CN112204990B

CN112204990B - Receiving apparatus, receiving method, transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, and transmitting/receiving system

Info

Publication number: CN112204990B
Application number: CN201980031691.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 西口友美
Original assignee: Hisense Visual Technology Co Ltd; Toshiba Visual Solutions Corp
Current assignee: Hisense Visual Technology Co Ltd; Toshiba Visual Solutions Corp
Priority date: 2018-12-20
Filing date: 2019-12-19
Publication date: 2023-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 2039-12-19
Also published as: WO2020125723A1; CN112204990A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a receiving apparatus, a receiving method, a transmitting apparatus, a transmitting method, and a transmitting/receiving system. A receiving device according to an embodiment includes an acquisition unit, a receiving unit, and an editing unit. The acquisition unit acquires advertisement segment information in which advertisement segment identification information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace advertisement content among advertisement segments is associated with a time length of the advertisement segment, the advertisement segment identification information being information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace the advertisement content, the advertisement segment being a time during which the advertisement content is broadcast in a broadcast program. The receiving unit receives advertisement content of variable length that can be played based on the advertisement segment information from an external device. The editing unit edits the variable-length advertisement content according to the time length of the advertisement segment. According to the receiving apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the difference between the time length of a CM section in a broadcast program and the length of the play time of an addressable CM.

Description

Receiving apparatus, receiving method, transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, and transmitting/receiving system

The application requires that a Japanese patent application with the application number of 2018-238929 and the name of 'receiving device and receiving method' is submitted in 2018, 12 and 20 months; a japanese patent application having an application number of 2018-238930 and an invention name of "transmitting apparatus and method" was filed in 2018, 12 and 20 months; and the priority of filing japanese patent application with application number 2018-238931 entitled "transceiving system" by the japanese patent office on 20/12/2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a receiving apparatus, a receiving method, a transmitting apparatus, a transmitting method, and a transmitting/receiving system.

Background

Conventionally, a broadcasting station broadcasts advertisement content at a time for advertisement in a broadcast program. In this case, the system of the broadcasting station combines a plurality of advertisement contents stored in advance so that the length of the time for advertisement is the same as the length of the total broadcast time of the plurality of advertisement contents broadcasted within the time for advertisement.

In recent years, there is a demand for displaying advertisement content according to preference and attribute of a viewer. In order to meet such a demand, for example, a method of replacing advertisement content distributed from a broadcasting station with an advertisement corresponding to preference and attribute of a viewer stored in advance in a receiving apparatus may be considered. Such advertisement content corresponding to the preference and attribute of the viewer is referred to as an addressable CM (Commercial Message).

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese Kohyo publication 2002-518946

Disclosure of Invention

However, in the prior art, the length of the time for advertisement in the broadcast program and the length of the play time of the addressable CM may be different.

A receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition unit, a receiving unit, and an editing unit. The acquisition unit acquires advertisement segment information in which advertisement segment identification information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace advertisement content, which is a time when the advertisement content is broadcast in a broadcast program, is associated with a time length of the advertisement segment. The receiving unit receives advertisement content of variable length that can be played according to the advertisement segment information from an external device. The editing unit edits the advertisement content of variable length according to the time length of the advertisement segment.

A transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reception unit, a search unit, and a transmission unit. The receiving unit receives, from a receiving apparatus that receives a broadcast program, advertisement segment identification information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace advertisement content on the receiving apparatus side and conditions of advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment. The search unit searches for a variable-length advertisement content that can be played in an advertisement segment. The transmission unit transmits the advertisement content of variable length retrieved by the retrieval unit to the reception device.

A transmission/reception system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transmission device and a reception device. The transmission device includes a first reception unit, a search unit, and a first transmission unit. The first receiving unit receives, from the receiving apparatus, advertisement segment identification information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace the advertisement content on the receiving apparatus side and a condition of the advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment. The search unit searches for a variable-length advertisement content that can be played in an advertisement segment. The first transmitting unit transmits the advertisement content of variable length retrieved by the retrieving unit to the receiving apparatus. The receiving device includes an acquisition unit, a second receiving unit, and an editing unit. The acquisition unit acquires advertisement segment information in which advertisement segment identification information and the time length of an advertisement segment are associated with each other. The second receiving unit receives advertisement content of variable length from the transmitting device. The editing unit edits the variable-length advertisement content according to the time length of the advertisement segment.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of a transmission/reception system according to a first embodiment;

fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a transmission/reception system according to the first embodiment;

fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of main streams and information in a broadcast wave transmission path and a hybrid broadcast transmission path for transmitting a broadcast signal according to the first embodiment;

fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the receiver according to the first embodiment;

fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the receiver according to the first embodiment;

fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of addressable CM section information according to the first embodiment;

fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of attribute information of an addressable CM according to the first embodiment;

fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the division position information of the addressable CM according to the first embodiment;

fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a change in the time length of the variable-length addressable CM according to the first embodiment;

fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of still image frame information according to the first embodiment;

fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a combination of addressable CMs according to the first embodiment;

fig. 12 is a diagram showing another example of a combination of addressable CMs of the first embodiment;

fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a CM distribution server according to the first embodiment;

fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the management server according to the first embodiment;

fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a flow of the play processing of the addressable CM according to the first embodiment;

fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a variable-length addressable CM according to the second embodiment;

fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the division position information of the addressable CM according to the second embodiment.

[ description of reference ]

80. 80 a-80 f frame group

91. Addressable CM segment information

92. Attribute information of addressable CM

93. Addressable CM split location information

94. Frame information for still image

95. Addressable CM split location information

1000. Broadcasting station

3000. Management server

3100. Receiving part

3200. Analysis part

3300. Notification part

3400. Storage unit

4000 Server for CM distribution

4100. Acquisition unit

4200. Receiving part

4300. Search unit

4400. Transmitting part

4500. Storage unit

5000. Receiver with a plurality of receivers

5001. Recording medium

5002. Display device

5003. Loudspeaker system

5100. Acquisition unit

5200. Requirement section

5300. Receiving part

5400. Editing unit

5500. Play control unit

5600. Transmitting unit

5800. Storage unit

6000 CM management server

S transmitting-receiving system

Detailed Description

(first embodiment)

Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(operation example of Transceiver System)

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of the transmission/reception system S according to the present embodiment. In the operation of the transmission/reception system S according to the present embodiment, an addressable CM is distributed to a specific viewer in a CM segment (advertisement playing period) which is a time when a Commercial Message (CM) directed to the public is broadcast in a broadcast wave.

An addressable CM is a CM that matches the preferences of a particular viewer, i.e., a CM that identifies the subject viewer. In the present embodiment, a CM that is not an addressable CM, that is, a CM for public use transmitted from the broadcast station 1000 together with a broadcast program is referred to as a normal CM. In addition, a normal CM and an addressable CM are examples of the advertisement content in the present embodiment. The CM section is an example of the advertisement section in the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 1, the transmission/reception system S of the present embodiment includes a receiver 5000, a CM distribution server 4000, and a management server 3000.

The receiver 5000 is, for example, a television device compatible with a broadcast communication cooperative service such as a hybrid broadcast, and is an example of a receiving device in the present embodiment. The receiver 5000 may be a set-top box, a PC (Personal Computer) with a television function, or the like, or may be a video/audio device such as a BD (Blu-ray Disc) (registered trademark) recorder or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) recorder.

The receiver 5000 receives various broadcast programs and the like. The CM distribution server 4000 and the management server 3000 are examples of external devices for the receiver 5000. The CM distribution server 4000 is an example of the transmission device in the present embodiment. The management server 3000 is an example of a management device in the present embodiment. The transmission/reception system S may include a plurality of receivers 5000.

The management server 3000 is a server apparatus that manages information related to CMs. The management server 3000 acquires a viewing history of a broadcast program or the like that the viewer has viewed by the receiver 5000 via the internet, and analyzes the preference of the viewer. Here, "broadcast program and the like" include not only broadcast programs but also normal CMs and addressable CMs. For example, the management server 3000 obtains the following information: a broadcast program such as "a" targeted at a hierarchy such as "Y" is regularly viewed by a viewer who does not belong to the targeted hierarchy "Y". As a result of the analysis by the management server 3000, it is determined that the viewer is highly likely to be interested in a commodity such as "m" in which the target hierarchy "Y" does not usually show interest.

The management server 3000 determines based on the above that the CM section of the broadcast program "a" is suitable for an addressable CM section targeted for a specific viewer. Here, the specific viewer is a viewer who is interested in the product "m" such as the above-described viewer.

The management server 3000 provides the broadcast station 1000 with the analysis result. The management server 3000 may have a function of automatically transmitting the analysis result to the broadcasting station 1000, or the analysis result may be manually communicated to the broadcasting station 1000.

The advertising company AD acquires the analysis result of the management server 3000 from the broadcasting station 1000. The advertising company AD proposes to the advertiser (the client who requests the advertising company to create an advertisement) MC of the product "m" whether or not to purchase the CM section of the broadcast program "a" as an addressable CM section, and if the advertiser MC agrees to this, the contract is exchanged between the two.

The advertising company AD delivers a CM for the product "m" to the broadcasting station 1000 based on the contract, and the broadcasting station 1000 transmits the CM to the CM distribution server 4000 used for distribution of addressable CMs via the CM management server 6000 provided in the broadcasting station 1000. The CM of the CM distribution server 4000 is received by the receiver 5000 of the viewer and distributed to the viewer interested in the product "m".

The CM distribution server 4000 is a server that stores addressable CMs transmitted from the CM management server 6000, and transmits addressable CMs to the receiver 5000 in accordance with a request from the receiver 5000.

Further, the management server 3000 acquires the delivery performance of the addressable CM from the receiver 5000 based on the information of the addressable CM section acquired from the broadcast station 1000, and provides the broadcast station 1000 with the delivery performance. The management server 3000 may have a function of automatically transmitting the delivery performance to the broadcasting station 1000, or the delivery performance may be manually transmitted to the broadcasting station 1000.

The advertisement company AD acquires the actual delivery results from the management server 3000 via the broadcasting station 1000, and transmits the results to the advertiser MC as necessary.

(schematic configuration of advertisement transmitting/receiving System)

Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of the transmission/reception system S according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 2, the broadcasting station 1000 includes a security device 1200 and a broadcasting station server 1100 including a CM management server 6000. The broadcasting station 1000 transmits a broadcast signal based on an electric wave. The broadcast signal may include BS broadcast, CS broadcast, terrestrial digital broadcast, and the like. Also, the broadcasting station 1000 transmits a digital broadcasting signal, application Information (AIT), control Information related to a prompt made in cooperation with broadcasting and communication, and the like. In addition, a broadcast signal based on a radio wave is also referred to as a broadcast wave.

The application control information makes the receiver 5000 included in the transmission/reception system S know an application linked to a broadcast program and the like, and includes commands for starting and ending, control information, and the like.

As a method of transmitting an application control signal including application control information, there are, for example, a transmission method by a dedicated ES (Elementary Stream), a data carousel method of repeatedly transmitting the same data, and a method of acquiring a control signal file placed on a server of a communication network. The receiver 5000, which is compatible with the later-described hybrid broadcast, acquires an application from a specified URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in response to an instruction of the application control signal, and performs control of application boundaries and the like.

The broadcaster 1000 operates a broadcaster server 1100. The broadcasting station server 1100 provides the receiver 5000 with metadata of a program title, a program ID, a program outline, actors, a broadcasting date and time, and other data.

The receiver 5000 can receive broadcast signals and various broadcast programs and various service information. The receiver 5000 has a function of realizing a broadcast communication function cooperation service in addition to a function of receiving digital broadcasting as a basic function.

That is, the receiver 5000 has the following functions in addition to the broadband network connection function. The function of executing an application program, the function of presenting a presentation generated in cooperation with broadcasting and communication, and the like are executed in accordance with application program control information transmitted by broadcasting.

The receiver 5000 can be connected to a recording medium 5001 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), and can also be connected to a display 5002 and a speaker system 5003. The recording medium 5001, the display 5002, or the speaker system 5003 may be included in the receiver 5000 in advance.

The management server 3000 manages the receiver 5000, acquires a viewing history from the receiver 5000, and analyzes the viewing history. As described above, the management server 3000 can automatically transmit the analysis result of the viewing history to the broadcasting station 1000.

In addition, the management server 3000 acquires information of addressable CM sections from the broadcast station 1000. The information includes, for example, a broadcast program to which an addressable CM section is set, a time period of the addressable CM section, and the like. The management server 3000 acquires the receiver 5000-based release performance of the addressable CM based on the information of the addressable CM section. As described above, the management server 3000 can automatically transmit the posting performance to the broadcast station 1000.

The system according to the present embodiment is mainly configured by a receiver 5000, a recording medium 5001, a display 5002, a speaker system 5003, and a management server 3000.

An addressable CM delivered to the broadcast station 1000 from the advertising company AD is transmitted from a CM management server 6000 (see fig. 1) owned by the broadcast station 1000 to the CM distribution server 4000. The receiver 5000 receives a predetermined addressable CM from among addressable CMs held by the CM issuing server 4000.

Here, a flow and information in the transmission path are explained.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of main streams and information in a broadcast wave transmission path 2100 and a hybrid broadcast transmission path 2200 for transmitting a broadcast signal according to the present embodiment. In each transmission path, video stream, audio stream, application control information, and service information are transmitted.

(hardware configuration example of receiver)

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the receiver 5000 according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 4, the receiver 5000 includes a communication content processing unit 51001 and a broadcast content processing unit 53001. The communication content processor 51001 has a hybrid broadcast standard for connecting to a network. The connection destination of the network is, for example, the management server 3000 described above. The broadcast content processing unit 53001 receives a broadcast wave.

The communication content processor 51001 includes an IP communication interface 5101. The stream taken in via the IP communication interface 5101 is received by the stream reception processor 5102, and the demodulated stream is restored to the original arrangement state by the demultiplexer 5303. A DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) processing unit 5104 is connected to the demultiplexer 5303. For example, the DRAM processor 5104 includes a processor such as a DRAM and a CPU. The DRAM processor 5104 can execute processing such as automatic download by running various programs.

The video stream separated by the demultiplexer 5303 is decoded by a video decoder 5311, the audio stream is decoded by an audio decoder 5312, and the subtitle stream is decoded by a subtitle decoder 5313.

The decoded video data and caption data are synthesized by the synthesizer 5501 and input to the display 5002. The decoded voice data is input to the speaker system 5003 via the synthesizer 5502.

The broadcast content processing unit 53001 includes a broadcast tuner 5301. The stream received and demodulated by the broadcast tuner 5301 is input to the descrambler 5302. In descrambler 5302, the input stream is descrambled by a key from CAS (Conditional Access System) module 5304. The stream descrambled by the descrambler 5302 is input to the demultiplexer 5303.

The demultiplexer 5303 outputs the data for data playback to the data playback reception processing section 5330. The video stream separated by the demultiplexer 5303 is decoded by the video decoder 5311, the audio stream is decoded by the audio decoder 5312, and the subtitle stream is decoded by the subtitle decoder 5313. The decoded video data and caption data are synthesized by the synthesizer 5501 and input to the display 5002. The decoded voice data is input to the speaker system 5003 via the synthesizer 5502.

The data playback signal separated by the demultiplexer 5303 is received by the data playback reception processing unit 5330 and input to the data playback engine 5315. A display signal transmitted by data playback is input to the synthesizer 5501 and displayed on the display 5002.

In addition, the demultiplexer 5303 transmits addressable CM section information separated from the broadcast wave to the integrated controller 52001. Details regarding addressable CM segment information are described later.

An integrated controller 52001 is provided as a mechanism for controlling the overall operation of the receiver 5000. For example, the integrated controller 52001 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory).

The integrated controller 52001 includes an application control unit 5201 and a security management unit 5202. The application control unit 5201 controls each functional module of the receiver 5000 based on various information and control information included in the application control information. The application control unit 5201 determines, in an application, whether or not to display auxiliary information such as a CM or a message related to the CM.

The security management unit 5202 manages application programs and implements security functions. For example, the security management unit 5202 has an application authentication function, and handles an authenticated application as a management application. The security management unit 5202 includes an access control function, a presentation function, an Enforcement (Enforcement) function, a Revocation (Revocation) function for management applications other than broadcast, and the like. Here, the control of the security management unit 5202 is described separately from the control of the application control unit 5201, but may be controlled as one management unit without being separated.

The access control function enables the application program permitted to use to refer to broadcast resources such as video, audio, and metadata SI information, and receiver resources such as video and audio output and a network interface of the receiver 5000. Moreover, the receiver API (Application Programming Interface) that can be accessed is restricted according to the security level of the Application.

The presentation control function determines whether or not to display an application program such as a broadcast moving image, a display area and size, and a display/non-display based on the intention of the broadcast service unit. In an emergency such as a disaster report, for example, the application or the related display thereof is temporarily set to a non-display state, and the entire screen display of the broadcast program can be controlled.

The revocation function is a function capable of invalidating a problematic application program that impairs the interests of a broadcasting provider or a user.

The application engine 5130 forms an environment for executing an application. As the Application engine 5130, for example, an HTML5 browser loaded with an extended API (Application Programming Interface) for coping with the hybrid broadcast is used.

The terminal cooperation control unit 55001 is an interface for performing cooperation with an external cooperation terminal.

Here, the recording medium 5001 stores addressable CMs acquired from the CM distribution server 4000. The integrated controller 52001 downloads, to the recording medium 5001, the addressable CMs that are preferred by the viewer of the receiver 5000 among the addressable CMs held by the CM distribution server 4000. The addressable CMs held by the CM distribution server 4000 are divided into a plurality of groups with tags (tags) indicating "cars", "sports", "travels", and the like, which indicate the preference of the viewer. The integrated controller 52001 downloads an addressable CM group to which a tag matching the preference of the viewer is assigned, based on the information on the preference of the viewer of the receiver 5000 acquired from the management server 3000.

It should be noted that the addressable CM may be stored in a RAM or the like in the integrated controller 52001.

For example, the addressable CM downloaded to the recording medium 5001 is temporarily stored in the DRAM processor 5104. Then, the addressable CM is separated by the demultiplexer 5303, the video stream is decoded by the video decoder 5311, the audio stream is decoded by the audio decoder 5312, and the subtitle stream is decoded by the subtitle decoder 5313.

The decoded video data and caption data are synthesized by the synthesizer 5501 and input to the display 5002. The decoded voice data is input to the speaker system 5003 via the synthesizer 5502. Thus, the addressable CM is output through the display 5002 and the speaker system 5003.

The application control unit 5201 controls each functional module of the receiver 5000 based on application control information relating to the playback of an addressable CM, and plays back the addressable CM in a predetermined CM section.

(example of functional configuration of receiver)

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the receiver 5000 according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 5, the receiver 5000 includes an acquisition unit 5100, a request unit 5200, a reception unit 5300, an editing unit 5400, a playback control unit 5500, a transmission unit 5600, and a storage unit 5800.

The storage unit 5800 stores the receiver ID, addressable CM segment information, attribute information of addressable CMs, division position information of addressable CMs, still image frame information, moving image data of addressable CMs, and CM broadcast performance information. The storage unit 5800 is realized by the recording medium 5001, for example.

The storage unit 5800 may be a storage device capable of temporarily storing a cache memory, such as a DRAM in the DRAM processing unit 5104 or a RAM in the integrated controller 52001. For example, the storage unit 5800 temporarily stores therein the moving image data of addressable CMs received from the CM distribution server 4000 by the receiving unit 5300, which will be described later, in the integrated controller 52001. This allows moving picture data and the like of the addressable CM to be downloaded from the CM distribution server 4000 without being perceived by the user (viewer) and updated as necessary. The storage unit 5800 may be an external storage device provided outside the receiver 5000 and connectable to the receiver 5000.

The receiver ID is identification information capable of determining the receiver 5000. The receiver ID is an example of the receiving apparatus identification information in the present embodiment.

The addressable CM section information is information in which at least advertisement section identification information that determines a time at which a CM is broadcast in a broadcast program, that is, a CM section in which a normal CM can be replaced with an addressable CM, is associated with a time length of the CM section. The addressable CM section information is an example of advertisement section information in the present embodiment. Also, the CM section that can be replaced is also referred to as a CM section that can broadcast addressable CMs.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of addressable CM section information 91 according to the present embodiment. The addressable CM section information 91 of the present embodiment is information in which a CM section ID, a type (Genre) of a CM that can be broadcast, a broadcast time, and a broadcast station name are associated with each other.

The CM section ID is an ID that can determine the CM section. Only the ID of the CM segment capable of replacing the normal CM with the addressable CM is registered in the addressable CM segment information 91. The CM section ID is an example of advertisement section identification information in the present embodiment.

The kind of CM that can be broadcast is the kind of addressable CM that can be broadcast in this CM section. The type of CM that can be broadcast may be, for example, a category determined based on the advertisement objects of addressable CMs such as "program advertisement (advertisement of broadcast program)", "cosmetics", and "cars", or a category determined based on the contents of moving image displays of addressable CMs such as "animals". The type of CM that can be broadcast is an example of the conditions of addressable CMs that can be played in the CM section, and conditions other than the type may be set.

The broadcast time is the time that the CM section is broadcast. As shown in fig. 6, the broadcast time is defined according to the date and time when the CM section is broadcast, the broadcast start time, and the broadcast end time. The time from the broadcast start time to the broadcast end time is the time length of the CM section.

The broadcast station name is the name of the broadcast station 1000 that broadcasts the broadcast program containing the CM section.

Returning to fig. 5, the attribute information of the addressable CM is metadata of the addressable CM stored in the storage 5800.

Fig. 7 shows an example of attribute information 92 of addressable CMs according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 7, attribute information 92 of an addressable CM is information in which a CMID, a CM length, a broadcastable segment, and a CM type are associated with each other.

The CMID is identification information for determining addressable CMs, also referred to as commercial identification information. The CMID registered in the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM is identification information of moving image data of the addressable CM registered in the storage unit 5800. That is, the moving image data of 3 addressable CMs, CMIDs "1" to "3" shown in fig. 7, are registered in the storage unit 5800. The moving image data of the addressable CM registered in the storage unit 5800 and the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM are associated with each other by the CMID.

The CM length is the length of time that the CM is addressable. The CMID of a variable-length addressable CM is associated with a plurality of CM lengths. In the example shown in fig. 7, CMID "1" is associated with 4 kinds of CM lengths of 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, and 30 seconds. The addressable CMs of CMID "2" and CMID "3" are fixed in length and are associated with the CM length of one type.

The broadcastable segment is a CM segment capable of broadcasting individually addressable CMs. In attribute information 92 of the addressable CM, for example, a CM segment ID is registered as information indicating a broadcastable segment. The CM section to which each addressable CM can be broadcasted is determined by, for example, the parsing process of the management server 3000. Also, the kind of CM is the kind of the individually addressable CM.

Here, as an example of the addressable CM having a variable length, there is an addressable CM which can divide moving image data of one addressable CM into a plurality of positions.

Returning to fig. 5, the division position information of the addressable CM is information indicating the division position of the variable-length addressable CM that can be divided at such a plurality of positions. Here, the division position in the addressable CM is defined based on the elapsed time from the start of the addressable CM before the variable length.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the addressable CM division position information 93 according to the present embodiment. The division position information 93 of the addressable CM is information in which the CMID, the detailed ID, the CM length, the first to nth start times, and the first to nth end times of each division position are associated with each other. In the example shown in fig. 8, since there are cases where a plurality of parts can be extracted from an addressable CM before being lengthened, a plurality of sets of combinations of start time and end time are registered, but the combination of start time and end time may be 1 set.

The detailed ID is identification information that enables determination of an addressable CM after a variable length. A plurality of detailed IDs are associated with one CMID in each case where the CM length or the division position is different.

Here, the detailed IDs "1-1" to "1-5" shown in fig. 8 will be described with reference to fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of changing the time length of the variable-length addressable CM according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 9, the entire time length of the moving image data 70a of the variable-length addressable CM is 30 seconds.

In the example shown in fig. 8 and 9, the detailed ID "1-1" associated with the CMID "1" indicates moving image data of 5 seconds from the position of "10" seconds to the position of "15" seconds from the start of the moving image data 70a of the addressable CM before the length is changed. The detailed ID "1-2" indicates moving image data of 5 seconds from the position of "25" seconds to the position of "30" seconds from the start of the moving image data 70a of the addressable CM. The detailed IDs "1 to 3" indicate moving image data of 15 seconds from the position of "0" seconds to the position of "15" seconds from the start of the moving image data 70a of the addressable CM.

The detailed ID "1-4" indicates moving picture data of 10 seconds in total, which is obtained by combining the position from "10" seconds to "15" seconds from the start and the position from "25" seconds to "30" seconds from the start, of the moving picture data 70a of the addressable CM before the change in length. Further, the detailed IDs "1-5" represent moving image data of the entire time length of the variable-length addressable CM for 30 seconds.

In addition, the addressable CM of a fixed length may be registered in the division position information 93 of the addressable CM. In this case, as in the case of CMID "2" shown in fig. 8, only 1 record having a start time of "0" and an end time of the same time length as the entire time length of the addressable CM (in the example shown in fig. 8, "15") is registered. In addition, only addressable CMs of variable lengths may be registered in the division position information 93 of the addressable CMs.

Returning to fig. 5, in the case where any frame of the addressable CM can be used as a still image, the still image frame information is information indicating the frame.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the still image frame information 94 according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 10, the still image frame information 94 is information in which the CMID is associated with the position of a still image frame that can be used as a still image in the frames included in the addressable CM specified by the CMID. The position of the still picture frame is defined in terms of the elapsed time from the start of the addressable CM.

In the example shown in fig. 10, the frame of the 29 th second from the start of the addressable CM of CMID "1" is a still image frame.

Returning to fig. 5, the CM broadcast performance information is information in which the CMID of the addressable CM broadcast by the broadcast control unit 5500 described later is associated with the broadcast position. The playback position is a temporal position indicating the playback range in the entire moving image data of the addressable CM. For example, when the variable-length addressable CM having a maximum time length of 30 seconds is played from the position of 10 seconds from the start time to the position of 15 seconds from the start time, the position of the playback is "10 to 15" seconds. In addition, even if the viewer changes the channel or the power of the receiver 5000 is turned off during the broadcast of the addressable CM, the broadcast range before the change of the channel or the power off becomes the CM broadcast performance.

The CM play performance information may include not only an addressable CM but also a play performance of a normal CM. The storage unit 5800 may store not only CM broadcast performance information but also a viewing history of a broadcast program viewed by the viewer using the receiver 5000.

The acquisition unit 5100 acquires addressable CM segment information 91 from broadcast waves. For example, the acquisition unit 5100 acquires, from the demultiplexer 5303, addressable CM-segment information 91 separated from the broadcast wave. The obtaining unit 5100 stores the obtained addressable CM segment information 91 in the storage unit 5800.

Here, the broadcast wave may be not only a terrestrial wave but also a satellite wave of BS broadcasting or CS broadcasting. Also, the acquisition source of the addressable CM-segment information 91 is not limited to a broadcast wave. The obtaining unit 5100 can obtain addressable CM section information 91 from distribution data of an IP broadcast transmitted via the internet.

The requesting unit 5200 requests the CM distribution server 4000 for an addressable CM that can play the CM segment registered in the addressable CM segment information 91. More specifically, the requesting unit 5200 associates the receiver ID, the CM segment ID registered in the addressable CM segment information 91, and the addressable CM that can be played back in the CM segment specified by the CM segment ID with each other, and transmits the associated information to the CM distribution server 4000. The conditions of the addressable CMs that can be played back in the CM segment registered in the addressable CM segment information 91 are, for example, the kinds of CMs that can be broadcast registered in the addressable CM segment information 91.

The receiving unit 5300 receives, from the CM distribution server 4000, a variable-length addressable CM or a fixed-length addressable CM that can be played back in a CM field specified by the CM field ID registered in the addressable CM field information 91. More specifically, the receiving unit 5300 receives the moving image data of the addressable CM, the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM, the division position information 93 of the addressable CM, and the still image frame information 94, which satisfy the condition transmitted by the requesting unit 5200. The receiving unit 5300 stores, in the storage unit 5800, the received moving image data of the various addressable CMs, the attribute information 92 of the addressable CMs, the division position information 93 of the addressable CMs, and the still image frame information 94. The still image frame information 94 is not necessarily information.

The editing unit 5400 edits the addressable CMs of variable length according to the time length of the CM section included in the addressable CM section information 91. More specifically, the editing unit 5400 extracts a portion to be played back from the addressable CM of variable length based on the division position information 93 of the addressable CM described in fig. 8 and 9.

The editing unit 5400 also combines one or more variable-length addressable CMs or one or more fixed-length addressable CMs to compose a combination of addressable CMs having the same playback time length as the CM segments registered in the addressable CM segment information 91. The combination of addressable CMs is an example of the advertisement content group in the present embodiment.

More specifically, the editing unit 5400 combines, for each CM segment registered in the addressable CM segment information 91, an addressable CM of a type that can be broadcast in the CM segment and a plurality of addressable CMs having a CM segment ID of the CM segment registered in a broadcast-enabled segment of the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM.

Fig. 11 shows an example of a combination 50a of addressable CMs according to the present embodiment. The combination 50a of addressable CMs shown in fig. 11 is the combination 50a of addressable CMs played in the CM section ID "AD1" shown in fig. 6. In the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM, the "AD1" is registered in the broadcast enabled section as 2 addressable CMs whose CMID is "1" and 2 addressable CMs whose CMID is "2". Also, the kind of addressable CM whose CMID is "1" and the kind of addressable CM whose CMID is "2" are the kinds of CMs that can be broadcast in the CM section ID "AD1", and therefore these 2 addressable CMs can be played in the CM section ID "AD 1".

In the example shown in fig. 11, the editing unit 5400 combines an addressable CM having a CMID of "1" (shown as "CM1" in fig. 11) and an addressable CM having a CMID of "2" (shown as "CM2" in fig. 11) so as to alternately play.

The CM section ID "AD1" has a time length of 180 seconds, but the total time length of addressable CMs having a CMID "1" is 30 seconds, and the CM length of addressable CMs having a CMID "2" is 25 seconds. In this case, a blank of 15 seconds is finally formed. Here, since the addressable CM having a CMID of "1" has a variable length, the editing unit 5400 changes the time length of the addressable CM having a CMID of "1" to 15 seconds, and adds the changed time length to the end of the combination 50a of addressable CMs. For example, the editing unit 5400 searches the division position information 93 of the addressable CM for a CM length having the same time length as the time length of the space, and extracts moving image data having the same time length as the time length of the space from the moving image data of the addressable CM having the CMID "1" based on the start time and the end time associated with the time length. Thus, the total play time of the combination 50a of addressable CMs is 180 seconds which is the same as the time length of the CM section ID "AD 1".

In addition, when there are a plurality of addressable CMs that can be played back in one CM section, the editing unit 5400 combines the addressable CMs so that the addressable CMs having a long CM length are played back first. If the remaining time of a CM segment is reduced, it is difficult to play an addressable CM having a long CM length. Therefore, the editing unit 5400 ensures a playback opportunity of an addressable CM having a long CM length by playing from an addressable CM having a long CM length first.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another example of the addressable CM combination 50b according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the combination 50 of addressable CMs is simply referred to as the combination 50 of addressable CMs without particularly distinguishing the combination 50a of addressable CMs from the combination 50b of addressable CMs.

When the time length of the CM section is shorter than the combination 50b of the addressable CMs, the editing unit 5400 adds a still image to the end of the combination 50b of the addressable CMs. In the example shown in fig. 12, the total play time of the combination of the addressable CM1 of 30 seconds, the addressable CM2 of 25 seconds, and the addressable CMn of 13 seconds is 2 seconds shorter than the time length of the CM section ID "AD 1". In the storage unit 5800, an addressable CM having a time length of 2 seconds is not stored.

In this case, the editing unit 5400 specifies the position of the still image frame in the addressable CM based on the still image frame information 94 stored in the storage unit 5800, and adds the still image frame to the end of the combination 50b of the addressable CMs. The editing unit 5400 can extract a frame for a still image from, for example, an addressable CM that is played last.

The editing unit 5400 may add a still image only when the difference between the time length of the CM section and the total playback time of the addressable CM combination 50b is equal to or less than a predetermined time length. The predetermined time length is, for example, 3 seconds.

Further, the editing unit 5400 can combine not only one still image but also a plurality of still images. The editing unit 5400 can combine a message, a logo (logo), an illustration, or the like indicating that the still image is an advertisement on the screen of the still image. The message, logo, or illustration combined on the screen of the still image may be a dynamically changing image.

The editing unit 5400 may extract frames other than the frame defined by the still image frame information 94 as a still image. For example, the editing unit 5400 can specify a frame displaying characters such as a product name or a frame displaying a face of a person from moving image data of addressable CMs by image processing, and add the specified frame to the combination 50b of addressable CMs. The editing unit 5400 may extract, as a still image, the frame closest to the last frame of the moving image data of the addressable CM, from among the frames in which the entire screen included in the moving image data of the addressable CM is not white or black. Also, the additional location of the still image may be a location other than the end of the combination 50b of addressable CMs.

The editing unit 5400 may add the still-image data to the combination 50b of addressable CMs, instead of adding the frame of the moving-image data of the addressable CMs to the combination 50b of addressable CMs. As an example, the image data of the still image may be an image displaying a QR code (registered trademark), a URL, or the like. The QR code (registered trademark) or URL or the like is connected to, for example, a website or other link destination of the provider of the addressable CM. The viewer can notify the provider of the addressable CM of the fact that the addressable CM is viewed by using the above-mentioned QR code (registered trademark) or URL.

The editing unit 5400 may add short moving image data of about 2 to 3 seconds to the combination 50b of addressable CMs, instead of the still image. The still image data or short moving image data may be stored in the storage unit 5800 in advance, or may be transmitted from the CM distribution server 4000 or the management server 3000 to the receiver 5000.

The editing unit 5400 may play music, commentary, or the like by associating audio data such as music or commentary with the combination 50 of addressable CMs while image data of still images or short moving image data is being displayed. The voice data such as music and commentary may be stored in the storage unit 5800 in advance, or may be transmitted from the CM distribution server 4000 or the management server 3000 to the receiver 5000. The editing unit 5400 may display still image data or short moving image data without associating the time with voice data, and may make the image data silent. The editing unit 5400 can determine whether to set to silent sound or to play voice based on the content of still image data, short moving image data, the type of addressable CM that has been played immediately before, or the like.

The editing unit 5400 also edits the addressable CM combination 50 whenever necessary during the broadcast time of the CM segment in which the addressable CM combination 50 is played. In this case, each time the addressable CM to be played back is determined from the head of the combination 50 of addressable CMs, the editing unit 5400 transmits the CM segment ID, the CMID of the addressable CM included in the combination 50 of addressable CMs, and the detailed ID to the playback control unit 5500 in association with each other. Further, in the case where the addressable CM section information 91 or the like has been acquired in advance by the acquisition section 5100 before the start of the broadcast time of the CM section, the editing section 5400 may be organized into the combination 50 of addressable CMs before the start of the broadcast time of the CM section. In this case, the editing unit 5400 transmits the CM segment ID, the CMID of the addressable CM included in the combination 50 of the edited addressable CMs, or the detailed ID to the playback control unit 5500 in association with each other.

In addition, when the CM length of any fixed-length addressable CM is the same as the CM segment or when the CM length of a variable-length addressable CM can be changed to the same time length as the CM segment, the editing unit 5400 may select one addressable CM as a playback target without combining a plurality of addressable CMs.

Returning to fig. 5, the playback control unit 5500 plays back the addressable CM combinations 50 at the broadcast times of the CM segments registered in the addressable CM segment information 91. The broadcast control unit 5500 associates the CMID of the broadcast addressable CM with the broadcast position, and stores the CMID in the storage unit 5800 as CM broadcast performance information. The broadcast control unit 5500 may store not only the broadcast performance of the addressable CM but also the broadcast performance of the normal CM as CM broadcast performance information. The broadcast control unit 5500 may also store a viewing history of a broadcast program that the viewer views using the receiver 5000 in the storage unit 5800.

The transmission unit 5600 associates the CM broadcast performance information stored in the storage unit 5800 with the receiver ID, and periodically transmits the CM broadcast performance information to the management server 3000. The transmission unit 5600 may transmit the playback result of the playback control unit 5500 to the management server 3000 at a time. The transmission unit 5600 may transmit the viewing history of the broadcast program that the viewer has viewed by the receiver 5000 to the management server 3000.

(example of the CM distribution Server and management Server)

Next, details of the CM distribution server 4000 and the management server 3000 will be described. The CM distribution server 4000 and the management server 3000 include a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a CD Drive, and are generally configured by hardware using a computer.

(example of the functional configuration of the CM distribution Server)

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the CM distribution server 4000 according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 13, the CM distribution server 4000 includes an acquisition unit 4100, a reception unit 4200, a search unit 4300, a transmission unit 4400, and a storage unit 4500.

The storage unit 4500 stores at least moving image data of addressable CMs of variable lengths, and attribute information 92 of addressable CMs associated with the addressable CMs of variable lengths, and division position information 93 of the addressable CMs. In the example shown in fig. 13, the storage unit 4500 stores moving image data of addressable CMs of variable or fixed length, attribute information 92 of the addressable CMs, division position information 93 of the addressable CMs, and still image frame information 94. The storage unit 4500 is a storage device such as an HDD.

The storage unit 4500 stores more pieces of data than the moving image data of the addressable CMs, the attribute information 92 of the addressable CMs, the division position information 93 of the addressable CMs, and the still image frame information 94, which are stored in the receiver 5000.

The acquiring unit 4100 acquires moving image data of addressable CMs of variable or fixed length, attribute information 92 of addressable CMs, division position information 93 of addressable CMs, and still image frame information 94 from a system of the broadcasting station 1000 or a system of the advertising company AD, and stores the data in the storage unit 4500.

The receiving section 4200 receives, from the receiver 5000, a transmission request of an addressable CM that can be played back in the CM segment registered in the addressable CM segment information 91. More specifically, the receiving unit 4200 receives, from the receiver 5000, the receiver ID of the receiver 5000, the CM segment ID registered in the addressable CM segment information 91, and the conditions of addressable CMs that can be played back in the CM segment specified by the CM segment ID (for example, the type of CM that can be broadcast). The reception unit 4200 transmits the CM segment ID and the condition received from the receiver 5000 to the search unit.

The retrieval unit 4300 retrieves, from the storage unit 4500, addressable CMs that can be played back in the CM segments registered in the addressable CM segment information 91. More specifically, the retrieval unit 4300 retrieves, from the attribute information 92 of addressable CMs, addressable CMs whose CM segment IDs received by the reception unit 4200 are registered as broadcastable segments and which are of a type appropriate for the type of broadcastable CM received by the reception unit 4200.

Further, the retrieval unit 4300 retrieves, from the division position information 93 of the addressable CMs, information associated with the CMID of the addressable CM satisfying the retrieval condition among the addressable CMs registered in the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM. The search unit 4300 transmits the search result to the transmission unit 4400.

The transmitter 4400 transmits the addressable CM of variable length retrieved by the retrieving unit 4300 to the receiver 5000. More specifically, the transmitter 4400 transmits the attribute information of the addressable CM satisfying the search condition, the division position information of the addressable CM, and the moving image data of the addressable CM, among the addressable CMs registered in the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM, to the receiver 5000 specified by the receiver ID.

The transmitter 4400 may also transmit the still image frame information 94 to the receiver 5000. The transmitter 4400 may transmit a still image including a two-dimensional code (QR code) (registered trademark) or a URL of the provider of the addressable CM to the receiver 5000.

(example of the functional configuration of the management Server)

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the management server 3000 according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 14, the management server 3000 includes a receiving unit 3100, an analyzing unit 3200, a notifying unit 3300, and a storage unit 3400.

The storage unit 3400 stores CM broadcast performance information of each receiver 5000. The storage unit 3400 is a storage device such as an HDD. The storage unit 3400 stores not only CM-play performance information but also, for example, a viewing history of a broadcast program that the viewer has viewed using the receiver 5000.

The receiving unit 3100 receives the receiver ID and CM broadcast performance information from the receiver 5000. The receiving unit 3100 associates the received receiver ID with the CM broadcast performance information, and stores the associated information in the storage unit 3400. The receiving unit 3100 may receive attribute information of the viewer from the receiver 5000 or a viewing history of a broadcast program viewed by the viewer using the receiver 5000, and store the received attribute information or viewing history in the storage unit 3400. The attribute information of the viewer is information obtained from the viewer by a questionnaire or the like in advance (for example, at the time of purchase of the receiver or the like). Attribute information of the viewer includes, for example, sex information, age group information, and the like of constituent persons about his family.

The analysis unit 3200 analyzes the preference of the viewer based on the CM broadcast performance information and the attribute information of the viewer. The analysis unit 3200 sends the analysis result to the notification unit 3300.

The notification unit 3300 notifies the broadcast station 1000 of the analysis result of the analysis unit 3200. The analysis result is acquired by the advertising company AD via the broadcasting station 1000, and an addressable CM section is purchased by the advertiser MC of the target product.

(addressable CM Play processing)

Next, a flow of playback processing of the addressable CM in the transceiver system S configured as described above will be described.

Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the playback process of the addressable CM according to the present embodiment.

First, the broadcast station 1000 transmits addressable CM section information 91 to the receiver 5000 through a broadcast wave (S1). The acquisition unit 5100 of the receiver 5000 acquires addressable CM-segment information 91 from broadcast waves and stores the information in the storage unit 5800.

Then, the requesting unit 5200 of the receiver 5000 requests the CM distribution server 4000 to request the addressable CMs that can be played back from the CM segments registered in the addressable CM segment information 91 (S2). The reception unit 4200 of the CM distribution server 4000 receives the request transmitted from the receiver 5000. The search unit 4300 of the CM distribution server 4000 searches for an addressable CM that satisfies the request transmitted from the receiver 5000.

Next, the transmitter 4400 of the CM distribution server 4000 transmits the addressable CM retrieved by the retrieving unit 4300 to the receiver 5000 (S3). That is, the transmitter 4400 transmits attribute information of the addressable CM satisfying the condition, the division position information of the addressable CM, and the moving image data of the addressable CM to the receiver 5000. The receiving unit 5300 of the receiver 5000 receives, from the CM distribution server 4000, the moving image data of the addressable CM, the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM, and the division position information 93 of the addressable CM, which satisfy the condition transmitted by the requesting unit 5200.

Next, the editing unit 5400 of the receiver 5000 edits the variable-length addressable CM transmitted from the CM distribution server 4000, based on the time length of the CM segment included in the addressable CM segment information 91 (S4). The editing unit 5400 combines one or more variable-length addressable CMs or one or more fixed-length addressable CMs to compose a combination 50 of addressable CMs having the same playback time length as the CM segments registered in the addressable CM segment information 91.

Then, the play control unit 5500 of the receiver 5000 plays the addressable CM combination 50 at the broadcast time of the CM segment registered in the addressable CM segment information 91 (S5). The playback control unit 5500 also stores the CM playback performance information in the storage unit 5800.

Then, the transmission unit 5600 of the receiver 5000 associates the CM broadcast performance information stored in the storage unit 5800 with the receiver ID, and transmits the information to the management server 3000 (S6). The receiving unit 3100 of the management server 3000 associates the receiver ID received from the receiver 5000 with the CM broadcast performance information, and stores the receiver ID and the CM broadcast performance information in the storage unit 3400. The analysis unit 3200 of the management server 3000 analyzes the preference of the viewer based on the CM broadcast performance information and the attribute information of the viewer. The notification unit 3300 of the management server 3000 notifies the broadcast station 1000 of the analysis result of the analysis unit 3200. Here, the processing of the sequence diagram ends.

Conventionally, a system of a broadcasting station combines a plurality of CMs stored in advance so that the length of a CM section is equal to the total playing time of the plurality of CMs broadcasted by the CM section. Since CMs of various lengths of time are stored in the broadcast station system, the broadcast station system can easily adjust the total broadcast time by combining them. In contrast, since the storage area of a receiving device such as a television device is smaller than that of a system of a broadcasting station, there is a limit to the number of addressable CMs that can be stored in advance. Therefore, the time length of the CM section in the broadcast program may be different from the play time length of the addressable CM.

For example, in the case where the play time of an addressable CM is shorter than the time length of a CM section, a part of a normal CM distributed through a broadcast wave is caused to be broadcast after the addressable CM is played.

In contrast, the receiver 5000 according to the present embodiment acquires addressable CM segment information 91 in which a CM segment ID that specifies a CM segment in which a normal CM can be replaced with an addressable CM is associated with a time length of a CM segment, and edits the addressable CM of variable length received from the CM distribution server 4000 based on the time length of the CM segment registered in the addressable CM segment information 91. According to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, since one addressable CM can be changed to a plurality of time lengths for broadcasting, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of a difference between the time length of a CM segment in a broadcast program and the length of the broadcasting time of the addressable CM.

According to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, since the broadcast time of an addressable CM is shorter than the time length of a CM segment, the occurrence of a situation in which a part of a normal CM is broadcast can be reduced, and therefore, the quality of CM broadcast can be improved.

In addition, according to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, since one addressable CM can be changed to a plurality of time lengths for playback, it is not necessary to separately store moving picture data of addressable CMs having different time lengths. Therefore, according to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, the amount of data stored in the receiver 5000 can be reduced.

The variable-length addressable CM according to the present embodiment is moving image data that can be divided into a plurality of positions, and the receiver 5000 according to the present embodiment extracts a portion to be played from the variable-length addressable CM based on the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM received from the CM distribution server 4000. Therefore, according to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, since the addressable CM of variable length can be divided at an appropriate position, it is possible to reduce the discomfort given to the viewer when the addressable CM is played.

The receiver 5000 of the present embodiment receives fixed-length addressable CMs from the CM distribution server 4000, and combines one or more variable-length addressable CMs or one or more fixed-length addressable CMs to form a combination 50 of addressable CMs having the same length as the CM section and playing time. Therefore, according to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, the total play time of a plurality of addressable CMs can be made to be the same as the time length of a CM section, and even a CM section of a long time in which it is difficult for one addressable CM to fill up the time can play an addressable CM.

In addition, in the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, when the playback time of the combination 50 of addressable CMs is shorter than the length of a CM section, a still image is added to the end of the combination 50 of addressable CMs. Therefore, according to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, the length of time is adjusted by displaying the still image, and the CM section in the broadcast program and the broadcast time of the addressable CM can be made to be the same length more reliably.

The receiver 5000 of the present embodiment transmits CM broadcast performance information indicating the broadcast performance of one or more variable-length addressable CMs or one or more fixed-length addressable CMs to the management server 3000. Therefore, according to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, the broadcast result of the addressable CM in the receiver 5000 can be used for analysis by the management server 3000.

The CM distribution server 4000 of the present embodiment receives, from the receiver 5000, the CM segment ID registered in the addressable CM segment information 91 and the conditions of addressable CMs that can be played back in the CM segment specified by the CM segment ID, and searches for addressable CMs of variable length that can be played back in the CM segment. The CM distribution server 4000 of the present embodiment transmits the searched addressable CM of variable length to the receiver 5000. Therefore, according to the CM distribution server 4000 of the present embodiment, it is possible to distribute addressable CMs that can be played back by the receiver 5000. Further, since the CM distribution server 4000 of the present embodiment distributes addressable CMs of variable lengths, it is possible to reduce the difference between the time length of a CM segment in a broadcast program and the length of the broadcast time of an addressable CM by changing the time length of the addressable CM at the receiver 5000 side.

Further, the transmission/reception system S according to the present embodiment includes the CM distribution server 4000 and the receiver 5000 having the above-described functions, and thereby it is possible to reduce the difference between the time length of the CM section in the broadcast program and the length of the broadcast time of the addressable CM.

In the present embodiment, the CM management server 6000, the CM distribution server 4000, and the management server 3000 have been described as separate devices, but some or all of these servers may be combined. For example, the CM distribution server 4000 and the management server 3000 may be configured as 1 server, and the CM management server 6000 and the CM distribution server 4000 may be configured as 1 server.

In the present embodiment, the transmission/reception system S includes the receiver 5000, the CM distribution server 4000, and the management server 3000, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the transmission/reception system S may include only the receiver 5000 and the CM distribution server 4000, or may further include other devices. Furthermore, the transceiving system S may include a system of the broadcasting station 1000.

In the present embodiment, the receiver 5000 plays the addressable CM in the CM section in the broadcast program transmitted from the broadcast station 1000 by a broadcast wave or the like, but may play the addressable CM in the CM section in the distribution data of the video on demand. Also, the receiver 5000 can play an addressable CM in a CM section within moving image data recorded on a BD, DVD, or built-in HDD or the like.

In the present embodiment, the receiver 5000 acquires the addressable CM segment information 91 from the broadcast wave, but the source of acquiring the addressable CM segment information 91 is not limited to the broadcast wave. For example, the receiver 5000 may acquire the addressable CM section information 91 from distribution data of a video on demand, or may acquire the addressable CM section information 91 from information recorded on a BD, DVD, or built-in HDD.

In addition, the types of the CM capable of broadcasting in the addressable CM section information 91 illustrated in fig. 6 may be transmitted not by a broadcast wave but from the management server 3000 to the receiver 5000.

(second embodiment)

In the first embodiment described above, the addressable CM of variable length is moving image data that can be divided at a plurality of positions. In contrast, the variable-length addressable CM according to the second embodiment is data in which a plurality of pieces of moving image data that can be combined are associated with each other.

Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the variable-length addressable CM according to the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 16, the variable-length addressable CM according to the present embodiment is data in which frame groups 80a to 80f (hereinafter, referred to as frame groups 80 without particular distinction) including a plurality of consecutive frames are associated with each other. Each frame group 80 is moving image data constituted by a plurality of consecutive frames.

Each frame group 80 includes a necessary frame group and at least one frame group that is selected from a plurality of candidates.

In the example shown in fig. 16, the editing unit 5400 of the receiver 5000 according to the present embodiment extracts the first required frame group 80a, the second selected frame group 80c, and the second required frame group 80f from the frame groups 80a to 80f, and sets the combination of the frame groups as the addressable CM78 having a variable length.

When selecting any of the selected frame groups 80b to 80d, the editing unit 5400 preferentially selects the frame group 80 having the small number of previous playbacks.

In addition, instead of dividing data for each frame group 80, one piece of moving image data may be divided into a plurality of frame groups, and the necessary frame group 80 and the selected frame group may be identified.

Fig. 17 shows an example of the division position information 95 of the addressable CM according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in fig. 17, each frame group included in a variable-length addressable CM having a CMID "1" of 30 seconds maximum time length is defined by the elapsed time from the start time of the variable-length addressable CM.

The other configurations of the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

According to the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the degree of freedom in editing the addressable CM on the receiver 5000 side is improved, and thus the change in the addressable CM that can be played back can be increased.

(third embodiment)

In the third embodiment, the receiver 5000 specifies the conditions of the addressable CMs to be received with respect to the CM distribution server 4000 in order to avoid the imbalance between the CM lengths and the CM types of the addressable CMs stored in the storage unit 5800.

In addition to the functions of the first embodiment, the requesting unit 5200 of the receiver 5000 according to the present embodiment requests the CM distribution server 4000 to address CMs, and requests the CM distribution server 4000 to address CMs of a fixed length or address CMs of a variable length, the CM length of which is different from the CM length of the address CMs of the fixed length that have been received, when the receiving unit 5300 has already received one or more address CMs of a fixed length.

When requesting the CM distribution server 4000 for an addressable CM, the requesting unit 5200 may request the CM distribution server 4000 for a fixed-length or variable-length addressable CM having a different type from the type of the received fixed-length or variable-length addressable CM.

The requesting unit 5200 determines the CM length of the fixed-length addressable CM that has been received in the past or the type of the fixed-length addressable CM that has been received in the past, for example, by referring to the time length or the type registered in the attribute information 92 of the addressable CM in the storage unit 5800.

In addition to the functions of the first embodiment, the search section 4300 of the CM distribution server 4000 according to this embodiment searches for an addressable CM that satisfies the condition on the CM length or the condition on the type transmitted from the receiver 5000.

The other configuration of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

According to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, by preventing imbalance of CM lengths or kinds, addressable CMs can be combined corresponding to CM segments of various time lengths.

(fourth embodiment)

In this fourth embodiment, the receiver 5000 preferentially receives a specific CM length or a specific kind of addressable CM.

More specifically, the request unit 5200 of the receiver 5000 according to the present embodiment requests the CM distribution server 4000 for an addressable CM of a predetermined time length or a fixed length equal to or shorter than the predetermined time length, in addition to the functions of the first embodiment. The predetermined time length is set to, for example, 15 seconds, and when the CM section is applied to the receiver 5000, the predetermined time length is set to a time length of a time in which a blank is hardly generated.

The requesting unit 5200 may request the CM distribution server 4000 for an addressable CM having a variable length that can be changed to a predetermined time length or a time length equal to or shorter than the predetermined time length.

The requesting unit 5200 identifies a category to be prioritized according to the preference of the viewer, and requests the CM distribution server 4000 to address CMs of the category that have a variable length or a fixed length.

The requesting unit 5200 determines a category to be prioritized according to the preference of the viewer, based on the CM-play performance information stored in the storage unit 5800, for example. The receiving unit 5300 can acquire the category to be prioritized according to the preference of the viewer from the management server 3000.

According to the receiver 5000 of the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the management server 3000 is required to have an addressable CM preferentially used in replacement, and therefore CM segments can be used more efficiently.

As described above, according to the first to fourth embodiments, it is possible to reduce the difference in the play time between a CM section and an addressable CM in a broadcast program.

The addressable CM broadcast program executed by the receiver 5000 according to each of the above embodiments is provided by being loaded in advance in a ROM or the like. The addressable CM playback program may be provided as a file recorded in an installable or executable form in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a Flexible Disk (FD), a CD-R, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or the like.

The addressable CM broadcast program executed by the receiver 5000 according to each of the above-described embodiments may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the internet and provided by downloading the program via the network. Also, the addressable CM broadcast program executed by the receiver 5000 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the internet.

The addressable CM broadcast program executed by the receiver 5000 according to each of the above-described embodiments has a module configuration including the above-described respective units (the acquisition unit, the request unit, the reception unit, the editing unit, the broadcast control unit, and the transmission unit), and a CPU (processor) reads the addressable CM broadcast program from the ROM and executes the program, thereby loading the respective units into the main storage device, and generating the acquisition unit, the request unit, the reception unit, the editing unit, the broadcast control unit, and the transmission unit in the main storage device.

In addition, as an example, a CPU (processor) that executes an addressable CM broadcast program may be a CPU provided in the integrated controller 52001 or may be a CPU provided in the DRAM processing unit 5104.

The program executed by the CM distribution server 4000 or the management server 3000 according to each of the embodiments described above is provided as a file in an installable or executable format, and recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk, a CD-R, or a DVD.

The program executed by the CM distribution server 4000 or the management server 3000 may be stored in a computer connected to a network such as the internet and may be provided by downloading the program via the network. The program may be provided or distributed via a network such as the internet, or may be provided by being loaded in a ROM or the like in advance.

The program executed by the CM distribution server 4000 or the management server 3000 according to each of the above embodiments has a module configuration including each of the above-described units (the acquisition unit, the reception unit, the search unit, and the transmission unit) or each of the units (the reception unit, the analysis unit, and the notification unit), and a CPU (processor) reads out the program from the storage medium as actual hardware and executes the program, thereby loading each of the units into the main storage device, and generating the acquisition unit, the reception unit, the search unit, the transmission unit, or the reception unit, the analysis unit, and the notification unit in the main storage device.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and do not limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A receiving apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition section for acquiring advertisement segment information in which advertisement segment identification information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace advertisement content in an advertisement segment that is a time at which advertisement content is broadcast in a broadcast program and a time length of the advertisement segment are associated with each other;

a receiving part for receiving variable-length advertisement content that can be played back according to the advertisement segment information from an external device, wherein the variable-length advertisement content is moving image data that can be divided at a plurality of positions; and

an editing section for editing the variable-length advertisement content according to a time length of the advertisement segment;

the receiving unit is further configured to receive, from the external device, division position information indicating a division position of the variable-length advertisement content,

the editing unit is specifically configured to extract a portion to be played back from the variable-length advertisement content based on the division position information.

2. The receiving device of claim 1,

the variable-length advertisement content is data in which a plurality of dynamic images capable of being combined are associated,

the editing unit selects one or more moving images from the plurality of moving images.

3. The receiving device of claim 1 or 2,

the receiving part also receives fixed-length advertisement content from the external device,

the editing unit combines one or more of the variable-length advertisement contents or one or more of the fixed-length advertisement contents to thereby compose an advertisement content group having a playing time of the same length as that of the advertisement segment.

4. The receiving device of claim 3,

the editing unit adds a still image to the end of the advertisement content group when the playback time of the advertisement content group is shorter than the length of the advertisement segment.

5. The receiving device of claim 3,

the receiving apparatus further includes:

a playback control unit that plays the advertisement content group in the advertisement segment; and

and a transmission unit that transmits the results of the one or more variable-length advertisement contents or the one or more fixed-length advertisement contents to another external device.

6. The receiving device of claim 1,

the receiving apparatus further includes a requesting unit that requests the external apparatus for the advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment.

7. The receiving device of claim 6,

the requesting section, in a case where the receiving section has received one or more fixed length advertisement contents, requests the fixed length advertisement contents or the variable length advertisement contents satisfying the following conditions in terms of time length to the external device: the length of time is different from the length of time that one or more of the fixed length advertising content has been received.

8. The receiving device of claim 6,

the requesting unit further requests the external device for a fixed-length advertisement content having a predetermined time length.

9. A receiving method, comprising:

acquiring advertisement segment information which establishes an association relationship between advertisement segment identification information and the time length of an advertisement segment, wherein the advertisement segment identification information is identification information which determines the advertisement segment which can replace advertisement content in the advertisement segment, and the advertisement segment is the time for broadcasting the advertisement content in a broadcast program;

receiving variable-length advertisement content playable according to the advertisement segment information from an external device, wherein the variable-length advertisement content is dynamic image data that can be divided at a plurality of positions; and

editing the variable-length advertisement content according to the time length of the advertisement segment;

after the receiving of the advertisement content of variable length that can be played according to the advertisement segment information from the external device, the method further includes:

receiving division position information indicating a division position of the variable-length advertisement content from the external device;

the editing the variable-length advertisement content according to the time length of the advertisement segment includes:

based on the division position information, a portion to be played back is extracted from the variable-length advertisement content.

10. A transmission apparatus, comprising:

a receiving unit that receives, from a receiving apparatus that receives a broadcast program, advertisement-segment identification information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace advertisement content on the receiving apparatus side, and a condition of advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment;

a search unit that searches for a variable-length advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment, the variable-length advertisement content being moving image data that can be divided into a plurality of positions; and

and a transmitting unit that transmits the variable-length advertisement content retrieved by the retrieving unit to the receiving apparatus.

11. The transmission apparatus according to claim 10,

the receiving section further receives receiving device identification information from the receiving device that can specify the receiving device,

the transmitting unit transmits the variable-length advertisement content to the receiving device specified by the receiving device identification information.

12. The transmission apparatus according to claim 10 or 11,

the variable-length advertisement content is data in which a plurality of dynamic images capable of being combined are associated with each other.

13. The transmission apparatus according to claim 10,

the transmitting unit further transmits still image frame information to the receiving apparatus, the still image frame information indicating a position of a still image frame that can be used as a still image among frames included in the advertisement content.

14. The transmission apparatus according to claim 10,

the transmitting unit further transmits a still image including a QR code or a URL of the provider of the advertisement content to the receiving apparatus.

15. A transmission method, comprising:

receiving, from a receiving apparatus that receives a broadcast program, advertisement-segment identification information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace advertisement content on the receiving apparatus side and a condition of advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment;

retrieving variable-length advertisement content playable in the advertisement segment, wherein the variable-length advertisement content is dynamic image data that can be divided at a plurality of positions; and

and transmitting the variable-length advertisement content obtained by the retrieval to the receiving device.

16. A transmitting and receiving system comprises a transmitting device and a receiving device,

the transmission apparatus includes:

a first receiving unit that receives, from the receiving apparatus, advertisement segment identification information that identifies an advertisement segment that can replace advertisement content on the receiving apparatus side and a condition of advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment;

a search unit that searches for a variable-length advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment, the variable-length advertisement content being a moving image that can be divided into a plurality of positions; and

a first transmitting unit that transmits the variable-length advertisement content retrieved by the retrieving unit to the receiving apparatus,

the receiving apparatus includes:

an acquisition unit that acquires advertisement segment information in which the advertisement segment identification information and the time length of the advertisement segment are associated with each other;

a second receiving unit that receives the variable-length advertisement content from the transmitting apparatus; and

an editing unit that edits the variable-length advertisement content according to a time length of the advertisement segment;

the second receiving section further receives division position information indicating a division position of the variable-length advertisement content from the transmitting apparatus,

17. The transceiver system of claim 16, wherein,

18. The transceiving system of claim 16 or 17,

the second receiving section also receives fixed-length advertisement content from the transmitting apparatus,

the editing unit combines one or more of the variable-length advertisement contents or one or more of the fixed-length advertisement contents to thereby compose an advertisement content group having a playback time of the same length as the length of the advertisement segment.

19. The transceiving system of claim 18,

20. The transceiver system of claim 18,

the transmitting/receiving system is further provided with a management device that manages information related to the advertisement content,

the reception device further includes:

and a second transmission unit that transmits one or more of the variable-length advertisement contents or one or more of the fixed-length advertisement contents to the management apparatus.

21. The transceiver system of claim 16, wherein,

the receiving apparatus further includes a requesting unit that requests the transmitting apparatus for the advertisement content that can be played in the advertisement segment.

22. The transceiver system of claim 21, wherein,

the requesting section requests the transmitting apparatus for the fixed-length advertisement content or the variable-length advertisement content satisfying the following condition in terms of time length when the second receiving section has received one or more fixed-length advertisement contents: the length of time is different from the length of time that one or more of the fixed length advertising content has been received.

23. The transceiver system of claim 21, wherein,

the requesting unit further requests the transmitting device for a fixed-length advertisement content having a predetermined time length.