Method and device for sending and receiving game content including download thereof

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to methods and devices as well as handheld stations and computer program products for sending video game content to handheld mobile terminals, comprising broadcasting common video game content to handheld mobile communication terminals via a digital video broadcast handheld channel, to enable said handheld mobile terminals to execute video game applications.

1 . A method of sending video game content to handheld mobile terminals, comprising:
 combining common video game content with a video data stream; and   broadcasting said common video game content combined with said video data stream to one or more handheld mobile communication terminals via a digital video broadcast handheld channel using datacast, to enable said handheld mobile terminals to execute video game applications.   
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising receiving said common video game content from a remote game server. 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a video data stream,   generating said common video game content according to a content of said received video data stream,   combining said generated common video game content with said received video data stream, and   broadcasting said common video game content combined with said video data stream to one or more handheld mobile terminals via a digital video broadcast handheld channel.   
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein using datacast comprises using internet protocol datacast. 
   
   
       6 . A method of receiving video game content at a handheld mobile terminal, comprising:
 receiving a common video game content at a handheld mobile terminal combined with a video stream of a digital video broadcast channel via a digital video handheld broadcast channel using datacast;   extracting said common video game content from said video stream;   displaying said received video stream on a display of said handheld mobile terminal; and   using at least a part of said extracted common video game content for executing a video game application on said handheld mobile terminal in accordance with said received and displayed video stream.   
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 6 , further comprising executing at least a part of said received common video game content. 
   
   
       8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 6 , further comprising depicting said received video stream and video game display elements of said executed video game application superimposed on said display of said handheld mobile terminal. 
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 6 , further comprising.
 checking if said executed video game content is related to an actual content of said video stream displayed on the display of said handheld mobile terminal, and   interrupting the execution of said video game application if said executed video game application is not related to an actual content of said video stream displayed on the display of said handheld mobile terminal.   
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said handheld mobile terminal is a handheld mobile communication terminal, and wherein said common video game content is related to a multi-player online video game application, and wherein said method further comprises sending individual video game content via a wireless wide area communication network. 
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 12 , further comprising receiving individual video game content via a wireless wide area communication network. 
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein said wireless wide area communication network is a universal mobile telecommunication system. 
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein using datacast comprises using internet protocol datacast. 
   
   
       16 . A method for exchanging video game content of an online video game application on an online video game server with a number of connected handheld mobile communication terminals, comprising:
 operating an online video game application on said online video game server,   combining common video game content with a video data stream,   sending the common video game content combined with the video data stream to at least one handheld mobile communication terminal via a digital video broadcast channel using datacast, and   receiving individual video game content from at least one connected handheld mobile communication terminal via a wide area communication network.   
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 16 , further comprising sending individual video game content to at least one connected handheld mobile communication terminal via a wide area communication network. 
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein said wireless wide area communication network is a universal mobile telecommunication system. 
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 16  to  18 , further comprising:
 receiving a video data stream,   generating said common video game content according to the content of said received video data stream,   sending said common video game content to a broadcast station for combination with a video data stream to handheld mobile communication terminals via a digital video broadcast handheld channel,   checking if said received individual video game content is related to an actual content of said video stream, and   interrupting the reception of said individual video game content if said received individual video game content is not related to an actual content of said video stream.   
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 generating said video game content,   checking if said video game content is timing critical, and   classifying said video game content as common video game content if it is not timing critical and   classifying said video game content as individual video game content if it is timing critical.   
   
   
       21 . Computer program product capable of exchanging video game content of an online video game application between a video game server and handheld mobile terminals, comprising program code sections for carrying out the steps of  claim 1 , when said program is run on a controller, processor-based device, a computer, a microprocessor based device, a terminal, a network device, a mobile terminal or a mobile communication enabled terminal. 
   
   
       22 . (canceled) 
   
   
       23 . (canceled) 
   
   
       24 . (canceled) 
   
   
       25 . Digital video broadcast handheld transmitting station, wherein the digital video broadcast handheld transmitting station is configured to use datacast for sending game content comprising:
 a storage for storing a common video game content;   a digital video broadcast handheld encoder in communication with connected to said storage, for encoding common video game content retrieved from said storage,   an interface for receiving a video data stream,   a combiner, in communication with the digital video broadcast handheld encoder for combining the common video game content with the video data stream,   a transmitter connected to said digital video broadcast handheld encoder, to broadcast said encoded common video game content combined with the video data stream via a digital video broadcast handheld channel.   
   
   
       26 . Digital video broadcast handheld transmitting station according to  claim 25 , further comprising a receiver connected to said storage, for receiving said common video game content from a remote game server. 
   
   
       27 . (canceled) 
   
   
       28 . Digital video broadcast handheld transmitting station according to  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a generator connected to said interface for generating common video game content according to a content of said received video data stream, and   wherein said generator and said interface are connected to said combiner and said combiner is configured to combine said generated common video game content with said received video data stream.   
   
   
       29 . (canceled) 
   
   
       30 . Handheld mobile terminal comprising:
 a digital video broadcast handheld receiver, the receiver configured to receive a video stream of a digital video broadcast channel including for receiving a common video game content at said handheld mobile terminal via a digital video broadcast channel according to datacast;   an extractor in communication with the receiver, the extractor configured to extract the common video game content from the video stream.   a processing unit connected to said digital video broadcast handheld receiver and the extractor for executing a video game application using at least a part of said common video game content on said handheld mobile terminal, and   a display connected to the processing unit.   
   
   
       31 . (canceled) 
   
   
       32 . Handheld mobile communication terminal according to  claim 30 , wherein said processing unit is configured to use at least a part of said extracted common video game content for executing a video game application. 
   
   
       33 . Handheld mobile communication terminal according to  claim 32 , wherein said handheld mobile communication terminal is configured to display said video stream and/or said executed video game on said display. 
   
   
       34 . Handheld mobile communication terminal according to  claim 33 , wherein said processing unit is configured to display said received video stream on a display of said handheld mobile communication terminal, and execute said video game application in the handheld mobile communication terminal in accordance with said received and displayed video stream. 
   
   
       35 . Handheld mobile communication terminal according to  claim 34 , further comprising a superimposer connected to said processing unit to depict said received video stream and video game display elements of said executed video game application superimposed on said display on said handheld mobile communication terminal. 
   
   
       36 . Handheld mobile communication terminal according to  claim 34 , further comprising
 a checking unit, connected to said processing unit, to check if an executed video game content is related to an actual content of said video stream displayed on a display of said handheld mobile communication terminal,   wherein said processing unit is configured to interrupt the executing said video game application if said executed video game application is not related to an actual content of said video stream displayed on a display of said handheld mobile communication terminal.   
   
   
       37 . Handheld mobile communication terminal according to anyone  claim 30 , further comprising
 an interface to a wide area communication network, connected to said processing unit, for sending individual video game content via a wide area communication network, and   wherein said common video game content is related to the multi-player online video game application, and   wherein said processing unit is configured to send individual video game content via said interface via a wide area communication network.   
   
   
       38 . Handheld mobile communication terminal according to  claim 37 , wherein said handheld mobile communication terminal is further configured to receive individual video game content via said interface or through a wireless wide area communication network. 
   
   
       39 . Handheld mobile communication terminal according to  claim 38 , wherein said interface to a wide area communication network is an interface to a universal mobile telecommunication system. 
   
   
       40 . (canceled) 
   
   
       41 . Handheld mobile terminal according to  claim 30 , further comprising mobile telephone module connected to said processing unit. 
   
   
       42 . Online game server for exchanging video game content of an online video game application on an online video game server with a number of connected handheld mobile communication terminals, comprising:
 a processing unit to operate an online video game application,   a combiner for combining common video game content and a video data stream;   a first interface to a digital video broadcast handheld transmitting station, connected to said processing unit, for sending common video game content combined with the video data stream to at least one handheld mobile communication terminal via a digital video broadcast handheld channel using datacast, and   a second interface to a wide area communication network, connected to said processing unit, for receiving individual video game content from at least one connected handheld mobile communication terminal via a wide area communication network.   
   
   
       43 . Online game server according to  claim 42 , wherein said interface to a wide area communication network is further configured to send individual video game content to at least one connected handheld mobile communication terminal via a wide area communication network. 
   
   
       44 . Online game server according to  claim 42 , further comprising:
 a video game content generator connected to said control processing unit receiving a video data stream, for generating said common video game content according to content of said received video data stream, and   a checking unit to check if said received individual video game content is related to an actual content of said video data stream,   wherein said processing unit is configured to send said generated common video game content to a broadcast station for combination with a video data stream to handheld mobile communication terminals via a digital video broadcast handheld channel,   to check if said received individual video game content is related to an actual content of said video stream, and   to interrupt the reception of said individual video game content if said received individual video game content is not related to an actual content of said video stream.   
   
   
       45 . A method comprising:
 operating an online video game application on an online video game server;   generating video game content;   determining if the video game content is timing critical, wherein determining if the video game content is timing critical comprises classifying the video game content as common video game content if the video game content is not timing critical, and classifying the video game content as individual video game content if the video game content is timing critical;   sending common video game content to at least one handheld mobile communication terminal via a digital video broadcast channel; and   receiving individual video game content from at least one connected handheld mobile communication terminal via a wide area communication network.   
   
   
       46 . A computing device comprising:
 a processing unit configured to operate an online video game application;