JP2003198969A - Video body specifying method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a broadcasting station to grasp a video body that a viewer temporally and spatially indicates among video bodies displayed as images of a program on the screen of a broadcast terminal device. <P>SOLUTION: A video body specifying method comprises the stages of: storing video body information on video bodies to be displayed on the screen of the broadcast terminal device, display time information on when the video bodies are displayed, and position information on where they are displayed on the screen so that they correspond to one another; transmitting a control script to be executed on the broadcast terminal device in a broadcast script; executing the control script included in the broadcast stream received by the broadcast terminal device and receiving indicated time information and indicated position information sent from the broadcast terminal device; and specifying the video body made to correspond to the stored display time information and position information according to the received time information and position information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for identifying a video object.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a television device has been used only for viewing a program broadcast from a broadcasting station, but in recent years, a so-called interactive broadcasting service for transmitting some kind of information to a broadcasting station or a management center. Can be realized. This means that a viewer watching a two-way compatible program broadcast by a broadcasting station on a television
The information input by operating the remote controller at hand is transmitted to a broadcasting station or the like, and the broadcasting station or the like can be utilized for various purposes by collecting the information transmitted from the viewer. Such interactive programs are typically provided by data broadcast programs linked to television programs or independent data broadcast programs,
An example is a TV shopping program.
In this television shopping program, a viewer introduces a product by video / audio, and if the viewer likes the product, he / she operates a remote controller to place an online order.

[0003]

However, in the above-described conventional interactive program, in order for the viewer to specify an object (video object) displayed on the screen of the television device, The assigned identification information had to be entered, and the video object itself displayed on the screen could not be specified. That is, the viewer could not temporally or spatially point to the video object displayed at the predetermined position in the screen space. For this reason, broadcasting stations and the like have no choice but to handle video objects specified by viewers in a uniform conceptual unit of identification information, and grasp which video objects in the program are pointed to by the viewer. I couldn't.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is for a broadcasting station or the like to grasp a video object that a viewer temporally and spatially points out from among the video objects displayed as the video of a program on the screen of a television device. It is to be able to do it.

Another object of the present invention is to allow a broadcasting station or the like to grasp a video object pointed by a viewer temporally and spatially and reflect it in the video of the program in real time as described above. , To realize truly interactive broadcasting between viewers and broadcasting stations.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided video object information about a video object to be displayed on a screen of a broadcasting terminal device, display time information at which the video object should be displayed, and a position within the screen. Storing information in association with each other, transmitting a control script to be executed in the broadcast terminal device by including it in a broadcast stream, and the control script included in the broadcast stream received in the broadcast terminal device. And a step of receiving the pointed time information and the pointed position information transmitted from the broadcast terminal device, and associated with the stored display time information and the position information based on the received time information and the position information. And a step of specifying a video object, the method of specifying a video object.

Here, the control script displays a cursor pointer that moves according to an operation of a viewer on the screen of the broadcast terminal device, and instructs the video object displayed on the screen by the cursor. A function of prompting by a pointer, a step of receiving an instruction for a video object displayed on the screen from the viewer who operates the cursor pointer, and a function of acquiring instruction time information and instruction position information when the instruction is received And a function of transmitting the acquired pointed time information and the pointed position information acquired by the broadcasting terminal device.

As a result, the viewer can point the video object displayed as the video of the program on the screen of the broadcast terminal device temporally and spatially, and the broadcasting station points by the viewer. You will be able to understand the recorded video objects. Further, the broadcasting station can reflect the video object pointed to by the viewer in the video of the program.

In this specification, the term "means" does not simply mean physical means, but also includes the case where the functions of the means are realized by software. Further, the function of one means may be realized by two or more physical means, or the functions of two or more means may be realized by one physical means.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a system for realizing a digital broadcasting service according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, the broadcasting station 1 is equipped with a broadcasting device (not shown), and transmits digital data (content data) constituting a television broadcasting program (main broadcasting program) and a data broadcasting program via a relay station such as a broadcasting satellite or a communication satellite. , Is configured to be transmittable to the broadcast terminal device 2 of each viewer. The content data is used to refer to digital data of a certain program (regardless of whether it is a television broadcast program or a data broadcast program), but it does not have to be used separately. In this embodiment, the MPEG2-transport stream (MPEG
2-TS) is used to transmit various digital data as a stream. Further, although the present embodiment is premised on satellite broadcasting or the like, the present invention is not limited to this, and terrestrial broadcasting may be used.

The broadcasting terminal device 2 has a function of receiving and demodulating digital data carried as broadcast waves and providing it to the viewer as a broadcast program, as well as a communication function of realizing an interactive broadcasting service. . Broadcast terminal device 2
Is connected to the server computer 3 on the broadcast station side via the communication line by this communication function and performs communication according to a predetermined communication protocol. A telephone line or the like is typically applicable as the communication line, but the so-called Internet may also be used. The broadcast terminal device 2 typically corresponds to a set top box (STB) used with a television device, but may be configured as a television device having a function according to the present invention.

The server computer 3 is provided with a plurality of access ports and is connected to the broadcasting terminal device 2 requesting the connection through each access port to communicate with the broadcasting terminal device 2. The server computer 3
It is configured to perform predetermined information processing on data sent from the broadcast terminal device 3 and to communicate with a computer (not shown) installed in the broadcast station 1.
The server computer 3 is typically provided in the management center, but the broadcast station 1 itself may include such a server computer 3. The management center is broadcasting station 1.
Providing broadcasting services in combination with. Therefore, here, the broadcast station 1 and the server computer 3 may be included and sometimes referred to as the broadcast station side.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the broadcasting station according to this embodiment. The video / audio production device 201 converts video data (video data) and audio data (audio data) of a digital format relating to a main broadcast program transmitted from a video camera, a video server, or the like (not shown) into a video / audio data encoder (hereinafter, “ Video / audio data encoder ”) 204. Here, video data and audio data are treated as one digital data unless otherwise specified, and this is referred to as video / audio data.

The data broadcast production apparatus 202 outputs digital data for data broadcast (hereinafter referred to as "data broadcast data") to the data broadcast data encoder 205. The data broadcast data is composed of text data, image data (still image / moving image data), audio data, script (control program), display object data, and the like. The moving image data is synonymous with the video data, but is used in the sense of being distinguished from the video data in television broadcasting. The data broadcast data is created based on video / audio data and other digital data using an authoring terminal device (not shown), and is stored in a file server or the like. The data broadcast data in the present embodiment is configured to include a script for the broadcast terminal device 2 to realize communication with the server computer 3.

The broadcast management device 203 instructs the video / audio production device 201 and the data broadcast production device 202 to transmit the video / audio data and the data broadcast data according to the information on the program organization. The broadcast management device 203 also sends various information necessary for running the program providing service to the control information sending device 207.

The video / audio data encoder 204 compresses the video / audio data sent from the video / audio production apparatus 201 under the control of the broadcast management apparatus 204 in accordance with MPEG2 video and MPEG2 audio to generate a video / audio stream. Video and audio data encoder 20
4 sends the generated video and audio stream in the PES format to the multiplexing unit 208. Data broadcasting data encoder 2
Reference numeral 05 compresses and encodes the data broadcast data transmitted from the data broadcast production apparatus 202 under the control of the broadcast management apparatus 203, and generates a data broadcast stream. The data broadcast data encoder 205 sends the generated data broadcast data to the multiplexing unit 208 in the section format.

The event message sending unit 206 sends an event message related to the data broadcast data sent from the data broadcast production apparatus 202 to the control information sending apparatus 17.
Send to. The event message is data that is interpreted by the broadcast terminal device of the viewer, and is the broadcast terminal device 2
Performs processing according to this event message. That is, from the side of the broadcast station 1, the broadcast station 1 can control the operation of the broadcast terminal device 2 of the viewer using the event message. The control information transmission device 207 generates control information based on various information transmitted from the broadcast management device 203 and the event message transmitted from the event message transmission unit 206. Control information is PSI / SI
(Program Specific Information / Service Informatio
n). The control information sending device 207 sends the control information in the section format to the multiplexing device 208.

The multiplexer 208 multiplexes the PES format video / audio stream, the data broadcast stream, and the section format control information to obtain the MPEG2-TS.
(Hereinafter referred to as “multiplexed stream”) is generated. The multiplexer 208, when generating the multiplexed stream,
Further, time management information and the like are superposed as necessary, and scramble processing is performed on information to be concealed.
The multiplexer 208 sends the generated multiplexed stream to the digital modulator 209.

The digital modulator 209 digitally modulates the multiplexed stream by a predetermined modulation method, and the transmitter 210
Send this to. As the predetermined modulation method, for example,
The 8PSK method, the OFDM method, and the like can be given. The transmitter 210 transmits the digitally modulated stream as a broadcast wave signal to a relay station, for example, a broadcasting satellite or a communication satellite.

The video / audio production apparatus 201 also manages the time when a specific video object is displayed in the video reproduced by the video / audio data to be broadcast and the position on the screen where the video object is displayed. A management table is created and output to the video object display management table storage unit 211. In addition, the video object may include an object recognized as a specific object in the video of the program (for example, a person, a car, etc.) or a certain place in the scenery. The display time is preferably a relative time indicating the elapsed time from the broadcast start time of a certain program, and time management information NPT (Normal Play Time) indicating the reproduction time axis can be used. In addition, the screen position is preferably
It is a coordinate position with the origin at the upper left corner of the screen.

FIG. 3 shows the broadcasting terminal device 2 according to this embodiment.
It is a figure which shows the structural example of the viewer side receiving system comprised including. This system includes an antenna 301 that receives a broadcast wave transmitted from a broadcasting station 1 shown in FIG. 1 via a relay station, a set-top box 302 that selects and decodes the received stream, and a decoded signal. Output device 303 for outputting video and audio based on video and audio data
And the set top box 302 or the output device 303
A remote controller 30 for the viewer to operate
4 and. The set top box 302 is
It has a built-in communication modem for communicating with an external server computer via a communication line such as a telephone line.

The broadcasting terminal device 2 shown in the figure includes a set top box 302, an output device 303, and a communication modem 305.
Although they are configured separately, they may be configured as an integrated broadcast terminal device 2 as appropriate. Output device 30
3 is typically a television device, and outputs video and audio based on a video / audio signal input from the outside through an input terminal. Remote controller 304
Is provided with, for example, a power ON / OFF key (button), a channel selection key, a direction key, an enter key, etc., and the operation receiving unit of the set top box 302 receives an infrared signal corresponding to the key pressed by the user. . Further, instead of the remote controller 304, an operation panel may be configured on the front portion of the device or the like.

FIG. 4 shows a broadcasting terminal device 2 according to this embodiment.
2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of FIG. The broadcast terminal device 2 typically has a reception function, a storage function, a communication function, and a presentation function in order to realize the provision of various broadcast services.

In the figure, the controller 401 is a C
A PU 4011, a RAM 4012, a ROM 4013, and a rewritable nonvolatile memory 4014 are provided, and these are connected to each other via a bus. This controller 4
01 controls the operation of the entire broadcast terminal device 2 and also realizes various functions in combination with other hardware components.

The tuner 402 selects a broadcast wave signal corresponding to a specific transponder from broadcast wave signals supplied from an antenna (not shown), and a digital demodulation section 403.
Send to. The digital demodulation unit 403 demodulates the selected broadcast wave signal to be transmitted by a predetermined demodulation method, performs a predetermined error correction process, and then outputs the signal to the TS decoder 404. The signal sent from the digital demodulation circuit 202 corresponds to the above-mentioned multiplexed stream.
The TS decoder 404 separates the transmitted multiplexed stream into individual streams, and the MPEG-AV decoder 4
Send to 05. This stream can be viewed as a series of TS packets. TS decoder 4 according to the present embodiment
04, in combination with other hardware components, also has the ability to restore a separated incomplete stream to a complete stream, as described in more detail below. MEP
The G-AV decoder 405 decodes the video / audio stream to be transmitted according to MPEG2 video and MPEG2 audio, and outputs it to an output device.

The sound controller 406 is the controller 4
Under the control of 01, an additional sound is generated based on various sound data. The generated additional sound is superimposed (combined) with the audio data sent from the MPEG2-AV decoder 405 and output from the output device (speaker).

The OSD controller 407 is the controller 40.
Under the control of 1, the text data and the image data based on the data broadcasting data are generated. These generated data are superposed on the video data sent from the MPEG2-AV decoder 405.

The external recording device I / F 408 is an interface for connecting to an external recording device (not shown). The external recording device is typically a hard disk device, a DVD-RW (or DVD-RAM) device, a removable solid-state memory (for example, “smart media” or “memory stick”), and the like.

The IC card I / F 410 is an interface for connecting to an IC card that stores predetermined information. The IC card stores, for example, a viewer's personal information (viewer information), a descrambling key, and the like.

The communication modem 305 communicates with an external server computer 3 connected via a communication line.
A communication function according to a predetermined communication protocol is provided. The communication modem 305 connects to the server computer 3 by PPP connection, for example, via a telephone line, and performs communication.

In the broadcasting system according to the present embodiment configured as described above, while the viewer is watching the video of the program displayed on the screen of the output device 303, it is displayed on the screen by the remote controller 304 at hand. By operating the pointer cursor and spatially pointing to the video object displayed on the screen, the information at this time is transmitted to the broadcast station 1, and the broadcast station 1 identifies the video object pointed to by the viewer. To do. That is, when the viewer gives an instruction, the broadcast terminal device 2 acquires the time information and the coordinate information at that time, and transmits them to the broadcast station 1. The broadcast station 1 has prepared in advance a video object display management table indicating what is displayed as a video object at which position in accordance with the reproduction time axis of the video of the program. Referring to the display management table, based on the time information and the coordinate information transmitted from the viewer's broadcast terminal device 2,
The video object specified by the viewer is specified. For example, in a TV shopping program, if a viewer considers an action pointing to a video object on the screen as an order, the broadcasting station 1 identifies the video object according to the action of the viewer and the program currently being broadcast. It will be possible to realize a true interactive broadcasting service by removing the video object from the video.

FIG. 5 shows a broadcasting terminal device 2 according to this embodiment.
4 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the processing of FIG.
Such processing is realized by the broadcast terminal device 2 executing a script transmitted as data broadcast data. For example, assume that a main broadcast program is provided in the broadcast terminal device 2 and a data broadcast program is provided in conjunction with the main program. At this time, the script is executed in the data broadcast program, and the processing as shown in FIG. 5 is realized. In the following, the processing flow will be described in a sequential manner, but the present invention is not limited to this. Therefore,
As long as there is no contradiction in the processing results, the processing order may be changed or the operations may be performed in parallel.

When the situation (scene) in which the instruction of the video object can be received in the main broadcast program is reached, the broadcast terminal device 2 gives an instruction at a predetermined position on the screen so as to overlap the video of the main broadcast program. Display the object (cursor pointer). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the screen of the main broadcast program. Here, it is assumed that the main broadcast program is a shopping program for purchasing products such as beer.
As shown in the figure, an arrow-shaped cursor pointer is displayed on the screen together with an image of beer handled as a product. In other words, the video of each beer is a video object. Returning to FIG. 5, the broadcasting terminal device 2
Monitors a key input from the remote controller 304 (STEP 501 to 503) and performs a process corresponding to the input key (STEP 504 to 507).
When the broadcast terminal device 2 receives an input from the remote controller 304 with one of the up, down, left, and right direction keys (ST
(Yes in EP501), and moves the cursor pointer in the direction corresponding to the direction key (STEP504).

On the other hand, when the broadcast terminal device 2 receives the input of the enter key (YES in STEP 502), the broadcast terminal device 2 acquires the time information at the time when the enter key is operated and the coordinate information of the cursor pointer (STEP 505). The broadcasting terminal device 2 uses a predetermined function (for example, "Browse.getNPT ()")
Acquires NPT as time information. Next, the broadcast terminal device 2 displays a transmission confirmation message on the screen and prompts the viewer to confirm the transmission. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the transmission confirmation message at this time. The viewer can give “send” or “cancel” to such a screen to the broadcast terminal device 2 by using the remote controller 304. When the broadcast terminal device 2 receives the transmission instruction (Yes in STE506), the broadcast terminal device 2 connects to the server computer 3 via the communication modem and transmits the acquired time information and coordinate information together with the viewer information to be transmitted ( (STEP507).

When the viewer wants to end the situation in which the instruction of the image object can be accepted, the viewer can end the operation at any time by pressing the cancel key (Yes in STEP 503).

FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of processing in the server computer 3 according to this embodiment. The server computer 3 establishes communication with the broadcast terminal device 2 via the access port, and acquires the viewer information, time information, and coordinate information transmitted from the broadcast terminal device 2 (STEP 801). Next, the server computer 3 refers to the video object display management table 211 and specifies the video object based on the acquired time information and coordinate information (STEP 802). FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the video object display management table according to the present embodiment. This video object display management table is for the shopping program shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the coordinate position at which a certain video object is displayed for each display time (from the display disclosure time to the display end time) is shown. For example, if the acquired time information is “00: 08: 12: 59” and the coordinate information is “(294,173)”, the server computer 3 determines “Beer B2” as the video object. Become. Server computer 3
When the video object is specified, the specified video object is sequentially accumulated in the database together with the acquired time information and coordinate information according to the viewer information (STEP80.
3).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the viewer operates the cursor pointer with the remote controller at hand to instruct a video object on the screen, time information and coordinates at the time of the instruction are displayed. The information is sent to the broadcasting station side, and the broadcasting station side specifies the video object based on the time information and the coordinate information. Therefore,
For the viewer, not only can the image object on the screen be instructed only by a uniform concept such as identification information, but it can also be instructed spatially, which increases the excitement. Also,
For the broadcasting station side, since it is possible to identify the video object in the video of the program that is currently being broadcast, it is possible to realize a true interactive broadcasting service, for example, removing the specified video object itself from the video. become able to.

The above embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the present embodiment, the video image on the screen is shown as a still image, but it may be a live (real time) image. That is, the viewer may operate the remote controller while watching the live video on the screen, and spatially instruct the video object displayed on the screen. The broadcasting station side specifies the video object displayed at the predetermined position on the screen at that time, based on the time information and the coordinate information transmitted from the broadcasting terminal device 2.

In this embodiment, the time information and the coordinate information at that time are transmitted to the broadcasting station every time the viewer gives an instruction to the screen. You may buffer it temporarily, and send it all together later.

[0042]

According to the present invention, the viewer can temporally and spatially point to the video object displayed as the video of the program on the screen of the broadcasting terminal device, and the broadcasting station can It becomes possible to grasp the video object pointed to by the viewer. Further, the broadcasting station can reflect the video object pointed to by the viewer in the video of the program.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a system that realizes a digital broadcasting service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a broadcasting station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a viewer side reception system including a broadcast terminal device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of a broadcast terminal device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the broadcast terminal device 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a main broadcast program according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a transmission confirmation message screen according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing in the server computer 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a video object display management table according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Broadcasting station 2 ... Broadcast terminal device 3 ... Server computer 201 ... Video / audio data production device 202 ... Data broadcasting production device 203 ... Broadcast management device 204 ... Video / audio data encoder 205 ... Data broadcast encoder 206 ... Event message sending instruction unit 207 ... Control information sending device 208 ... Multiplexing device 209 ... Digital modulator 210 ... Transmitting device 211 ... Video object display management table

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 7/173 620 (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Kutomi 5-3-3 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo T-BEE Su Kaikan Toma Digi Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shingo Kusunoki 5-3-3 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo TV House Toma Digi Co., Ltd. F Term (Reference) 5C025 CA09 DA05 5C063 AB05 DA07 EB35 5C064 BA07 BD02 BD08

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A video object information about a video object to be displayed on a screen of a broadcast terminal device, display time information at which the video object is to be displayed, and position information in the screen are stored in association with each other. A step of transmitting a control script to be executed in the broadcast terminal device by including it in a broadcast stream; a step of executing the control script included in the broadcast stream received in the broadcast terminal device; Receiving a pointed time information and a pointed position information transmitted from the device, and specifying a video object associated with the stored display time information and the position information based on the received time information and the position information. A method for identifying a video object having. 2. The control script displays, on the screen of the broadcast terminal device, a cursor pointer that moves in response to a viewer's operation, and instructs the video object displayed on the screen by the cursor pointer. And a step of receiving an instruction for the video object displayed in the screen from the viewer who operates the cursor pointer, and a function of acquiring instruction time information and instruction position information when the instruction is received. The method for identifying a video object according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast terminal device is caused to realize the function of transmitting the acquired instruction time information and the instruction position information.