JP2000324471A - Bidirectional television system and contents distribution control method in the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To distribute the contents of a specified program only to a specified bidirectional televisions by dividing bidirectronal TVs into groups based on the equipment ID or the like of the bidirectional TV. SOLUTION: Intrinsic authenticating information (UID) is imparted to each bidirectional TV 100i. A response server system 200 is provided with an authenticating information management part 220, a member information management part 230, a program information management part 240 and a distribution destination information management part 250. The bidirectional televisions 100i are divided into groups based on authenticating information and managed and also the distribution of the specified program contents is controlled concerning the bidirectional televisions 100i based on the group division.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distribution control system for program data / contents in an interactive television system, and more particularly to an interactive television system for distributing only to a receiver satisfying a specific condition. The present invention relates to a system and a content distribution control method in an interactive television system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, a television receiver (interactive television) 1 adopting an interactive system.
, 10n, and the interactive television group 10
There is provided an interactive television system comprising a server computer system (response server system) 20 storing information (contents) of various television program programs and the like connected via a communication line (public network) 30 to a computer. This system is an internal ROM of the interactive television 10i (i is arbitrary).
When a request to start an online service is given to the response server system 20 from the initial screen stored in the interactive server 10, a menu screen (top screen) of various program programs is sent from the response server system 20 to the interactive television 10 i. Then, since the received top screen is displayed on the interactive television 10i, the user selects and specifies a desired program (program ID) and makes a program distribution request to the response server system 20. Thus, the response server system 20 transmits (downloads) the program corresponding to the designated program ID to the interactive television. In this way, on the interactive television 10i side, a desired program program is designated from the program program menu on the top screen, and the corresponding program content is downloaded.

[0003] In addition, in the interactive television system, it is possible not only to download program contents by an online service, but also to perform more complicated processing. For example, a mode unique to the program is performed between the interactive television 10i and the response server system 20 via mutual data transmission and reception. That is, the program is downloaded to the interactive television 10i and
i running on the server and the response server system 20
This is a form in which two programs, a server program dedicated to a program (operating on the server) operating on the above, provide a service in a pair.

[0004] Further, in the interactive television system, it is possible to limit the distribution destination. That is, when the response server system 20 receives a distribution request for program content from the interactive television 10i, it is systematically possible to reject access from the interactive television 10i for which authentication information is not registered. . For example, for each interactive television, authentication information (UID) for uniquely managing the user of the interactive television in association with the interactive television user is uniquely assigned. ID
Is specified, and a UID is notified at the same time when a program distribution request is made. The response server system 20 performs an authentication process so that a program is not transmitted in response to a program distribution request from an interactive television having a UID for which authentication information is not registered.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional interactive television system 20, it is impossible to provide a content distribution service such as a service for a specific member or a service for a specific area. That is,
In the conventional interactive television system, there is only one type of method for limiting the service target person, and there is no choice but to select from the following distribution methods (1) and (2).

(1) Delivery is made to all users who have accessed the response server system 20.

(2) A user who has already registered authentication information (UID) is distinguished from other users, and is distributed only to users who have registered authentication information.

Further, in the conventional interactive television system, only the same content can be provided to all receivers. For example, it is assumed that the distribution information is different depending on the attribute of the recipient such as the residence area, age, gender, membership and non-subscription. However, conventionally, since a program content delivered when a certain program is requested can be the same, it is difficult to distribute a different program depending on a receiver or change a part of the program content according to a receiver. It was impossible. In order to cope with such a situation, it is conceivable to incorporate all information into a program for all recipients. However, depending on the recipient, the amount of useless or unnecessary information included in the program increases, and the communication amount also increases. More specifically, in the program distribution of disaster prevention information, evacuation sites and the like are distinguished for each area (eg, an area in a town), and it is desired to distribute only appropriate information to an appropriate area. However, it was impossible at present.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and solves the above-mentioned disadvantages so that the distribution service of program contents can be performed in a fine grain, thereby limiting the service target person or distributing the program. It is an object of the present invention to provide an interactive television system in which contents can be controlled differently by users, and a content distribution control method in the interactive television system.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an interactive television system in a home and a response server system connected to the interactive television system via a public network. In the interactive television system, the interactive television is configured so that data stored on the response server system can be downloaded to the interactive television via the public network and displayed on the screen, and the response server system is installed on the response server system. A function for managing information for identifying each interactive television, a function for grouping a plurality of interactive televisions based on specific conditions using this identification information, and a function for receiving access from the interactive television. A function for specifying a group to which the interactive television belongs. According to such a configuration, it is possible to control information to be distributed from the response server system according to the group to which the interactive television belongs, and to control to reject data transmission, thereby reducing costs by reducing resources and reducing communication costs. Reduce download times, download time, and expand service offerings.

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, in the above system, member information (membership group and interactive television user belonging to each group) is registered / updated on a response server system. There is provided a function of performing / deleting / displaying, and a function of retrieving, from an identifier assigned to each interactive television, the group subscription status of the user of the interactive television. According to such a configuration, registration of group membership can be registered in response to a distribution request from a user of the interactive television, and a database for managing member information can be constructed on the response server system. The group affiliation check of each interactive television user can be performed based on this database and the identifier (UID) of the interactive television notified from the interactive television.

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, in the above system, the response server system imposes conditions on personal information such as address, gender, age and the like based on authentication information. A function for grouping interactive television users, a function for registering / updating / deleting / displaying the grouping information (group and conditions of each group), and an identifier (UID) added to each interactive television And a function of searching for a group to which the user of the interactive television belongs. Then, a configuration is made such that a user of one interactive television can belong to a plurality of groups according to the category to be grouped, and the management function of grouping information enables management of categorized group information. In addition, by specifying the category and the identifier (UID) of the interactive television, the group to which the interactive television user belongs can be searched. According to such a configuration, the users of the interactive television can be grouped and distinguished from various viewpoints using the authentication data. Further, a database for the user group management can be constructed on the response server system. The group affiliation check of each interactive television user can be performed based on this database and the identifier (UID) of the interactive television notified from the interactive television.

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, in the above system, the response server system has a function of managing / retrieving group member information, and further includes a program and a group which can view the program. A function for managing the associated information and a function for using the information to check whether each interactive television belongs to a group that can view the requested program when receiving a program distribution request from the interactive television. And provided. With this configuration, it is possible to restrict the distribution destination of the program, to realize services for members, etc., and to expand the contents of services such as provision of paid programs.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a system in which a response server system searches for a group to which an interactive television belongs by using a function of managing grouping information and an identifier of the interactive television. A function and a function of specifying a resource to be distributed according to the group to which the interactive television user belongs when a plurality of resources are managed for a part of the screen are provided. According to such a configuration, it is possible to transmit only a part of the resources of the program to an optimum one according to the state of the user. For example, it is possible to provide fine-grained information for disaster prevention information and the like with a minimum amount of information (effective use of a disk base on the response server system and reduction of communication amount).

Further, in order to achieve the above object, in the above system, the response server system has a function of managing grouping information and a search for a group to which the interactive television belongs using an identifier of the interactive television. And a function of specifying a program to be distributed according to the group to which the interactive television belongs from among a plurality of grouped programs (program groups). According to such a configuration, an optimal program can be selected and transmitted according to the state of the viewer. In particular, it is possible to distribute different programs from the same menu program, and it is possible to expand the service and distribute the service (reduction of the communication amount) with a minimum required amount of information.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 schematically shows an interactive television system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which an interactive television group 100 including a plurality of interactive televisions 100a, 100b,. The response server system 200 is connected via a public network 300.

Each interactive television 100i (i is arbitrary) has a tuner function and simple information processing / editing functions.
A function as a normal television receiver for receiving a broadcast wave from a broadcast station and outputting an image, and a response server system 2
It has an interactive television function of outputting the program contents transmitted from 00 as video. In the interactive television 100i, initial screen information when an online service is requested to the response server system 200 is stored in an internal ROM.

The response server system 200 has a server function, and includes a control unit 210, an authentication information management unit 220, a member information management unit 230, a program information management unit 240, a distribution destination information management unit 250, a storage device 260, and an interface 27.
0 and is connected to the broadcasting station 400.

The control section 210 has a function of controlling various control processes of the entire system.

[0020] The authentication information management unit 220 controls the interactive television 1
It has a function of managing the registration of authentication information and the like in response to a request from the user of 00i. That is, the device ID (UID) assigned to each interactive television 100i and each U
It has a function of managing authentication information of user information (name, address, date of birth, gender, telephone number, etc.) corresponding to the ID, and registering / updating / changing / deleting / displaying the authentication information. Here, the interactive television 100a uses UIDa as the device ID, and the interactive television 100b uses UIDb as the device ID.

The member information management unit 230 stores information (group name, group member UID) about the member group.
Etc.). That is, upon receiving, for example, a group joining request from the user of the interactive television 100i, the user is registered as a member of the designated group. In this case, it is assumed that the user has already registered the authentication information, and the member information is managed by the UID. Similarly, the member information management unit 230 has a function of updating / changing / deleting / displaying member information. Here, the interactive television 100a has the program content X
And interactive television 100b is a non-member of group X from which program content X can be downloaded.

The program information management section 240 manages program information (program name, program program name, server program information, etc.) and program distribution schedule information (operating day, time, etc.), and information on group-specific distribution described below. Has the function of managing the

<Program Type> Program Level 1: Program content is distributed indiscriminately. That is, the program content is distributed to all accessors from the interactive television 100i.

Program level 2: Check UID registration and distribute. That is, the program is distributed only when the user accesses the interactive information television having the UID registered as the authentication information.

Program level 3: Distribution by group. That is, the program is distributed only when accessed from the interactive television of the UID belonging to the designated group.

<Information Specific to Program of Distribution Type by Group> A group to distribute the program is specified. The program information management unit 240 is for registering / managing the program information of the program contents provided by the response server system 200, the program distribution schedule information, and the information on the distribution by group. In this case, a group that has already been registered in the member information can be specified as a group to perform distribution. Further, the program information management unit 240 also has a function of updating / changing / deleting / displaying program information.

The distribution destination information management unit 250 has a function of checking the affiliation of the distribution destination group of the program content, and the interactive television 1 which has requested the transmission of the program content.
For 00i, it is checked whether or not the program content can be distributed. That is, when the requested program is of the "group-based distribution" type, it is checked whether or not the user of the interactive television 100i that has transmitted the request is a member of the distribution destination group.

The storage device 260 stores various control program information and program contents.

The interface 270 controls an interface function between the inside and outside of the response server system 200.

The operation and operation of the above configuration will be described.

First, referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, a description will be given of the designation of a specific program and the distribution control by preparing a program of the response server system for the TOP screen.

For example, when an online service is requested to the response server system 200 from the initial screen (see FIG. 4A) of the interactive television 100a, the response server system 200 and the interactive television 100a are connected and A program request is made from the television 100a by designating the program ID of the TOP screen (step S202). Then
The data of the program (TOP screen) corresponding to the designated program ID is distributed from the response server system 200 (step S204). After the download of the program data is completed, the interactive television 100a notifies the response server system 200 of the UID while the connection between the interactive television 100a and the response server system 200 is established (step S20).
6). In the response server system 200, the server program corresponding to the TOP screen receives the UID transmitted from the interactive television 100a, and
For each of the program contents that can be called from the P screen,
It is checked whether or not distribution to the interactive television 100a is possible, that is, whether or not the user of the interactive television 100a is a member of the distribution destination group of the program content (step S208). The result of this check is the interactive TV 10
0a is notified (step S210). The interactive television 100a receives the status information of the affiliation check, sets the validity / invalidity of each program call icon on the TOP screen (Step S212), and displays the TOP screen (Step S214).

Here, the interactive television 100a returns the status indicating that it is a group member / member in the affiliation check, so that the interactive television 100a effectively sets the program call icon on the TOP screen. If the same request is received from the interactive television 100b, a status indicating that the user is not a group member is returned in the affiliation check, so that the program call icon on the TOPP screen is set to invalid in the interactive television 100b. The validity / invalidity of the program call icon is realized by displaying it on the screen when it is valid and hiding it when it is invalid, or displaying the program call icon even when it is invalid. Is impossible, and a message to the effect that this is not possible may be displayed.

Next, a method of performing the same distribution control on the basic function side of the response server system 200 without using the server program described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5 and FIG.

When the interactive service is requested from the interactive television 100a, the response server system 200 is connected to the interactive television 100a, and the interactive television 100a makes a program request by designating the program ID of the TOP screen (step S502). ). Then, the response server system 2
From 00, the data of the program (TOP screen) of the program ID specified by the request is distributed (step S504). Since a top screen is displayed on the interactive television 100a (step S406), when a call icon of the program X is selected and instructed from the top screen (step S508), the program ID of the program X is sent to the response server system 200. The designated program request is made and the interactive television 100
The UID of a is also notified (step S510). The response server system 200 checks the transmitted information. That is, the program type of the program X is checked (step S512), and if the requested program is set to the distribution type by group (YE in step S514).
S), it is checked whether the designated UID is registered as a member of the distribution destination group (step S)
516). If the designated UID belongs to the distribution destination group (YES in S516), the response server system 200 distributes the program data to the interactive television 100a (step S518). Thus, interactive television 100a displays the received program on the screen (step S
520). On the other hand, if the specified UID does not belong to the distribution destination group (NO in step S516), the response server system 200 notifies the interactive television of an error status (step S522). Then, interactive television 100b displays an error message on the screen (step S524). Here, the error status is a notification that the requested program distribution is not possible, and the screen display of the error message is a display that the program distribution is not possible.

Since such a processing method is performed on the response server system 200 side, it is superior in security in comparison with the above-described processing method. That is, since it is performed by the basic function of the response server system 200, compared to the above-described processing method controlled by a server program created by the user,
Superior in security. (Second Embodiment) FIG. 7 schematically shows an interactive television system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which an interactive television group 500 including a plurality of interactive televisions 500a, 500b,. A response server system 600 is connected via a public network 700.

Each interactive television 500i has a tuner function and simple information processing / editing functions, and functions as a normal television receiver for receiving broadcast waves from a broadcast station and outputting the images, and a response server. It has an interactive television function for outputting video of program contents transmitted from the system 600. In addition, interactive television 500
In i, initial screen information when an online service is requested to the response server system 600 is stored in the internal ROM.

The response server system 600 has a server function, and includes a control unit 610, an authentication information management unit 620, a group information management unit 630, a program information management unit 640, a distribution destination information management unit 650, a program ID acquisition unit 660, an affiliation. It comprises a group check unit 670, a belonging group search unit 680, a storage device 690, and an interface 692,
It connects to the broadcasting station 800.

The control unit 610 has a function of controlling various control processes of the entire system.

The authentication information management unit 620 is provided for the interactive television 5
It has a function of managing the registration of authentication information and the like in response to a request from the user of 00i. That is, the device ID (UID) assigned to each interactive television 500i and each U
It has a function of managing authentication information of user information (name, address, date of birth, gender, telephone number, etc.) corresponding to the ID, and registering / updating / changing / deleting / displaying the authentication information. Here, the interactive television 500a uses UIDa, and the interactive television 500b uses UIDb as the device ID.

The group information management section 630 divides the users of the interactive television 500i into, for example, living areas, ages, and genders based on the authentication information, and registers / updates / changes / deletes / displays the group information. And a function of referring to group members. That is, the groove information management unit 630 controls the interactive television 500
It manages group information (group name, grouping conditions, etc.) of the user i. Since one user may belong to a plurality of groups by a grouping method, management is performed so that the groups themselves can be classified into categories (for example, a case where a user is grouped in a residential area and a case where a group is classified by gender). In some cases, groups can be classified by category such as region or gender.) Although the means for searching for group members is not specified, it is assumed that a function for always referring to the members of each group is provided.

The program information management section 640 has a function of registering / updating / changing / deleting / displaying program information, and manages program information and program distribution schedule information of programs provided by the response server system 600 such as registration. It is for.
That is, the program information management unit 640 manages management information (program name, program program name, server program information, etc.) related to program content and program distribution schedule information (operating day, time, etc.).

The distribution destination information management section 650 has a function of registering / updating / changing / deleting / displaying program distribution information, and manages program distribution information such as registration. That is, the distribution destination information management unit 650 stores information on the distribution destination of the program content (the program name requested by the interactive television 500i, the program ID of the actually distributed program, the distribution destination group, and the like).
Is to manage. For example, when the program content Y is requested, the program Ym is distributed to the group M, and the group N is distributed such that the program Yn is distributed. Here, the program content Y is different from the program content itself distributed by the response server system 600, and indicates a group of programs actually distributed, such as the program Ym and the program Yn. Therefore, the program Y is a program group as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the interactive television 500a is a member of the group M, and the interactive television 500b is a member of the group N. Therefore, the interactive television 500a receives the program Ym, and the interactive television 500b receives the program Yn.

The program ID acquisition section 660 has a function of acquiring the UID and the program ID of the program to be distributed from the requested program, and the interactive television 50 that has requested the transmission of the program content.
For 0i, it searches for which program content is to be distributed. In the present embodiment, when a program group Y is requested, a search is performed to determine to which group the UID of the interactive television 500i of the request source belongs to among the distribution destinations, and the program ID of the program to be distributed is obtained. It is.

The belonging group check unit 670 has a function of checking the group belonging of the user of the interactive television 500i, and uses the UID and the group name of the user to determine whether or not the user belongs to the specified group. To check.

The belonging group search unit 680 has a function of searching for a group to which the user of the interactive television 500i belongs within a specific category, and the user is specified using the UID of the user and the category name of the group. The search is performed to find out which group belongs to the group classified into the category.

The storage device 690 stores various control program information and program contents.

The interface 692 controls an interface function between the inside and the outside of the response server system 600.

The operation and operation of the above configuration will be described below.

First, distribution control in the case where the program to be distributed itself is different (the program ID is different) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9 and FIG.

When the interactive service is requested from the interactive television 500i, the response server system 600 is connected to the interactive television 500i, and the interactive television 500i issues a program request by designating the program ID of the TOP screen (step S902). . The response server system 600 distributes the data of the program (TOP screen) with the designated program ID (step S904). When the viewer selects the call icon of program Y from the TOP screen, a program request for program Y is made to response server system 600 (step S906). However, actually, the program Y is not a program distributed by the response server system 600 but a collection of programs distributed as the program Y (program group). Therefore, what is notified here is the identifier of the program group Y. At this time, the UID is also notified at the same time. In the response server system 600, the server program dedicated to distribution by group receives the program group identifier transmitted from the interactive television 500i. The server program determines the identifier and the UI of the interactive television 500i.
The ID of the program to be distributed to the interactive television 500i that has requested the program is searched using D (step S908). Then, the result is notified to the interactive television 500i (step S910). In the interactive television 500i, the program distribution request is transmitted to the response server system by designating the program ID notified from the response server system 600 (step S912). From the response server system 600, the requested program content is transmitted to the interactive television 500i.
(Step S914), and the interactive television 500i outputs and displays the received program as an image.

Next, distribution control in the case where a part of the program content to be distributed is different (the program ID is the same) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11 and FIG.

When there is a request for an online service from the interactive television 500i, the response server system 600 and the interactive television 500i are connected, and the interactive television 500
A program request is made by designating the program ID of the TOP screen from i (step S1102). Then, the data of the program (TOP screen) of the designated program ID is delivered from the response server system 600 (step S1104). In the interactive television 500i, when the user selects, for example, a call icon of the program Y from the displayed TOP screen, the program I of the program Y is transmitted to the response server system 600.
D is designated and a program request is made (step S110)
6). The response server system 600 distributes the data / content of the program (program Y) with the designated program ID to the interactive television 500i (step S110).
8). Interactive television 500i then notifies response server system 600 of its UID (step S1110). Then, in the response server system 600, the server program of the program Y is displayed on the interactive television 500i.
Will be received, and the server program will search for the group to which the interactive television 500i that has requested the program belongs, using the UID (step S1112). Here, since the category of the group to be searched is usually specified for each program, the group is searched by specifying the category and the UID. For example, when distributing different information depending on the residence area, a search is performed in a category according to a region. Thus, a text resource to be distributed to the searched group is obtained and transmitted to the interactive television 500i (step S111).
4). Then, the interactive television 500i edits some resources of the program with the received text resources and displays the program Y (step S1116). That is, in the case of the interactive television 500a, the program Ym is displayed, and in the case of the interactive television 500b, the program Yn is displayed.

Here, for example, if the program Y is a weather forecast under Tokyo, that is, if the contents of the program Y are weather conditions in the whole area of Tokyo, the contents of the program Ym will be The weather probability of the Musashino City / Mitaka City area is added to the weather conditions of the above, and the content of the program Yn is the weather conditions of the whole area below Tokyo and the precipitation probability of the western Hachioji City / Ome City region. Can be assumed. Alternatively, if the content of the program Y is a news image, the program Ym can be assumed to be the news image and the news content in Japanese, and the program Yn can be assumed to be the news image and the news content in English.

Further, if the first screen of the program Y is, for example, a program of event information on May 5, especially a flea market information held on May 5, members belonging to the group M (eg, residence in the Ome city area) ) Is provided with information on a nearby venue where the member lives, and a member belonging to group N (eg, Musashino City district) is provided with information on a nearby venue where the member lives. Other information (eg, notes to the store opening and notification items) is the same information for both, if you distribute the second screen,
It is very useful because it can reduce the use of disk space.

[0056]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to restrict the target persons of the program distribution service. As a result, program distribution for specific areas, program distribution for members, and the like can be performed, distribution can be performed only to specific users, and this is effective for pay programs and the like.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to distribute different program contents depending on the user. It is possible to distribute a program in which a part of the program is different depending on the user (different resource objects), and to support program creation by having a unified mechanism. In addition, since only necessary information can be distributed, the communication amount can be reduced, and only the information required by the user can be distributed, so that the range of services can be expanded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an interactive television system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process of designating a specific program and controlling distribution by preparing a program of a response server system for a TOP screen according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram conceptually showing a flow of a process of designating a specific program and controlling distribution by preparing a program of a response server system for a TOP screen according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing an example of a screen display of the interactive television according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process of designating a specific program and controlling distribution in a basic function of the response server system according to the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a view conceptually showing a flow of a process of designating a specific program and controlling distribution in a basic function of the response server system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an interactive television system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary view conceptually showing a configuration of a grouped distribution program according to the embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart showing a flow of a distribution process when a program to be distributed is different (program ID is different) according to the embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary flowchart showing a flow of a distribution process when a program to be distributed is different (program ID is different) according to the embodiment;

FIG. 11 is an exemplary flowchart showing the flow of a distribution process when a part of program content to be distributed is different (program ID is the same) according to the embodiment;

FIG. 12 is an exemplary view conceptually showing a flow of a distribution process when a part of program content to be distributed is different (program ID is the same) according to the embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a diagram conceptually showing a conventional interactive television system.

[Explanation of symbols]

100a, 100b, ..., 100n ... interactive television, 2
00: response server system, 220: authentication information management unit
230: Member information management unit, 240: Program information management unit, 2
50: distribution destination information management unit, 300, 700: public network, 5
00a, 500b, ..., 500n ... interactive television, 60
0: response server system, 620: authentication information management unit, 6
30: group information management unit, 640: program information management unit,
650: distribution destination information management unit, 660: program ID acquisition unit
670: belonging group check unit; 680: belonging group search unit.

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Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An interactive television for transmitting program content request information, receiving program output corresponding to the request information, and outputting an image, and an interactive television connected to the interactive television via a communication network to request the program content. An interactive television system comprising: a response server system that distributes a corresponding program content based on an instruction; wherein the interactive television has unique authentication information, and the response server system manages the authentication information. Group management means for grouping and managing the interactive televisions based on the authentication information; and means for controlling distribution of program contents to the interactive televisions according to the grouping of the group management means. Characteristic interactive television system. 2. The response server system according to claim 2, wherein the resource server stores a plurality of resources having a part different from each other for a specific program content, and the interactive television belongs to the group management unit according to the grouping. 2. The interactive television system according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitting unit that transmits the resource corresponding to the group to the interactive television. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for arbitrarily registering / changing / displaying the authentication information managed by said grouping management means.
An interactive television system as described. 4. An interactive television for transmitting request information of program contents, receiving program contents corresponding to the request information and outputting an image, and a request for the program contents connected to the interactive television via a communication network. An interactive television system comprising: a response server system that distributes a corresponding program content based on an instruction; and an authentication information unique to the interactive television is provided. The response server system manages the authentication information. In addition, the interactive television is grouped and managed based on the authentication information, and distribution of program contents to the interactive television is controlled according to the grouping. Content distribution control method. 5. The response server system stores a plurality of resources of a specific program content, the contents of which are different from each other, and stores the resources corresponding to the group to which the interactive television belongs according to the grouping. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the content is transmitted to an interactive television. 6. The interactive television system according to claim 4, wherein the authentication information managed by grouping can be arbitrarily registered / changed / displayed. Content distribution control method.