JP2004070602A - Point service providing method using digital broadcasting - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology to realize a point providing service through browsing of advertisement by using digital broadcasting and the Internet. <P>SOLUTION: Advertisement contents broadcast by digital broadcasting are stored in a hard disk by an STB connectable to the Internet, and the STB is connected to a center device which provides a point service, and the center device transmits the data of a picture plane including an enterprise name to the STB. When the specific enterprise name is selected by a user, the STB decides whether or not the advertisement contents corresponding to the enterprise name are stored in the hard disk, and when the advertisement contents corresponding to the enterprise name are stored in the hard disk, the pertinent advertisement contents are displayed at a television receiver, and in the other case, the pertinent advertisement contents are acquired and displayed from the center device, and the center device gives points corresponding to the advertisement contents to the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a point service system using digital broadcasting and the Internet.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Services for distributing advertisements to terminals connected to the Internet and giving points to users who browse the advertisements have become widespread.
[0003]
For example, a user registers a field of interest, and if there is an advertisement related to the field, an e-mail is sent to the user, and the user accesses an URL described in the e-mail, thereby displaying an advertisement in the field. There is a service that allows the user to display the advertisement, view the advertisement, and answer a questionnaire or the like to obtain points.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In recent years, digital broadcasting such as CS digital broadcasting has started, and a storage-type content service that stores contents in a tuner STB (set-top box) or an Internet connection of STB to integrate digital broadcasting and the Internet. Service is also feasible. It is considered that various services using high-quality moving image contents are possible by using such a service base in CS digital broadcasting.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technology for realizing a point providing service by advertisement browsing using digital broadcasting such as CS digital broadcasting and the Internet.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
[0007]
An invention according to claim 1 is a method for providing a point service using digital broadcasting, wherein an STB capable of connecting to the Internet stores advertisement content broadcasted by digital broadcasting on a hard disk, Connecting the STB to the center device providing the point service via the Internet, transmitting the screen data including the company name to the STB, and displaying the screen on the television receiver based on the STB. When the user selects a specific company name, the STB determines whether or not the advertising content corresponding to the company name is stored on the hard disk. If the advertisement content is stored on the hard disk, the STB stores the advertisement content on the hard disk. Display the advertising content corresponding to the company name on the TV set, If not stored in Dodisuku and a step of applying the steps of acquiring and displaying the advertisement content from the center device, the point at which the center device corresponding to the advertising content to the user.
[0008]
According to the present invention, the advertisement content can be stored in the STB using the function of digital broadcasting, and the advertisement content can be displayed in the point service, so that the point service using various advertisement contents including moving images can be provided. Can be provided.
[0009]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the STB accumulates, as a log, the operation content of the user with respect to the advertisement content, the STB transmits the log to the center device, and the center device calculates points based on the log. And a step.
[0010]
According to the present invention, even when the user is not connected to the Internet, the user can answer a questionnaire to the advertisement content.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 3 is a point service providing method using digital broadcasting, wherein an STB capable of connecting to the Internet displays an advertising content broadcasted by the digital broadcasting on a television receiver, and The STB has a step of accumulating the content of the user operation on the content as a log, and a step of the STB transmitting the log to the center device, and the center device giving points to the user based on the log.
[0012]
According to the present invention, it is possible to store an operation on the broadcasted advertisement content as a log, and transmit the log to the center device at a later date to perform point addition and the like.
[0013]
According to the fourth to sixth aspects of the present invention, there is provided a program suitable for causing the STB to execute a process.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a point service system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 1, an STB (Set Top Box) 1 serving as a tuner for receiving a digital broadcast is provided at a user's home. The STB 1 can receive digital broadcast waves from an antenna and display the broadcast contents on the television receiver 2.
[0016]
The STB 1 has a built-in or external large-capacity hard disk 3. A predetermined capacity (provider area) of the hard disk is used by the broadcast service provider, and the remaining capacity (user area) can be used by the user. It has become. Broadcast contents are appropriately stored in the provider area by a broadcast provider for providing a so-called storage service. In addition, the STB is connected to the Internet, enabling a two-way communication service. Note that the action log in the present invention is stored in the provider area.
[0017]
A platform for providing a service that integrates digital broadcasting and the Internet is provided by a platform company. The platform company system 4 enables the integration of the broadcast provided by the broadcast company system 5 and the Internet. When a user receives provision of a service that combines digital broadcasting and the Internet, the user basic information 6 is registered with the platform company.
[0018]
A platform for providing a service in which CS digital broadcasting and the Internet are integrated is realized by a platform company, and the present invention utilizes the platform. That is, in the present invention, a point service that combines broadcasting and the Internet is provided by using a platform provided by a platform company. Note that the broadcasting company system and the platform company system may be collectively called a digital broadcasting system.
[0019]
The point service in the present invention is provided by a center device 7 composed of a WWW server, a database server, and the like, and uses a language BML (Broadcast Markup Language) for describing data broadcasting content as shown in FIG.
[0020]
As shown in the screen transition image in the figure, when this service is provided, first, the top page of the CS digital broadcast is displayed on the television receiver 2, and when the user selects the point service, the top page of the point service is displayed. Thereafter, browsing of advertisements and the like are performed.
[0021]
(Overview of point service system)
First, an outline of the point service in the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0022]
In the point service according to the present embodiment, a user's attribute, a field of interest, or the like is registered in advance, and a screen displaying a list of advertisements suitable for the field of interest of the user is displayed on the user's television screen. Is what you do. The point service system using only the Internet is an existing technology, and is described in detail in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-175753.
[0023]
FIG. 2 shows an example of a page displayed on the user's television screen. The page in this screen example is roughly divided into (1) user information, (2) content, and (3) link display to an advertisement page.
[0024]
The user information is made up of a notice and the cumulative number of points acquired. In the example shown in the drawing, it is indicated that Mr. W has acquired 13590 bits. Note that bits are units of points in the present embodiment.
[0025]
There is a content area under the service name, in which content registered in advance by Mr. W according to the field of interest is posted. For example, if you are interested in music, music-related content is posted.
[0026]
The link display portion to the advertisement page is composed of a banner advertisement and a company outline advertisement, and the company outline advertisement below the banner advertisement includes the company logo (including the company logo in this specification). , A company name is referred to as a company name), a field, an advertisement, and a point display. The field is the field of interest registered by the member at the time of registration. A predetermined number of advertisements are displayed, and up to five advertisements are placed on one page. If there are more than five advertisements, the sixth and subsequent advertisements will be posted on the next page, and a “next screen” link will be provided. Also, the higher the priority of the advertisement, the higher the priority of the advertisement. The higher the number of points, the higher the priority. If the number of points is the same, the one with the new posting start date has the higher priority. In addition, the number of points is displayed for an outline advertisement having points. Also, once a member gets points for a certain advertisement, the point of the advertisement for that member becomes 0, and the priority of publication decreases. The advertising period is determined by a contract with the advertiser.
[0027]
When the user clicks the advertisement, the advertisement content of the company is displayed from the hard disk (HDD) of the STB or from the center device via the Internet.
[0028]
FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are diagrams illustrating examples of an advertisement page. As shown in FIG. 3A, first, detailed information of an advertisement is displayed, and a quiz is performed on the next page shown in FIG. Subsequently, in the case of a correct answer, points are added by performing a questionnaire as shown in (c). Note that this is only an example. For example, points may be added by performing only a questionnaire, or points may be added by other methods. Further, not only a still screen as shown in FIG. 3 but also an advertisement using a moving image can be provided.
[0029]
The point addition to the user is performed by, for example, increasing the number of points in a database that records the user ID and the number of points in association with each other. The points can be returned, for example, by transferring cash for the number of points designated by the user to the user's bank account, or by discounting the purchase price when purchasing products or the like online.
[0030]
(Functions realized by integrating broadcasting and the Internet)
In particular, the functions described in the following (1) and (2) can be realized by the point service system integrating the broadcasting and the Internet.
(1) As shown in FIG. 4, the advertising content is transmitted from the center device of the point service system to the digital broadcasting system, and the digital broadcasting system stores the advertising content on the hard disk of the user's STB using digital broadcasting. When using the point service, the user accesses the center device via the Internet to use the point service. At this time, the advertisement stored in advance is displayed on the user's terminal.
[0031]
In other words, the conventional method using only the Internet by pre-distributing large-volume advertising content such as video content using digital broadcasting, storing it in advance on the STB's hard disk, and obtaining it from the hard disk when browsing advertisements It is possible to provide abundant contents compared with the point service system. In addition, since large-volume contents are displayed without passing through the Internet, communication charges can be reduced.
(2) As shown in FIG. 5, when the Internet and the STB are disconnected, the advertisement content is received by digital broadcasting during a point service session or the like, and the user receives a questionnaire displayed in the advertisement content. By performing an action such as answering, the content of the action is stored in the hard disk as an action log. Thereafter, when the STB connects to the Internet, the action log is transmitted to the center device, and the center device adds points.
[0032]
In addition, while broadcasting content is being broadcast by digital broadcasting, an advertisement is displayed from the hard disk by clicking the name of a company or the like in which a user is interested, and the fact that the company has been selected can be stored as an action log. it can.
[0033]
That is, even if the user is not connected to the Internet, the user's action log is stored on the hard disk of the STB, and the stored action log is transmitted to the center device when the Internet is connected to execute point addition processing. Becomes possible.
[0034]
Next, the sequence of the above processes (1) and (2) will be described as a first embodiment and a second embodiment.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 6 shows a sequence of processing for accumulating and displaying advertisement content in the STB.
[0035]
The center device transmits the advertisement content to the digital broadcast system (step 1). The digital broadcasting system transmits the advertising content to the STB based on a predetermined procedure of the digital broadcasting system, and the STB stores the advertising content (step 2). The above is the advertisement accumulation phase.
[0036]
Next, when the user selects the point service by operating the remote controller in accordance with the procedure on the screen as shown in FIG. 1 (step 3), the STB accesses the center device via the Internet (step 4), and After the response (step 5), for example, a service screen of the point service as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the user's television screen (step 6).
[0037]
When the user selects an advertisement by operating the remote controller (step 7), the STB determines which advertisement is requested (step 8). If the advertisement is stored in the hard disk, the STB requests the hard disk for the advertisement. Perform (step 9), and acquire the advertisement content from the hard disk (step 10). If the advertisement is not stored in the hard disk, the advertisement is requested from the center device (step 11), and the advertisement is acquired from the center device (step 12). When the STB acquires the advertisement requested by the user, the advertisement is displayed on the user's television screen (step 13).
[0038]
The process of determining whether or not the advertisement is in the STB and obtaining the advertisement can be performed by a function of a program stored in the STB, or can be performed by a function of a program on the center device side.
[0039]
(Second embodiment)
Next, a sequence of log accumulation and transmission will be described with reference to FIG.
[0040]
When the user clicks on the company name or the like while viewing the broadcast content (steps 11 to 13) (step 14), the STB requests an advertisement from the hard disk (step 15). At this time, the request for the advertisement is stored in the hard disk as an action log (step 16). The contents of the requested advertisement are displayed on the television screen of the viewer (steps 17 and 18).
[0041]
Thereafter, when the user requests point addition by an operation such as clicking a predetermined button on the screen (step 19), the STB obtains an action log stored in the hard disk (step 20), and stores the action log. This is transmitted to the center device (step 21). The center device refers to the log, adds the points for the user based on the content and number of the viewed advertisements, and notifies the user of the added number of points (steps 22 and 23).
[0042]
In the second embodiment, it is necessary to associate the company name in the broadcast content with the advertising content stored on the hard disk. Such an association process can be described using the BML language. is there.
[0043]
In addition, as action logs, there are various logs such as contents of responses to questionnaires, in addition to logs indicating that an advertisement has been selected. The processing related to the acquisition and transmission of the action log can be performed by the function of the program stored in the STB.
[0044]
As described above, the present invention has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the advertisement content stored in the STB can be used by the digital broadcasting function, a large amount of advertisement content including a moving image can be provided. Further, since it is possible to determine whether to acquire the advertisement from the STB or via the Internet based on the content of the requested advertisement, the advertisement can be displayed without fail.
[0046]
Further, the history of the advertisement selection and the questionnaire response by the user is stored in the STB as an action log. The stored log is transmitted to the center device by the operation of the user and used for point addition and the like, so that it is always connected to the Internet. You can use the point service even if you do not.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a point service system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a page displayed on a television screen of a user.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an advertisement page.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of processing for storing a user action log on a hard disk of an STB and transmitting the action log to a center apparatus side when connected to the Internet.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 STB
2 TV receiver 3 Hard disk 4 Platform company system 5 Broadcasting company system 6 Basic user information 7 Center device

Claims (6)

A point service providing method using digital broadcasting,
Storing an advertisement content broadcasted by digital broadcasting on a hard disk by an STB connectable to the Internet;
A step in which the STB connects to a center device providing a point service via the Internet based on a user operation;
A step in which the center device transmits screen data including a company name to the STB, and the STB displays the screen on the television receiver;
When the user selects a specific company name, the STB determines whether or not the advertising content corresponding to the company name is stored on the hard disk. Displaying the advertising content corresponding to the company name on the television receiver, and acquiring and displaying the advertising content from the center device if the content is not stored in the hard disk; and
Providing a point corresponding to the advertising content to the user by the center device. STB accumulating, as a log, a content of a user operation on the advertisement content;
2. The point service providing method according to claim 1, further comprising: a step in which the STB transmits the log to the center device, and the center device calculates points based on the log. A point service providing method using digital broadcasting, wherein an advertisement content broadcasted by digital broadcasting is displayed on a television receiver by an STB connectable to the Internet,
A step in which the STB accumulates, as a log, a content of a user operation on the advertisement content;
STB transmitting the log to the center device, and the center device giving points to the user based on the log. A program for causing a STB having a means for receiving a digital broadcast and displaying it on a television receiver, a means for connecting to the Internet, and a hard disk to execute a process for a point service using the digital broadcast,
A procedure for storing advertising content broadcast by digital broadcasting on a hard disk;
A procedure for connecting to a center device providing a point service via the Internet based on a user operation;
A step of receiving screen data including a company name from the center device and displaying the screen on a television receiver;
According to the selection of a specific company name from the user, it is determined whether or not the advertisement content corresponding to the company name is stored on the hard disk. If the advertisement content is stored on the hard disk, the advertisement stored on the hard disk is determined. A step of displaying the advertisement content corresponding to the name on the television receiver and, if the advertisement content is not stored in the hard disk, acquiring and displaying the advertisement content from the center device and causing the STB to execute the procedure. A procedure of accumulating a content of a user operation on the advertisement content as a log,
The program according to claim 4, further comprising: transmitting the log to the center device. A program for causing a STB having a means for receiving a digital broadcast and displaying it on a television receiver, a means for connecting to the Internet, and a hard disk to execute a process for a point service using the digital broadcast,
A procedure for accumulating, as a log, details of an operation performed by a user with respect to advertising content broadcast by digital broadcasting,
And transmitting the log to the point service center device via the Internet.

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