 Apparatus and method for processing a program guide in a digital video system |
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| Software updating and distribution |
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| Electronic program guide using markup language |
| This and other objects of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the ... |
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| Video pedestal network |
| The invention provides a network architecture for distributing digital data to subscriber units ... |
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| Module manager for interactive television system |
| One of the advantages of designing software applications in a modular fashion is the ability to ... |
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| Access to applications of an electronic processing device solely based on geographic location |
| OF THE INVENTION Referring to the Drawing, wherein like numbers denote like parts throughout the ... |
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| Text editing device |
| What is claimed is: 1. A text editing device comprising input means for inputting character data, ... |
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| Navigation system |
| The present invention provides system for serving information, comprising: routing means; one or ... |
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| Compatible transmission and reception of operational signals to be processed by a receiver |
| It is an object of the invention to provide a method of transmitting operational signals, such that ... |
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Method of and an apparatus for controlling a web server, a web server control program, and a storage medium on which the web server control program is stored
| Details |
Inventors: Igawa, Masaru; Takiyasu, Yoshihiro;
Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)
Primary Examiner: Vu; Ngoc
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Mattingly, Stanger, Malur & Brundidge, P.C.
A WEB server includes a control unit for HTTP server, a table of addresses of VOD servers, and a table of identifiers of video data. The control unit accesses these tables, in response to a request from a user of a terminal device for a display of video data, to retrieve therefrom an address of a video server and an identifier of a title of video data related to information on a WEB page accessed by the user, then transfers the address and the identifier to the terminal device. This enables the user of a video-on-demand system to easily obtain video data associated with information on the WEB server. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION When a user requests video data related to information on a page of a WEB server, the video data is distributed from the WEB server in the conventional method.
However, it is difficult to obtain in a realtime manner the video data via the Internet at a high bit rate equal to or more than several megabits per second (Mb/s) for the following reasons.
That is, it is not the first object of the WEB servers to transmit video data.
Moreover, the network throughput is limited in the Internet.
Therefore, it is difficult to receive by the terminal device high-quality video data related to WEB information.
In consequence, the transfer rate of video data is to be lowered or the user cannot view the video data in the realtime manner.
Namely, the video data is once downloaded on a disk of the terminal device to be reproduced at original rate later by the terminal device.
In accordance with DAVIC, the access to the Internet and that to the VOD server are completely independent of each other and there exists no stipulation concerning VOD server information to be kept by the WEB servers.
Consequently, there is no way to obtain video data related to WEB server information from a VOD server connected to another network.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to enable the user who receives information from a WEB server to obtain video data related to the information from a VOD server other than the WEB server.
For each operation to retrieve video data, the user does not select any item from a menu for the VOD server, namely, the video data can be immediately retrieved in a state in which the information of the WEB server is being checked or inspected.
To achieve the object above in accordance with the present invention, information on VOD server addresses from which the terminal device can receive video data and information on identifiers of video data requested from the terminal device are beforehand kept in the WEB server.
Moreover, when a request of display of a WEB page including buttons for retrieving video data is received, the WEB server retrieves an address of a VOD server necessary for the terminal device to receive the distributed video data and an identifier of the video data, and then transfers these items to the terminal device
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Television 
