Server and method for providing synchronization information, client apparatus and method for synchronizing additional information with broadcast program

Abstract

A synchronization information providing server to synchronize a broadcast program with additional information related to the broadcast program, a synchronization information providing method of synchronizing a broadcast program with additional information related to the broadcast program, a client apparatus to process synchronization information received from the synchronization information processing server and a method of processing synchronization information received from the synchronization information processing server are provided. The synchronization information providing server manages metadata of a broadcast frame constituting a broadcast program and additional information related to the metadata. The metadata includes time information and image feature information of the broadcast frame. Upon receiving synchronization request information, which includes time information and image feature information about at least one broadcast frame of a predetermined broadcast program, synchronization information to synchronize the predetermined broadcast program with additional information related to the predetermined broadcast program is provided to the client apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A client apparatus, comprising:
 a controller to extract time information and image feature information about broadcast frames from received broadcasting signals to generate synchronization request information including time information and image feature information about a predetermined broadcast program; and   a communicator to transmit the synchronization request information to a synchronization information providing server and receive synchronization information to synchronize the predetermined broadcast program with additional information related to the predetermined broadcast program from the synchronization information providing server, wherein   the controller synchronizes a broadcast frame with additional information related to the broadcast frame using the synchronization information.   
     
     
         2 . The client apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the communicator receives a list of additional information that includes broadcast program to identify information, at least one additional information mapped to time information and image feature information of a broadcast frame to be synchronized, and an identifier to identify the at least one additional information. 
     
     
         3 . The client apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a synchronization screen configuration unit to configure a screen by synchronizing a received broadcast frame with additional information related to the received broadcast frame,   wherein the synchronization screen configuration unit configures a synchronization screen by use of additional information corresponding to an additional information identifier indicated by the synchronization information included in the additional information list.   
     
     
         4 . A method of synchronizing additional information with a broadcast program, the method comprising:
 extracting time information and image feature information about broadcast frames from received broadcasting signals to generate synchronization request information including time information and image feature information about a predetermined broadcast program;   transmitting the synchronization request information to a synchronization information providing server;   receiving synchronization information to synchronize the predetermined broadcast program with additional information related to the predetermined broadcast program from the synchronization information providing server; and   is synchronizing broadcast frame with additional information related to the broadcast frame by use of the synchronization information.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving a list of additional information that includes broadcast program identifying information, at least one piece of additional information mapped to time information and image feature information of a broadcast frame to be synchronized, and an identifier to identify the at least one piece of additional information.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein, the synchronizing of the broadcast frame with additional information related to the broadcast frame using the synchronization information further comprises:
 configuring a synchronization screen by use of additional information corresponding to an additional information identifier indicated by the synchronization information included in the additional information list.