A method, device, equipment and medium for playing live channels of a set-top box

Abstract

The present application provides a method, device, equipment and medium for playing live channels of a set-top box, which relates to the technical field of set-top boxes and is used to solve the problem of low playing efficiency and security of live channels. The method includes: sending a live channel request to a server when starting up; receiving channel data sent by the server after parsing the live channel request, and caching the channel data in a local disk; receiving a play instruction of a live channel, judging whether the live channel is a free channel or a paid channel according to the label of the live channel; if the live channel is a free channel, obtaining the multicast address of the live channel from the local disk for playing; if the live channel is a paid channel, obtaining the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or the server for playing. The set-top box can directly obtain the multicast address from the local disk for playing, which improves the playing efficiency of the live channel, and the paid channel uses a unicast address, which can improve the playing security of the live channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of set-top boxes, and provides a method, device, equipment and medium for playing live channels of a set-top box. Background Art

[0002] In the Internet age, more and more people watch live channels through Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). Operators provide free channels and paid channels to provide different experiences for different users.

[0003] In the traditional C / S IPTV solution, the set-top box sends a real-time authentication request to the server for each live channel. The server determines whether the set-top box is authorized. If it is a free channel or a paid channel that has been purchased, the server sends the playback address of the live channel, and the set-top box plays it according to the playback address. If it is a paid channel that has not been purchased, the payment mark is sent, and the set-top box prompts to purchase.

[0004] In the traditional method, real-time authentication requests are required for each live channel, and the server has a large number of visits, resulting in low playback efficiency of the live channel. In addition, the use of multicast addresses for paid channels in the traditional method will pose security risks and lead to cost losses. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a live channel playback method, device, equipment and medium of a set-top box, which are used to solve the problem of low playback efficiency and security of live channels.

[0006] In a first aspect, a live channel playing method of a set-top box is provided, which is applied to the set-top box; the method comprises:

[0007] Send a live channel request to the server when the computer is powered on;

[0008] receiving the channel data sent by the server after parsing the live channel request, and caching the channel data in a local disk; wherein the channel data includes the multicast addresses of all free channels, the unicast addresses of all paid channels, the expiration time of each unicast address, and the labels of all channels;

[0009] Receiving a play instruction of a live channel, and judging whether the live channel is a free channel or a paid channel according to a label of the live channel;

[0010] If the live channel is a free channel, obtaining the multicast address of the live channel from the local disk for playing;

[0011] If the live channel is a paid channel, the unicast address of the live channel is obtained from the local disk or the server for playing.

[0012] Optionally, if the live channel is a paid channel, obtaining a unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or the server for playing includes:

[0013] If the live channel is a paid channel, determining whether the unicast address of the live channel exists in the local disk and whether the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired;

[0014] If the unicast address of the live channel exists and the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has not expired, the broadcast is performed according to the unicast address of the live channel.

[0015] Optionally, if the live channel is a paid channel, after determining whether the unicast address of the live channel exists in the local disk and whether the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired, the method further includes:

[0016] If the unicast address of the live channel does not exist, or the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired, initiating an authentication request to the server;

[0017] receiving an authentication result sent by the server after parsing the authentication request;

[0018] If the authentication result indicates that the authentication is successful, obtaining the unicast address of the live broadcast channel in the authentication result;

[0019] Generate a play request based on the unicast address of the live channel;

[0020] Sending the playback request to the server;

[0021] The video stream of the live channel sent by the server after the server verifies the play request is received, and the video stream is played.

[0022] Optionally, the channel data includes a preset encryption algorithm and a preset key; and the generating a play request based on the unicast address of the live channel includes:

[0023] Based on the preset encryption algorithm and the preset key, the set-top box identifier, the set-top box IP address, the live channel identifier and the timestamp are encrypted to obtain encrypted information;

[0024] The encrypted information and the unicast address of the live channel are concatenated to generate a play request.

[0025] Optionally, after receiving the authentication result sent by the server after parsing the authentication request, the method further includes:

[0026] If the authentication result indicates that the authentication fails, the order information in the authentication result is displayed; the order information is used to instruct the user to subscribe to the live broadcast channel.

[0027] Optionally, if the authentication result indicates that the authentication fails, after displaying the order information, the method further includes:

[0028] Cache the authentication result in the local disk;

[0029] If the cache time of the authentication result exceeds a first preset time, the authentication result is deleted from the local disk.

[0030] Optionally, after caching the channel data in the local disk, the method further includes:

[0031] If the cache time of the multicast addresses of all free channels exceeds a second preset time, deleting the multicast addresses of all free channels from the local disk, and sending a free channel request to the server;

[0032] Receiving the latest multicast addresses of all free channels sent by the server after parsing the free channel request;

[0033] The latest multicast addresses of all free channels are cached in the local disk.

[0034] In a second aspect, a live channel playback device for a set-top box is provided, which is applied to the set-top box; the device comprises:

[0035] The startup module is used to send a live channel request to the server when the computer is started;

[0036] A cache module, configured to receive the channel data sent by the server after parsing the live channel request, and cache the channel data in a local disk; wherein the channel data includes the multicast addresses of all free channels, the unicast addresses of all paid channels, the expiration time of each unicast address, and the labels of all channels;

[0037] A judgment module, configured to receive a play instruction of a live channel and judge whether the live channel is a free channel or a paid channel according to a label of the live channel;

[0038] A playing module, used for obtaining the multicast address of the live channel from the local disk for playing if the live channel is a free channel;

[0039] The playing module is further configured to obtain the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or the server for playing if the live channel is a paid channel.

[0040] In a third aspect, the present application provides a computer device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the live channel playback method of the set-top box described in the first aspect.

[0041] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, and a processor executes the computer program to implement the live channel playback method of the set-top box described in the first aspect.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0043] The present application provides a live channel playing method of a set-top box, which is applied to the set-top box, and the method comprises: sending a live channel request to a server when the set-top box is turned on; receiving channel data sent by the server after parsing the live channel request, and caching the channel data in a local disk; wherein the channel data comprises multicast addresses of all free channels, unicast addresses of all paid channels, expiration time of each unicast address, and labels of all channels; receiving a play instruction of a live channel, judging whether the live channel is a free channel or a paid channel according to the label of the live channel; if the live channel is a free channel, obtaining the multicast address of the live channel from the local disk for playing; if the live channel is a paid channel, obtaining the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or the server for playing.

[0044] In this application, the set-top box caches the multicast addresses of all free channels when it is turned on. For free channels, there is no need to initiate an authentication request to the server, which reduces the server's overhead. The multicast address can be directly obtained from the local disk for playback, thereby improving the playback efficiency of the live channel. Even if the server's authentication platform is abnormal, it will not affect the playback of the free channel, thereby improving the user's viewing experience. And the paid channels use unicast addresses, which can limit each address to be used by only one user, improve the playback security of the live channel, and reduce the risk of misappropriation and cost losses. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the related technical descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only the embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an application scenario provided for an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a live channel playing method of a set-top box provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 3 An overall solution architecture diagram of a live channel playing method of a set-top box provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a live channel playback device of a set-top box provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0050] Markings in the figure: 10-set-top box, 20-server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application clearer, the technical scheme in the embodiment of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiment is only a part of the embodiment of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application. In the absence of conflict, the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other arbitrarily. In addition, although the logical order is shown in the flow chart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in an order different from that here.

[0052] Before introducing a live channel playing method of a set-top box provided in an embodiment of the present application, the background technology involved in the embodiment of the present application is first introduced in detail.

[0053] In addition to HD channels, many live channels also have some special channels (nostalgic theaters), such as some event channels (football, golf sports events), and high-quality channels (4K channels). For these channels, operators provide different services of free channels and paid channels to provide different experiences for different users.

[0054] In the traditional C / S IPTV solution, the set-top box sends a real-time authentication request to the server for each live channel, and only after the authentication is passed can the address be obtained for playback. This traditional method has the following problems:

[0055] 1. Each live broadcast channel (including free channels) needs to initiate a real-time authentication request, which increases the server's IO access and occupies resources.

[0056] 2. When an abnormality occurs in the authentication platform, ordinary free channels cannot be viewed, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0057] 3. Regardless of whether it is a free channel or a paid channel, the server sends a multicast address after authentication, which poses a great security risk. Once the multicast address of a paid channel is stolen, the paid channel can be viewed by all users in the multicast group, causing great cost losses.

[0058] In view of this, the embodiment of the present application provides a live channel playing method of a set-top box, which can be executed by a set-top box. The following briefly introduces the application scenarios to which the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can be applied. It should be noted that the application scenarios introduced below are only used to illustrate the embodiment of the present application and are not limited. In the specific implementation process, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can be flexibly applied according to actual needs.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 1 , is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the application scenario includes a set-top box 10 and a server 20.

[0060] The set-top box 10 is mainly used for receiving, decoding and displaying digital signals from television broadcasting, satellite, cable television or the Internet. It is usually connected to a television set and enhances the functions and services of the television.

[0061] Server 20 can be an independent physical server, or a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers. It can also be a cloud server that provides basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communications, middleware services, domain name services, security services, CDN, as well as big data and artificial intelligence platforms, but is not limited to these.

[0062] Combine the following Figure 1 The application scenario shown is Figure 2 A live channel playing method of a set-top box is introduced.

[0063] S201, sending a live channel request to a server when starting up.

[0064] In the specific implementation process, the user turns on the set-top box, enters the authentication information (such as user name and password) through the set-top box, and initiates a user login authentication request to the server. After receiving the user login authentication request, the server will verify whether the authentication information provided by the user is correct. If the authentication is successful, the server will generate and send a token to the set-top box. When the set-top box receives the token, it means that the user login authentication has passed, and it can send a live channel request carrying the token to the server. The live channel request is used to request channel data.

[0065] S202: receiving channel data sent by the server after parsing the live channel request, and caching the channel data in a local disk.

[0066] In the specific implementation process, the server can divide all live channels into free channels and paid channels, label the free channels as free, and label the paid channels as paid. After receiving the live channel request carrying the token, the server parses the live channel request, confirms the validity of the token and the request content, and sends the channel data to the set-top box if the token is valid. After receiving the channel data, the set-top box caches it to the local disk. The channel data includes the multicast addresses of all free channels, the unicast addresses of all paid channels, the expiration time of each unicast address, and the labels of all channels. If the token is invalid, a response containing an error code and description is sent to the set-top box, such as 401 Unauthorized or 403 Forbidden, with the reason for the token expiration.

[0067] In a possible embodiment, if the cache time of the multicast addresses of all free channels exceeds a second preset time, the multicast addresses of all free channels are deleted from the local disk, and a free channel request is sent to the server; the latest multicast addresses of all free channels sent by the server after parsing the free channel request are received; and the latest multicast addresses of all free channels are cached in the local disk.

[0068] In a specific implementation process, when the set-top box caches the multicast addresses of all free channels in the local disk, the first time at this time can be recorded. The cache time refers to the difference between the current time and the first time. If the difference exceeds the second preset time, it means that it is overdue, and then a free channel request is made to the server again. The free channel request is used to request the latest multicast addresses of all free channels. After receiving the free channel request, the server sends the latest multicast addresses of all free channels to the set-top box, and the set-top box caches the latest multicast addresses of all free channels in the local disk.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present application, the address cache of the free channels is refreshed periodically by configuring the expiration time, ensuring that the multicast addresses of all free channels in the clock cache in the local disk are the latest data, ensuring that the set-top box always uses the latest multicast address, avoiding the problem of channel inaccessibility due to address changes, and users can continuously and seamlessly access free channels, avoiding viewing interruptions caused by multicast address expiration. Regularly clearing expired caches and updating addresses helps maintain the system performance and stability of the set-top box.

[0070] S203: receiving a play instruction of a live channel, and determining whether the live channel is a free channel or a paid channel according to a label of the live channel.

[0071] During the specific implementation process, when the user clicks the play button of the live channel, the set-top box receives the play command of the live channel and can query the label of the live channel. If the label is a free label, it is determined that the live channel is a free channel. If the label is a paid label, it is determined that the live channel is a paid channel.

[0072] S204: If the live channel is a free channel, obtain the multicast address of the live channel from the local disk for playback.

[0073] During the specific implementation process, if it is determined that the live channel is a free channel, the multicast address of the live channel is obtained from the local disk, and the Socket is used to join the multicast group corresponding to the multicast address. The Socket receives the multicast data stream transmitted from the multicast address, and the received multicast data stream is decoded into a visual video format through a decoder, and the video signal is displayed on the TV through the user interface of the set-top box.

[0074] S205: If the live channel is a paid channel, obtain the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or server for playback.

[0075] In a possible embodiment, if the live channel is a paid channel, it is determined whether the unicast address of the live channel exists in the local disk and whether the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired; if the unicast address of the live channel exists and the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has not expired, the live channel is played according to the unicast address of the live channel.

[0076] During the specific implementation process, if the live broadcast channel is a paid channel, first determine whether there is a unicast address of the live broadcast channel in the local disk. If there is a unicast address of the live broadcast channel, determine whether the expiration time of the unicast address has expired. If the current time is before the expiration time of the unicast address, it means that the unicast address is valid, and then play according to the unicast address of the live broadcast channel.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present application, for paid channels, the unicast address of the paid channel may be directly obtained from the local disk, without initiating an authentication request to the server every time, reducing the server's overhead, thereby improving the playback efficiency of the live channel. And by checking the expiration time, it is ensured that the paid channel is played only within the validity period, avoiding unnecessary costs.

[0078] In a possible embodiment, if the unicast address of the live channel does not exist, or the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired, an authentication request is initiated to the server; an authentication result sent by the server after parsing the authentication request is received; if the authentication result indicates that the authentication is successful, the unicast address of the live channel in the authentication result is obtained; a play request is generated based on the unicast address of the live channel; the play request is sent to the server; a video stream of the live channel sent by the server after the play request is verified, and the video stream is played.

[0079] In the specific implementation process, if the unicast address of the live channel does not exist in the local disk, or if the unicast address of the live channel exists but the current time is after the expiration time of the unicast address, it means that the unicast address is invalid, then an authentication request is sent to the server, and the authentication request includes a token and a live channel identifier. The live channel identifier is used to uniquely identify each live channel.

[0080] After receiving the authentication request, if the server confirms that the user corresponding to the token has purchased the paid channel corresponding to the live channel identifier, the server sends the authentication result with the unicast address of the live channel to the set-top box. The set-top box generates a play request based on the unicast address of the live channel and sends the play request to the server. The server verifies the play request. If the verification is successful, the server sends the video stream of the live channel to the set-top box, and the set-top box plays the video stream. If the verification fails, a response containing an error code and description is sent to the set-top box, such as 403 Forbidden (access denied), with an explanation of the verification failure.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present application, through the authentication request, illegal access and unauthorized playback requests are effectively prevented, thereby improving the playback security of the live channel.

[0082] In a possible embodiment, the channel data includes a preset encryption algorithm and a preset key; and the step of generating a play request based on the unicast address of the live channel includes:

[0083] Based on a preset encryption algorithm and a preset key, the set-top box identifier, the set-top box IP address, the live channel identifier and the timestamp are encrypted to obtain encrypted information; the encrypted information and the unicast address of the live channel are concatenated to generate a playback request.

[0084] In the specific implementation process, when the server sends the channel data, it carries the preset encryption algorithm and preset key. The set-top box can encrypt the set-top box identifier, set-top box IP address, live channel identifier and timestamp based on the preset encryption algorithm and preset key to obtain encrypted information. Taking the preset encryption algorithm as AES as an example, the encrypted information is as follows:

[0085] info = AES (set-top box ID + device IP address + live channel ID + timestamp + MD5 (set-top box ID + device IP address + live channel ID + timestamp), preset key)

[0086] Among them, info is the encrypted information, AES is the preset encryption algorithm, and MD5 is the encryption hash function.

[0087] Add the encrypted information to the unicast address of the live channel to generate a playback request URL:

[0088] http: / / xxx / filename.m3u8?info=xx

[0089] Furthermore, after receiving the play request, the server parses the set-top box ID, set-top box device IP address, live channel ID, timestamp and MD5 value through the preset key and preset decryption algorithm, and performs the following four-point verification:

[0090] (1) Verify whether the IP address of the currently accessed user is consistent with the resolved set-top box IP address.

[0091] (2) Verify whether the live channel ID in the playback request URL is consistent with the parsed live channel ID.

[0092] (3) Check whether the time difference between the current system time and the parsed timestamp exceeds the time limit (the time limit is configured by the server, for example, 10 seconds).

[0093] (4) Calculate the MD5 value based on the parsed set-top box ID, set-top box device IP address, live channel ID and timestamp, and verify whether the parsed MD5 value is consistent with the calculated MD5 value.

[0094] If the above four-point checks are all passed, the set-top box is allowed to access the unicast address, otherwise, the set-top box is not allowed to access the unicast address.

[0095] In the embodiment of the present application, the set-top box adds an anti-hotlink string (info field) to the unicast address URL sent by the server. The set-top box uses the URL containing the anti-hotlink string (info field) to request content playback from the server. The encrypted playback request is difficult to forge or tamper with, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the request. The server performs a URL check to ensure the legitimacy of the user's access and achieve a safe playback effect.

[0096] In a possible embodiment, after receiving the authentication result sent by the server after parsing the authentication request, if the authentication result indicates that the authentication fails, the order information in the authentication result is displayed; the order information is used to instruct the user to subscribe to the live broadcast channel.

[0097] In the specific implementation process, after receiving the authentication request, if it is confirmed that the user corresponding to the token has not purchased the paid channel corresponding to the live channel identifier, the server generates order information according to the product package of the paid channel, and then sends the authentication result carrying the order information to the set-top box. After receiving the authentication result, the set-top box displays the order information and provides the user with the option to subscribe to the paid channel.

[0098] In the embodiment of the present application, by displaying the order information, the user can know why the authentication failed and whether the channel needs to be purchased, so as to quickly solve the problem. The user can directly perform relevant operations based on the order information, such as re-ordering or contacting support, which optimizes the user operation process.

[0099] In a possible embodiment, if the authentication result indicates that the authentication fails, the authentication result is cached in the local disk after the order information is displayed; if the cache time of the authentication result exceeds the first preset time, the authentication result is deleted from the local disk.

[0100] In the specific implementation process, if the server returns authentication failure, the set-top box prompts the order information and caches the authentication result of the live channel so that no secondary authentication request is made within the validity period, reducing the pressure on the server.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 3 , is an overall solution architecture diagram of a live channel playback method of a set-top box provided in an embodiment of the present application. The channel management platform, authentication platform, disaster recovery authentication platform, and CDN streaming platform can be different modules in the same server or different servers. The functions of each platform are introduced below.

[0102] Among them, the channel management platform divides the live broadcast channels into two categories: free channels and paid channels, marks the free channels with free labels, marks the paid channels with paid labels, and sends the labels of all channels to the set-top boxes.

[0103] As the main platform, the authentication and authorization platform is responsible for user login authentication, verification of authentication requests, generation of order information, etc. Among them, the user login authentication module sends a token to the set-top box and requires the set-top box to update it regularly. The authentication module authenticates based on the channel ID and user token to determine whether the paid channel is authorized. If authorized, it means that the paid channel has been purchased, and the unicast address of the paid channel is sent. The order payment module generates and pays order information based on the product package of the paid channel, and synchronizes the order results to the authentication module. The authentication module sets the user's paid product package as authorized.

[0104] The disaster recovery authentication platform is used as a backup platform. When the authentication platform encounters a server abnormality, the disaster recovery authentication platform is started to perform user login authentication, verify authentication requests, generate order information, etc. Through the disaster recovery authentication platform, when an abnormality occurs on the authentication platform, the broadcast of the channel can be guaranteed to the maximum extent without affecting user viewing.

[0105] The CDN streaming platform generates the unicast address of the paid channel through the channel identifier, and verifies the legitimacy of the playback request when the set-top box sends it. If it is legal, the stream is pushed to the set-top box, otherwise it cannot be played.

[0106] The set-top box includes a startup module, a playback module, a cache module, and an exception handling module. The functions of each module are introduced below.

[0107] The startup module is responsible for starting the set-top box, performing user login authentication, and after passing the user login authentication, requesting channel data from the server.

[0108] The playback module is responsible for playing according to the multicast address of the free channel and playing according to the unicast address of the paid channel.

[0109] The cache module is responsible for caching the channel data sent by the channel management platform to the local disk. The channel data includes the multicast addresses of all free channels and the authentication data of all paid channels. The authentication data includes the unicast addresses of all paid channels, the expiration time of each unicast address, the preset encryption algorithm and the preset key. For details, please refer to Table 1.

[0110] Table 1

[0111]

[0112] When an authentication interface exception or server exception occurs on the authentication platform (main platform), the exception handling module determines the type of live channel to be played. If it is a paid channel, it first determines whether the local disk has the unicast address of the paid channel cached, and whether the unicast address of the paid channel has expired. If the unicast address exists and has not expired, it is played directly according to the unicast address; otherwise, the authentication disaster recovery platform (backup platform) is authenticated and the string is obtained (an authentication request is sent to obtain the unicast address of the paid channel) to play and cache the authentication data.

[0113] In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides a live channel playback method of a set-top box, which adopts different playback processing methods for paid channels and free channels. The free channels are played in multicast mode, and the paid channels are played in unicast mode, which not only guarantees the bandwidth but also ensures the playback security. For unicast paid channels, the playback string anti-hotlink processing is performed to maximize the guarantee of the safe playback of paid channels and reduce the risk of paid channels being arbitrarily stolen and played. The cache technology can reduce the pressure on the server, reduce the server overhead, and improve the playback efficiency of the live channel.

[0114] Based on the same invention concept, please refer to Figure 4 The present application also provides a live channel playback device for a set-top box, which is applied to a set-top box; the device comprises:

[0115] The startup module is used to send a live channel request to the server when the computer is started;

[0116] A cache module, used to receive the channel data sent by the server after parsing the live channel request, and cache the channel data in a local disk; wherein the channel data includes the multicast addresses of all free channels, the unicast addresses of all paid channels, the expiration time of each unicast address, and the labels of all channels;

[0117] A judgment module, used for receiving a play instruction of a live channel, and judging whether the live channel is a free channel or a paid channel according to a label of the live channel;

[0118] The playback module is used to obtain the multicast address of the live channel from the local disk for playback if the live channel is a free channel;

[0119] The playing module is also used to obtain the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or server for playing if the live channel is a paid channel.

[0120] It should be noted that each module in the live channel playback device of the set-top box in this embodiment corresponds one-to-one to each step in the live channel playback method of the set-top box in the aforementioned embodiment. Therefore, the specific implementation of this embodiment can refer to the implementation of the live channel playback method of the aforementioned set-top box, which will not be repeated here.

[0121] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application also provides a computer device, which is equivalent to the IPTV device discussed above. The computer device includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the live channel playback method of the aforementioned set-top box is implemented.

[0122] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application also provides a computer storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the live channel playback method of the set-top box described above is implemented.

[0123] In some embodiments, the computer readable storage medium may be a memory such as FRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disk, or CD-ROM; or various devices including one or any combination of the above memories. The computer may be various computing devices including intelligent terminals and servers.

[0124] In some embodiments, executable instructions may be in the form of a program, software, software module, script or code, written in any form of programming language (including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages), and may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.

[0125] As an example, executable instructions may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system, may be stored as part of a file storing other programs or data, such as in one or more scripts in a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) document, in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files storing one or more modules, subroutines, or code portions).

[0126] By way of example, executable instructions may be deployed to be executed on one computing device, or on multiple computing devices located at one site, or on multiple computing devices distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0127] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or system including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or system. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." does not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or system including the element.

[0128] The serial numbers of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application are for description only and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0129] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as a read-only memory / random access memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk), and includes a number of instructions for a multimedia terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, a computer, a television receiver, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods of each embodiment of the present application.

[0130] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for playing live channels of a set-top box, characterized in that: Used in set-top boxes; The method comprises: Sending a user login authentication request to the server when starting up, receiving a token sent by the server after the authentication is passed according to the user login authentication request, and sending a live channel request carrying the token to the server; Receiving the channel data sent by the server after parsing the live channel request and confirming that the token is valid, caching the channel data in a local disk; wherein the channel data includes the multicast addresses of all free channels, the unicast addresses of all paid channels, the expiration time of each unicast address, and the labels of all channels; Receiving a play instruction of a live channel, and judging whether the live channel is a free channel or a paid channel according to a label of the live channel; If the live channel is a free channel, obtaining the multicast address of the live channel from the local disk for playing; If the live channel is a paid channel, obtaining the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or the server for playing; If the live channel is a paid channel, obtaining the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or the server for playing, including: If the live channel is a paid channel, determining whether the unicast address of the live channel exists in the local disk and whether the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired; If the unicast address of the live channel exists and the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has not expired, the broadcast is performed according to the unicast address of the live channel.

2. The method for playing live channels of a set-top box as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: If the live channel is a paid channel, after determining whether the unicast address of the live channel exists in the local disk and whether the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired, the method further includes: If the unicast address of the live channel does not exist, or the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired, initiating an authentication request to the server; receiving an authentication result sent by the server after parsing the authentication request; If the authentication result indicates that the authentication is successful, obtaining the unicast address of the live broadcast channel in the authentication result; Generate a play request based on the unicast address of the live channel; Sending the playback request to the server; The video stream of the live channel sent by the server after the server verifies the play request is received, and the video stream is played.

3. The live channel playing method of the set-top box as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The channel data includes a preset encryption algorithm and a preset key; the generating a play request based on the unicast address of the live channel includes: Based on the preset encryption algorithm and the preset key, the set-top box identifier, the set-top box IP address, the live channel identifier and the timestamp are encrypted to obtain encrypted information; The encrypted information and the unicast address of the live channel are concatenated to generate a play request.

4. The method for playing live channels of a set-top box as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: After receiving the authentication result sent by the server after parsing the authentication request, the method further includes: If the authentication result indicates that the authentication fails, the order information in the authentication result is displayed; the order information is used to instruct the user to subscribe to the live broadcast channel.

5. The method for playing live channels of a set-top box as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: If the authentication result indicates that the authentication fails, after displaying the order information, the method further includes: Cache the authentication result in the local disk; If the cache time of the authentication result exceeds a first preset time, the authentication result is deleted from the local disk.

6. The method for playing live channels of a set-top box as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: After caching the channel data in the local disk, the method further includes: If the cache time of the multicast addresses of all free channels exceeds a second preset time, deleting the multicast addresses of all free channels from the local disk, and sending a free channel request to the server; Receiving the latest multicast addresses of all free channels sent by the server after parsing the free channel request; The latest multicast addresses of all free channels are cached in the local disk.

7. A live channel playing device for a set-top box, characterized in that: Used in set-top boxes; The device comprises: A startup module, used for sending a user login authentication request to a server when the computer is powered on, receiving a token sent by the server after the server determines that the authentication is successful according to the user login authentication request, and sending a live channel request carrying the token to the server; A cache module, configured to receive the channel data sent by the server after parsing the live channel request and confirming that the token is valid, and cache the channel data in a local disk; wherein the channel data includes the multicast addresses of all free channels, the unicast addresses of all paid channels, the expiration time of each unicast address, and the labels of all channels; A judgment module, configured to receive a play instruction of a live channel and judge whether the live channel is a free channel or a paid channel according to a label of the live channel; A playing module, used for obtaining the multicast address of the live channel from the local disk for playing if the live channel is a free channel; The playing module is further configured to obtain the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or the server for playing if the live channel is a paid channel; If the live channel is a paid channel, obtaining the unicast address of the live channel from the local disk or the server for playing, including: If the live channel is a paid channel, determining whether the unicast address of the live channel exists in the local disk and whether the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has expired; If the unicast address of the live channel exists and the expiration time of the unicast address of the live channel has not expired, the broadcast is performed according to the unicast address of the live channel.

8. A computer device, characterized in that: The computer device includes a memory and a processor, the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the live channel playing method of the set-top box according to any one of claims 1-6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the live channel playing method of the set-top box according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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