Abstract: A system for delivering contents includes a center system which delivers the contents, a plurality of terminal systems which receive the contents from the center system and displays the contents, and communication lines connecting the center system to the plurality of terminal systems. The center system includes a delivery-schedule setting unit which sets a schedule of delivery, and a contents-delivery unit which delivers the contents to the terminal systems according to the schedule of delivery during a time period when a load on the terminal systems is lower than a predetermined level.

Abstract: In a multi-access communication system where a center station dynamically allocates the band of an uplink to subscriber stations, the band of an uplink is flexibly and efficiently allocated when the up-service quality is insured. When requesting a service quality assurance, the subscriber station 30 transmits the service quality request information 210 to the center station 10. The center station 10 transmits the identifier allocation information 310 to the subscriber station 30 to allocate an identifier. When the service priority is high, the center station 10 periodically transmits the reservation transmission permission information 410 and 411 to the subscriber station 3 at the reservation permission transmission intervals 910, thus checking for the presence or absence of reservation information. Waste consumption of the up-band can be suppressed by periodically transmitting the reservation transmission permission information even if subscriber stations issue up-data at irregular intervals.

Abstract: A system for restricting access to television programs comprising an input for accepting cursor movement and selection commands. The system includes a display that depicts a two dimensional matrix composed of rows and columns of tiles, wherein either the rows of tiles or the columns of tiles correspond to overall program ratings and either the rows of tiles or the columns of tiles correspond to specific program content indications and depicts highlighting of individual tiles or groups of tiles based on the cursor movement commands. The system further includes means for blocking or allowing viewing of television programs based on the overall program ratings and specific content ratings of the rows and columns corresponding the highlighted tiles when a selection command is entered into the input.

Abstract: A digital signal receiving apparatus for receiving a digital broadcast signal having a first information table and a second information table is disclosed, the first information table representing the relation between physical information of transmission paths and deliverable data, the second information table representing deliverable data, the apparatus comprising a means for successively searching services represented with the second information table, a means for generating a list that represents services represented with the first information table, and a means for performing a predetermined process corresponding to the generated list.

Abstract: Detecting tampering of an incoming cable to which a network interface unit (NIU) is connected by testing for the reflected signal that is present when the signal being transmitted to the head end is not connected to a properly terminated coaxial cable. In particular, by comparing the phase of the transmitted signal from the NIU with that of the reflected signal, a distinction can be made between a signal that travels many feet before being reflected back and a signal that reflects back right or near the connector of the NIU. Only the latter is used as a stimulus to indicate tampering since the first is likely caused by cable personnel disconnecting the cable further into the network. The key difference between the two types of reflected signals is the time delay of the reflect signal with respect to the transmitted signal from the NIU.

Abstract: A broadcast transmitting apparatus stores and manages the material for composing a broadcast program as AV data, creates storing control information showing a process control method when storing this AV data in a broadcast receiving apparatus, and storing management information showing management information during storing, and registers them as reference information and stores and manages, and transmits according to schedule information managing the schedule of the broadcast program. On the other hand, the broadcast receiving apparatus executes an storing control command according to the storing control information, and stores and manages the AV data according to the storing management information. Further, the broadcast transmitting apparatus creates application information from the reference information being stored and managed, and transmits it together with service application for executing broadcast program service.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for matching the rate of presentation of digital video data at a receiver/client with the rate the server is serving the data without the need of a voltage control oscillator or other hardware. An embodiment of the invention compares the presentation time at the receiver with the server elapsed time estimated from timestamp values on the served data. When the presentation time and the server elapsed time differ by an unacceptably large amount, an adjustment is made to the audio data stream to re-synchronize the presentation time with the elapsed time, which effectively also synchronizes the overall presentation rate with the overall server rate. The video data stream is then synchronized to the adjusted audio stream. The video data stream and audio data stream are converted to analog signals for presentation.

Abstract: An internet television apparatus which has an internet connecting capability, comprising a means for storing an HTML document received from a Web server, a means for interpreting the HTML document and develops an image on an image memory, a display device on which the developed image is displayed, a means for recognizing anchor tags existing in the HTML document to detect mutual positional relationship among hot spots, corresponding to the recognized anchor tags, on the browser screen so as to generate a transfer list which defines the positional-relationship, and a control means for determining to which hot spot a focus is to be transferred next from a currently focussed hot spot by referring to the transfer list on the basis of the currently focussed hot spot and a user's operation to the operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions, and for transferring the focus onto the determined hot spot.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, apparatus and system for providing action selections to an image referencing a product in a video production. According to the disclosure a method for providing action selections to an image referencing a product in a video production, said method includes (1) communicating a video production to a reproducing apparatus, said video production comprising a placement zone and a trigger zone at least partially coincident with said placement zone, wherein said trigger zone comprises a trigger resource identifier, and wherein said placement zone comprises an image referencing a product; (2) communicating to said reproducing apparatus an indication that an action selection interface associated with said product is available in response to a request corresponding to said trigger; and (3) communicating to said reproducing apparatus a characterization of said action selection interface, wherein said action selection interface comprises a selectable action.

Abstract: A device for provisioning, retrieving, and using data guide information transmitted in a digital broadcast signal is disclosed. A receiver receives the digital broadcast signal which includes digital television programming packets multiplexed with data packets and thereafter routes the received signal to a demodulator. The demodulator provides a demodulated signal to a detector which identifies data packets contained therein. A processor then determines the types of data in the data packets, as well as the respective channels on which the identified types of data are transmitted. The processor prepares a menu for a display screen enabling a user to select the channel of interest, and enables the user to be connected accordingly.

Abstract: A user interface is presented on a monitor of a media device for providing information about available programs. The user interface includes an array having three columns (channel, current show, and next show) with commonly aligned rows. Each row of the channel column includes an indicator. Each row of the current show column includes a title naming a program currently available on a channel of the media device corresponding to the indicator in a commonly aligned row of the channel column. Each row of the next show column includes a title naming a show available after the current program on the same channel. The currently available program may be displayed on the monitor in response to a viewer selected row, indicator, and/or title in the array.