Patent ID: 7627492

Claim:
A content distribution system comprising: a user terminal; a content distribution server configured to distribute video content received from said user terminal via a first network to a client via a second network; a content reservation management apparatus configured to transmit a menu to the user terminal via the second network, the menu configured to display service times and unoccupied available channels to distribute content from the content distribution server and a service fee, availability and cost corresponding to each of the available service times and unoccupied available channels; and the content reservation management apparatus configured to receive a reservation via said second network for a distribution channel and a time slot in which the distribution channel is to be used from said user terminal, wherein said content reservation management apparatus receives a real time distribution reservation request via said second network from said user terminal in order to immediately distribute the content, in response to the real-time distribution reservation request, said content reservation management apparatus reserves a current time at which the request is received, in a requested distribution channel which is unoccupied at the current time, and sends reservation setting information concerning the reservation to said user terminal and to said content distribution server; and said content distribution server immediately distributes at the current time the content received from said user terminal via said first network according to the reservation setting information.