Patent ID: 7636932
Filing Date: 2009-12-22
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An information distribution system, comprising: a distribution server that is connected with a network, stores contents data and distributes the contents data to the network; a program guide server that is connected with the network, receives a request for program guide information, and generates the program guide information, the program guide information comprising information data of a plurality of programs, the information data including a title of the program, an IP address included in the request, a multicast address of the contents data, and a command data; a router that is connected with the distribution server and the program guide server via the network; a gateway that is connected with the router outside of a home and connected with a home network at the home, receives the contents data from the distribution server via the router, receives the program guide information from the program guide server via the router, and sends the contents data and the program guide information to the home network; a program selection terminal that is connected with the gateway on the home network, sends the request including the IP address of the gateway to the program guide server wherein the program guide server generates the program guide information and sends the program guide information to the program selection terminal via the gateway according to the IP address of the gateway, receives the program guide information from the program guide server via the gateway, selects the information data of one of the plurality of programs from the program guide information and sends the selected information data to the gateway in accordance with the IP address wherein the gateway sets a multicast address to the router in accordance with the command data included in the selected information data and the distribution server distributes the contents data in accordance with the multicast address; and a data receiving and display apparatus that is connected with the gateway on the home network and that is configured to receive the contents data from the distribution server via the gateway and to display the received contents data, the contents data being transmitted from the router to the data receiving and display apparatus via the gateway, wherein the program guide server generates the program guide information in response to receiving the request from the program selection terminal by embedding, in each program included in the program guide information, the title of the program, the IP address of the gateway included in the request, the multicast address of the contents data, and the command data.