Patent ID: 7146629
Filing Date: 2006-12-05
Classification: H04M,H04N

Abstract:
1. A multi-user talking system for providing a multi-user talking service among viewers of a content, comprising: a content distribution apparatus and a multi-user talking control apparatus, each apparatus being connected to terminals of viewers through a network; wherein said content distribution apparatus comprises: request-for-viewing receiving means for receiving the request for viewing said content from a terminal of a viewer; viewer management means for managing the request for viewing received by said request-for-viewing receiving means, associating said request with a transmission source address of said request for viewing; and content distribution means for distributing said content to a transmission source address managed by said viewer management means, through said network; and wherein said multi-user talking control apparatus comprises: request-for-participation receiving means for receiving a request for participation in multi-user talking, from a terminal of a viewer; participant management means that manages a transmission source address of a request for participation received by said request-for-participation receiving means, when said transmission source address is managed by said viewer management means; mixing means that receives, through said network, respective pieces of talking data from terminals of viewers who have transmission source addresses managed by said participant management means, and mixes said pieces of talking data received to generate multi-user talking data; and multi-user talking data distribution means for distributing the multi-user talking data generated by said mixing means to transmission source addresses managed by said participant management means, through said network; and wherein said network is an IP network; wherein said content distribution means converts said content into IP packets, adds transmission source addresses managed by said viewer management means to a header of each IP packet, and multicasts the IP packets onto said IP network; and wherein said multi-user talking data distribution means converts the multi-user talking data generated by said mixing means into IP packets, adds transmission source addresses managed by said participant management means to a header of each IP packet, and multicasts the IP packets onto said P network; wherein said multi-user talking system further comprises: a first relay for relaying data between said IP network and television broadcast, said first relay having means for assembling P packets addressed to the first relay itself to restore a content and for broadcasting the restored content; and a second relay for relaying data between said IP network and a telephone network, said second relay having means for assembling IP packets addressed to the second relay itself to restore multi-user talking data and for transmitting the restored multi-user talking data to a channel specified by a telephone number informed from said multi-user talking control apparatus, and means for converting talking data received by said channel into IP packets and for transmitting the IP packets to said multi-user talking control apparatus; wherein said request-for-viewing receiving means comprises: means for receiving a request for viewing from a viewer's terminal provided with an interface with said IP network through said IP network; and means for receiving a request for viewing from a viewer's terminal provided with an interface with said telephone network through said telephone network; wherein said viewer management means sets a transmission source address associated with a request for viewing received by said request-for-viewing receiving means, to an IP address of a transmission source of said request for viewing, when said request-for-viewing receiving means receives said request for viewing through said IP network, and to a telephone number of the transmission source of said request for viewing, when said request-for-viewing receiving means receives said request for viewing through said telephone network; wherein said content distribution means uses an P address of said first relay, as a transmission source address added to a header of each IP packet of said content, in place of a telephone number included in the transmission source addresses managed by said viewer management means, when such a telephone number exists; wherein said request-for-participation receiving means comprises: means for receiving a request for participation from a viewer's terminal provided with an interface with said IP network through said IP network; and means for receiving a request for participation including a telephone number from a viewer's terminal provided with an interface with said telephone network through said telephone network; wherein said participant management means sets a transmission source address associated with a request for participation received by said request-for-participation receiving means, to an IP address of a transmission source of said request for participation, when said request-for-participation receiving means receives said request for participation through said IP network, and to a telephone number of the transmission source of said request for participation, when said request-for-participation receiving means receives said request for participation through said telephone network; wherein said mixing means receives pieces of talking data through said network from viewer's terminals each having an IP address managed by said participant management means and from said second relay, when a telephone number is included in transmission source addresses of requests for participation managed by said participant management means, and mixes the received pieces of talking data to generate multi-user talking data; wherein said multi-user talking data distribution means uses an IP address of said second relay, as an address added to a header of each IP packet of the multi-user talking data generated by said mixing means, in place of a telephone number included in the transmission source addresses of the requests for participation managed by said participant management means, when such a telephone number exists; and wherein said multi-user talking control apparatus further comprises a number informing means for informing said second relay of a telephone number included in a request for participation, when a transmission source address of said request for participation received by said request-for-participation means is said telephone number.