# US 7,467,097 B2 · Business management method, business management apparatus and data broadcast delivery method

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- Number: US 7,467,097 B2
- Document ID: US7467097B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 09/829,573
- Filed: 2001-04-10
- Published: 2002-01-17
- Granted: 2008-12-16
- Earliest claimed: 2000-04-11
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Ryuichiro Hisamatsu; Takamichi Mitsuhashi; Tadashi Saito; Katsutoshi Sakao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7467097B2

## CPC

- H04L 47/15: {in relation to multipoint traffic (arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18)}
- G06Q 10/063: Operations research, analysis or management
- G06Q 30/0253: {During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions}
- G06Q 30/0268: {at point-of-sale [POS]}
- G06Q 30/0273: Determination of fees for advertising
- G06Q 30/0277: {Online advertisement}
- G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q 30/0641: {utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping}
- G06Q 30/0643: {graphically representing goods, e.g. 3D product representation}
- G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
- H04N 5/76: Television signal recording
- H04N 21/235: Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
- H04N 21/2365: Multiplexing of several video streams
- H04N 21/2368: Multiplexing of audio and video streams
- H04N 21/4331: {Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback}
- H04N 21/4341: {Demultiplexing of audio and video streams}
- H04N 21/4347: {Demultiplexing of several video streams}
- H04N 21/435: Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
- G06Q 30/0247: {Calculate past, present or future revenues}
- H04H 20/28: Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
- H04H 20/42: Arrangements for resource management
- H04H 20/74: of satellite networks
- H04H 2201/19: digital satellite radio [DSR]
- H04H 2201/30: characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
- H04N 5/781: on disks or drums
- H04N 5/907: using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories (H04N5/91 takes precedence)
- H04N 9/8042: {involving data reduction}
- H04N 21/4532: {involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/4622: {Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet (web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859)}
- H04N 21/47214: {for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market (stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224)}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N)

## Abstract

A business management method, a business management apparatus and a data broadcast delivery method are disclosed which allows contents to be broadcast over an unused bandwidth in satellite broadcasting so that the contents are stored and later reproduced as needed for quick access to a desired destination recorded in the contents. A data broadcast is assigned to an unused broadcast bandwidth over a broadcast band for transmitting programs in satellite broadcasting. The data broadcast over the unused bandwidth are stored onto a storage medium in a TV set. The stored data contents are sorted out by category for selective viewing by operation of the TV set. If the selected content offers e-commerce, a virtual shop handing desired offerings is accessed as per the content.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A business management method comprising the steps of:
obtaining information about earnings and expenses based on expenses incurred by content providers supplying users with recording devices compatible with contents offered by the providers, on content subscription fees paid by said users for receiving said contents, and on earnings derived from services and/or advertisements included in said contents;
determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to said users based on said users viewing history data;
controlling fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses thus obtained;
judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back;
initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible;
managing the number of recording devices compatible with said contents provided by said content providers to said users; and
determining fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements included in said contents in accordance with the managed number of recording devices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A business management method according to claim 1, wherein said services constitute electronic commerce practiced by virtual shops.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A business management method according to claim 1, wherein the share of said earnings is passed on to manufacturers of said recording devices in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A business management method according to claim 3, wherein said recording devices are leased free of charge to said users.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A business management method according to claim 1, wherein said content subscription fees paid by said users are controlled based on said information about said earnings and expenses.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A business management method according to claim 1, wherein said recording devices each include a hard disc drive.

### Claim 7

A business management apparatus comprising:
an information processing element for obtaining information about earnings and expenses obtained based on said expenses incurred by content providers supplying users with recording devices compatible with contents offered by said providers, on content subscription fees paid by said users for receiving said contents, and on said earnings derived from services and/or advertisements included in said contents;
a first determining element for determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to said users based on said users viewing history data;
a controlling element for controlling fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses thus obtained;
a judging element for judging whether a share of the earnings van be paid back;
an initiating element for initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible;
a managing element for managing the number of recording devices compatible with said contents provided by said content providers to said users; and
a second determining element for determining fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements included in said contents in accordance with the managed number of recording devices.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A business management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said services constitute electronic commerce practiced by virtual shops.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A business management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controlling element further allows the share of said earnings to be passed on to manufacturers of said recording devices in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

A business management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controlling element further controls said content subscription fees paid by said users based on said information about said earnings and expenses.

### Claim 11

A data broadcast delivery method comprising the steps of:
allocating a data broadcast to any unused bandwidth over a broadcast band used by a broadcasting station to broadcast programs;
receiving said data broadcast at a receiving side for storage onto a storage medium in each of a plurality of television sets;
sorting out contents, including services and/or advertisements, in the stored data broadcast;
determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to users based on said users viewing history data;
operating said plurality of television sets for selective viewing of the sorted-out contents;
judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back;
initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible;
storing said data broadcast successively onto said storage medium in such a manner that when a storage capacity of said storage medium either drops below a predetermined level or is completely exhausted, the initially recorded broadcast data are deleted from said storage medium to make room for the most recently received broadcast data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A data broadcast delivery method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of;
if a content selected by said receiving side is related to electronic commerce practiced by a virtual shop, then permitting access to said virtual shop associated with the selected content.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

A data broadcast delivery method according to claim 11, wherein the data broadcast that may be stored onto said storage medium is delivered only to viewers having subscribed to membership in advance.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A data broadcast delivery method according to claim 13, wherein the subscription to said membership is chargeable.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

A data broadcast delivery method according to claim 11, wherein said data broadcast includes audio data and video data.

### Claim 16

A business management method comprising the steps of:
obtaining information about earnings and expenses based on costs incurred by equipment manufacturers supplying users either free of charge or for a fee below cost with recording devices compatible with contents offered by content providers to said users, on content subscription fees paid by said users for receiving said contents, and on earnings derived from services and/or advertisements included in said contents;
determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to said users based on said users viewing history data;
controlling amounts of money to be paid back to said equipment manufacturers in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses;
judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back;
initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible;
managing the number of recording devices compatible with said contents provided by said content providers to said users; and
determining fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements included in said contents in accordance with the managed number of recording devices.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A business management method according to claim 16, wherein said business management method further comprises the step of controlling fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses.

### Claim 18

A business management apparatus comprising:
an information processing element for obtaining information about earnings and expenses based on costs incurred by equipment manufacturers supplying users either free of charge or for a fee below cost with recording devices compatible with contents offered by content providers to said users, on content subscription fees paid by said users for receiving said contents, and on earnings derived from services and/or advertisements included in said contents;
a determining element for determining said services and/or advertisements to be provided to said users based on said users viewing history data;
a controlling element for controlling amounts of money to be paid back to said equipment manufacturers in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses;
a judging element for judging whether a share of the earnings can be paid back;
an initiating element for initiating a process to decide on items applicable to pay back when that pay back is judged possible;
a managing element for managing the number of recording devices compatible with said contents provided by said content providers to said users; and
a second determining element for determining fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements included in said contents in accordance with the managed number of recording devices.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A business management apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said controlling element further controls fees to be paid for said services and/or said advertisements in accordance with said information about said earnings and expenses.