Data transmission/reception apparatus for use in a two-way digital broadcasting system

Abstract

The reception device in two-way digital broadcasting system sends a transmission request for an object via a control channel of a network to a server device that stores a plurality of objects. This plurality of objects includes at least one object that contains data and at least one object that contains a control instruction for a synchronous transmission request requesting the transmission of data that is presently required or an asynchronous transmission request requesting the transmission of data that will probably be necessary in the future. The reception device receives the requested object via the data channel of the network. On receiving an object that includes a control instruction for a synchronous transmission request or an asynchronous transmission request from the server device, the reception device decodes the control instruction in the received object and judges whether a synchronous transmission request or an asynchronous transmission request is to be issued. When a synchronous transmission request is issued, the reception device does not decode another instruction until the requested object arrives. On the other hand, when an asynchronous transmission request is issued, the reception device does not wait for the requested object to arrive before decoding another instruction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A data reception terminal apparatus connected via a control channel and a data channel of a network means to a server apparatus that stores a plurality of objects including at least one object that contains control instructions, 
 the data reception terminal apparatus comprising: 
 object reception means for receiving an object;  
 data storage means for storing data included in the received object;  
 request transmission means for issuing one of an object transmission request and a transmission termination request via the control channel of the network to the server apparatus;  
 input reception means for receiving a user indication; and  
 instruction processing means for decoding one of the user indication received by the input reception means and a control instruction included in the data stored in the data storage means, and for having the request transmission means issue an object transmission request after judging from a decoding result that one of an asynchronous transmission request and a synchronous transmission request should be executed,  
   wherein a synchronous transmission request is a transmission request for having an object transmission request issued to the server apparatus with a next decoding not being performed until an object requested by the object transmission request is received, and an asynchronous transmission request is a transmission request for having an object transmission request issued to the server apparatus with a next decoding being performed before an object requested by the object transmission request is received.    
     
     
         2 . The data reception terminal apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one object in the plurality of objects stored by the server apparatus includes at least one of video data and audio data, and the data reception terminal apparatus further comprises: 
 video/audio data reproduction means for reproducing video data and audio data; and    data identification means for identifying whether data in the object received by the object reception means contains at least one of video data and audio data, for outputting the received one of video data and audio data to the video/audio data reproduction means, and for outputting other data to the data storage unit.    
     
     
         3 . The data reception terminal apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein on decoding one of a user indication and a control instruction and finding that a synchronous transmission request should be executed while at least one of video data and audio data are being reproduced by the video/audio data reproduction means, the instruction processing means has the request transmission means issue a transmission termination request for an object that includes the one of video data and audio data being reproduced by the video/audio data reproduction means to the server apparatus.  
     
     
         4 . The data reception terminal apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein on decoding one of a user indication and a control instruction and finding that an asynchronous transmission request should be executed while at least one of video data and audio data are being reproduced by the video/audio data reproduction means, the instruction processing means does not have the request transmission means execute the asynchronous transmission request.  
     
     
         5 . The data reception terminal apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein when the request transmission means has issued an asynchronous transmission request to the server apparatus but a requested object has not yet arrived at the data reception terminal apparatus and, on decoding one of a user indication and a control instruction, the instruction processing means finds that a transmission request should be issued for an object including at least one of video data and audio data, the instruction processing means first has the request transmission means issue a transmission termination request for the requested object of the asynchronous transmission request.  
     
     
         6 . The data reception terminal apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein when the request transmission means has issued a first asynchronous transmission request to the server apparatus but a requested object has not yet arrived at the data reception terminal apparatus and, on decoding one of a user indication and a control instruction, the instruction processing means finds that a second asynchronous transmission request should be issued, the instruction processing means first has the request transmission means issue a transmission termination request for the requested object of the first asynchronous transmission request.  
     
     
         7 . The data reception terminal apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein when the request transmission means has issued an asynchronous transmission request to the server apparatus but a requested object has not yet arrived at the data reception terminal apparatus and, on decoding one of a user indication and a control instruction, the instruction processing means finds that a transmission request should be issued for an object that includes at least one of video data and audio data, the instruction processing means does not have the request transmission means issue the transmission request until the requested object of the asynchronous transmission request has arrived.  
     
     
         8 . The data reception terminal apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein 
 the object reception means is able to receive an object on the control channel of the network means, and    when at least one of video data and audio data are being reproduced by the video/audio data reproduction means and the request transmission means has issued an object transmission request, the object reception means receives an object requested by the object transmission request on the control channel of the network means.    
     
     
         9 . A server apparatus connected via a data channel and a control channel of a network means to a data reception terminal apparatus, 
 the server apparatus comprising: 
 object storage means for storing a plurality of objects, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects includes control instructions, and at least one of the plurality of objects includes at least one of video data and audio data;  
 transmission request reception means for receiving a transmission request for an object, wherein the transmission request is received from the data reception terminal apparatus via the control channel of the network means;  
 object searching means for searching the object storage means for the object requested by the received transmission request; and  
 transmission means for transmitting the object found by the object searching means to the data reception terminal apparatus via the data channel of the network means when no object that includes at least one of video data and audio data is being transmitted to the data reception terminal apparatus, and for transmitting the object found by the object searching means to the data reception terminal apparatus via the data channel of the network means when an object that includes at least one of video data and audio data is being transmitted to the data reception terminal apparatus.  
   
     
     
         10 . A server apparatus connected to a data reception terminal apparatus via a network means, the server apparatus comprising: 
 object storage means for storing a plurality of objects, wherein the plurality of objects includes at least one object that includes list information showing other objects that are to be simultaneously transmitted with the one object;    transmission request reception means for receiving a transmission request for an object, wherein the transmission request is received from the data reception terminal apparatus via a control channel of the network means;    object searching means for searching the object storage means for the object requested by the received transmission request;    list information searching means for determining whether the object found by the object searching means includes list information;    additional object searching means for searching the object storage means, when the list information searching means determines that the object includes list information, for each object given in the list information; and    transmission means for transmitting all of the objects found by the object searching means and by the additional object searching means to the data reception terminal apparatus.    
     
     
         11 . A data reception method for issuing a transmission request for an object via a control channel of a network means to a server apparatus and receiving the requested object via a data channel of the network means, the server apparatus storing a plurality of objects that include at least one object that contains control instructions, the control instructions including a control instruction for issuing a synchronous transmission request and a control instruction for issuing an asynchronous transmission request, 
 the reception method comprising: 
 an object reception step for receiving an object from the server apparatus, wherein the object includes one of a control instruction for issuing a synchronous transmission request and a control instruction for issuing an asynchronous transmission request;  
 an instruction decoding step for decoding the control instruction included in the object received in the object reception step and judging whether the control instruction is a synchronous transmission request or an asynchronous transmission request;  
 a synchronous processing step for issuing, when the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is a synchronous transmission request, a transmission request for an object and not performing the instruction decoding step until the object requested by the issued transmission request arrives; and  
 an asynchronous processing step for issuing, when the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is an asynchronous transmission request, a transmission request for an object and performing the instruction decoding step regardless of whether the object requested by the issued transmission request has arrived or not.  
   
     
     
         12 . The data reception method of  claim 11 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the data reception method further comprises: 
 a video/audio judging step for judging whether data in the object received from the server apparatus is one of video data and audio data; and  
 a transmission termination requesting step for sending, when the video/audio judging step judges that the data in the received object is one of video data and audio data and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is a synchronous transmission request, a request to terminate a transmission of the received object to the server apparatus.  
   
     
     
         13 . The data reception method of  claim 11 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the data reception method further comprises: 
 a video/audio judging step for judging whether data in the object received from the server apparatus is one of video data and audio data; and  
 an asynchronous transmission discarding step for discarding, when the video/audio judging step judges that the data in the object received from the server apparatus is one of video data and audio data and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is an asynchronous transmission request, the asynchronous transmission request.  
   
     
     
         14 . The data reception method of  claim 11 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the data reception method further comprises: 
 a first asynchronous transmission request terminating step for transmitting, when an object requested by an asynchronous transmission request has not yet to arrived and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is a transmission request for an object that includes at least one of video data and audio data, a request to the server apparatus to terminate a transmission of the object that has not yet arrived.  
   
     
     
         15 . The data reception method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a second asynchronous transmission request terminating step for transmitting, when an object requested by an asynchronous transmission request has not yet arrived and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is an asynchronous transmission request, a request to the server apparatus to terminate a transmission of the object that has not yet arrived.    
     
     
         16 . The data reception method of  claim 11 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the data reception method further comprises: 
 a transmission request waiting step for waiting, when an object requested by an asynchronous transmission request has not yet arrived and the instruction decoding step judges that a transmission request for an object that contains at least one of video data and audio data is to be issued, for the object requested by the asynchronous transmission request to arrive before issuing the transmission request for the object that contains at least one of video data and audio data.  
   
     
     
         17 . The data reception method of  claim 11 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the data reception method further comprises: 
 a video/audio judging step for judging whether data in the object received from the server apparatus is one of video data and audio data; and  
 a reception channel changing step for receiving, when the data in the object received from the server apparatus is judged as being one of video data and audio data and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is one of an asynchronous transmission request and a synchronous transmission request, an object requested by the one of the asynchronous transmission request and the synchronous transmission request via a control channel of the network means.  
   
     
     
         18 . A data transmission method, for a server apparatus that includes an object storage means which stores a plurality of objects, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects includes control instructions, and at least one of that plurality of objects includes at least one of video data and audio data, the data transmitting method searching, in accordance with an object transmission request transmitted from a data reception terminal apparatus via a control channel of a network means, the plurality of objects stored in the object storage means for an object that has been requested by the received object transmission request and transmitting the object to the data reception terminal apparatus via a data channel of the network means, 
 the data transmitting method including: 
 a video/audio judging step for judging whether data in an object presently being transmitted is one of video data and audio data;  
 a transmission request judging step for judging whether there is an object transmission request from the data reception terminal apparatus; and  
 a transmission channel changing step for transmitting, when the video/audio judging step judges that the data in the object presently being transmitted is one of video data and audio data and the transmission request judging step judges that there is an object transmission request from the data reception terminal apparatus, an object requested by the object transmission request via the control channel of the network means to the data reception terminal apparatus.  
   
     
     
         19 . A data transmission method, for a server apparatus that includes an object storage means which stores a plurality of objects, for searching the object storage means for an object requested by a transmission request received from a data reception terminal apparatus and transmitting the requested object to the data reception terminal apparatus, the data transmission method comprising: 
 an additional object list storing step for storing at least one object that has list information showing other objects that are also to be synchronously transmitted when there has been a transmission request for the object with the list information; and    an additional object transmission step for searching, when there has been a transmission request from the data reception terminal apparatus for an object that has list information, the object storing means for additional objects given in the list information of the requested object and for transmitting the additional objects with the requested object to the data reception terminal apparatus.    
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable recording medium for storing a program to be executed by a computer that is connected to a server apparatus that stores a plurality of objects, the program having the computer execute a procedure for issuing a transmission request for an object via a control channel of a network means and receiving the requested object via a data channel of the network means, the plurality of objects stored by the server apparatus including at least one object that contain one of a control instruction for issuing a synchronous transmission request for an object and a control instruction for issuing an asynchronous transmission request, 
 the procedure including the following steps: 
 an object reception step for receiving an object from the server apparatus, wherein the object contains one of a control instruction for issuing a synchronous transmission request and a control instruction for issuing an asynchronous transmission request;  
 an instruction decoding step for decoding the control instruction contained in the object received in the object reception step and judging whether the control instruction is a synchronous transmission request or an asynchronous transmission request;  
 a synchronous processing step for issuing, when the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is a synchronous transmission request, a transmission request for an object and not performing the instruction decoding step until the object requested by the issued transmission request arrives; and  
 an asynchronous processing step for issuing, when the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is an asynchronous transmission request, a transmission request for an object and performing the instruction decoding step regardless of whether the object requested by the issued transmission request has arrived or not.  
   
     
     
         21 . The recording medium of  claim 20 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the procedure further comprises: 
 a video/audio judging step for judging whether data in the object received from the server apparatus is one of video data and audio data; and  
 a transmission termination requesting step for sending, when the video/audio judging step judges that the data in the received object is one of video data and audio data and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is a synchronous transmission request, a request to terminate a transmission of the received object to the server apparatus.  
   
     
     
         22 . The recording medium of  claim 20 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the procedure further comprises: 
 a video/audio judging step for judging whether data in the object received from the server apparatus is one of video data and audio data; and  
 an asynchronous transmission discarding step for discarding, when the video/audio judging step judges that the data in the object received from the server apparatus is one of video data and audio data and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is an asynchronous transmission request, the asynchronous transmission request.  
   
     
     
         23 . The recording medium of  claim 20 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the procedure further comprises: 
 a first asynchronous transmission request terminating step for transmitting, when an object requested by an asynchronous transmission request has not yet arrived and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is a transmission request for an object that includes at least one of video data and audio data, a request to the server apparatus to terminate a transmission of the object that has not yet arrived.  
   
     
     
         24 . The recording medium of  claim 20 , wherein the procedure further comprises: 
 a second asynchronous transmission request terminating step for transmitting, when an object requested by an asynchronous transmission request has not yet arrived and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is an a synchronous transmission request, a request to the server apparatus to terminate a transmission of the object that has not yet arrived.    
     
     
         25 . The recording medium of  claim 20 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the procedure further comprises: 
 a transmission request waiting step for waiting, when an object requested by an asynchronous transmission request has not yet arrived and the instruction decoding step judges that a transmission request for an object that includes at least one of video data and audio data is to be issued, for the object requested by the asynchronous transmission request to arrive before issuing the transmission request for the object that includes at least one of video data and audio data.  
   
     
     
         26 . The recording medium of  claim 20 , 
 wherein the plurality of objects also includes at least one object that contains at least one of video data and audio data,    and wherein the procedure further comprises: 
 a video/audio judging step for judging whether data in the object received from the server apparatus is one of video data and audio data; and  
 a reception channel changing step for receiving, when the data in the object received from the server apparatus is judged as being one of video data and audio data and the instruction decoding step judges that the control instruction is one of an asynchronous transmission request and a synchronous transmission request, an object requested by the one of the asynchronous transmission request and the synchronous transmission request via a control channel of the network means.  
   
     
     
         27 . A computer-readable recording medium that stores a program to be executed by a computer that includes an object storage means which stores a plurality of objects, wherein at least one object in the plurality of objects includes control instructions, and at least one object in the plurality of objects includes at least one of video data and audio data, the program having the computer execute a procedure whereby on receiving a transmission request transmitted from a data reception terminal apparatus via a control channel of a network means, the computer searches the object storage means for an object requested by the transmission request and transmits the object via a data channel of the network means to the data reception terminal apparatus, the procedure comprising the following steps: 
 a video/audio judging step for judging whether data in an object presently being transmitted is one of video data and audio data;    a transmission request judging step for judging whether there is an object transmission request from the data reception terminal apparatus; and    a transmission channel changing step for transmitting, when the video/audio judging step judges that the data in the object presently being transmitted is one of video data and audio data and the transmission request judging step judges that there is an object transmission request from the data reception terminal apparatus, an object requested by the object transmission request via the control channel of the network means to the data reception terminal apparatus.    
     
     
         28 . A program, to be executed by the computer that includes an object storage means which stores a plurality of objects, the program having the computer execute a procedure whereby the computer searches the object storage means for an object requested by a transmission request received from a data reception terminal apparatus and transmits the requested object to the data reception terminal apparatus, the procedure comprising: 
 an additional object list storing step for storing at least one object that has list information showing other objects that are also to be synchronously transmitted when there has been a transmission request for the object with the list information; and    an additional object transmission step for searching, when there has been a transmission request from the data reception terminal apparatus for an object that has list information, the object storing means for additional objects given in the list information of the requested object and for transmitting the additional objects with the requested object to the data reception terminal apparatus.