Reception apparatus, reception method, transmission apparatus, and transmission method

1. A reception apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

receive audio/visual (AV) content;

acquire first control information for controlling an operation of an application program to be executed in coordination with said audio/visual content;

determine whether a first operation mode or a second operation mode is specified by a first control information type identifier included in said first control information;

acquire, based on said first control information, second control information for controlling said operation of said application program when said first control information type identifier specifies said first operation mode, said second control information including a plurality of events which are referenced by a plurality of different first control information and are related to execution of said application program; and

acquire, based on said first control information, said application program when said first control information type identifier specifies said second operation mode.

2. The reception apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said first or second operation mode is determined in accordance with a control scheme of said application program.

3. The reception apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

when said second operation mode is specified by said first control information type identifier, said circuitry is configured to control said operation of said application program in accordance with said first control information.

4. The reception apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said first control information includes additional information for use in controlling said operation of said application program under said second operation mode; and

said circuitry is configured to control said operation of said application program in accordance with said additional information.

5. The reception apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a memory configured to store said application program, wherein

said circuitry is configured to control said operation of said application program read from said memory in accordance with said first control information.

6. The reception apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to:

acquire said application program through a network, and

control said operation of said acquired application program in accordance with said first control information.

7. The reception apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:

control said application program by use of said second control information under said first operation mode.

8. The reception apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

said first control information is transmitted along with said audio/visual content; and

said circuitry is configured to extract said first control information from data of said audio/visual content.

9. The reception apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to:

extract a feature quantity from data of said audio/visual content, and

acquire said first control information corresponding to an identification result of said audio/visual content identified by use of said feature quantity.

10. A reception method of a reception apparatus comprising:

receiving audio/visual content;

acquiring, by circuitry of said reception apparatus, first control information for controlling an operation of an application program to be executed in coordination with said audio/visual content;

determining, by said circuitry, whether a first operation mode or a second operation mode is specified by a first control information type identifier included in said first control information;

acquiring, based on said first control information, second control information for controlling said operation of said application program when said first control information type identifier specifies said first operation mode, said second control information including a plurality of events which are referenced by a plurality of different first control information and are related to execution of said application program; and

acquiring, based on said first control information, said application program when said first control information type identifier specifies said second operation mode.

11. A transmission apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

generate first control information for controlling an operation of an application program to be executed in coordination with audio/visual content, said first control information including a first control information type identifier that specifies whether an operation mode of said application program is a first operation mode or a second operation mode, said operation mode being defined in accordance with a control scheme of said application program; and

transmit said first control information along with said audio/visual content to a reception apparatus which outputs the audio/visual content for display to a user, wherein

when said first control information type identifier specifies said first operation mode, said reception apparatus acquires, based on said first control information, second control information for controlling said operation of said application program, said second control information including a plurality of events which are referenced by a plurality of different first control information and are related to execution of said application program, and

when said first control information type identifier specifies said second operation mode, said reception apparatus acquires, based on said first control information, said application program.

12. A transmission method of a transmission apparatus comprising:

generating, by circuitry of said transmission apparatus, first control information for controlling an operation of an application program to be executed in coordination with audio/visual content, said first control information including a first control information type identifier that specifies whether an operation mode of said application program is a first operation mode or a second operation mode, said operation mode being defined in accordance with a control scheme of said application program; and

transmitting, by said circuitry, said first control information along with said audio/visual content to a reception apparatus which outputs the audio/visual content for display to a user, wherein

when said first control information type identifier specifies said first operation mode, said reception apparatus acquires, based on said first control information, second control information for controlling said operation of said application program, said second control information including a plurality of events which are referenced by a plurality of different first control information and are related to execution of said application program, and

when said first control information type identifier specifies said second operation mode, said reception apparatus acquires, based on said first control information, said application program.

13. The reception apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is configured to acquire said second control information by downloading said second control information from a server identified in said first control information.

14. The reception apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is further configured to:

acquire said second control information from a server according to a URL included in said first control information when said first control information type identifier specifies said first operation mode, and

acquire said application program from said server according to said URL included in said first control information when said first control information type identifier specifies said second operation mode.

15. The reception apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is configured to acquire each of the plurality of different first control information at a different time.

16. The reception apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry is configured to receive the plurality of different first control information while the audio/visual content is being displayed to the user.

17. A television receiver comprising the reception apparatus according to claim 1 .

18. The reception apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said application program is configured to execute in synchronization only with a specific one of a plurality of segments of said audio/visual content.

19. The reception method according to claim 10 , wherein said application program is configured to execute in synchronization only with a specific one of a plurality of segments of said audio/visual content.