Method and apparatus for providing information

Abstract

Information providing method and apparatus. The method includes generating scene information based on broadcasting related information received from a broadcasting information generation apparatus, providing the generated scene information to a user device in response to a scene information request received from the user device, receiving an information request from the user device and providing information with reference to the scene information to the user device in response to the information request. The broadcasting information generation apparatus generates the broadcasting related information based on a broadcasting program schedule generated by a broadcasting transmission apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing information comprising:
 generating broadcasting related information based on a broadcasting schedule provided by a broadcasting transmission apparatus;   generating scene information based on the broadcasting related information received from a broadcasting information generation apparatus;   providing the generated scene information to a user device in response to a scene information request received from a user device;   receiving an information request based on the provided scene information from the user device; and   providing the information to the user device in response to the information request.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scene information comprises at least one object information about a scene provided in reproduced contents and wherein the information comprises information for a selected object from among the at least one object information. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the object information included in the scene information is displayed on the user device in an icon form that comprises at least one of an image and a text. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the user device, a purchase information request that is generated based on the provided information by the user device, if the information is advertisement information.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving an event response to the provided information from the user device, if the information is event information; and   generating an event result based on the received event response.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the user device, a comment related information request that is generated by selecting a comment by the user device, if the information is comment information comprising a plurality of comments about the contents;   generating a comment related information in response to the comment related information request; and   providing the generated comment related information to the user device,   wherein the comment related information comprises a reproduction time point of the contents corresponding to the selected comment.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the reproduction time point included in the comment related information provides additional data to reproduce the contents from the reproduction time point. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for providing information comprising:
 a broadcasting program schedule receiver configured to receive a broadcasting program schedule from a broadcasting transmission apparatus;   a broadcasting program schedule provider configured to provide the received broadcasting program schedule to a broadcasting information generation apparatus in response to a broadcasting program schedule request received from the broadcasting information generation apparatus;   a broadcasting related information receiver configured to receive, from the broadcasting information generation apparatus, broadcasting related information that is generated by the broadcasting information generation apparatus based on the broadcasting program schedule;   a scene information provider configured to provide a user device with scene information about a scene included in contents that is being reproduced; and   an information provider configured to provide information to the user device in response to an information request generated based on the provided scene information by the user device.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the scene information comprises at least one object information about a scene provided in the reproduced content and wherein the object information is provided to the user device in an icon form that comprises at least one of an image and a text. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein if the information is advertisement information, the information provider comprises:
 an advertisement information provider configured to provide, to the user device, advertisement information in response to the information request received from the user device; and   a purchase information provider configured to provide purchase information to the user device in response to a purchase information request received from the user device.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein if the information is event information, the information provider comprises:
 an event information provider configured to provide event information to the user device, in response to an event participation request received from the user device; and   an event result generator configured to generate an event result based on the event response from the user device.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein if the information is comment information comprising a plurality of comments related to the contents, the information provider comprises:
 a comment information provider configured to provide comment information to the user device, in response to a comment information request received from the user device; and   a comment related information provider configured to provide comment related information to the user device in response to a comment related information request from the user device in which a comment is selected,   wherein the comment related information comprises a reproduction time point of the contents corresponding to the selected comment.   
     
     
         13 . A method of receiving information comprising:
 transmitting a scene information request comprising contents identification information to a broadcasting participation service apparatus;   receiving scene information matched with the contents identification information from the broadcasting participation service apparatus;   displaying the received scene information using a display unit included in a user device;   generating an information request in response to a user input in which at least one object information included in the scene information is selected;   transmitting the information request corresponding to the selected object information to the broadcasting participation service apparatus; and   displaying the information received from the broadcasting participation service apparatus using the display unit.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 generating a purchase information request with reference to the received information, if the information is advertisement information; and   transmitting the purchase information request to the broadcasting participation service apparatus.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 transmitting an event response based on the provided information to the broadcasting participation service providing apparatus, if the information is event information,   wherein the broadcasting participation service apparatus generates an event result based on the transmitted event response and transmits the event result to the user device.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 generating a comment related information request by selecting a comment, if the information is comment information comprising a plurality of comments related to the contents; and   transmitting the comment related information request to the broadcasting participation service apparatus.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the event result generator is configured to generate an event result based on analyzing the event response from the user device and event responses received from a plurality of other user devices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the displayed information comprises attribute information about the selected object information and wherein the selected object information comprises at least one of a person, a product, or a place illustrated in the reproduced content. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scene information is at least one of a plurality of objects listed in a list format, the plurality of objects in a table format, a plurality of objects with an icon for each object, further comprising receiving a selection of one of the plurality of objects from the user device, wherein the selected object is at least one of a place, a product, or a person shown in contents being reproduced by a display apparatus different from the user device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the display apparatus is a television, wherein the user device is a mobile terminal, and wherein the contents are a broadcasting program. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the scene information is based on a genre of the broadcasting program and is applicable to a plurality of broadcasting programs including the broadcasting program.