or an individual IP address may be used.

[0041] The program priority item and program ID are written in pairs, and describe the priority number of the specified program. The program ID is information for identifying the program, and may be identified by ID number or program name. As many program IDs and priorities as the distribution system desires can be written. The expiration date indicates the expiration date of the program guide display management information written, and at least the final date and time of the period during which it may be displayed can be specified.

[0042] The expiration date field may not always be entered, in which case the display is permitted indefinitely without an expiration date. After the initial display, it is possible that the cable order or expiration date may change depending on the combination of programs being distributed. In this case, the priority display meta ID above remains the same, and the newly revised version is updated, which allows the television receiver 9100 to recognize that the information has been updated and reflect it on the display screen.

[0043] The priority display conditions are used as supplementary information to indicate in what cases the display priority indicated in each program information display management is displayed. For example, as will be described later, they can be used to indicate that they are used when displaying programs by genre, such as sports or movies, or to indicate that the program guide display management information can be used when introducing programs only to television receivers with ultra-high resolution capabilities, such as 4K or 8K. Therefore, the priority display conditions are not necessarily stated.

[0044] In FIG. 3, a screen display example 3100 will be described with reference to examples 3001 to 3003 of transmitted program guide display management information.

[0045] In the program guide display management information 3001, a program titled "This Month's Special Program" is transmitted with priority display. The listed video and audio contents are "Content 1" and "Content 2," with priorities of 1 and 2, respectively. In addition, after the version notation, a meta priority of 1 is specified, and the program is displayed at the top of the screen, with the initial cursor also positioned on Content 1.

[0046] In the program guide display management information 3002, the title "Movie of the Month" is transmitted with priority display designation. The contents listed are "Movie 1" and "Movie 2," with priorities of 1 and 2 designated, respectively. In addition, after the version notation, a meta priority of 2 is designated, and they are displayed second on the screen. In the program guide display management information 3003, a program titled "This Month's Sports" is sent with priority display. The listed contents are "Professional Baseball XX Series" and "Golf XX Series," with priorities of 1 and 2, respectively. In addition, after the version notation, a meta priority of 3 is specified, and the program is displayed third in the top row on the screen.

[0047] In the program guide display management information 3001, after the priority program is designated, an additional condition is indicated, "where a screen sorted by series is displayed," and an example of this is shown in FIG.

[0048] 4 shows a display method when the video and audio content displayed in the program guide is sorted by series, focusing on movies. In this example, program guide display management information 4001 specifies that "Movie 1" and "Movie 2" are assigned priorities 1 and 2, respectively, with series A, which includes "Movie 1," at the top, and series B, which includes "Movie 2," at the second series display.

[0049] As described above, the common meta (meta information that can be used in common without specifying the user) shown in FIG. 1A shows a case where program guide display management information is distributed in common to all television receivers.

[0050] Next, in addition to the commonly used program guide display management system explained above, an example of distributing program guide display management information individually adjusted for each television receiver (individual meta: meta information provided to specific users who have implemented ID linkage, etc.) will be explained using Figure 1B. In Figure 1B, the same functions as in Figure 1A have the same last three digits of the attached number, and detailed explanations of the same functions will be omitted.

[0051] When a program (audio-video content) is distributed using a mutual communication function such as the Internet, some information can be passed from the television receiver 17100 to the sender. One example of this is the application of individual viewer ID registration. In this case, viewers can register the television receiver they use to watch at their own discretion, allowing them to send a history of the programs they have viewed to the sender. In the case of pay-per-view programs, viewers who agree to pay can individually register the television receiver they use to identify the television receiver and send a similar viewing history to the sender. There are various registration methods, and we will not specify the method here; instead, we will assume that the television receiver is being used by a registered viewer. First, to obtain individually adjusted program guide display management information, the registered television receiver 17100 sends information indicating that it has been registered and the individual television receiver 17100 via the transmitter / receiver 17108 to the individual information monitoring system 17303 of the program guide display management system 17300. The destination of this information is determined by sending it to the connection destination for individual meta data transmission listed in the individual meta data transmission destination in Figure 2.

[0052] When individual meta for an individual meta customer item is acquired, an individual information management system 17303 is installed at the transmission destination, which checks from the transmitted individual information whether the television receiver 17100 is a television receiver registered as an authorized user who has accepted the terms of use for using the service, and passes the viewing characteristic information linked to the registered television receiver 17100 to the individual program guide display management system 17304. If acceptance of the terms of use cannot be confirmed, subsequent presentation of program guide display management using individual viewing characteristics should not be carried out, and is excluded at this stage.

[0053] There are various ways to derive viewing characteristic information, and we will not specify them here. However, for example, when a user of pay TV watches a pay program, the viewing permission information for each program is at least managed by the sender, and this information is used to store the viewing history of pay programs at the sender. From this stored information, the sender can create program recommendations using AI, and for example, these results can be passed on to the individual program guide display management system 17304 as the above-mentioned viewing characteristic information. Alternatively, a survey can be conducted when a user registers, and the sender can estimate the age group, gender, or family composition from the survey. Similarly, program recommendations can be created using AI based on this survey information and passed on to the individual program guide display management system 17304 as the above-mentioned viewing characteristic information.

[0054] The individual program guide display management system 17304 creates program guide display management information (individual meta) tailored to the viewer's preferences from the above viewing characteristics and the program information stored in the program information database 17301, and delivers (transmits) it to the registered television receiver 17101 via the transceiver 17108 built into the television receiver 17100. The delivered program guide display management information can be in the same format as shown in Figure 2, but the individual meta acquisition destination information is not necessarily required and can be blank. In addition, the individual meta destination can be returned with information that allows the viewer to recognize that it has been identified.

[0055] 1B, in the program guide display management system 17300, as described above, some user-related information about individual TV receivers, such as viewing information, exists in the individual information management system 17303. As described above, this information is not only used when configuring individual program guide display management information for TV receivers, but it is also possible to statistically process the information accumulated in the program information database 17301 to create information that represents overall viewing trends. The overall viewing trends can be used as an information source for creating commonly usable program guide display management information, and the common program guide management system 17302 can also statistically acquire overall viewing trend information using information from the individual information management system 17303.

[0056] This information is transmitted as common program guide display information to the program information system 17004 of the distribution system 17000. The program information system 17004 sends the common program guide display information to the multiplex distribution unit 17003.

[0057] The multiplex distribution unit 17003 uses the program display management information transmitted from each distribution source stored in the common program guide display management information system 17302 and the program guide information storage unit 17301 as common meta, superimposes (multiplexes) it with the video and audio distribution content, and transmits it to the TV receiver.

[0058] The television receiver 17100 separates the video and audio content and common meta data in the receiving and separating unit 17103 and sends them to the program information processing unit 17104. The television receiver 17100 also receives individual meta data from the individual program guide display management system 17304 in the transceiver 17108 and sends it to the program information processing unit 17104 via the control unit 17106. The program information processing unit 17104 processes the common meta and individual meta, and creates the screen shown in Fig. 5. The screens shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are created.

[0059] FIG. 5 shows an example of the program guide display management information and screen configuration when individually adjusted program guide display management information is used.

[0060] In the program guide display management information 5001, the program is sent with the title "Special Programs Recommended by AI" and designated for priority display. The word "AI" is included to indicate that the recommendation has been individually tailored based on the viewer's viewing history and characteristics. Alternatively, a notation 5101 indicating that the viewer is a registered user can be displayed on the screen in the upper right corner of the television screen configuration example 5100. The information in 5101 is displayed on the screen using the individual meta destination shown in Figure 2.

[0061] Similarly, the program guide display management information 5002 has the title "This month's AI recommended movies," and "Movie 1" and "Movie 2" are displayed according to the specified housing standard.

[0062] The program guide display management information 5003 is similar, but here an additional condition is added: "When displaying a screen sorted by pay programs." It is used in cases where only pay broadcasts are aggregated and featured programs are displayed. This type of program introduction should not be displayed on television receivers that cannot receive pay broadcasts. As mentioned above, television receivers that can receive pay broadcasts are usually pre-registered in some way, and this type of program guide display management information can be managed so that it is only transmitted as individually adjusted program guide display management information and is not distributed as the commonly used program guide display management information shown in Figures 3 and 4. As described above, FIGS. 1A and 1B show the distribution of program guide display management information provided by each distribution system and examples of screens when that information is used.

[0063] Program guide display management information is not necessarily supplied by the distributor that manages the distribution system, and it is possible that featured programs are derived from independent market trends or surveys of social trends. Figures 6A and 6B show an example of a system that uses program guide display management information that provides a cross-sectional overview of multiple distribution systems, rather than program guide display management on a distribution system basis as in Figures 1A and 1B, by utilizing an intermediate shared server (TGW) as shown in Figure 6A.

[0064] Figure 6A, like Figure 1A, shows a case where program guide display management information that can be used by all television receivers is used, while Figure 6B, like Figure 1B, shows an example where program guide display management information that is individually customized for each television receiver is used.

[0065] FIG. 6A will now be described. Similar to the distribution system 1000 shown in Fig. 1A, the distribution systems 6100 and 6200 transmit program video and audio content from a distribution content unit 6101 and program guide information from a program information unit 6104 to a television receiver 6600 via a stream distribution network 6400. While Fig. 1A shows an example corresponding to a single distribution system, Fig. 6A shows an example corresponding to multiple distribution systems. The television receiver 6600 functions in the same way as the television receiver 1100 shown in Fig. 1A, and components that have the same functions are designated by the same last three digits, and detailed explanations will be omitted here.

[0066] Multiple distribution systems (distribution systems 6100 and 6200) deliver the program's video and audio content and program guide management information to the television receiver 6600 via the stream distribution network 6400, and simultaneously transmit the program guide management information to the intermediate shared server 6500.

[0067] The receiver 6501 of the intermediate shared server 6500 stores the received program guide management information in the program information storage system 6503 as a database.

[0068] The cross-distribution program guide display management system 6700 creates program guide display management information that can be widely used by the general public and is compatible with multiple distribution systems, without specifying a specific receiver that receives programs (video and audio content) distributed from multiple distribution systems.

[0069] There are various configurations of the program guide display management information, and they are not specified here, but for example, it is possible to create cross-platform program guide display management information by selecting only the highest ranked or specified ranked program guide display management information provided by each distribution system 6100, 6200. Alternatively, it is possible to organize cross-platform program guide display management information by assigning a priority to each distribution system based on the usage ranking information of each distribution system. Cross-platform program guide display management information organized in this way is in a format that can be widely and commonly used by all television receivers without any restrictions.

[0070] The program guide display management information configured by the common program guide display management system 6701 of the cross-platform program guide display management system 6700 is sent to the transmitter 6502 of the intermediate shared server 6500. The transmitter 6502 transmits the program guide display management information and the program guide management information to the television receiver 6600.

[0071] The television receiver 6600 separates the video and audio content and the program display management information in the reception separation unit 6603 and sends it to the program information processing unit 6604. The television receiver 6600 also receives common program guide display management information (common meta) from the intermediate shared server 6500 in the program information processing unit 6604. The program information processing unit 1710 processes the common meta and creates the screens shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0072] As described above, the program guide information itself may be transmitted to the television receiver 6600 via the stream distribution network 6400, or the program guide display management information and the program guide information itself may be transmitted from the program information storage system 6503 via the transmitter 6502 to the television receiver 6600 to align it with the above-mentioned program guide display management information.

[0073] Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of cross-channel program guide display management information that can be received by a television receiver. It is similar to the example of the configuration of the program guide display management information shown in Figure 2, but differs in the following ways. First, information 12001 indicating the programming source that compiled this cross-channel program guide display management information has been added. In addition, it is possible to incorporate information 12003 for distinguishing the distribution system that is distributing the program into a pair 12002 of program information and priority to be displayed with priority.

[0074] FIG. 8 shows an example of a screen display using the cross-channel program guide display management information distributed in common as shown in FIG. 6A.

[0075] Screen example 13000 is an example of displaying by distribution system shown in Fig. 4, and screen example 13001 is an example of a screen display using cross-border program guide display management information 13105 and 13106. Cross-border program guide display management information 13105 is used to display "This month's recommended special programs," and each program is displayed from the left according to priority, accompanied by distribution system information CH1 or CH2. Similarly, cross-border program guide display management information 13106 is used to display "This month's recommended special programs." Cross-border program guide display management information 13105 and 13106 contain the programming source information of this information, and this information is used to display programming source description 13104.

[0076] The above shows an example of realizing cross-platform program guide display management information that is widely shared across television receivers, but it is also possible to provide cross-platform program guide display management information that is tailored to individual television receivers or users.

[0077] An example of the configuration in this case is shown in Figure 6B. In Figure 6B, the same functions as in Figure 6A are assigned the same last three digits, and details are omitted.

[0078] In FIG. 6B, the television receiver 18600 transmits the individual information held by the television receiver to an individual information management system 18705 in the program guide display management system 18706 via a transceiver 18608 .

[0079] The individual information management system 18705 uses the individual information sent as described in Figure 1B to confirm that the target television receiver is a television receiver that has been legitimately approved for use, and then extracts information related to program recommendations from the viewing history of each television receiver and other registered information related to the user, such as gender, age, and area of ​​use, and passes this information to the individual program guide display management system 18702.

[0080] The individual program guide display management system 18702 uses the information related to the program recommendations to identify program information that should be preferentially displayed from the program information storage system 18503, and configures program guide display management information.

[0081] The configured program guide display management information is used by the individual program guide display management system 18702 of the program guide display management system 18706 to create program guide display management information (individual meta) tailored to the viewer's preferences for the registered television receiver 18600, and is transmitted to the transceiver 18608 built into the television receiver 18600.

[0082] 6B, in the program guide display management system 18706, as described above, some user-related information about individual TV receivers, such as server information, exists in the individual information management system 18705. As described above, this information is not only used when configuring individual program guide display management information for TV receivers, but it can also be used to statistically process the information accumulated in the program information storage unit 18503 and create information that represents overall viewing trends. The overall viewing trends can be used as an information source for creating commonly usable program guide display management information, and the common program guide management system 18703 can also statistically acquire overall viewing trend information using information from the individual information management system 18705.

[0083] The common program guide management system 18703 transmits the above information to the transmitter 18502 of the intermediate shared server 11500. The transmitter 18502 superimposes (multiplexes) the common program guide display management information and the program display management information and transmits them to the TV receiver.

[0084] The television receiver 18600 separates the video and audio content and the program display information in the reception separation unit 18603 and sends the program display and program management information to the information processing unit 18604 . The television receiver 18600 also receives individual meta data from the individual program guide display management system 18702 via the transceiver 18608 and sends it to the program information processing unit 18604 via the control unit 18606 . Furthermore, the television receiver 18600 receives program display management information and program guide display management information from the intermediate shared server in the program information processing unit 18604.

[0085] The program information processing unit 18604 processes common meta (program guide management information and program guide display management information) and individual meta, and creates the screens shown in FIGS. The television receiver 18600 controls the program guide display management information, the program guide itself, and information according to the selection instructed by the user via the remote control 18607, and constructs an appropriate program guide selection screen.

[0086] FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of cross-sectional program guide display information in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In the program guide display management information shown in Figure 2, the name of the distribution system (distribution station) is written in the program guide management information, but in the cross-sectional program guide display management of Figure 7, the distribution system name is written 12002 for each program to be displayed. This writing method is used to display a program guide that is not limited to a distribution system. Also, since the program guide display management information is created cross-sectionally, it is not necessarily created by the distribution system, and it could be created by a third company. For this reason, the cross-sectional meta programming source 12001 can be written individually.

[0087] Fig. 9 shows an example of the configuration of another program guide display management information system according to the present invention. The system configuration is the same as that shown in Figs. 1A and 6A. In the present invention, a method is adopted in which information that can preferentially introduce programs that are close to the viewer's needs, such as featured programs, is written for each video and audio content and transmitted to the television receivers 1100, 17100, 6600, and 18600.

[0088] Figure 9 shows an example of an information structure showing evaluation information for specific video and audio content that can be received by the television receivers 1100, 17100, 6600, and 18600, and is composed of a common program guide display management system 1302, an individual program guide display management system 17304, and a common program guide display management system 17302.

[0089] To specify audiovisual content, the identification information for the distribution system that distributes the content and the audiovisual content itself is included. The audiovisual content evaluation points indicate evaluation results that can be used in any format, regardless of whether the program guide is conditionally displayed, such as by genre sorting. The following describes the conditions for conditional display, such as genre sorting or series / season, and the evaluation points under those conditions. Furthermore, there are many cases where programs are evaluated and analyzed from various perspectives, including for advertising purposes, by companies other than the distribution station, and the results are communicated to viewers in a useful manner. In such cases, the connection address for obtaining the information is also included so that the information can be provided by the provider of the evaluation results.

[0090] FIG. 10 shows examples of display screens in the content display sections 1101, 17101, 6101, and 18601 when the content evaluation information in FIG. 9 is used.

[0091] That is, an example is shown in which content evaluation information 15101 and 15102 are received by television receivers 1100, 17100, 6600, and 18600. Content evaluation information 15101 describes evaluation information for the content "Movie 1" distributed on Channel 1.

[0092] In example 15100 of a television receiver screen display, the display format is organized by series. Similarly, in rating information 15101, the rating result ★ attached to "Series A" is applied. Similarly, in rating information 15102, the rating points for "Series B" are written for the content "Movie 2," and these points ★★ are displayed as an applicable notation. Furthermore, rating information 15102 describes individual information acquisition destinations from which external rating information can be obtained, and rating information obtained from these connection destinations can be further displayed as shown in 15103.

[0093] Fig. 11 shows another example of a screen display displayed by the content display units 1101, 17101, 6101, and 18601 of the present invention. In this example, when displaying recommendations by channel as in 13000 in Fig. 8, the screen does not display on a channel-by-channel basis, but rather shows recommended programs across channels. On the program guide screen 20100, recommended programs for each channel are displayed with a time priority. That is, recommended programs for each channel are displayed in order, starting with the program closest to the current time shown in 20103. In this state, even the program that the distributor most wants to recommend or the program that the receiver most wants to watch may be positioned outside the bottom frame of the screen as shown in 20104 depending on the time of day, and cannot be displayed unless the screen is moved by operating cursor 20105, which does not necessarily make it possible to effectively present recommended programs. On the program guide screen 20200, by selecting the recommendation order 20102 button, the program guide display management information shown in 20201 to 20203 can be used to display recommended programs with a priority that matches the intentions of the program distributor and the user's viewing preferences. Specifically, for channel 1, the program guide display management information 20201 indicates that content 2 has a higher priority than content 1, and compared to the example screen display 20100 in chronological order, content 2 and content 3 are displayed in the program guide screen 20200 in recommended order, with content 1, which has a lower priority, being outside the screen frame, allowing content 3 to be displayed on the screen without having to move the cursor.

[0094] Similarly, for channel 3, the program guide display management information 20203 indicates that movie 4 has a higher priority than movie 1, and by selecting the recommendation order button 20204, movie 4 is displayed at the top of the screen regardless of the current time.

[0095] Fig. 12 shows another example of a screen display displayed on content display units 1101, 17101, 6101, and 18601 (the numbers of the target content display units are not shown in the drawings or in the description of the example. Which content display units are the target?) of the present invention. This example shows an example of a screen display that makes integrated use of the cross-platform program guide display management information in Fig. 7 and the station-specific program guide display management information in Fig. 2.

[0096] In this example, the screen is configured vertically from left to right using cross-channel program guide display management information 21101, and program guide display management information 21102 and 21103 provided by channels 1 and 2. In cross-channel program guide display management information 21101, there is a title called "Olympic Special," with content 1 on channel 1 having first priority and content 2 on channel 2 having second priority. On the screen, title 21104 is also displayed, and program information 21105 and 21106 are arranged in this order. When displaying programs using cross-channel program guide display management information, channel numbers are assigned to identify the channel of each program, as in program information 21105 and 21106.

[0097] Similarly, recommendations for channel 1 and channel 2 are displayed in the order assigned to the program guide display management information for each station 21102, 21103. Screen display example 21100 is an example when recommendation order 21107 is selected as the display order, and if time order 21108 is selected, the programs are displayed in order depending on the broadcast time of each program, regardless of the program guide display management information 21101 to 21103.

[0098] As explained above, by providing viewers with rating information for each piece of content and program guide display management information related to the display order of highly rated programs from the distribution side (distribution system and / or program guide display management system and / or cross-platform program guide display management system) that has a good understanding of the distributed video and audio content, viewers can easily find programs that interest them or that have a high reputation without having to search widely through the program guide. Also, by transmitting priority display information in the program guide that can be received by television receivers in a unified format, viewers can easily search for programs using a unified screen display UI that is independent of the distribution provider.

Claims

1. In a video and audio content distribution system for distributing video and audio content, a distribution system that multiplexes audio-visual content and program display management information with the audio-visual content and distributes the content to a television receiver; a program guide display management system that organizes the program display management information related to the programs being distributed from the distribution system and outputs program guide display management information; the distribution system receives program guide display management information from the program guide display management system and distributes it to the television receiver; a television receiver that acquires the program guide display management information for the previous period, receives the information based on the viewer's screen operation information, and displays the screen in a selected manner; A video and audio content distribution system comprising:

2. 2. The video and audio content distribution system of claim 1, The program guide display management system includes an individual information management system that receives individual information from the television receiver and creates information for customizing a program guide for each of the television receivers, and an individual program guide display management system that creates the individual program guide display information customized from the individual information management system and transmits it to the television receiver, The television receiver receives the individual program guide display information and displays a screen selected based on the individual program guide display information. A video and audio content distribution system comprising:

3. In a video and audio content distribution system for distributing video and audio content, a plurality of distribution systems that multiplex audio-visual content and program display management information with the audio-visual content and distribute the content to television receivers; an intermediate shared server that acquires the program display management information from a plurality of distribution systems and transmits the information to the television receiver; a cross-sectional program guide display management system that organizes the program display management information related to the programs distributed from the intermediate shared server and outputs program guide display management information; the intermediate shared server receives the program guide display management information from the cross-platform program guide display management system and distributes it to the television receiver; a television receiver that acquires the program guide display management information for the previous period, receives the information based on the viewer's screen operation information, and displays the screen in a selected manner; A video and audio content distribution system comprising:

4. In the video and audio content distribution system of claim 3, The cross-broadcast program guide display management system includes an individual information management system that receives individual information from the television receivers and creates information for customizing a program guide for each of the television receivers, and an individual program guide display management system that creates customized individual program guide display information from the individual information management system and transmits it to the television receivers, The television receiver acquires the individual program guide display information and displays a screen selected based on the individual program guide display information. A video and audio content distribution system comprising:

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