Interactive tv system, a related meta filtering device, a related web service routing device and related application generating device

A metadata filtering device (MFD), for use in an interactive TV system for forwarding a data stream from a head-end device (HE) to a client device (CD), said -stream) including metadata related to content of said data-stream, said head end device and said client-device being coupled over a communications network (CN), said metadata filtering device comprising:

• a. a metadata filtering part (MFP), adapted to retrieve metadata from said data-stream;
• b. a metadata forwarding part (FP), adapted to forward said metadata retrieved from said data-stream to a Web Service routing device (WSRP) in said interactive TV system, said Web Service routing device (WSRP) being adapted to invoke a web service based on said meta-data included in said data-stream.

Web Service Routing device (WSRD), for use in an interactive TV system for forwarding a data-stream from a head-end device (HE) to a client device (CD), said data stream including metadata related to content of said data-stream, said head end device and said client-device being coupled over a communications network (CN), said Web Service Routing device (WSRD), comprising the following parts:

• a. a Web Service routing part, (WSRP) adapted to invoke a Web-Service corresponding to said metadata, based on said meta-data included in said data-stream;
• and
• b. a web service response reception part (WSRP), adapted to receive a response from said web service invoked based on said meta-data included in said data-stream.

Application Generating device (AGD), for use in an interactive TV system for forwarding a data (broadcast stream) from a head-end device (HE) to a client device (CD), said data-stream including metadata related to content of said data-stream, said head end device and said client-device being coupled over a communications network (CN), said Application Generating device (AGD), comprising the following parts:

• a. a response reception part (RRP), adapted to receive a response generated by a web service;
• and
• b. an application generating part (AGP), adapted to generate, based on said response of said web-service, an application for interacting with a user via said client device.

Assembling device (AD), for use in an interactive TV system for forwarding a data stream from a head-end device (HE) to a client device (CD), said data-stream) including metadata related to content of said data-stream, said head end device and said client-device being coupled over a communications network (CN), said. Assembling device (AD) comprising the following parts:

• a. an application reception part (ARP), adapted to receive an application for interacting with a user via said client device;
• b. an application inserting part (AIP), adapted to insert said application in said data forwarded by said head end device (HE) to said client device (CD).