JP2019110482A - Retransmission system, retransmission device, reception device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a retransmission system, a retransmission device, a reception device, and the like that can redistribute a program or the like while reducing an impact of a load situation on a communication line and the like regardless of the load situation.SOLUTION: A retransmission device includes: a broadcast reception unit for receiving a program by broadcast; a conversion unit for converting the program received by the broadcast reception unit into a form suitable for retransmission; a retransmission unit for retransmitting the program converted by the conversion unit by multicast communication; a program distribution list integration unit for integrating a program distribution list including location information for receiving the program and type information which is information representing a type of distribution method for each program distribution method; and a program distribution list transmission unit for transmitting the program distribution list.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a redelivery system, a redelivery apparatus, a receiving apparatus, and a program.

  It is desirable that programs broadcasted by television broadcasting or radio broadcasting be widely distributed in times of emergency such as a large scale disaster. However, mobile terminals used by individuals may not be able to receive a broadcast program because they do not have a broadcast reception function depending on the model. In order to view a program with such a portable terminal device, it is necessary to use distribution via the Internet via a public communication line such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or a wireless LAN. Also, depending on the conditions of the building and the geographical situation, it may be difficult to receive broadcasts or use a public communication line.

  At the same time as broadcasting, a method of distributing via the Internet (referred to as "simultaneous Internet provision") has been tried experimentally at present.

  Patent Document 1 describes a distribution system for providing content to a receiving device. In the delivery system, the delivery status management device receives a plurality of methods for delivering content from the delivery device, and registers them in the database (registration unit). Further, the distribution status management device extracts a plurality of methods from the database and provides the same to the reception device in response to a request from the reception device (provision unit). The receiving device specifies the content, and acquires a plurality of methods by which the content is distributed from the distribution status management device (acquisition unit). Then, the receiving apparatus determines a method of receiving the content based on a predetermined determination criterion from among the acquired plurality of methods (determination unit).

JP, 2016-149624, A

  However, even if simultaneous Internet provision is implemented and the Internet can be accessed via a public line, there is a one-to-one connection between the server apparatus on the sending side of content and the receiving apparatus on the receiving side. The communication in the unicast mode is performed. In particular, when access is concentrated on a public communication line, such as at the time of a disaster, problems such as congestion of the line and a limit on the number of correspondence of transmission-side equipment become apparent.

  Moreover, in the provision of information in an emergency, it is desirable that the delay time for content distribution be short, but in the case of simultaneous provision of the Internet, recoding of video and audio for transmitting broadcast programs to the Internet, copyright related Processing is required in advance. Therefore, a delay time of several tens of seconds may occur in content distribution.

  Furthermore, in the use of a public communication line by a portable terminal device, an upper limit of the amount of communication is usually provided. In the case of distributing broadcast content having a large amount of communication via the Internet as compared with general data transmission other than broadcast content, it may be considered that the upper limit becomes a problem.

  Also, for example, when evacuation in a stricken area lasts for a long time due to a large-scale disaster etc., grasping the evacuation situation for each evacuation site is extremely important, but under the present circumstances, a concrete means for comprehensively grasping the evacuation situation. Does not exist.

  For example, although there are devices capable of retransmitting broadcast content in a relatively narrow range such as a shelter or the like by a multicast method, the receiving device side has a program for receiving and viewing multicast distribution, It had to be acquired in advance by some means.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and a re-transmission system and a re-transmission apparatus capable of re-distributing a program etc. while reducing the influence thereof regardless of the load condition on the communication line etc. , A receiving device, and a program.

  [1] In order to solve the above problems, a redelivery system according to an aspect of the present invention is a redelivery system including a redelivery device and a receiving device, wherein the redelivery device is a program by broadcast , A converter for converting the program received by the broadcast receiver into a format suitable for retransmission, and re-sending the program converted by the converter by multicast communication. A program distribution list synthesizing unit that synthesizes a program distribution list including a section, location information for receiving a program, and type information that is information indicating a type of distribution method for each program distribution method; A program distribution list sending unit for sending a distribution list, and the receiving apparatus, for each program distribution method, includes location information for receiving the program and type information which is information indicating a type of the distribution method; The A program distribution list receiving unit for receiving a program distribution list, a configuration information storage unit for storing configuration information indicating whether or not to have a receiving function for receiving a distribution according to a specific distribution method; A program determining unit configured to determine a distribution method from the program distribution list based on the distribution method represented by the type information included in the information and the reception function represented by the configuration information; and receiving the program by the distribution method determined by the determination unit And a program receiving unit.

  [2] Further, the re-sending device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a broadcast receiving unit that receives a program by broadcasting; and a conversion unit that converts the program received by the broadcast receiving unit into a format suitable for retransmission. A re-transmission unit that re-sends the program converted by the conversion unit by multicast communication, location information for receiving the program, and type information indicating the type of distribution method for each program distribution method And a program distribution list synthesizing unit for synthesizing a program distribution list, and a program distribution list transmitting unit for transmitting the program distribution list.

  [3] Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned re-sending device, the communication receiving unit further includes a communication receiving unit that receives a program by communication by the unicast method, and the converting unit is received by the communication receiving unit. The program is also converted into a format suitable for retransmission.

  [4] Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned re-sending device, a program storage unit storing a receiving program for receiving a program delivery according to a specific delivery method, and the above-mentioned request response And a receiving program sending unit that reads the receiving program from a program storage unit and sends the read receiving program to the receiving apparatus that is a request source.

  [5] One aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned re-sending device, the receiving program sending unit sends the receiving program through a local area network.

  [6] Further, according to an aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned re-sending device, viewer information which is information on a viewer of the program is received from a receiving device which receives the program re-sent by the re-sending unit. And a viewer information storage unit for storing the viewer information received by the viewer information reception unit.

  [7] A receiving device according to one aspect of the present invention is a program distribution list including location information for receiving a program and type information which is information indicating a type of distribution method for each of the program distribution methods. A program distribution list receiving unit for receiving the configuration information, a configuration information storage unit storing configuration information indicating whether or not to have a receiving function for receiving the distribution according to a specific distribution method, and the types included in the program distribution list A determination unit that determines a distribution method from the program distribution list based on a distribution method represented by information and a reception function represented by the configuration information; a program reception unit that receives a program by the distribution method determined by the determination unit; , And.

  [8] Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above-described receiving apparatus, a receiving program request unit that requests a receiving program for receiving distribution by a specific distribution method, and a request from the receiving program request unit And a receiving unit for receiving the receiving program transmitted from the outside, and an executing unit for executing the received receiving program.

  [9] Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a broadcast receiving unit that receives a program by broadcast, a converting unit that converts the program received by the broadcast receiving unit into a format suitable for retransmission. A re-transmission unit that re-sends the program converted by the conversion unit by multicast communication, location information for receiving the program for each program distribution method, and type information which is information indicating the type of distribution method And a program distribution list synthesizing unit that synthesizes a program distribution list including the program distribution list, and a program distribution list transmitting unit that transmits the program distribution list.

  [10] Further, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program distribution list including, for each program distribution method, a computer including location information for receiving a program and type information which is information indicating a type of distribution method. A program distribution list receiving unit for receiving the configuration information, a configuration information storage unit storing configuration information indicating whether or not to have a receiving function for receiving the distribution according to a specific distribution method, and the types included in the program distribution list A determination unit that determines a distribution method from the program distribution list based on a distribution method represented by information and a reception function represented by the configuration information; a program reception unit that receives a program by the distribution method determined by the determination unit; , And a program for functioning as a receiving device.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid congestion of a public communication line and distribute contents.

It is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a redelivery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the main function of each of the redelivery apparatus by 1st Embodiment, and a receiver. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic function structure of the redelivery apparatus by the embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of composition of a program distribution list by the embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic function structure of the receiver by the embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the flow of supply and execution of a viewer information collection program and an information registration program in the embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing an example (outline) of the screen which the information registration program by the embodiment displays on receiving set 500. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of a viewer information storage area for storing and accumulating the viewer information collected by the re-transmission apparatus according to the same embodiment.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the following, “viewing” of content such as a program means that the viewer receives and reproduces video and audio, reproduces only video, and reproduces and listens only audio. Including. Note that the viewer may read texts such as subtitles and superimposes from the screen together.

(1) Configuration of Entire Redelivery System FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a redelivery system according to the present embodiment. As shown, the redelivery system 800 is configured to include a redelivery apparatus 100 and a receiving apparatus 500. Further, as a communication means in the re-transmission system 800, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) can be used.
The re-sending device 100 is a device that re-sends a broadcast signal and content received by communication. The redelivery device 100 can communicate with an external device via the Internet. The redelivery apparatus 100 receives, for example, content from this external device.
The receiving device 500 is a device having a function of receiving content and presenting it to the user. The receiving device 500 is also referred to as a "receiving terminal". The receiving device 500 can be realized, for example, using a device such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The receiving device 500 can receive the content by the broadcast signal or can receive the content from the re-sending device 100 via the wireless LAN. Also, the receiving device 500 may be able to access the Internet through wired or wireless communication.
Note that unicast communication is possible between the re-transmission apparatus 100 and the reception apparatus 500. Also, when transmitting content from the re-sending device 100 to the receiving device 500, it can be selected to perform communication by the multicast method.
Further, in FIG. 1, although three receiving devices 500 exist in the redelivery system 800, the number of receiving devices 500 is arbitrary.

(2) Configuration of Main Functions of Redelivery Device and Reception Device FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main functions of the redelivery device 100 and the reception device 500, respectively.
As shown, the re-sending device 100 includes a broadcast receiving unit 701, a communication receiving unit 702, a converting unit 703, a re-sending unit 704, a program distribution list combining unit 705, and a program distribution list sending unit 706. A program storage unit 707, a reception program transmission unit 708, a viewer information reception unit 709, and a viewer information storage unit 710 are included.
Also, the receiving apparatus 500 includes a program distribution list receiving unit 751, a configuration information storage unit 752, a determining unit 753, a program receiving unit 754, a receiving program request unit 755, a receiving program receiving unit 756, and an executing unit 757. And a viewer information registration unit 758.

Each function shown in FIG. 2 will be described below. First, the functions of the redelivery apparatus 100 are as follows.
The broadcast reception unit 701 receives a program (content) by a broadcast signal.
The communication receiving unit 702 receives a program (content) by communication. As an example, the communication reception unit 702 receives a program by communication by the unicast method.
The conversion unit 703 converts the program received by the broadcast reception unit 701 or the communication reception unit 702 into a format suitable for retransmission. Specifically, the conversion unit 703 converts the frame rate of the video, the resolution of the image (video), and the transmission rate of the video and audio. Also, the conversion unit 703 may convert the format or the like of the packet according to the transmission method.
The re-sending unit 704 re-sends the program converted by the converting unit 703 by communication. As an example, the re-sending unit 704 re-sends a program by communication according to the multicast scheme.
The program distribution list synthesizing unit 705 is a program distribution list including location information (information such as a URL) for receiving a program and type information which is information indicating a type of distribution method, for each of the program distribution methods. Synthesize (generate)
The program distribution list transmission unit 706 transmits the above-mentioned program distribution list.
The program storage unit 707 stores a program to be operated by the re-sending device 100 or the receiving device 500. As an example, program storage unit 707 stores a receiving program for receiving device 500 to receive program distribution according to a specific distribution method.
The receiving program sending unit 708 reads the receiving program from the program storage unit 707 in response to a request from the receiving device 500, and sends the receiving program to the receiving device 500 which is the request source. In particular, the receiving program sending unit 708 may send the receiving program over a LAN (local area network). At this time, the receiving program sending unit 708 may send the receiving program by wireless LAN.
The viewer information receiving unit 709 receives the viewer information which is information on the viewer of the program from the receiving device 500 which is the other party that receives the program to be re-sent by the re-sending unit 704.
The viewer information storage unit 710 stores the viewer information received by the viewer information receiving unit 709.

Next, the functions of the receiving device 500 are as follows.
The program distribution list receiving unit 751 receives, for each program distribution method, a program distribution list including location information (URL and the like) for receiving a program and type information that is information representing a type of distribution method. .
The configuration information storage unit 752 stores information on the configuration of the own device (the receiving device 500). As part of the configuration information, the configuration information storage unit 752 stores information indicating whether or not the own device has a reception function for receiving distribution by a specific distribution method.
The determination unit 753 selects a specific distribution method from among the distribution methods included in the program distribution list based on the distribution method represented by the type information included in the program distribution list and the reception function represented by the configuration information. .
The program reception unit 754 receives a program by a distribution method (for example, distribution by broadcast, communication from the re-transmission apparatus 100 (for example, transmission by a multicast scheme), etc.) determined by the determination unit 753.
The reception program request unit 755 requests a reception program for receiving distribution by a specific distribution method (for example, transmission by multicast method) to an external device (for example, the re-transmission device 100).
The reception program reception unit 756 receives a reception program transmitted from the outside in response to the request from the reception program request unit 755.
The execution unit 757 is an environment for executing a program. The execution unit 757 includes, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) and a memory (main storage). For example, when the execution unit 757 executes the reception program, the execution unit 757 functions as the program reception unit 754.
The viewer information registration unit 758 transmits the viewer information including the information on the viewer (name and status of the viewer) and the information on the own device (the receiving device 500) to the re-transmission device 100 in order to register the viewer information. Send to.

  In the following, a more specific configuration for realizing each function shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to another functional configuration diagram for each of the re-sending apparatus 100 and the receiving apparatus 500.

(3) Configuration of Redelivery Device The functional configuration and operation of the redelivery device 100 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of the redelivery apparatus. As illustrated, the re-sending device 100 sends out the control unit 1, the input unit 2, the unique information acquisition unit 3, the receiving unit 10, the selection unit 11, the conversion unit 12, the transmission conversion unit 13, and Control unit 14, Transmission / reception unit 15, Reception unit 20, Encoding unit 21, Transmission conversion unit 23, Transmission control unit 24, Analysis unit 30, Combining unit 31, Transmission / reception unit 40, Transmission / reception control Unit 42, storage control unit 43, transmission conversion unit 44, transmission control unit 45, memory 50, update storage unit 51, reception processing unit 55, determination / combination unit 56, antennas 110 and 111 It is comprised including.
Each of these functional units is realized, for example, using an electronic circuit. In addition, each functional unit may be internally provided with storage means such as a semiconductor memory or a magnetic hard disk drive, as necessary. Also, each function may be realized by a computer and software.

The control unit 1 integrally controls the respective functions of the redelivery apparatus 100. Therefore, the control unit 1 performs input and output of necessary signals with each function in the re-sending device 100. Also, the control unit 1 has a clock, and provides information on the current date and time to each function in the re-sending device 100.
Further, the control unit 1 controls the timing at which the transmission control unit 14 and the transmission control unit 24 transmit packets of content in accordance with the overall processing timing of the re-transmission apparatus 100.
Further, the control unit 1 extracts program specification information (PSI, Program Specific Information) and program arrangement information (SI, Service Information) multiplexed in the broadcast signal of the television received by the reception unit 10. The program specification information (PSI) and the program arrangement information (SI) are as defined in the standards defined by the General Incorporated Association of Japan Radio Industry Association (ARIB) and related standardization organizations. The control unit 1 acquires packet identification information of video, audio, and other information constituting a broadcast program from the program specification information and the program arrangement information. The control unit 1 passes the acquired packet identification information to the selection unit 11 together with the program specification information and the program arrangement information.

The input unit 2 acquires setting information and the like regarding the re-sending device 100 from the outside. The setting information may be, for example, the installation location of the re-transmission apparatus 100, supplemental information (refuge name etc.) regarding the installation location of the re-transmission apparatus 100, or the name of a broadcast company of receivable voice broadcast (radio broadcast). Including. Further, the setting information includes information (reference destination information and the like) related to distribution of content provided simultaneously via broadcasting and the Internet, and a program distribution list (described later). For example, a keyboard for inputting characters, a portable semiconductor memory storing information, or the like can be connected to the input unit 2.
The unique information acquisition unit 3 acquires information specific to the own device (retransmission device 100). For example, the unique information acquisition unit 3 stores in advance identification information of the own device, reads out the identification information as necessary, and provides the identification information to other functional units in the own device.

The reception unit 10 is configured to include a reception processing tuner and the like, and acquires a broadcast signal from the antenna 110. The receiver 10 outputs the MPEG-2 transport stream after decoding the broadcast signal. Note that MPEG is an abbreviation of "Moving Picture Experts Group".
The selection unit 11 refers to the packet identification information received from the control unit 1 and selects only packets required for retransmission from the MPEG-2 transport stream output from the reception unit 10. The selection unit 11 passes the selected packet to the conversion unit 12.
In addition, the selection unit 11 passes the program specification information and the program arrangement information to the analysis unit 30.

The conversion unit 12 performs conversion processing of a video signal and an audio signal to be retransmitted according to the function of the reception device 500. Specifically, the conversion unit 12 changes coding parameters of video and audio. The conversion unit 12 passes the converted video packet and audio packet to the transmission conversion unit 13.
For the video signal, for example, the conversion unit 12 changes the video resolution in consideration of the video resolution of the video presentation function of the reception device 500. In addition, the conversion unit 12 changes the frame rate and the transmission rate of the video to be retransmitted according to the processing performance of the receiving device 500.
For audio signals, the conversion unit 12 changes the number of audio channels (for example, change between stereo and monaural) based on the audio presentation function of the reception device 500, for example. In addition, the conversion unit 12 changes the transmission rate of the voice to be retransmitted according to the processing performance of the reception device 500.

  The transmission conversion unit 13 receives a video packet and an audio packet from the conversion unit 12, and converts the packet into a format conforming to a transmission scheme (for example, a multicast scheme etc.) at the time of retransmission. Further, the transmission conversion unit 13 determines distribution information indicating a reference destination of the program on the communication network when retransmitting video and audio by the communication network. The delivery conversion unit 13 delivers video and audio packets and delivery information to the delivery control unit 14.

  The transmission control unit 14 receives video and audio packets and distribution information from the transmission conversion unit 13 and causes the transmission and reception unit 15 to transmit video and audio packets according to timing control from the control unit 1.

The transmission / reception unit 15 transmits a packet to the receiving device 500 or receives a packet from the receiving device 500. Regarding transmission, the transmission / reception unit 15 transmits a packet to the reception apparatus 500 based on control by the transmission control unit 14, the transmission control unit 24, and the transmission control unit 45. The transmitting / receiving unit 15 transmits a packet using either the multicast method or the unicast method. Regarding reception, the transmission / reception unit 15 passes the packet received from the reception device 500 to the reception processing unit 55.
The transmission / reception unit 15 may be realized as a single device independent of the transmission protocol, or the transmission / reception unit 15 may be realized as a plurality of devices provided for each transmission protocol.
Specifically, the transmitting and receiving unit 15 transmits data of content (such as video) to the receiving device 500. In addition, the transmission / reception unit 15 may transmit a program (a program for authentication or a program for content reception) for the reception device 500. Then, the transmitting and receiving unit 15 receives various requests from the receiving device 500. In addition, the transmitting / receiving unit 15 may receive the data of the viewer from the receiving device 500 in order to collect the viewer information.

The receiving unit 20 demodulates the broadcast signal of the radio (broadcasting only by voice) acquired from the antenna 111 and outputs an audio signal. The receiving unit 20 passes the audio signal to be output to the encoding unit 21.
The encoding unit 21 receives the audio signal passed from the receiving unit 20 and encodes it. At this time, the encoding unit 21 encodes speech using a speech mode (for example, stereo or monaural) or a coding rate suitable for the speech presentation function of the reception apparatus 500. The encoding scheme used by the encoding unit 21 is preferably the same as the speech encoding scheme used by the conversion unit 12. If the speech coding method used by the conversion unit 12 and the speech coding method used by the coding unit 21 are the same, processing such as decoding on the receiving device 500 side should be shared between the two. Can. When the speech coding method used by the conversion unit 12 and the speech coding method used by the coding unit 21 are the same, the functions (circuits etc.) of the conversion unit 12 and the coding unit 21 are made common. May be The encoding unit 21 passes the encoded audio signal to the transmission conversion unit 23.

The transmission conversion unit 23 receives the encoded voice signal from the encoding unit 21 and converts it into a packet of a format that matches the transmission scheme (for example, a multicast scheme etc.) at the time of retransmission. In addition, when the transmission conversion unit 23 retransmits video and audio by the communication network, the transmission conversion unit 23 determines distribution information indicating a reference destination on the communication network of the program. The transmission conversion unit 23 passes voice packets and distribution information to the transmission control unit 24.
The transmission control unit 24 receives voice packets and distribution information from the transmission conversion unit 23 and causes the transmission / reception unit 15 to transmit voice packets according to timing control from the control unit 1.

  The analysis unit 30 receives the program specification information and the program arrangement information from the selection unit 11, and acquires information such as an original network identification, a transport stream identification, and a service identification based on these signals. The original network identification, the transport stream identification, the service identification, and the like are information characterizing the broadcast transmission, and are information necessary for channel selection and program selection processing. The analysis unit 30 can uniquely identify a broadcasted program based on the original network identification, transport stream identification, and service identification. At this time, the analysis unit 30 can also acquire the information of the program name from the program arrangement information. The analysis unit 30 passes the information to the combining unit 31.

The analysis unit 30 continuously monitors EIT (Event Information Table) included in the program arrangement information delivered from the selection unit 11. In the EIT, information on the on-air program and the next broadcast program is stored. The analysis unit 30 continuously monitors the columns of the on-air program and the next broadcast program in the EIT, thereby making it possible to detect a change in the program in the broadcast signal received by the receiving unit 10.
When the analysis unit 30 detects a change in the program, the analysis unit 30 notifies the control unit 1, the combining unit 31, and the like that the change in the program has occurred.

The synthesis unit 31 generates information of the program distribution list.
Specifically, it is as follows. The synthesizing unit 31 acquires information such as an original network identification, a transport stream identification, and a service identification, and information of a program name from the analysis unit 30 described above. Further, the combining unit 31 obtains distribution information (represents a reference destination of the program on the communication network) from the transmission conversion unit 13. The synthesizing unit 31 synthesizes a program distribution list from the above information. The program distribution list is a list in the form of a comparison table in which program reference destination information is summarized for program names. That is, the program distribution list is information in which a program name, reference destination information in the case of transmission as a broadcast signal, and reference destination information in the case of transmission by communication (multicast distribution) are mutually associated. That is, the program distribution list is information in which program names and reference destination information in a plurality of transmission means are associated.
In addition, generation of a program distribution list in retransmission of audio-only broadcast (radio broadcast) is as follows. In the case of radio broadcast (AM broadcast and FM broadcast), a broadcaster corresponding to the broadcast frequency is known. The input unit 2 acquires in advance the relationship between the broadcast frequency of the radio broadcast and the name of the broadcaster (or the name of the radio station or the like). For example, when installing the re-transmission apparatus 100, the person in charge of installation confirms the reception status of each radio broadcast at the setting location, and the broadcast frequency and the broadcaster regarding radio broadcasts that can be received with sufficient quality. Information such as a name is input from the input unit 2. The control unit 1 receives, from the input unit 2, information on the correspondence between the broadcast frequency and the broadcaster name and the like, and passes the information to the storage control unit 43. The storage control unit 43 writes in the memory 50 information on the correspondence between the broadcast frequency and the broadcaster name and the like. Further, the synthesizing unit 31 acquires, from the transmission converting unit 23, distribution information (representing a reference destination of the audio program on the communication network) associated with the information on the broadcast frequency. As a result, the combining unit 31 can generate a program distribution list in which the information of the broadcast frequency, the distribution information, and the information such as the name of the broadcaster are associated with each other also in the radio broadcast.
The synthesis unit 31 passes the program distribution list generated for television broadcast and radio broadcast to the storage control unit 43. The storage control unit 43 writes the program distribution list in the memory 50. A specific configuration example of the program distribution list will be described later.

When the analysis unit 30 detects the switching of a program in the television broadcast (described above), the combining unit 31 receives the notification and regenerates the program distribution list based on the information at the latest time point. Thus, the program distribution list generated by the combining unit 31 always holds the latest program name information.
However, with regard to broadcast by voice only (received by reception unit 20) and programs simultaneously distributed by the Internet (received by transmission and reception unit 40), information of the program name is not included in the program distribution list in the first place, and instead a broadcaster Etc has information. In addition, with regard to a program broadcasted only by voice or a program simultaneously distributed by the Internet, the analysis unit 30 does not detect the switching of the program. That is, the synthesizer 31 does not update the program name in the program distribution list with respect to programs broadcasted only by voice or simultaneously distributed by the Internet.

The transmission and reception unit 40 receives content and a program from an external device. In addition, the transmitting and receiving unit 40 may transmit various requests to the external device. In addition, the transmitting and receiving unit 40 may transmit viewer information to an external device.
When receiving the content, the transmitting and receiving unit 40 passes the content to the converting unit 12. In addition, when the transmitting and receiving unit 40 receives data (including a program) to be stored in the memory, the transmitting and receiving unit 40 passes the data to the transmission and reception control unit 42.

The transmission / reception control unit 42 receives a reception program for the reception device 500 from an external device via the transmission / reception unit 40. In order for the receiving apparatus 500 to view a program transmitted by the multicast method, a dedicated receiving program compatible with the video and audio coding method is required. The transmission / reception control unit 42 acquires the received program and stores it in the memory 50. Specifically, the transmission / reception control unit 42 acquires an update program from an external server device and passes it to the storage control unit 43 when the reception program for the reception device 500 is updated due to a function change or the like. Specifically, the transmission / reception control unit 42 requests the transmission of the update program from the above-mentioned external server apparatus via the transmission / reception unit 40 in order to obtain the update program. The external server device transmits the update program to the re-transmission device 100 in response to the request from the transmission / reception control unit 42. The transmission / reception control unit 42 receives this update program via the transmission / reception unit 40 and passes it to the storage control unit 43.
The transmission / reception control unit 42 may acquire different types of programs for each model of the reception apparatus 500 or each OS (operating system) as the reception program.
The transmission / reception control unit 42 receives not only the reception program but also the information registration program for the reception apparatus 500 in the same manner as the above reception program, and passes it to the storage control unit 43 for writing in the memory 50.

  The storage control unit 43 controls writing and reading of information stored in the memory 50. The information accumulated in the memory 50 mainly includes the program distribution list generated by the synthesis unit 31 such as setting information acquired by the input unit 2 and a program for the reception device 500 acquired from the outside by the transmission / reception control unit 42. (Reception program, information registration program). The accumulation control unit 43 receives setting information and the like acquired by the input unit 2 from the control unit 1 and writes the information in the memory 50. Further, the storage control unit 43 receives the program distribution list from the combining unit 31 and writes the program distribution list in the memory 50. Further, the storage control unit 43 receives a program to be used by the receiving device 500 from the transmission / reception control unit 42 and writes the program in the memory 50. The storage control unit 43 also reads out and provides information from the memory 50 in response to a request from each unit. For example, the storage control unit 43 reads the program distribution list from the memory 50 and passes it to the transmission conversion unit 44 for distribution to the receiving apparatus 500 side.

  The transmission conversion unit 44 converts the program distribution list read from the memory 50 into a format for transmission to the receiving device 500. The program distribution list is used by the receiving device 500 to determine the receiving method. Therefore, it is desirable that the transmission method for distributing the program distribution list itself is a transmission method that can be provided in response to a request from the receiving device 500 side. For example, it is desirable to transmit the program distribution list in a unicast manner. Therefore, the transmission conversion unit 44 converts the program distribution list into a format suitable for the unicast system. The transmission conversion unit 44 passes the converted program distribution list to the transmission control unit 45.

  The transmission control unit 45 performs control for distributing the program distribution list to the receiving device 500. Specifically, the transmission control unit 45 receives the program distribution list from the transmission conversion unit 44, adjusts the transmission timing of the program distribution list, and the like, and passes the program distribution list to the transmission / reception unit 15 at an appropriate timing. The transmission / reception unit 15 transmits the distribution list to the reception apparatus 500 using a communication means such as a wireless LAN.

  The memory 50 stores various information. Specifically, the memory 50 stores the installation location (including, for example, the name of a shelter etc.) and other supplementary information regarding the own device (the redelivery device 100). In addition, the memory 50 includes distribution information that can be received (e.g., business name, tuning information, etc.), contents to be distributed via the Internet (reference contents provided simultaneously with the Internet), distribution information to be described later, and distribution types to be described later. Etc. information is stored. The memory 50 also stores a program distribution list. In addition, the memory 50 stores a program operating on the re-sending device 100 or the receiving device 500. Further, the memory 50 stores the viewer information collected from the receiving device 500.

The update storage unit 51 stores data to be provided to the outside. The update storage unit 51 may be used to store data of viewer information to be described later, instead of transmitting the data to an external device.
The reception processing unit 55 temporarily receives data received by the transmission / reception unit 15 from the outside. The reception processing unit 55 passes the received data to the determination / combination unit 56.

The determination / combination unit 56 receives the received data from the reception processing unit 55, determines the content thereof, and appropriately processes it. The data received by the determining / combining unit 56 is, for example, a request from the receiving device 500 or viewer information collected from the receiving device 500.
When the determination / combination unit 56 receives a request from the reception device 500, the determination / combination unit 56 notifies the control unit 1 of the content of the request. For example, when a request for a program is received from the receiving device 500 side, the determination / combination unit 56 notifies the control unit 1 of information such as the type of the requested program and the model of the receiving device 500, for example. In response to this, the control unit 1 instructs the storage control unit 43 to read out the corresponding program for the corresponding model from the memory 50. Based on this, the accumulation control unit 43 reads out the corresponding reception program from the memory 50 and passes it to the transmission conversion unit 44.
When the determination / combination unit 56 receives viewer information from the reception device 500, the determination / combination unit 56 instructs the storage control unit 43 to store the information in the memory 50.

The antenna 110 is an antenna for receiving a television broadcast. Television broadcasting is broadcasting by contents consisting of video and audio. The antenna 110 receives radio signals such as ground waves and satellite waves.
The antenna 111 is an antenna for receiving radio broadcasts such as medium wave broadcast (AM broadcast) and ultrashort broadcast (FM broadcast). A radio broadcast is a broadcast by contents consisting only of audio. The radio broadcast received by the antenna 111 may be in a frequency band other than the medium wave and the ultrashort wave, or may be in a modulation system other than AM and FM.

As described above, the re-transmission apparatus 100 receives television broadcasts and radio broadcasts, and retransmits them using communication means such as a wireless LAN. Further, the re-transmission apparatus 100 receives a program simultaneously distributed on the Internet, and re-transmits the program using a communication means such as a wireless LAN. In addition, the re-transmission apparatus 100 generates a program distribution list based on the received broadcast signal and the like, and transmits the program distribution list to the receiving apparatus 500. In addition, the re-sending device 100 acquires a receiving program (for example, a program for receiving multicast distribution) for use by the receiving device 500 from an external device, accumulates it in the memory, and transmits it to the receiving device 500 in response to a request. Do. Thereby, the re-transmission apparatus 100 can distribute the content and the program to the receiving apparatus 500 side. Also, when delivering content or a program to the receiving device 500 side, the redelivery device 100 is a LAN or the like closed within the redelivery system 800 without being affected by the status (such as congestion) of a public communication line such as the Internet. Transmission can be performed.
Also, with the function of the above-described re-sending device, the receiving device 500 can receive re-distribution of content.

(4) Configuration of Program Distribution List FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of a program distribution list. As shown, the program distribution list can be expressed as tabular data. The program distribution list includes programs, URLs (uniform resource locators), and data items of types. Line numbers are assigned to each line of the program distribution list for the sake of convenience.

The column of the program represents a program name and the like. For television broadcasts, the program name is obtained from the broadcast signal as described above. Further, in the case of radio broadcasting, information such as a broadcasting company name and a radio station name is held in the column of program name. The information “ΔΔ radio broadcast” stored in the program column on the third line in the drawing is information on the radio station name. The information such as the broadcaster name and the radio station name related to the radio broadcast is the information input from the input unit 2 as described above.
The column of URL stores distribution information. The distribution information is, as described above, reference information to a program in the communication network.
The column of type is information indicating a distribution type. In the distribution type, "TV" represents a broadcast television program. Also, "MCTV" represents a television program by communication (multicast method). Moreover, "MCA" represents that it is an audio program by communication (multicast system). Also, "NET" indicates that the program is a simultaneous distribution program via the Internet. Moreover, "MCNET" represents that it is an internet simultaneous delivery program by a multicast system. The control unit 1 appropriately determines the information of the distribution type in accordance with the type of broadcast acquired from the receiving unit 10, the receiving unit 20, and the transmitting and receiving unit 40.

  In the program distribution list, the distribution is sorted based on the priority. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the priority of the program “xxx news” and the type “TV” in the first line is the highest. The second and subsequent lines have lower priorities, and the fifth line has the lowest distribution priority of type "NET".

  The information included in the program distribution list is based on the information received by the re-sending device 100. Therefore, it should be noted that the programs etc. included in the program distribution list can not necessarily be received at the location of the receiving device 500 as well.

(5) Functional Configuration of Receiving Device Next, the functional configuration and operation of the receiving device 500 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of the receiving apparatus. As illustrated, the reception device 500 includes a reception presentation processing unit 71, a presentation unit 72, a memory 74, a reception processing unit 75, a reception conversion unit 76, an accumulation control unit 77, and a comparison / determination unit 78. , Determination unit 79, unique information processing unit 81, transmission conversion unit 82, transmission control unit 83, reception unit 85, antenna 112, control unit 530, terminal information acquisition unit 550, input processing unit 560 And including.

  The transmitting and receiving unit 70 transmits and receives data by communication. Specifically, the transmitting and receiving unit 70 transmits and receives data to and from the re-sending device 100 by communication via, for example, a wireless LAN. The data received by the transmission / reception unit 70 is content to be distributed by communication, a program distribution list, a program, or the like. The data transmitted by the transmission / reception unit 70 is a request to the re-transmission apparatus 100, viewer information to be delivered to the re-transmission apparatus 100, and the like. The transmitting and receiving unit 70 passes the received data of the content to the reception presentation processing unit 71. In addition, the transmitting and receiving unit 70 passes data (program distribution list, program, and the like) other than the received content to the reception processing unit 75. In addition, the transmission and reception unit 70 transmits the data transferred from the transmission control unit 83 under the control of the transmission control unit 83.

The reception presentation processing unit 71 receives content data (video, audio, etc.) from the reception unit 85 or the transmission / reception unit 70, decodes the content data, and passes the decoded data to the presentation unit 72. The reception presentation processing unit 71 receives, for example, an MPEG-2 transport stream, and decodes the stream.
The presentation unit 72 receives the decrypted content data (video, audio, etc.) from the reception presentation processing unit 71, and presents them to the user. Specifically, the presentation unit 72 displays an image on a screen, and outputs an audio from a speaker or the like.

The memory 74 stores various data. The memory 74 stores a program distribution list, configuration information of the own apparatus (the receiving apparatus 500), a program operated by the own apparatus, and the like.
The storage control unit 77 controls writing of data to the memory 74 and reading of data from the memory 74.

The reception processing unit 75 receives the data (packet) received by the transmission / reception unit 70 and passes it to the reception conversion unit 76.
The reception conversion unit 76 receives a packet from the reception processing unit 75, and restores data before packetization based on the received packet. The data restored by the reception conversion unit 76 may be, for example, a program distribution list transmitted from the re-sending apparatus 100 or a program transmitted from the re-sending apparatus 100 (various programs for operating on the receiving apparatus 500) Etc. The reception conversion unit 76 passes the restored data to the storage control unit 77.

The comparison / determination unit 78 compares the program distribution list with the configuration information of the own device (the receiving device 500). The comparison / determination unit 78 reads the program distribution list and the configuration information of the own apparatus from the memory 74 under the control of the storage control unit 77 for the process of comparison. The comparison / determination unit 78 passes the information of the comparison result to the determination unit 79.
Among the transmission types included in the program distribution list, the determination unit 79 determines, based on the information of the comparison result passed from the comparison / determination unit 78, which transmission types can actually be used in the own apparatus (the receiving apparatus 500). Decide. In addition, when there are a plurality of available transmission types, the determination unit 79 determines the priority among those transmission types. The determination unit 79 transfers the program distribution list reflecting the determined result to the storage control unit 77, and causes the memory 74 to write the program distribution list.

The unique information processing unit 81 processes information unique to the receiving device 500 and its user. Specifically, the unique information processing unit 81 receives information for identifying the own device (the receiving device 500) from the terminal information acquisition unit 550, and inputs information such as the viewer's name and status input by the user. Receive from 560 Here, the information received by the unique information processing unit 81 is referred to as "viewer information". The viewer information will be described later. Then, the unique information processing unit 81 passes the received viewer information to the transmission conversion unit 82 in order to transmit it to the re-transmission apparatus 100 side.
The transmission conversion unit 82 converts the above-mentioned viewer information received from the unique information processing unit 81 into a packet of a format suitable for transmission. The transmission conversion unit 82 transfers the converted packet to the transmission control unit 83.
The transmission control unit 83 adjusts transmission timing and the like for the viewer information passed from the transmission conversion unit 82, and causes the transmission and reception unit 70 to transmit the information.

The antenna 112 is an antenna used to receive a broadcast signal (television broadcast or the like).
The receiving unit 85 receives a broadcast signal captured by the antenna 112, demodulates it, and outputs a signal of content which is a result of demodulation. For example, the receiving unit 85 outputs an MPEG-2 transport stream. The receiving unit 85 passes the signal to be output to the reception presentation processing unit 71.

The control unit 530 integrally controls the functions of the receiving device 500.
The terminal information acquisition unit 550 acquires information on the reception device 500 itself. Specifically, the terminal information acquisition unit 550 reads, for example, the information written in advance in the memory.
The input processing unit 560 is a function of receiving information (for example, viewer information described later) input by the user.

(6) Authentication Process The authentication process performed by the receiving device 500 to receive the distribution from the re-sending device 100 is as follows.
The receiving device 500 communicates with the re-transmission device 100 using a wireless LAN. The receiving device 500 requests the re-sending device 100 for software (program) for performing network identification processing and authentication processing. In response to this request, the transmission / reception unit 15 of the re-transmission apparatus 100 transmits the held authentication software to the receiving apparatus 500 of the request source. The transmitting and receiving unit 70 on the receiving device 500 side receives the authentication software. The authentication software is passed to the presentation unit 72 via the reception processing unit 75, the reception conversion unit 76, and the storage control unit 77 in order. The presentation unit 72 displays information for the authentication process on the screen. Subsequently, based on the information input by the input processing unit 560, authentication processing of the wireless LAN is performed. The receiving device 500 communicates with the re-sending device 100 as necessary during the authentication process. The result of the authentication process is passed to the control unit 530.
If the above authentication process is successful, the control unit 530 acquires a program distribution list, determines a method of receiving redistributed content, acquires software necessary for receiving content, and viewer information Acquisition and activation of software for carrying out the collection (described later).

(7) Acquisition of Program Distribution List on Receiving Device Side If the above-described wireless LAN authentication processing is normally completed, the control unit 530 requests acquisition of a program distribution list. Specifically, control unit 530 requests redelivery apparatus 100 for a program distribution list via transmission / reception unit 70. The processing on the side of the re-sending device 100 that has received the request for the program distribution list is as described above. The transmitting and receiving unit 70 receives the program distribution list sent from the re-sending device 100. The transmission and reception unit 70 passes the program distribution list in the format used for transmission to the reception conversion unit 76. The reception conversion unit 76 converts a program distribution list in a format suitable for transmission into a program distribution list in a format suitable for processing in the receiving device 500. The reception conversion unit 76 passes the converted program distribution list to the storage control unit 77. The storage control unit 77 writes the received program distribution list in the memory 74. If the program distribution list has already been stored in the memory 74, the storage control unit 77 updates the recording area in the memory 74 using the latest program distribution list.

(8) Determination of Reception Method and Update of Program Distribution List The control unit 530 can be used based on the contents of the program distribution list received from the re-sending device 100 and the configuration information of the own device (the receiving device 500). To determine the appropriate transmission type. Specifically, based on an instruction from control unit 530, comparison / determination unit 78 compares the program distribution list with the configuration information of the apparatus itself. The configuration information of the own device is information which is acquired in advance by the terminal information acquisition unit 550 and written in the memory 74.
Note that the configuration information of the own device indicates whether the reception device 500 has a broadcast reception tuner function, the reception status of broadcast and communication, the display resolution of the screen of the reception device 500, the audio output mode (stereo or monaural), Model name, type of basic software (OS, etc.), version information of basic software, version information of receiving program (program for receiving multicast distribution from the re-sending device 100), maximum processing capacity (for example, CPU unit time And information such as the current position of the receiving apparatus 500.

  The comparison / determination unit 78 passes, to the determination unit 79, information as a result of comparing the program distribution list and the configuration information of the own device. Based on the information passed from the comparing / determining unit 78, the determining unit 79 determines which of the transmission types included in the program distribution list is a transmission type that can actually be used by the own apparatus. When there are a plurality of available transmission types, the determination unit 79 determines the priority among those transmission types. Based on these determinations, the determination unit 79 rearranges the program distribution list in the order of the transmission types determined to be actually available (in the order of priority). The determination unit 79 passes the program distribution list, which is rewritten as a result of determining whether or not it can be used by the apparatus itself, to the storage control unit 77. The accumulation control unit 77 updates the memory 74 with the program distribution list passed from the determination unit 79.

The criteria for determining the order in the determination unit 79 are as follows.
For example, the order of each transmission type may be determined according to the priority acquired by the input processing unit 560. In this case, the control unit 530 receives the information on the priority acquired by the input processing unit 560. Then, control unit 530 passes the information on the priority to determination unit 79.
Also, for example, the determination unit 79 may determine the priority so that the preset specific transmission type always has the highest priority.
Also, for example, the determination unit 79 may calculate the total score for each transmission type from a plurality of conditions or a plurality of evaluation criteria, and determine the priority based on the total score.
As an example, the determination unit 79 may determine the order of priority in the order of 1) direct reception of broadcast signals, 2) reception from the retransmission apparatus 100 by multicast transmission, and 3) direct reception of programs by simultaneous provision of the Internet. In an emergency such as a disaster, it is possible to avoid or reduce congestion on a public communication line by using the priority illustrated here.
In addition, as an example, when retransmission by audio broadcast multicast method is included in the program distribution list, priority is given to retransmission by audio broadcast multicast method over direct reception of programs by simultaneous provision of the Internet. , And the determination unit 79 determines. As a result, power saving in the entire re-transmission system 800 and congestion avoidance (or reduction) of the public communication line and the wireless LAN can be obtained.

  In the example of the program distribution list shown in FIG. 4, as described above, the distribution is sorted in order of priority. That is, the order of each distribution in the program distribution list shown in FIG. 4 is based on the priority determined by the determination unit 79.

(9) Acquisition of Reception Program on Reception Device Side In order for the reception device 500 to receive content, a specific reception program may be required. Here, the process for the receiving device 500 to acquire this receiving program will be described.
In order for the user to view a program in the receiving apparatus 500, it is necessary to operate a receiving program adapted to the transmission scheme and the video and audio coding system on the receiving apparatus 500. For example, in order to directly receive and view a broadcast signal, a reception program for broadcast reception is required. However, in the case of the receiving device 500 in which the tuner function for broadcast reception is installed, the reception program is also often installed in advance. On the other hand, in the case of receiving a program transmitted by the multicast method, a receiving program having a function of receiving multicast distribution is required.
In the case where the reception apparatus 500 does not have a necessary reception program installed in advance, it is necessary to acquire the reception program and install it in the reception apparatus 500 based on, for example, an operation by the user.

  However, under special circumstances such as evacuation sites in a situation where a disaster has occurred, it may be considered that a public communication line for acquiring a receiving program can not be used. Also, even when the public communication line is available, if traffic for acquiring the receiving program is concentrated, congestion of the public communication line may occur, which is not preferable. In the present embodiment, congestion of the public communication line is avoided by retransmitting the program by the multicast method, but in order for the receiving device 500 to acquire a receiving program necessary to receive the retransmission of the method. It is not preferable that congestion on the public communication line occurs.

  In consideration of the circumstances as described above, in this embodiment, the latest receiving program is stored in advance in the re-sending apparatus 100, and the receiving apparatus 500 can acquire the receiving program via the wireless LAN.

The procedure for the reception device 500 to acquire a reception program is as follows.
When receiving apparatus 500 requires a specific receiving program (for example, when receiving a receiving program for receiving a delivery of a multicast transmission scheme), control unit 530 obtains the receiving program based on the user's operation or the like. Decide to request.
Under the control of the control unit 530, the transmission control unit 83 causes the transmission and reception unit 70 to transmit an acquisition request for the reception program. The acquisition request for the reception program is accompanied by the model information of the reception device 500, and is transmitted from the reception device 500 to the re-transmission device 100 by the unicast method.
The transmission / reception unit 15 of the re-sending device receives the reception program acquisition request from the reception device 500 side, and passes it to the reception processing unit 55. The reception processing unit 55 determines the request content of the reception program acquisition request, and acquires the model information of the reception device 500 of the request source. The reception processing unit 55 notifies the determination / combination unit 56 of the content of the reception program acquisition request.
The determination / composition unit 56 notifies the control unit 1 of the content of the request. The control unit 1 instructs the storage control unit 43 to read out the reception program for the corresponding model from the memory 50. Based on this, the accumulation control unit 43 reads out the corresponding reception program from the memory 50 and passes it to the transmission conversion unit 44.
The transmission conversion unit 44 creates a packet for unicast transmission and passes it to the transmission control unit 45. The transmission control unit 45 adjusts the transmission timing and causes the transmission / reception unit 15 to transmit the packet passed from the transmission conversion unit 44. The transmitting and receiving unit 15 transmits the packet to the receiving device 500 by a wireless LAN or the like.
On the receiving device 500 side, the transmitting and receiving unit 70 receives those packets, and passes them to the reception processing unit 75. Furthermore, the reception processing unit 75 passes those packets to the reception conversion unit 76. The reception conversion unit 76 restores the reception program requested for acquisition based on the received packet. That is, the reception conversion unit 76 performs reverse conversion of the packetization process by the transmission conversion unit 44 on the side of the re-transmission apparatus 100. The reception conversion unit 76 instructs the storage control unit 77 to write the acquired reception program in the memory 74. In this way, the received program is stored in the memory 74.
The receiving apparatus 500 can receive content distribution according to a desired transmission scheme (for example, a multicast scheme) by activating the acquired reception program.

(10) Reception of Program The receiving device 500 attempts to receive a program according to the held program distribution list. That is, the receiving device 500 attempts to receive a receivable program at a point where the re-sending device 100 that has created the program distribution list is installed. Then, the receiving device 500 attempts to receive the program in the order based on the functions of the receiving device 500, the priority order set by the user of the receiving device 500, and the like.

  Specifically, a program distribution list reflecting the order determined by the determination unit 79 is stored in the memory 74. Control unit 530 causes storage control unit 77 to read the program distribution list, and receives the program distribution list. Here, the subsequent processing will be described for the case of the program distribution list illustrated in FIG. In the program distribution list, direct reception of a television broadcast (program "XX News", type "TV") is defined as the first candidate. The control unit 530 refers to the configuration information of the own device (the information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit 550), that the own device is equipped with a television broadcast tuner, and the reception unit 85 for receiving the television broadcast Verify that it works properly. Then, control unit 530 confirms the reception state when reception unit 85 receives the URL “arib: //7FE0.7FE0,401” (described in the first line of the program distribution list). If it is confirmed that the reception state is normal, the MPEG-2 transport stream output by the receiving unit 85 is passed to the reception presentation processing unit 71. The reception presentation processing unit 71 decodes the MPEG-2 transport stream, and passes the resulting video and audio to the presentation unit 72. The presentation unit 72 presents video and audio. That is, the presentation unit 72 displays the video on the screen and outputs the audio from the speaker. Thus, the user of the receiving device 500 can view the program by direct reception of the broadcast signal.

  Note that at least a part of the functions of the reception presentation processing unit 71 may be realized by a program (a program for broadcast reception). In that case, the program for broadcast reception is stored in advance in the memory 74. The storage control unit 77 reads the program for broadcast reception when necessary, and causes the CPU included in the reception device 500 to execute the program.

  Here, when the receiver 500 does not have a tuner for television broadcasting, or when the tuner does not function at that time, or when the reception state of the broadcast signal is not good (for example, of the broadcast signal received at the location of the receiver 500). If the level is too low, etc.), the receiving device 500 attempts to receive by another means. That is, in this case, the program reception by the multicast transmission described in the second line of the program distribution list (FIG. 4) is tried. That is, control unit 530 causes storage control unit 77 to read the information on the second line of the program distribution list, and receives the information. The type of distribution described in the second line is "MCTV" (television by multicast). At this time, the control unit 530 refers to the configuration information of the own apparatus and determines whether or not the delivery of the multicast scheme can be received. If distribution of the multicast scheme can be received in the current configuration, that is, if a reception program compatible with the multicast scheme has been acquired, the control unit 530 activates the reception program. In the present configuration, when the distribution of the multicast scheme can not be received, that is, when the reception program corresponding to the multicast scheme has not been acquired, the control unit 530 acquires the reception program by the above-described method, and then the reception program thereof. Control to launch

  That is, the receiving program for the multicast scheme is read from the memory 74 and executed. The function of the reception program for the multicast scheme is executed as the function of the reception presentation processing unit 71. The packet of content (video and audio) by multicast distribution received by the transmitting and receiving unit 70 is passed to the reception presentation processing unit 71. Then, the reception presentation processing unit 71 (the reception program for the multicast scheme) decodes those video and audio. The reception presentation processing unit 71 passes the decoded video and audio to the presentation unit 72. And the presentation part 72 presents an image | video and an audio | voice by the method similar to the above-mentioned method. As a result, the user of the receiving apparatus 500 can view a television program by retransmission in the multicast scheme.

  When receiving an audio program (type is “MCA”) by multicast transmission described in the third line of the program distribution list (FIG. 4), the receiving device 500 operates in the same manner as a television (MCTV) by multicast transmission. Do. However, the difference from MCTV is that an audio program (MCA) transmitted by the multicast method does not include video but only audio.

(11) Reception of Simultaneous Distribution of Internet Broadcast Programs Next, the case of receiving simultaneous distribution of broadcast programs distributed over the Internet will be described.
Delivery of broadcast programs by Internet simultaneous provision is generally performed in a unicast manner. When the unicast system is used, computer resources corresponding to the number of terminals receiving the distribution are required of the server apparatus on the transmitting side. Furthermore, one connection is established for each terminal on the receiving side, and a predetermined communication band is required for the public communication line for each connection. Since there is an upper limit to the transmission capacity of the server equipment on the sending side and the public network, there is a tendency that the program can not be delivered sufficiently in a situation where communication access increases explosively than usual, for example in disasters. There is a problem of appearing in

So, in this embodiment, the re-transmission apparatus 100 receives a program by distribution by simultaneous provision of the Internet, and distributes the program by a multicast method using a wireless LAN.
In addition, the re-sending device 100 provides a receiving program that operates on the receiving device 500 side.

The transmission / reception unit 40 of the re-transmission apparatus 100 receives a program provided simultaneously with the Internet. That is, the transmitting and receiving unit 40 receives video and audio packets provided simultaneously by the Internet. The transmitting and receiving unit 40 passes those packets to the converting unit 12.
The converter 12 converts the resolution and the frame rate of the video, and the transmission rate of the content, as necessary. That is, the conversion unit 12 converts the content into a format suitable for the reception format on the receiving device 500 side. The conversion unit 12 passes the converted content to the transmission conversion unit 13.
The transmission conversion unit 13 converts the format of the received content into a packet for transmission. Further, the transmission conversion unit 13 generates distribution information. The transmission conversion unit 13 passes the converted packet data to the transmission control unit 14. Here, a packet for multicast transmission is output.
The transmission control unit 14 adjusts transmission timing and the like, and causes the transmission / reception unit 15 to transmit a packet.
The transmitting / receiving unit 15 transmits the packets to the receiving apparatus 500 by a multicast method by a wireless LAN or the like.

  The distribution information generated by the transmission conversion unit 13 in the above process is passed to the combining unit 31 together with the information of the distribution type. The combining unit 31 combines the program distribution information generated based on the broadcast signal and the distribution information generated from the transmission conversion unit 13, and passes the information to the storage control unit 43. Then, the combining unit 31 instructs the storage control unit 43 to write the information in the memory 50. Thereby, the storage control unit 43 writes the above distribution information into the memory 50. That is, distribution information when distributing a program simultaneously provided on the Internet by a multicast method and information of the type thereof are added to the selection candidate list.

The processing of content by simultaneous provision of the Internet on the side of the re-sending apparatus 100 is as described above. The receiving device 500 receives a packet that the retransmitting device 100 retransmits in a multicast manner.
Note that the receiving apparatus 500 can receive redelivery (multicast transmission) of content by simultaneous provision of the Internet using the above-described reception program for multicast distribution.

  As described above, the re-transmission apparatus 100 receives a program provided simultaneously with the Internet, and re-transmits the program by a wireless LAN or the like by the multicast method. This enables a large number of receiving devices 500 to receive this program without squeezing the bandwidth of the public communication line (Internet). That is, a large number of users can view this program without squeezing the bandwidth of the public communication line. In addition, the reception program for reception according to a specific method, such as multicast transmission, can be passed from the re-sending device 100 to the receiving device 500 via a wireless LAN or the like, which also contributes to saving of the bandwidth of the public communication line. Do.

  However, in the method described here, a delay of several tens of seconds occurs because of the processing in the re-sending apparatus 100 as compared with the case where the receiving apparatus 500 directly receives a program provided simultaneously with the Internet.

Here, the same applies to the simultaneous provision of voice broadcasting (radio) to the Internet. That is, distribution information of audio broadcasts provided simultaneously on the Internet is known.
In the re-transmission apparatus 100, the transmitting and receiving unit 40 receives a program of audio broadcasting provided simultaneously with the Internet. The transmitting and receiving unit 40 outputs a packet composed of voice. The conversion unit 12 converts the transmission rate and the like according to the usage form on the receiving apparatus 500 side. The transmission conversion unit 13 converts voice data into packets of a format suitable for transmission. In addition, the transmission conversion unit 13 determines distribution information regarding the distribution. The transmission control unit 14 performs transmission timing adjustment and the like to cause the transmitting and receiving unit 15 to transmit voice packets. On the other hand, the distribution information output from the transmission conversion unit 13 is passed to the combining unit 31 together with the information of the distribution type. The synthesis unit 31 outputs a program distribution list including distribution information on the distribution of the voice. The program distribution list is written to the memory 50. That is, the distribution information and the type thereof at the time of converting the audio broadcast provided simultaneously on the Internet into a multicast scheme and distributing it are added to the program distribution list. Therefore, on the receiving device 500 side, it is also possible to select the delivery of this voice.

(12) Collection of Viewer Information Next, processing of collecting viewer information in the present embodiment will be described.
So far, for example, when an emergency such as a large-scale disaster occurs, the technique for the retransmitting apparatus 100 to deliver a broadcast program or the like without using the public communication line or the like as much as possible has been described. On the other hand, in such an emergency situation, it is also extremely important to efficiently and appropriately collect information of a viewer who views a program or the like. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a method is provided to efficiently collect the viewer information (the viewer here is, for example, a refugee who has evacuated to a shelter etc. in an emergency situation).

  A viewer information collection program is stored in the memory 50 of the re-transmission apparatus 100. The viewer information collection program is activated on the re-transmission device 100, for example, by the operation of an operator or by an instruction from an external device (a server device or the like present at a remote location). On the other hand, the information registration program is also stored in the memory 74 on the receiving device 500 side. The information registration program may be, for example, one function included in the above-described reception program (for multicast distribution). On the receiving device 500 side, the information registration program is activated by the operation of the user or by the activation signal from the re-transmission device 100.

  The information registration program on the receiving device 500 side may be provided from the re-sending device 100 based on the user's operation or the like. As one example, a user who is watching a program can perform a predetermined operation such as pressing an information registration program acquisition button. When detecting that the information registration program acquisition button has been pressed, the input processing unit 560 of the receiving device 500 notifies the control unit 530 to that effect. Then, the control unit 530 checks whether the information registration program is already stored in the memory 74. If the information registration program is already stored in the memory 74, the information registration program is used. If the information registration program does not exist in the memory 74 yet, the control unit 530 requests the delivery control unit 83 to acquire the information registration program. Accordingly, the transmission control unit 83 transmits an information registration program acquisition request to the re-transmission apparatus 100 via the transmission / reception unit 70. The information registration program acquisition request is transmitted from the reception device 500 to the re-transmission device 100 by unicast. On the side of the re-sending device 100, the transmitting and receiving unit 15 receives the information registration program acquisition request. The transmission / reception unit 15 passes the information registration program acquisition request to the reception processing unit 55. The reception processing unit 55 converts the information registration program acquisition request received in a format suitable for transmission into a format suitable for processing in the re-sending apparatus 100. After conversion by the reception processing unit 55, the determination / combination unit 56 interprets the request content of the information registration program acquisition request, and as a result, requests the storage control unit 43 to read out the information registration program from the memory 50. . The storage control unit 43 passes the information registration program read from the memory 50 to the transmission conversion unit 44. The transmission conversion unit 44 converts the information registration program into a packet of a format suitable for unicast transmission. The transmission conversion unit 44 passes the packet for transmitting the information registration program to the transmission control unit 45. The transmission control unit 45 controls transmission timing and the like, and passes the packet to the transmission / reception unit 15. The transmission / reception unit 15 transmits the information registration program to the reception device 500 via a wireless LAN or the like. The receiving device 500 stores the received information registration program in the memory 74, and reads out and executes it when necessary.

  The information registration program and the viewer information collection program stored in the memory 50 of the re-sending device 100 may be made updatable by an instruction from the external device. Further, the information registration program stored in the memory 74 of the receiving device 500 may be made updatable by a request from the receiving device 500 or by an instruction from the re-sending device 100.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the flow of supply and execution of a viewer information collection program and an information registration program. In the figure, the external device 900 is a device (such as a computer) existing outside the redelivery system 800. The external device 900 and the redelivery device 100 are connected to be able to communicate with each other. As illustrated, the external apparatus 900 supplies a viewer information collection program and an information registration program to the re-transmission apparatus 100 via a communication line or the like. The re-transmission apparatus 100 stores the received viewer information collection program and information registration program in the memory 50. In addition, after the re-transmission apparatus 100 once acquires the viewer information collection program and the information registration program, the external device 900 can also supply an updated version of those programs. The redelivery apparatus 100 can execute the viewer information collection program in its own program execution environment. This execution environment includes CPU and memory. Also, the re-transmission apparatus 100 supplies the information registration program to the receiving apparatus 500 via a wireless LAN or the like. The receiving device 500 stores the received information registration program in the memory 74. In addition, after the receiving device 500 once acquires the information registration program, the re-transmission device 100 can also supply an updated version of the program. The receiving device 500 can execute the information registration program in its own program execution environment. Then, the information registration program operated by the reception device 500 communicates with the viewer information collection program operated by the re-transmission device 100. As such, the viewer information collection program can collect and store viewer information input at the receiving device 500 side.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an outline of a screen displayed on the receiving device 500 by the information registration program. This screen is called a "situation registration screen". The status registration screen includes the display of words prompting for the input of the name and the status. Further, the status registration screen has a name input field 901 for the user to input a name, a status input field 902 for inputting a number representing a status, and a transmission button 903. In the status input field 902, numbers such as 1, 2 or 3 can be input. Each of these figures correspond to situations such as safety, minor injury, and need for treatment. The user of the reception device 500 can input a name in the name input field 901 of the information registration screen and can also input information representing a situation in the status input field 902. Then, when the user presses the send button 903 (click of the mouse, etc.), the input information, that is, the user's name and status information is sent from the receiving device 500 to the re-sending device 100. The viewer information collection program operated by the re-transmission apparatus 100 can collect such information from a plurality of receiving devices 500.

(13) Detailed Processing Procedure for Collecting Viewer Information The user of the receiving device 500 inputs the viewer's name and status from the screen. The input processing unit 560 acquires the input name and status information and passes it to the unique information processing unit 81.
The terminal information acquisition unit 550 acquires information for identifying the reception device 500, and passes the information to the unique information processing unit 81. As information for identifying the receiving device 500, for example, a telephone number of the receiving device 500, a terminal identification number, or the like can be used.
The unique information processing unit 81 transmits, to the transmission conversion unit 82, the information received from the input processing unit 560 (the name and status of the viewer) and the information received from the terminal information acquisition unit 550 (identification information for the receiving device 500). hand over. These pieces of information are collectively called "viewer information".
The transmission conversion unit 82 converts the viewer information (the name of the viewer, the status of the viewer, the identification information of the receiving device 500) received from the unique information processing unit 81 into a packet of a format suitable for unicast transmission, It passes to the delivery control unit 83.
The transmission control unit 83 adjusts the transmission timing and the like of the viewer information passed from the transmission conversion unit 82, and outputs the adjusted information to the transmission / reception unit 70.
Under the control of the transmission control unit 83, the transmission / reception unit 70 transmits the packet of the viewer information in a wireless LAN or the like.
The transmitting / receiving unit 15 on the side of the re-sending device 100 receives the packet of the viewer information sent from the side of the receiving device 500 and passes it to the reception processing unit 55.
The reception processing unit 55 receives those packets from the transmission / reception unit 15 and reconstructs them into one piece of viewer information (the name of the viewer, the status of the viewer, the identification information of the receiving device 500), and the determination / composition unit 56 Pass to
In the viewer information passed from the reception processing unit 55, the determination / combination unit 56 includes information on the installation location (address or latitude / longitude, etc.) of the own device (retransmission device 100), and the name of the installation location (refuge name) Etc.) and the information of the current date and time. The information of the installation place and the information of the name of the installation place are information inputted in advance from the input unit 2 and are stored in the memory 50. Also, the date and time information is supplied from the clock function of the redelivery device 100. The determination and combination unit 56 passes the viewer information to which the information on the own device is added to the storage control unit 43. The storage control unit 43 writes the viewer information in the memory 50.
The redelivery device 100 receives viewer information from the plurality of receiving devices 500 as needed, and stores the viewer information in the viewer information storage area on the memory 50.

(14) Configuration Example of Viewer Information Stored in Retransmission Device FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of a viewer information storage area for storing and accumulating information collected by the retransmission device 100. The viewer information storage area is provided in the memory 50. As shown in the figure, the viewer information storage area has information on the location where the re-transmission apparatus 100 is installed (XX prefecture xxx city △ primary school), and information on the latest date and time when the information was collected. Also, the viewer information storage area has, as the viewer information, information of each viewer's name, status, and receiver identification information. The name and the situation (numerical values) are information input by the user on the receiving device 500 side. The receiving device identification information is information that can uniquely identify the receiving device 500, such as a telephone number assigned to the receiving device 500, for example. Although a part of the receiving device identification information is shown as alphabetic data ("XXXX", etc.) in FIG. 8, in actuality, the receiving device identification information is data consisting of only numbers and hyphens. It is also good. The reception device identification information is acquired, for example, by the terminal information acquisition unit 550 of the reception device 500 and sent from the reception device 500 to the re-transmission device 100. By having the viewer information storage area shown in FIG. 8, the redelivery apparatus 100 can store information of a large number of viewers. In addition, the re-transmission apparatus 100 can transmit the collected viewer information to an external server apparatus or the like. Thereby, for example, at the time of a disaster etc., the information of the viewers who are evacuating to the evacuation center can be collected efficiently. That is, it is possible to collect in a wide range the names of the evacuees, their situation, their whereabouts, etc. That is, it is possible to widely collect information on the safety of the viewer.

(15) Transfer of Viewer Information to External Device, etc. The viewer information stored in the re-sending device 100 can be transferred to the external device. The procedure of the process for that is as follows.
The external device transmits a viewer information transfer instruction to the re-transmission device 100 via a communication line (such as the Internet).
The transmission / reception unit 40 of the re-transmission apparatus 100 receives the viewer information transfer instruction, and passes it to the transmission / reception control unit 42.
The transmission / reception control unit 42 performs processing of interpreting the contents of the passed viewer information transfer instruction. As a result, the transmission / reception control unit 42 recognizes that it is a command to transfer the stored viewer information to the external device, and instructs the storage control unit 43 to read the viewer information from the memory 50. In response to this, the storage control unit 43 reads out all of the series of stored viewer information from the memory 50 and passes it to the transmission / reception control unit 42. The transmission / reception control unit 42 converts all of the passed viewer information into a transmittable format, and causes the transmission / reception unit 40 to transmit.
The transmission and reception unit 40 transmits the data of the viewer information to the external device of the instruction source via the communication line.

The accumulation control unit 43 may store all of the viewer information read from the memory 50 in the update storage unit 51 instead of transmitting the information from the transmission / reception unit 40.
Further, when transferring the viewer information to the external device, instead of transferring data related to all the viewers, only data matching the search condition may be extracted and transferred. As the search condition at this time, for example, conditions relating to date and time (registration date and time), name, and receiver identification information (telephone number etc.) can be used. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of data transfer as compared to the case of transferring all data.

(16) Update of Information Collection Program and Information Registration Program The information collection program operated on the retransmitting apparatus 100 side or the information registration program operated on the receiving device 500 side may be revised and updated.
For example, in the case of an event such as a large-scale disaster, the information to be collected may change depending on the elapsed time from the occurrence of the event. In the present embodiment, the information collection program and the information registration program can be revised. As an example, in the collection of viewer information in the above example (see FIG. 7), it may be possible to register whether the viewer has returned home. In this case, the transmission / reception unit 40 of the re-transmission apparatus 100 receives, from an external device, a new information registration program to which registration information has been added. The re-sending device 100 transfers the new information registration program to the receiving device 500. Alternatively, the re-sending device 100 may transmit a new information registration program to the receiving device 500 when the receiving device 500 receives a program update request. The receiving device 500 receives a new information registration program and operates it on its own device. Thus, the viewer information can be registered by the data item added from the receiving device 500 side. Note that the information collection program operated on the re-sending device 100 side is also updated as necessary. This makes it possible to add data items and collect viewer information.

  Note that at least a part of the functions of the re-sending apparatus and the receiving apparatus in the above-described embodiment may be realized by a computer. In that case, a program for realizing this function may be recorded in a computer readable recording medium, and the program recorded in the recording medium may be read and executed by a computer system. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices. The term "computer-readable recording medium" means portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and USB memories, and storage devices such as hard disks incorporated in computer systems. It means that. Furthermore, a "computer readable recording medium" is one that holds a program dynamically and temporarily like a communication line in the case of transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In that case, it may include one that holds the program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory in the computer system that becomes the server or client in that case. The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above, or may be realized in combination with the program already recorded in the computer system.

As mentioned above, although several embodiment was described, it is possible to implement this invention also by the following modifications.
For example, among the functions of each of the re-transmission apparatus 100 and the reception apparatus 500, part of the functions may be omitted. As an example, the function for collecting and storing the viewer information may be omitted, and the re-transmission apparatus 100 or the reception apparatus 500 may be realized.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes design and the like within the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention is applicable to, for example, distribution of content. However, the scope of use of the present invention is not limited to those exemplified here.

Reference Signs List 1 control unit 2 input unit 3 unique information acquisition unit 10 reception unit 11 selection unit 12 conversion unit 13 transmission conversion unit 14 transmission control unit 15 transmission / reception unit 20 reception unit 21 encoding unit 23 transmission conversion unit 24 transmission control unit 30 analysis unit 31 Combining unit 40 Transmission / reception unit 42 Transmission / reception control unit 43 Storage control unit 44 Transmission conversion unit 45 Transmission control unit 50 Memory 51 Update storage unit 55 Reception processing unit 56 Determination / combination unit 71 Reception presentation processing unit 72 Presentation unit 74 Memory 75 Reception processing unit 76 reception conversion unit 77 accumulation control unit 78 comparison / determination unit 79 determination unit 81 unique information processing unit 82 transmission conversion unit 83 transmission control unit 85 reception unit 100 re-sending device 110, 111, 112 antenna 500 reception device 530 control unit 550 terminal Information acquisition unit 560 Input processing unit 701 Broadcast reception unit 702 Communication reception unit 703 Conversion unit 704 Retransmission unit 705 A group delivery list synthesizing unit 706 A program delivery list sending unit 707 A program storage unit 708 A receiving program sending unit 709 A viewer information receiving unit 710 A viewer information storage unit 751 A program delivery list receiving unit 752 A configuration information storage unit 753 A deciding unit 754 A program receiving unit 755 Reception program request unit 756 Reception program reception unit 757 Execution unit 758 Viewer information registration unit 800 Retransmission system 900 External device

Claims (10)

A redelivery system comprising a redelivery device and a receiving device, comprising:
The redelivery device is
A broadcast receiving unit that receives a program by broadcasting;
A converter for converting the program received by the broadcast receiver into a format suitable for re-transmission;
A re-transmission unit that re-sends the program converted by the conversion unit by communication according to a multicast scheme;
A program distribution list synthesizing unit that synthesizes a program distribution list including location information for receiving a program and type information that is information indicating a type of distribution method for each of the program distribution methods;
A program distribution list sending unit for sending the program distribution list;
Equipped with
The receiving device is
A program distribution list receiving unit that receives a program distribution list including location information for receiving a program and type information that is information indicating a type of distribution method for each of the program distribution methods;
A configuration information storage unit that stores configuration information indicating whether or not to have a reception function for receiving distribution by a specific distribution method;
A determination unit that determines a distribution method from the program distribution list based on the distribution method represented by the type information included in the program distribution list and the reception function represented by the configuration information;
A program receiving unit for receiving a program by the distribution method determined by the determining unit;
Equipped with
A redelivery system characterized by A broadcast receiving unit that receives a program by broadcasting;
A converter for converting the program received by the broadcast receiver into a format suitable for re-transmission;
A re-transmission unit that re-sends the program converted by the conversion unit by communication according to a multicast scheme;
A program distribution list synthesizing unit that synthesizes a program distribution list including location information for receiving a program and type information that is information indicating a type of distribution method for each of the program distribution methods;
A program distribution list sending unit for sending the program distribution list;
A redelivery device characterized by comprising. A communication reception unit that receives a program by communication by a unicast method;
Further equipped,
The conversion unit converts the program received by the communication reception unit into a format suitable for retransmission as well.
The redelivery device according to claim 2, wherein A program storage unit for storing a receiving program for receiving program distribution by a specific distribution method;
A receiving program sending unit that reads the receiving program from the program storage unit in response to a request from the receiving device, and sends the read receiving program to the receiving device that is the request source;
The redelivery device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising: The receiving program sending unit sends the receiving program over a local area network.
5. The redelivery device according to claim 4, wherein A viewer information receiving unit for receiving viewer information, which is information on a viewer of the program, from a receiving device for receiving the program to be re-sent by the re-sending unit;
A viewer information storage unit for storing the viewer information received by the viewer information receiving unit;
The redelivery device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising: A program distribution list receiving unit that receives a program distribution list including location information for receiving a program and type information that is information indicating a type of distribution method for each of the program distribution methods;
A configuration information storage unit that stores configuration information indicating whether or not to have a reception function for receiving distribution by a specific distribution method;
A determination unit that determines a distribution method from the program distribution list based on the distribution method represented by the type information included in the program distribution list and the reception function represented by the configuration information;
A program receiving unit for receiving a program by the distribution method determined by the determining unit;
A receiver comprising: A receiving program request unit for requesting a receiving program for receiving a delivery according to a specific delivery method;
A receiving program receiving unit for receiving the receiving program transmitted from the outside in response to a request from the receiving program request unit;
An execution unit that executes the received reception program;
The receiver according to claim 7, further comprising: Computer,
A broadcast receiving unit that receives a program by broadcasting;
A converter for converting the program received by the broadcast receiver into a format suitable for re-transmission;
A re-transmission unit that re-sends the program converted by the conversion unit by communication according to a multicast scheme;
A program distribution list synthesizing unit that synthesizes a program distribution list including location information for receiving a program and type information that is information indicating a type of distribution method for each of the program distribution methods;
A program distribution list sending unit for sending the program distribution list;
A program for functioning as a redelivery device comprising. Computer,
A program distribution list receiving unit that receives a program distribution list including location information for receiving a program and type information that is information indicating a type of distribution method for each of the program distribution methods;
A configuration information storage unit that stores configuration information indicating whether or not to have a reception function for receiving distribution by a specific distribution method;
A determination unit that determines a distribution method from the program distribution list based on the distribution method represented by the type information included in the program distribution list and the reception function represented by the configuration information;
A program receiving unit for receiving a program by the distribution method determined by the determining unit;
The program for functioning as a receiving apparatus which comprises.

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