JP4567921B2 - Data recording / reproducing apparatus and system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data recording / reproducing apparatus and system capable of reproducing an advertisement while inserting an advertisement into video content such as a movie or a drama stored in advance.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In conventional television broadcasting and the like, broadcasting stations obtain advertising fees from sponsors and cover program production costs by running advertisements (hereinafter also referred to as “CM”) between programs or between programs. It is like that. In other words, it is operated by advertising fee income from commercials, and viewers can watch programs for free. In satellite broadcasting and the like, pay broadcasting is also realized, but in the case of pay broadcasting, program production costs and the like are covered by collecting a predetermined amount from the viewer. Therefore, in the case of pay broadcasting, there is no need to get advertisement fees from sponsors by running commercials.
[0003]
On the other hand, in the case of rental video stores, recording media such as video tapes and DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs) on which movies are recorded are rented for a fee. Since there is a charge, basically no CM is included, and only a few CMs for guiding related works are included before or after the main part starts. However, once recorded on the recording medium, the recorded contents cannot be updated, so even if a normal CM is recorded in advance on the recording medium, it is not very effective for advertisement. If it is not viewed by an appropriate viewer at an appropriate time, the effectiveness of the CM is reduced.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in the conventional television broadcasting, only the same content CM is sent to all viewers in the service area. Therefore, in order to produce a predetermined advertising effect, the target consumption It is necessary to frequently broadcast commercials aiming at time zones and programs that are considered to be viewed by consumers, and the advertising effect is low. In addition, since CMs are streamed uniformly in the middle of almost all programs regardless of the type of program, for example, viewers who do not want the program flow to be frequently divided by CM subscribe to pay broadcasting Will enjoy the program.
[0005]
On the other hand, not all CMs are rejected by viewers in all scenes. CMs are useful to viewers as one of the information sources for easily obtaining information on new products and new lifestyles, and excellent CMs are as popular as excellent programs. That is, since the CM is a part of the information that the viewer wants to watch, the pay broadcast that completely abolishes the CM is not interesting for the viewer.
[0006]
In addition, when content is fixed on a recording medium, such as a rental video, it is not possible to stream CMs in a timely manner in accordance with the distribution of new products.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described various problems, and an object of the present invention is to insert sub data into main data and reproduce it according to the convenience of the viewer, thereby improving the convenience of the viewer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data recording / reproducing apparatus and system that can perform the above-described process. Another object of the present invention is to provide a data recording / reproducing apparatus and system that provide advantages for both viewers and data providers. Further objects of the present invention will become clear from the description of the embodiments described later.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the data recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention stores the main data and the sub data in the respective storage means in advance before viewing. The main data and the sub data are handled as separate and independent data, and the main data is stored in the main data storage means and the sub data is stored in the sub data storage means.
[0009]
Before viewing the main data, the viewer sets conditions for viewing the main data using the setting means. Based on this set condition, the control means inserts and reproduces the sub data at a predetermined position on the time axis of the main data.
[0010]
Thus, the viewer can view the sub data according to the set condition, and convenience is improved.
[0011]
Here, as main data, program data, such as a movie, a drama, a news program, a sports program, an entertainment program, can be mentioned, for example. Moreover, advertisement (CM) data can be mentioned as subdata. The main data has a time axis. That is, after the reproduction is started, the displayed content changes with time.
[0012]
The main data can be associated with insertion control information indicating a position where the sub data can be inserted. Thereby, the control means can determine the insertion position of the sub data based on the insertion control information.
[0013]
The insertion control information can be recorded in advance at a predetermined position of the main data. Alternatively, the insertion control information can be configured as separate data from the main data and sub data.
[0014]
On the other hand, as a condition set by the viewer, a billing condition indicating a condition of a fee to be paid for viewing the main data can be used. In this case, the control means inserts the sub data at a predetermined position of the main data so that the viewing time of the sub data increases as the payment amount decreases, based on the charging condition.
[0015]
When the viewer's payment amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the insertion of the sub data can be stopped and only the main data can be reproduced. On the other hand, when the payment amount is low, the sub data insertion time (number of insertions or insertion amount) increases, but the main data is reproduced.
[0016]
The insertion control information can include charging rank information corresponding to the charging conditions. In this case, the control means inserts the sub data at a predetermined position of the main data based on the charging rank information and the charging conditions so that the viewing time of the sub data increases as the payment amount decreases.
[0017]
For example, as charging conditions, three stages of rank 1 (payment amount: high), rank 2 (payment amount: medium), and rank 3 (payment amount: low) are prepared. Charging rank information LA, LB, LC corresponding to is set in advance. Rank 1 is associated with LA, rank 2 is associated with LA and LB, and rank 3 is associated with all of LA, LB, and LC. Thereby, the control means inserts the sub data only at the position where LA is set in the charge rank information when the charge condition set by the viewer is rank 1, and when the charge condition is rank 2. Can insert the sub data at the position where LA and LB are set in the charging rank information. Therefore, the control means can detect the position where the sub data is to be inserted based on the charging condition rank and the charging rank information associated with the main data.
[0018]
The conditions set by the viewer can further include a viewer attribute condition indicating the attribute information of the viewer in addition to the billing condition. Thereby, the control means can select the sub data to be inserted into the main data based on the viewer attribute condition.
[0019]
Examples of viewer attribute information include age, gender, family composition, residence, hobby, interest and interest. The control means selects sub data determined to be suitable for the viewer from the pre-stored sub data, and inserts the selected sub data at a predetermined position of the main data.
[0020]
Although various methods can be adopted, as one method for selecting the sub data, the sub data can be positively selected according to the attribute information of the viewer. For example, men may preferentially select sub data for men such as cars and sports, and women may preferentially select sub data for women such as cosmetics and fashion. On the other hand, as another selection method, it is possible to prevent certain types of sub data from being selected according to the attribute information of the viewer. For example, viewers who are quitting smoking or drinking are excluded from the selection of secondary data related to these luxury items, or viewers with minors who live together are minors that contain videos that are unfavorable to minors. This is the case where data is excluded from selection targets. Both the positive selection method and the exclusion method can be employed, and other selection methods can be employed.
[0021]
The sub data is preferably handled independently from the main data until it is inserted into the main data by the control means, and the storage contents of the sub data storage means can be updated irrespective of the main data.
[0022]
By handling the main data and sub data separately and making it possible to update only the sub data at any time, even if the sub data usage value life is shorter than the main data, it provides the viewer with useful sub data. can do. For example, a masterpiece movie or a culture program has a long useful life and can withstand multiple viewing. On the other hand, since the CM guides the new products from time to time, the utility value decreases with the passage of time. A CM related to a campaign only within a specific period is not meaningful even if it is aired after the period ends, and may even misunderstand the viewer. Therefore, by separating the main data and the sub data and making the sub data updatable regardless of the main data, it is possible to give merit to both the viewer and the sub data provider (for example, a sponsor).
[0023]
According to another aspect of the present invention, it can be understood as a data recording / reproducing system including a distribution device, a reproducing device, and a charging processing device.
[0024]
The distribution device distributes main data in which insertion control information indicating a position on the time axis into which the sub data can be inserted is associated in advance. The playback device inserts the sub-data at a predetermined position of the main data received and stored from the delivery device and plays back based on the preset charging condition and insertion control information. The charging processing device calculates the amount charged to the viewer and the sub-data provider based on the viewing result information by the playback device.
[0025]
The sub data can be transmitted from the distribution apparatus to the reproducing apparatus together with the main data (provided that the main data and the sub data are separated). Alternatively, the distribution device can distribute the main data by distributing a recording medium in which the main data is recorded, and the sub data can be transmitted to the reproduction device separately from the main data using a communication network or a broadcast wave.
[0026]
The viewing result by the playback device is sent to the billing processing device as viewing result information. The billing processing apparatus charges the viewer and the data provider with a fee based on the viewing result information. That is, the billing processing device calculates a fee charged to the viewer based on the viewing result of the main data and the viewing result of the sub data. For example, the final fee can be calculated by subtracting the discount amount for viewing the sub data from the viewing fee for the main data. On the other hand, the billing processing apparatus charges a fee to the provider of the sub data according to the number of times of reproducing the sub data inserted and reproduced in the main data. Accordingly, it is possible to collect amounts according to the merits received by both the viewer and the sub-data provider.
[0027]
According to another aspect of the present invention, main data and sub-data that are reproduced as a series at the time of viewing are stored separately and based on a predetermined fee structure, a predetermined position of the main data is stored. It can also be grasped as a method for recording and reproducing data to be reproduced by inserting sub data into the data.
[0028]
The present invention can also be understood as a computer program. This program can be distributed via a communication network, or can be recorded on a recording medium and distributed. As the recording medium, for example, various media such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a hard disk, and a memory can be used.
[0029]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 1 to FIG. 7 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a data recording / reproducing system. In this system, unlike conventional real-time viewing systems, program data and CM data are stored in advance in each viewer's device, and each viewer plays and browses a desired program at his convenience. It should be noted that the storage type viewing method that can be used.
[0030]
The content creation apparatus 1 is an apparatus managed by, for example, a program production company or a sponsor, and creates program data (main data) such as movies and dramas. In addition, the content creation device 1 creates CM data (sub data) such as product guidance. However, the content creation device 1 that creates program data and the content creation device 1 that creates CM data may be separate devices. In FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, both program data and CM data are created by the same content creation device 1 and sent to the distribution device 2. Here, even when the program data and the CM data are created by the same content creation device 1, the program data and the CM data are created as separate and independent data and transmitted in a state of being separated from each other. Yes.
[0031]
The distribution device 2 is, for example, a device managed by a broadcasting station or the like, and transmits the program data 10 and the CM data 20 to the playback device 3. For example, the distribution device 2 can transmit the program data 10 and the CM data 20 to the playback device 3 of each viewer via a channel such as a digital broadcast wave or the Internet.
[0032]
The playback device 3 is installed in, for example, each home, office, or hotel, and is connected to the display device 4. The playback device 3 can be provided for each display device 4 or can supply individual or identical data to a plurality of display devices. The viewer can set various conditions in the playback device 3 in advance. Conditions to be set include designation of a charging model as “charging conditions” and viewing conditions as “viewer attribute conditions”. Details of these conditions will be described later.
[0033]
Based on the set conditions, the playback device 3 inserts CM data at a predetermined position of the program data, converts this data into a format that can be displayed on the display device 4 (for example, NTSC signal, RGB signal, etc.) It transmits to the display device 4. Various methods can be employed for synthesizing and reproducing the program data and the CM data. As one method, CM data can be inserted into a predetermined position of program data to generate display data in advance, and the display data can be converted into an NTSC signal or the like and transmitted to the display device 4. Alternatively, as another method, CM data can be reproduced for a predetermined time at a predetermined time in synchronization with the reproduction of program data. That is, when a predetermined mark is detected during reproduction of program data, reproduction of program data can be interrupted for a predetermined time, and CM data can be reproduced and transmitted to the display device 4 within that time.
[0034]
The configuration of the content transmitted from the playback device 3 differs depending on the conditions set by the viewer. For example, CM data is excluded and only program data is transmitted to a viewer who accepts a large fee. In the present invention, the insertion amount (insertion time) of CM data increases according to the charge rank allowed by the viewer.
[0035]
The accounting processing device 5 calculates a fee charged to both the sponsor and the viewer based on the viewing data received from the playback device 3. Part or all of the viewing data is also provided from the billing processing device 5 to the distribution device 2. The settlement processing device 6 is managed by a financial institution such as a bank, for example, and performs processing such as deducting the viewing fee from the viewer's account based on the billing information (invoice) received from the billing processing device 5. Do.
[0036]
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of program data and CM data. First, FIG. 2A shows the configuration of the program data 10. In the program data 10, CM insertion control information 12 as “insertion control information” is set in advance at a predetermined position. Each CM insertion control information 12 includes types of charging ranks A to C. The CM insertion control information 12 can be assigned to each CM, or a plurality of CMs can be inserted with one CM insertion control information 12. In the latter case, the CM insertion control information 12 preferably includes management information such as the number of CMs that can be inserted and the CM broadcast time. The CM insertion control information 12 is set for each data 11 divided according to the contents of the program, the elapsed time from the start of broadcasting, or the like. The CM insertion control information 12 can also be provided at the start of the program (before program data 1) and after the program ends (after program data n).
[0037]
FIG. 2B shows the configuration of the CM data 20. The CM data 20 includes rank information 21, reproduction control information 22, sponsor information 23, CM attribute information 24, and a CM data body 25.
[0038]
In the rank information 21, any one of the charging ranks A to C is set. In the reproduction control information 22, information for controlling a reproduction method such as “prohibit fast-forward” is set. For example, sponsor information and identification information (ID) assigned to the sponsor are set in the sponsor information 23. The CM attribute information 24 includes, for example, the type of CM (food, medicine, cosmetics, automobile, fashion, travel, liquor, etc.), age limit for viewing (under 12 years old, inappropriate viewing, under 18 years old, etc.), CM Information such as a target person (male, female, age group, place of residence, etc.), CM validity period, and the like can be set. Note that the reproduction control information 22 is not necessarily provided in the CM data 20 and may be configured as data separate from the CM data 20.
[0039]
FIG. 2C is an explanatory diagram showing CM insertion locations set in the program data 10. As described above, CM insertion control information 12 having rank information is set in advance at a predetermined location in the program.
[0040]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the playback device 3. In the program data storage unit 30 as “main data storage means”, program data received from the distribution apparatus 2 is stored in advance. A plurality of CM data received from the distribution apparatus 2 is registered in advance in the CM data storage unit 31 as “sub data storage means”.
[0041]
The data selection unit 32 reads program data desired by the viewer from the program data storage unit 30 and CM data from the CM data storage unit 31 based on the set conditions.
[0042]
The input unit 33 includes, for example, a remote controller and a user interface displayed on the display device 4. The input unit 33 includes a program desired to be watched, a charge rank at the time of viewing, viewing conditions, and a playback method instruction (playback start). , Fast forward, rewind, etc.). When a program designation, a charge rank, or the like is input via the input unit 33, these values are registered in the setting registration unit 34. The data selection unit 32 selects program data and CM data based on the information transferred from the setting registration unit 34. The billing rank and viewing conditions can be input every time a program is viewed, or the latest information can be used. In addition, the charging rank and the initial value of the viewing condition can be set in the setting registration unit 34 in advance.
[0043]
Note that the initial value is preferably a value that is not disadvantageous for the viewer (for example, the charging rank is set to the lowest rank). Information specifying a program may be directly input from the input unit 33 to the data selection unit 32. Furthermore, the input unit 33 is not limited to a remote controller that performs button operations, and may be operable by voice recognition.
[0044]
The data incorporation unit 35 inserts the selected CM data at a predetermined position of the selected program data. The reproduction control unit 36 converts the data input from the data incorporation unit 35 into data in a format that can be displayed on the display device 4 (NTSC signal, RGB signal, etc.) and reproduces the data. When viewing of the program ends, the viewing result report unit 37 generates viewing data from information such as the viewed program, viewed CM data, viewer attributes, viewing time, and the like, and charges the viewing data. Transmit to device 5. As described above, the billing processing device 5 calculates a fee charged to both the viewer and the sponsor.
[0045]
FIG. 4 shows an example of a table referred to when selecting CM data. FIG. 4A schematically shows an attribute / CM correspondence table in which the attribute of the viewer is associated with the degree of association of the CM type. As shown in the figure, related CM types are associated in advance for each attribute (single / married, sex, age group, family structure, etc.) of the viewer. FIG. 4B is a CM management table for each type of CM. As shown in the figure, for example, a product name, a sponsor name, a priority, an expiration date, the number of playbacks, presence / absence of viewing age restriction, a CM data storage destination address, and the like are associated with each CM type.
[0046]
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing how CM data is inserted in accordance with the charge rank. As shown in FIG. 5A, the program data having the CM insertion control information 12 and the CM data are handled and stored as separate data files that are independent of each other. As shown in FIG. 5B, the charging model 1 is a model in which the charging rank set is E and the highest viewing fee is paid. Therefore, when the viewer selects charging model 1, only the desired program data is reproduced and displayed, and no CM data is inserted. As shown in FIG. 5C, the charging model 2 is set at a lower price than the charging model 1, but is a model that pays a slightly higher viewing fee.
The charge rank set for charge model 2 is A. Accordingly, the CM data is inserted into the CM insertion position having a rank of rank A or higher in the CM insertion control information. In this embodiment, since rank A is the highest rank, only the CM insertion position of rank A is selected. In FIGS. 5B to 5E, program data is indicated by white rectangles, and CM data is indicated by hatched rectangles.
[0047]
As shown in FIG. 5D, a charging rank B is set in the charging model 3. The viewing fee when the charging model 3 is selected is lower than that of the charging model 2. In this case, a CM insertion position (CM insertion position having rank A and rank B) having a rank higher than rank B is selected. As shown in FIG. 5E, the charging model 4 is a minimum fee model, and C is set as the charging rank. Therefore, when the viewer selects the charging model 4, CM data is inserted into CM insertion positions having a rank of rank C or higher, that is, positions indicated by all CM insertion control information. In addition, it can be arbitrarily set whether the setting fee of the charging model 4 is charged or free. Even in the case of the same charging model, the charge can be changed for each CM type to be inserted. For example, when a commercial with a high advertising fee from a sponsor is inserted in the center, a lower fee can be used.
[0048]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an outline of the reproduction process by the reproduction apparatus 3. In the figure, step is abbreviated as “S”.
[0049]
First, a list of programs (program table) stored in advance in the program data storage unit 30 is displayed on the display device 4 (S1). And it waits until a viewer selects the program which viewing desires (S2). One program may be designated, or a plurality of programs may be designated. When a plurality of programs are designated, the playback order may be designated. When a program is selected, preset viewer conditions are read (S3). Next, each charging model is described and displayed (S4). For example, the viewing fee for each charging model, the number of CM data to be inserted, the total CM time, and the like are displayed. When the viewer selects a charging model (S5: YES), the selected program data is read from the program data storage unit 30 (S6). Further, the CM data selected by the CM selection process described later is read from the CM data storage unit 31 (S6).
[0050]
When data to be displayed is determined, reproduction is started (S7). In the present embodiment, a CM is inserted and reproduced at a predetermined position while reproducing program data. That is, it is determined whether or not the CM insertion position has been reached (S8). If the CM insertion position determined by the charge rank is reached (S8: YES), the selected CM data is inserted and reproduced (S9). . If the position is not at the CM insertion position (S8: NO), the reproduction of program data is continued (S10). The processes of S8 to S10 are repeated until all the program data and CM data are reproduced (S11). When the reproduction is finished (S11: YES), viewing data is created and transmitted to the billing processing apparatus 5 (S12).
[0051]
Next, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing CM selection processing. First, an insertion candidate CM is selected based on the viewer attribute, CM priority, and the like (S21). For example, by referring to each table described above with reference to FIG. 4, a CM corresponding to gender, age, family structure, or the like is selected as a candidate. Further, a high priority is set for a CM having a short lifetime, such as a CM in a limited time campaign, and a CM having such a high priority is preferentially selected.
[0052]
Next, it is determined whether or not the CM to be inserted has been explicitly set by the viewer (S22). The viewer can pre-designate the CM type and sponsor name that he / she wants to actively view. On the other hand, the viewer can also specify in advance a CM type, a sponsor name, or the like for which viewing is refused. If there is a CM type or the like desired by the viewer, the desired type of CM is added to the insertion candidate list regardless of the attributes of the viewer (S23). On the other hand, CMs that are deemed inappropriate based on the viewer's attributes and those that are explicitly rejected are deleted from the insertion candidate list (S24).
[0053]
Next, it is determined whether or not the number of CMs remaining in the insertion candidate list is equal to or less than a preset insertion possible number (S25). When a CM exceeding the insertable number is selected as a candidate (S25: NO), a CM is selected from the CMs listed as candidates according to the priority (S26). The CM priority can be set based on, for example, the number of playbacks or an advertising fee from a sponsor. Then, the data of the selected CM is read from the CM data storage unit 31 (S27), and the read count of the read CM is updated (S28).
Note that the number of reproductions may be updated after the CM is actually reproduced.
[0054]
According to the present embodiment configured as described above, CM data is inserted in accordance with conditions set by the viewer, so that a CM suitable for each viewer can be streamed.
[0055]
The viewer can adjust the presence / absence and amount of CM insertion to some extent by selecting a charging model (fee system), thereby improving the convenience for the viewer. Also, the lower the charge rank, the more CM insertion amount increases and the charge becomes cheaper. The higher the charge rank, the lower the CM insertion amount and the charge becomes higher. Accordingly, the charge and the CM insertion amount can be selected.
[0056]
When viewed from the sponsor side, since the CM is reproduced according to the attribute of the viewer, the target audience of the CM can be viewed, thereby improving the advertising effect.
[0057]
When viewed from the broadcasting station side or the program producer side, fees can be collected from viewers and sponsors according to the respective merits, so that program production costs and the like can be collected from a plurality of revenue sources.
[0058]
Since the program data and the CM data are separated as separate data and stored in different storage units, only the CM data can be easily replaced, and a timely CM can be provided.
[0059]
Next, FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall outline of the data recording / reproducing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the same components as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
[0060]
The feature of this embodiment is that the program data is fixed to the recording medium 10a and distributed to the viewer. That is, program data such as movies, animations, or dramas are recorded on a large-capacity recording medium 10a such as a DVD-ROM or a magneto-optical disk and placed on the distribution market. This recording medium 10a is handed over to the viewer via each channel such as mail order, virtual store on the Internet, convenience store, rental video store and the like. The viewer reads the program data recorded on the recording medium 10 a and stores it in the program data storage unit 30 of the playback device 3. Alternatively, the program data may be read from the recording medium 10a every time the program data is viewed.
[0061]
The CM data is transmitted from the distribution device 2 to the playback device 3 through a channel such as a digital broadcast wave or the Internet, and stored in the CM data storage unit 31.
[0062]
Next, FIG. 9 is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of program data concerning the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The feature of this embodiment is that the CM insertion control information is not embedded in the program data in advance, but the CM insertion control information is configured as data different from the program data.
[0063]
Thereby, program data can be produced more easily. Further, since the CM insertion control information that has already been created can be reused, the same CM insertion control information can be used repeatedly in the case of a program whose program structure is almost fixed, such as a continuous drama.
[0064]
In addition, this invention is not limited to each embodiment mentioned above. A person skilled in the art can make various modifications by adding, deleting, or changing a new component to the configuration described in the embodiment.
[0065]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the data recording / reproducing apparatus and system according to the present invention, the amount of sub data to be inserted into the main data is controlled based on the conditions set by the viewer.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overall configuration of a data recording / reproducing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of each data.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a playback device.
FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram showing a table in which viewer attributes are associated with CM types, and FIG. 4B is a configuration explanatory diagram showing a management table for each CM type.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the insertion amount of CM data differs depending on a charging model.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a reproduction process.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a CM selection process.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an overall configuration of a data recording / reproducing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of program data used in a data recording / reproducing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Content creation device
2 Distribution device
3 Playback device
4 display devices
5. Billing processing device
6 Payment processing device
10 Program data
10a Recording medium
12 CM insertion control information
20 CM data
30 Program data storage
31 CM data storage
32 Data selection part
33 Input section
34 Setting registration section
35 Data integration part
36 Playback control unit
37 Viewing Results Report Department

Claims (3)

Main data storage means for storing main data;
Sub data storage means for storing sub data;
Setting means for setting conditions for viewing the main data;
Based on the set condition, the sub data read from the sub data storage means is inserted at a predetermined position on the time axis of the main data read from the main data storage means, and the main data and sub data are reproduced. Control means to
Equipped with a,
The main data is associated with insertion control information indicating a position where the sub data can be inserted,
The insertion control information is recorded in advance at a predetermined position of the main data,
The condition is a billing condition indicating a condition of a fee to be paid for viewing the main data,
The insertion control information includes charging rank information corresponding to the charging condition,
The control means inserts the sub data at a predetermined position of the main data based on the charging rank information and the charging conditions so that the viewing time of the sub data increases as the payment amount decreases. A data recording / reproducing apparatus. The condition further includes a viewer attribute condition indicating attribute information of the viewer, and the control means selects sub-data to be inserted into the main data based on the viewer attribute condition. Item 4. The data recording / reproducing apparatus according to Item 1 . The sub data is handled independently of the main data until it is inserted into the main data by the control means, and the storage contents of the sub data storage means can be updated regardless of the main data. data recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2.

Images