Abstract:
A request message is transmitted to a server ( 21 ) from program receiving sites ( 40 ) each having a video screen whose size is sufficient for viewing by public audience. The server replies with a blank application form containing a list of scheduled event programs and their scheduled date and time scales each indicating the program&#39;s opening and closing times of day. Each program receiving site fills in the application form and returns it to the server. In the server, event programs indicated in the received application form are mapped in a registration database to the requesting program receiving sites, and the database is constantly is monitored for each event program. From an event holding site ( 30 ) the server receives an event program when its scheduled opening time is detected and distributes it to the registered receiving sites until the scheduled closing time of the program is detected.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to video distribution systems, and more specifically to an event program distribution system for distributing a video program from an even-holding place such as concert halls to public users via a communications network such as IP network.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication 2001-204003, the program of a public event held in a concert hall is distributed through an IP network to users&#39; personal computers and displayed on a small-sized screen. Because of the limited screen size, the user cannot feel and appreciate the real sense of presence in the place of live performance. On the other hand, large screen display systems have been developed and used in relatively small public gathering places such as game centers, movie theaters and “Karaoke” halls (where people gathers for singing favorite songs to the melody of recorded music played by an orchestra). If the event program is distributed to such relatively small public gathering places and displayed on large video screens, the users&#39; impression to the event performance would be much greater than they have with their small-size screen. However, the interest of the event provider is not protected if the program receiving sites are free to access the center of an event program distribution system. Additionally, there are unprofitable times for the relatively small public gathering places described above, depending on days of the week and time of day. It is desirable to enable efficient utilization of the video systems provided in such public gathering places.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an event program distribution system and method for enabling distribution of an event program to a number of program receiving sites to be displayed on a video screen whose size is sufficient for viewing by public audience.  
           [0006]    According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provide an event program distribution system comprising an event gathering system connected to a network, a plurality of program receiving sites connected to the network for transmitting a request message to the network, each of the receiving sites having a screen whose size is sufficient to be viewed by public audience, and a server connected to the network for receiving the request message and transmitting a blank application form to the network, containing a list of scheduled event programs and their scheduled date and time scale indicating the opening and closing times of day. The program receiving sites are responsive to the blank application form for returning a filled-in application form to the network containing one or more requested event programs. The server responds to the filled-in application form by mapping each of a plurality of requested event programs indicated in the application form in a registration memory to one or more requesting program receiving sites. The server monitors the memory for detecting the date and time scales of each event program, and receives an event program from said event gathering system when the scheduled date and opening time of day of the program are detected and distributes the received event program to one or more program receiving sites which are mapped to the event program until the scheduled closing time of day of the program is detected.  
           [0007]    According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of distributing an event program, comprising the steps of transmitting a request message from a plurality of program receiving sites to a server, each of the program receiving sites having a screen whose size is sufficient for viewing by public audience, receiving, at the server, the request message and transmitting a blank application form to the program receiving sites, containing a list of scheduled event programs and their scheduled date and time scale indicating the opening and closing times of day, transmitting a filled-in application form to the server, containing one or more requested event programs from the program receiving sites in response to the blank application form, responsive to the filled-in application form, mapping each of a plurality of event programs in a registration memory to one or more requesting program receiving sites, and monitoring the memory for detecting the date and opening time of day of each event program and receiving, at the server, an event program from an event gathering site when the date and opening time of day of the program are detected and distributing the received event program to one or more program receiving sites which are mapped to the event program until the closing time of day of the program is detected. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The present invention will be described in detail further with reference to the following drawings, in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an event program distribution system of the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is an illustration of an application form transmitted between a program distribution server and a requesting receive site;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is an illustration of a list of entries for different event programs requested by receiving sites and stored in a database of the server;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the server when an application form is transmitted from the server to a requesting receive site in response to a request message from the receive site; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of the server when an event program is distributed to requesting receive sites. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a public event distribution system according to the present invention. The system includes an event program distribution site  20 , an event-holding site (i.e., large public gathering place)  30  where a public performance is being held, and a plurality of program receiving sites (i.e., relatively small public gathering places)  40 A,  40 B and  40 C such as game center, movie theater and Karaoke hall. An IP (internet protocol) network  50  is used to transmit a live event program from the event-holding site  30  to the event program distribution site  20 .  
         [0015]    Program distribution site  20  includes a program distribution server  21 , a database  22  for storing registration data received from the program receiving sites  40  and a program storage device  23  for storing, if necessary, the live program transmitted from the even-holding site  30 . The received live program may be distributed through the network  50  on a real-time mode or the live program is recorded in the storage device  23  and distributed on a time-shift mode. Program distribution server  21  is managed by a system manager. The server  21  has the functionality of a world-wide-web server to perform subscription and alteration of users and is responsible for the management of a web page on the Internet.  
         [0016]    Event-holding site  30  is provided with an event-gathering system  31  including one or more video cameras and a sound system. The event-gathering system  31  is connected to the IP network  50  via an appropriate interface, not shown, to transmit a composite video signal to the program distribution server  21 .  
         [0017]    Each of the program receiving sites  40  is a subscribed user of the system and includes a client terminal  41  and a big-screen video receiver  42 . In each program receiving site  40 , or game center  40 A for example, the client terminal  41  transmits a request message to the program distribution server  21  over the IP network by specifying its URL. The request message contains a password assigned to the subscribed receiving site. If the password is verified by the server  21 , a blank application (registration) form is transmitted through the network  50  to the client terminal  41 . The video receiver  42  is also connected to the IP network via an appropriate interface, not shown, to receive an event program transmitted from the distribution server  21 .  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 2, the application form is displayed on the screen of the client terminal, or personal computer  41  as a window  60 . The displayed application form includes blank entries  61 ,  62  and  63 , which the requesting site is requested to insert the name of receiving site, the user ID and a list of requested programs, respectively. A list of scheduled events  64  is displayed to allow the requesting site to select one or more desired event programs and inserts the selected programs to the “requested programs” entry  63 . Each entry of the scheduled events includes the name of an event program, the date on which the program is to be performed and the time of day indicating the opening and closing times of day of the program.  
         [0019]    Once the application form is filled in, the requesting site  40  transmits the application form to the server  21 . In response, the program distribution server  21  makes registration of the requesting site  40  by creating a new entry in the database  22  or updates an existing entry of the database  22  with new information (see FIG. 3).  
         [0020]    During a program application mode of the system, the operation of the program distribution server  21  proceeds according to the flowchart of FIG. 4. When a request message for an application form is received from a subscribed program receiving site  40  (step  71 ), the server  21  verifies the password contained in the request message. If the password is verified (step  72 ), flow proceeds to step  73  to transmit the application form of FIG. 2 to the requesting site. After the receiving site fills in the application form and transmits it to the network  50 , the server  21  receives it at step  74  and updates the database (step  75 ). As shown in FIG. 3, the database  22  includes a plurality of entries corresponding to a plurality of event programs identified by the names of event program transmitted from program receiving sites  40 . In each entry, the name of the event program is mapped to one or more subscribed names of receiving sites which have requested the event program in their application forms and the timing data of the event program.  
         [0021]    Program distribution server  21  distributes an event program to the program receiving sites  40  which have requested that program. During a program distribution mode of the system, the operation of program distribution server  21  proceeds according to the flowchart of FIG. 5.  
         [0022]    At step  81 , the distribution server  21  reads timing data (date and time of day) from each entry of the database  22  for a comparison between the stored date and the current date and a comparison between the stored opening time of day and the current time of day. If both of these data match in an entry of the database  22  (step  82 ), flow proceeds to step  83  to read the requesting receive sites  40  from the entry as destination sites and establishes connections through the IP network  50  to the destination sites. At step  84 , the server  21  starts transmitting the requested event program to the destination receive sites over the established connections. Meanwhile, the server  21  reads and the closing time of day from the matched entry for comparison with the current time of day (step  85 ). If they match (step  86 ), the server  21  terminates the event program distribution by releasing the established connections (step  87 ).  
         [0023]    The video signal is preferably compressed and/or encrypted at the distribution server  21  and decompressed and/or decrypted at each of the requesting sites. Further, the distribution server  21  may perform a format conversion on a distributed program so that the transmitted program complies with the format of the video receiver of a receiving site.  
         [0024]    In each of the requesting receive sites  40  where peoples are gathering to enjoy a public event, the video receiver  42  receives the transmitted composite video signal of the event program and displays the video signal on its big-screen screen and drives a number of loudspeakers with the sound signal of the composite video signal. If a live program is used for distribution, the sense of reality of the live performance can be gained. In this way, the existing video systems of relatively small public gathering sites can be fully utilized to gain profit from the distributed programs when these systems remain idle for their normal purposes. This also adds to full utilization of the event program, and represents a new style of commercial activity.  
         [0025]    If the program receiving site is a game center, it would be best to request those event programs which can be displayed during the times the game center&#39;s big-screen facility is not used for its normal commercial service. In a similar manner, a movie theater may request those event programs which can be used on its video projection and sound system during weekdays and times of day when customers are very few to gain sufficient profit. The same applies to “Karaoke” halls.  
         [0026]    Utilization efficiency of existing video display systems of the relatively small public gathering sites can be improved in this way. Another beneficial effect of the present invention is that there is a possibility for the relatively small public gathering sites to attract new customers of different generations and different sex than the customers who frequently visit the sites for normal commercial services. In a “Karaoke” hall, for example, if a live lecture of a TV personality is displayed on its large screen during the daylight time of weekdays when normal customers are extremely few to visit, its unused facility will be utilized to attract a group of housewives.  
         [0027]    In a preferred embodiment, the client terminal  41  of a movie theater  40 B, for example, is provided with a microphone (not shown) and a VoIP protocol to establish a speech path  51  through the network  50  to the event-holding site  30 . If the video program of a lecture of a designated person is distributed to the movie theater  40 B, a two-way speech communication can be performed between the lecturer and the audience of the receiving site. This allows the audience to submit questions to the lecturer and receive his reply on a real-time basis.  
         [0028]    In a preferred embodiment, the distribution server  21  may announce scheduled event programs and their contents on its home page. The home page of the server  21  may further includes destination receive sites where the schedule event programs are displayed.  
         [0029]    In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a requesting receive site  40  transmits a request message to the server  21 , containing a time interval during which normal commercial activity is low. In response, the distribution server  21  sends a return message containing a list of event programs that can be distributed during the specified time interval. On receiving the return message, the requesting site selects one or more desired programs from those listed in the received message.  
         [0030]    Event program distribution server  21  may send a billing message to the requesting sites on an event-by-event basis for requesting them to transfer a charged amount to a bank&#39;s account specified by the server  21 .