APPARATUS, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND METHOD FOR DATA DISTRIBUTION

Abstract

A data distribution apparatus includes a data file configured to store video data and advertisement data to be provided to a receiving terminal of a Video on Demand service; a video distributing unit configured to distribute video data in accordance with a distribution request from the receiving terminal; a video presentation confirming unit configured to confirm a presentation state of the video data at the receiving terminal; an advertisement distribution determining unit configured to determine distribution of advertisement data to the receiving terminal when it is confirmed that the video data to be distributed by the video distributing unit is being called; and an advertisement distributing unit configured to distribute the advertisement data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of configuration of a VOD system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a functional structure of the VOD system;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of an example of video display at a monitor of a TV terminal;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another example of video display at the monitor of the TV terminal;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of still another example of video display at the monitor of the TV terminal;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a program/advertisement recommending unit;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a modification of the internal configuration of the program/advertisement recommending unit;

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of a video distribution process;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of an example of advertisement display at the monitor of the TV terminal;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of another example of advertisement display at the monitor of the TV terminal;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a modification of the internal configuration of the program/advertisement recommending unit;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a program/advertisement recommending unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of a video distribution process;

FIG. 14 is an elevational view showing an example of video and advertisement display at the monitor of the TV terminal;

FIG. 15 is an elevational view showing an example of video and advertisement display at the monitor of the TV terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a table T1 that is stored in an advertisement distribution position/timing determining unit;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing the table T1 that is included in the advertisement distribution position/timing determining unit;

FIG. 18 is an elevational view of an example of video and advertisement display at the monitor of the TV terminal;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the program/advertisement recommending unit;

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the program/advertisement recommending unit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is an elevational view of an example of video and advertisement display at the monitor of the TV terminal;

FIG. 22 is an elevational view of an example of video and advertisement display at the monitor of the TV terminal;

FIG. 23 is block diagram showing an internal configuration of the program/advertisement recommending unit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of a video distribution process; and

FIG. 25 is an elevational view showing an example of video and advertisement display at the monitor of the TV terminal.

Claims

1. A data distribution apparatus comprising: a data file configured to store video data and advertisement data to be provided to a receiving terminal of a Video on Demand service;a video distributing unit configured to distribute video data in accordance with a distribution request from the receiving terminal;a video presentation confirming unit configured to confirm a presentation state of the video data at the receiving terminal;an advertisement distribution determining unit configured to determine distribution of advertisement data to the receiving terminal when it is confirmed that the video data to be distributed by the video distributing unit is being called; andan advertisement distributing unit configured to distribute the advertisement data.

2. The data distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement distribution determining unit determines to distribute the advertisement data to the receiving terminal until the video presentation confirming unit confirms that calling of the video data by the video distributing unit is ended.

3. The data distribution apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the advertisement distribution determining unit specifies a position of presentation of the advertisement data at the receiving terminal.

4. The data distribution apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the position of presentation of the advertisement data at the receiving terminal is specified corresponding to a genre of the advertisement data.

5. The data distribution apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a user setting unit configured to accept an input on the position of presentation of the advertisement data corresponding to the genre of the advertisement data.

6. The data distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement distribution determining unit determines to distribute the advertisement data to the receiving terminal, and changes a position of presentation of the advertisement data at the receiving terminal, when the video presentation confirming unit confirms that the calling of the video data is ended.

7. The data distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement distribution determining unit determines to distribute the advertisement data to the receiving terminal, and changes a size of a position of presentation of the advertisement data at the receiving terminal, when the video presentation confirming unit confirms that the calling of the video data is ended.

8. The data distribution apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a data converting unit configured to convert a data format of the advertisement data.

9. The data distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement data is determined based on a user preference extracted based on the video data distributed by the video distributing unit.

10. A computer program product having a computer readable medium including programmed instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform: distributing video data in accordance with a distribution request from a receiving terminal, the video data being stored in a data file which stores video data and advertisement data to be provided to the receiving terminal of a Video on Demand service;confirming a presentation state of the video data at the receiving terminal;determining distribution of advertisement data to the receiving terminal when it is confirmed that the video data is being called; anddistributing the advertisement data.

11. A method of data distribution comprising: distributing video data in accordance with a distribution request from a receiving terminal, the video data being stored in a data file which stores video data and advertisement data to be provided to the receiving terminal of a Video on Demand service;confirming a presentation state of the video data at the receiving terminal;determining a distribution of advertisement data to the receiving terminal when it is confirmed that the video data is being called; anddistributing the advertisement data.