Patent Document ID: 8161508
Application ID: 09878581
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An image content providing method of providing an image content via a network from an image content providing apparatus to an image content reproducing apparatus, said image content providing method comprising the steps of: requesting, via the stream distribution, distribution of said image content, said request sent from said image content reproducing apparatus to said image content providing apparatus; transmitting, via the network by one of download distribution and package distribution, said image content to said image content reproducing apparatus, wherein for download distribution and package distribution said image content providing apparatus only transmits said image content and does not transmit advertisement images and does not transmit internet addresses for advertisement images, wherein when said image content is transmitted via download distribution further including the steps of: transmitting an advertising inserting condition to said image content reproducing apparatus; detecting a position of inserting an advertisement image in said image content at said image content reproducing apparatus; requesting said advertisement image providing apparatus, having said advertisement image, to distribute said advertisement image to said image content reproducing apparatus and sending said advertising inserting condition to said advertisement image providing apparatus by said image content reproducing apparatus; selecting said advertisement image to be inserted into said image content based on at least said advertisement inserting condition and a maximum number of distribution times and transmitting said advertisement image selected, by stream distribution via the network, to said image content reproducing apparatus at said advertisement image providing apparatus; inserting said advertisement image transmitted to said image content reproducing apparatus at the position of inserting said advertisement image in said image content at said image reproducing apparatus; and display thereof, and wherein when said image content is transmitted via package distribution further including the steps of: transmitting an advertising inserting condition to said image content reproducing apparatus; detecting the position of inserting an advertisement image in said image content at said image content reproducing apparatus; requesting an advertisement image providing apparatus, having said advertisement image, to distribute said advertisement image to said image content reproducing apparatus and sending said advertising inserting condition to said advertisement image providing apparatus by said image content reproducing apparatus; selecting said advertisement image to be inserted into said image content based on at least said advertisement inserting condition and a maximum number of distribution times and transmitting said advertisement image selected, by stream distribution via the network, to said image content reproducing apparatus at said advertisement image providing apparatus; inserting said advertisement image transmitted to said image content reproducing apparatus at the position of inserting said advertisement image in said image content at said image reproducing apparatus; and display thereof.