Video content distribution system

Abstract

To reduce a load on a TV receiver which receives meta data such as program information of image distribution in broadcasting and communication.SOLUTION: This invention comprises: a server system for distributing a video content; an intermediate share server which receives and converts meta data for selecting the video content; a transmission server which converts thumbnail information of the meta data; and a TV operation system which is constituted of a receiving terminal for receiving the video content and the converted meta data and receives and screen-displays the meta data, thereby facilitating selection of the video content by communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention comprises a server system for distributing video content, an intermediate shared server that receives and converts metadata for selecting video content, a transmission server that receives the metadata output from the intermediate shared server and converts it into an efficient transmission format, and a receiving terminal that receives the video content and the metadata in the converted transmission format. The transmission server according to the present invention can reduce the load on a television receiver that receives the metadata and enables efficient display when presenting it on the screen. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, advances in networks have led to the launch of a wide range of video distribution services. In particular, large-screen television receivers can now not only receive broadcasts as before, but also connect to networks and play distributed videos, allowing viewers to enjoy higher-quality, more realistic video. This has become possible thanks to faster networks and improved processing capabilities in television receivers, and it is expected that in the future, there will be even more opportunities to display and operate a variety of video content provided over networks on television receivers.

[0003] In this environment, viewers desire an easier way to select their preferred video content from the vast amount of video content available via communications. Video content distributors and providers are also making efforts to make it easier for viewers to select video content. For example, they are displaying video content as a series and providing previews of upcoming episodes to encourage viewers to watch the content continuously. Recently, attempts have been made to further subdivide series into seasons and even episodes, thereby explaining the entirety of the continuous content to viewers. For example, a structure such as "xxx series," "xxx season," and "episode number x" can encourage viewers to watch the content continuously.

[0004] Furthermore, video content providers typically use metadata to explain the content to viewers so that they can understand the content when they watch it. Metadata here refers to data that defines the title, summary, and cast of the video content, and can also provide image information such as thumbnails to make it easier for viewers to understand.

[0005] The structuring of content into series, seasons, and episodes, as mentioned above, can also be achieved using metadata, and it is expected that video streaming content will increasingly be provided using structured metadata in the future. Therefore, it has become necessary for television receivers, which allow users to enjoy powerful video content on large screens, to support this type of structured metadata.

[0006] However, current television receivers require users to select programs via a remote control on a large screen, which significantly differs from the operating systems of personal computers and smartphones. This makes them less capable of supporting structured metadata. While broadcast programs can be easily selected by using the direct channel buttons on a remote control and activating a program guide or program list, selecting video content distributed over a network using structured metadata requires users to use the remote control to narrow down the content sequentially through multiple screens, such as series, season, and episode, resulting in extremely poor usability. Furthermore, video content providers are not uniform, and structured metadata may be distributed only at the episode or season level, among other formats. A method is needed to enable viewers to easily select desired video content without causing confusion, even when metadata in different formats is transmitted. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Current television receivers use remote controls to select video content from a program guide or program listing. Patent Application No. 2022-168108: In a program information distribution system and television receiver, when receiving metadata structured as series, season, and episode, the lack of consistency with the program guide or program listing is overcome by adding information to the metadata. Furthermore, different metadata transmitted from multiple distribution systems is integrated to facilitate processing by the receiver. While these excellent methods have been proposed, they allow for the creation of richer screens, but they also pose a problem of increased receiver load. In particular, the extensive use of thumbnails results in frequent retrieval of thumbnail images from the server, which increases network access load and reduces operability. Furthermore, the hierarchical structure of the metadata makes it complex, requiring the metadata to be reconstructed during display processing, which increases the load.

[0008] Patent Application No. 2022-168108 Figure 13 shows a conventional example of a program information distribution system and a video distribution system based on a television receiver.

[0009] The distribution system 13100 is composed of a distribution content unit 13101, an encoder 13102, a distribution unit 13103, and a program information unit 13104. Video content output from the distribution content unit 13101 is compressed by the encoder 13102 and input to the distribution unit 13103. The distribution unit 13103 outputs a video and audio stream to the stream distribution network 13400. The program information unit 13104 generates metadata for program selection and outputs it to the intermediate shared server 13500.

[0010] The distribution system 13200 and the distribution system 13300 operate in the same manner as the distribution system 13100.

[0011] The intermediate shared server 13500 is composed of a receiving unit 13501, a program information storage unit 13503, and a transmitting unit 13502. The receiving unit 13501 receives metadata output from the distribution systems 13100, 13200, and 13300, and stores it in the program information storage unit 13503. The metadata transmitted from each of the distribution systems 13100, 13200, and 13300 is integrated or edited by the program information storage unit 13503, and then transmitted to the television receivers 13600 and 13700 by the transmitting unit 13502. In this embodiment, a configuration with three distribution systems and two television receivers is exemplified, but even if the number of distribution systems and television receivers increases, this can be accommodated by improving the receiving and transmitting capabilities of the intermediate shared server.

[0012] The television receiver 13600 is composed of a receiving unit 13603, a decoder 13602, a content display unit 13601, a program information processing unit 13604, a selection screen unit 13605, a control unit 13606, and a remote control 13607. The receiving unit 13603 receives a video and audio stream transmitted via the stream distribution network 13400 and outputs it to the decoder 13602. The decoder 13602 decompresses the compressed video and audio stream, restoring it to the original video content and outputting it to the content display unit 13601. Meanwhile, the program information processing unit 13604 receives metadata transmitted from the intermediate shared server 13500 and outputs the results of processing the metadata to the selection screen unit 13605. The selection screen unit 13605 creates a screen for program selection and outputs the results to the content display unit 13601. Here, the viewer uses the remote control 13607 to send commands to the control unit 13606 to execute specified processing.

[0013] The television receiver 13700 is made up of a receiving unit 13703, a decoder 13702, a content display unit 13701, a program information processing unit 13704, a selection screen unit 13705, a control unit 13706, and a remote control 13707. The television receiver 13700 operates in the same manner as the television receiver 13600.

[0014] Next, Figure 14 shows an example of metadata with a three-layer structure based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-168108 Program Information Distribution System and Television Receiver.

[0015] The metadata for constructing a three-layer structure of series, season, and episode consists of series information 14010, season information 14020, and episode information 14030. Series information 14010 includes a series ID for externally identifying a series, a series name, a series description, a series thumbnail, and a series genre, as well as a season list for including multiple seasons. Season information 14020 includes a season ID for externally identifying a season, as well as a season name, a season description, a season thumbnail, and a season genre, as well as a season list for including multiple seasons. Episode information 14030 includes an episode ID for externally identifying an episode, as well as an episode name, an episode description, content length, program start time, program end time, an episode thumbnail, and an episode genre, as well as a video URL for identifying a server that plays back the motion stream.

[0016] Figure 15 shows an example of metadata with a three-layer structure based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-168108 Program Information Distribution System and Television Receiver.

[0017] 15 includes a series ID 15011, a season ID 15012, an episode ID 15013, a related program ID 15014, and a service ID 15015. It also includes related program information 15020, a video group 15030, and provider information 15040. These additions allow for flexible support for metadata with a hierarchical structure.

[0018] The contents of video group 15001, which is an attribute of program list information 15000, are defined as video group 15030. Video group 15030 contains video information list 15031, series information list 15032, season information list 15033, and episode information list 15034, and video information list 15031 can store multiple pieces of video information 15010 in list form. Series information list 15032, season information list 15033, and episode information list 15034 can each store multiple pieces of series information 14010, season information 14020, and episode information 14030 shown in FIG. 14.

[0019] Therefore, the program list information 15000 can be configured as a program list using any one or a combination of the video information list 15031, series information list 15032, season information list 15033, and episode information list 15034, making it possible to flexibly respond to hierarchical metadata.

[0020] The business information 15040 is made up of a business ID 15045 , a business name 15041 , a business logo 15042 , terms of use 15043 , and a privacy policy (abbreviated as PP) list 15044 .

[0021] The provider ID 15045 is an ID for uniquely identifying multiple distribution systems, the provider name 15041 is a name that represents the distribution system, and the provider logo 15042 is displayed to clearly indicate the distribution system to viewers. Also, since there are multiple distribution providers, multiple terms of use list 15043 and privacy policy (PP) list 15044 for viewers when providing the service can also be written in a list structure.

[0022] A related program ID 15014 has been added to the video information 15010, and as shown in related program information 15020, a related program is made up of a related program ID 15021 and a video information list 15022. The related program information 15020 is introduced to define multiple video contents as a single group according to the intention of the content user. The internal video information list 15022 can accommodate multiple pieces of video information 15010.

[0023] The video information 15010 further includes a series ID 15011, a season ID 15012, an episode ID 15013, and a service ID 15015. This allows the video information to be linked to a three-tiered structure of series, season, and episode, as well as channel information.

[0024] As described above, the metadata and intermediate shared server in the program information distribution system and television receiver of Patent Application No. 2022-168108 have a three-tiered structure of series, seasons, and episodes that is well-matched with the program display and program list, enabling good screen display even with a hierarchical structure.

[0025] As shown in Figure 14, series information, season information, and episode information can each have a thumbnail as an element, making it possible to create a rich, easy-to-understand screen, but the television receiver must obtain these thumbnail images from the server and perform the process of displaying them on the screen. This is not a problem if there are only a few thumbnail images, but if a thumbnail can be provided for each layer, as in this example, it is possible that a large number of thumbnails will be obtained, which will result in a very high communication load and extremely slow processing on the television receiver side.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, when constructing a program guide, it is necessary to include channel information from the program guide information, obtain a list of program information for a specific date and time from the channel information, and then obtain video information from the program information, and these complex hierarchical structures must be constructed and displayed while searching for each ID. The analysis, construction, and display of this metadata increases the load on the receiver, leading to reduced operability, such as slow startup and screen transitions and delays in scrolling up and down.

[0027] As described above, while the metadata and intermediate shared server in the program information distribution system and television receiver in Patent Application No. 2022-168108 can display program guides and program lists while effectively aligning hierarchically structured metadata, there are the following issues.

[0028] 1) It is possible to obtain thumbnails for any hierarchical metadata, and the load on the receiver increases due to the acquisition of many thumbnail images. 2) The metadata structure becomes hierarchical, increasing the load on the receiver to analyze and reconstruct the complex metadata structure. 3) Increased load on receivers leads to increased startup times and screen transition times for program guides and program lists. [Means for solving the problem]

[0029] The present invention comprises a server system for distributing video content, an intermediate shared server that receives and converts metadata for selecting video content, a transmission server that receives the metadata output from the intermediate shared server and converts it into an efficient transmission format, and a receiving terminal that receives the video content and the metadata in the converted transmission format. The transmission server according to the present invention can reduce the load on a television receiver that receives the metadata and enables efficient display when presenting it on the screen.

[0030] As a first means: a distribution system that transmits video content and metadata including thumbnail information corresponding to the video content; an intermediate shared server that receives, stores, and transmits metadata for selecting video content from the distribution system; a transmission server that receives the metadata output from the intermediate shared server, converts a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to a series of mutually related video content into a single integrated image, converts the transmission format of the integrated image, and transmits the metadata; a television receiver that receives the video content from the distribution system and the metadata from the transmission server; Because the law of nature, The thumbnail information comprises a series thumbnail contained in series information, a season thumbnail contained in season information, and an episode thumbnail contained in episode information, the intermediate shared server transmits the series information, the season information located under the series information, and the episode information located under the season information to the transmission server; the transmission server constructs an integrated image by combining a plurality of season thumbnails and a plurality of episode thumbnails for each season into thumbnail images for each layer; The display screen of the television receiver is selected by operating a remote control of the television receiver. A video content distribution system comprising:

[0031] As a second means: a video content distribution system, characterized in that the thumbnail information distributed by the distribution system of the first means includes program thumbnails, video thumbnails, series thumbnails, and episode thumbnails.

[0032] As a third means: a video content distribution system according to the first means, wherein the transmission format of the transmission server is configured by a group of files and directories that describe the structure of the metadata.

[0033] As a fourth means: the integration of thumbnail images in the transmission format of the transmission server of the first means is performed for each layer, and an integrated image is generated for each layer. A video content distribution system comprising:

[0034] As a fifth means: the transmission format of the transmission server of the first means configures the structure of the metadata in a directory structure. A video content distribution system comprising:

[0035] As a sixth means: the transmission format of the transmission server of the first means includes an operator configuration file and a channel configuration file. A video content distribution system comprising:

[0036] As a seventh means: the transmission format of the transmission server of the first means includes notification information of the timing for acquiring metadata. A video content distribution system comprising:

[0037] As an eighth means: the transmission format of the transmission server of the first means includes notification information of the timing for acquiring metadata. A video content distribution system comprising:

[0038] As a ninth means: a maintenance file for notifying that maintenance is to be performed on the metadata of the distribution system of the first means or the transmission format of the transmission server. A video content distribution system comprising: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of metadata according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an example of a thumbnail according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows an example of thumbnail information according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a three-layer structure and thumbnails according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows an example of thumbnail display according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 shows an example of a transmission format for metadata based on the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an example of a configuration file according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows an example of updating metadata according to the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of maintenance according to the present invention. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows a conventional metadata transmission system. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows an example of a conventional three-layer metadata structure. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows an example of conventional metadata. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] A transmission server is placed between the intermediate shared server and the television receiver. · Thumbnail images input to the transmission server are combined and saved as a single integrated image. -Add thumbnail information to metadata indicating parameters for the merged image. -Program thumbnails, video thumbnails, series thumbnails, season thumbnails, and episode thumbnails use thumbnail information to extract the necessary parts from the integrated image. Each thumbnail is made up of a cropped image. Thumbnail images are integrated for each layer and imported into the TV receiver for each layer. When you expand a screen hierarchy on the screen, you get a consolidated image of the corresponding hierarchy. Converts the format of the metadata input by the transmission server. The transmission format configures the metadata structure in advance as a directory structure. The directory structure transmission format adds an operator configuration file and a channel configuration file, eliminating the need for parsing metadata in the TV receiver. The metadata update file notifies the timing of acquiring metadata in the transmission format. -By adding a maintenance file, you can notify that the transmission server is down.

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0042] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment according to the present invention.

[0043] In this embodiment, unlike the conventional example, a transmission server 1800 is connected to an intermediate shared server 1500. Television receivers 1600 and 1700 are connected to the transmission server 1800 and the stream distribution network 1400.

[0044] The distribution system 1100 is composed of a distribution content unit 1101, an encoder 1102, a distribution unit 1103, and a program information unit 1104. The video content output from the distribution content unit 1101 is compressed by the encoder 1102 and input to the distribution unit 1103. The distribution unit 1103 outputs a video and audio stream to the stream distribution network 1400. On the other hand, the output of the program information unit 1104 is output to the intermediate shared server 1500. The program information unit generates metadata (including thumbnail information) for program selection and outputs it to the intermediate shared server 1500.

[0045] The distribution system 1200, the distribution system 1300, and the distribution system 1100 operate in the same manner.

[0046] The intermediate shared server is composed of a receiving unit 1501, a program information storage unit 1503, and a transmitting unit 1502. The receiving unit 1501 receives metadata output from the distribution systems 1100, 1200, and 1300, and stores it in the program information storage unit 1503. The metadata transmitted from each distribution system is integrated and / or stored and / or has its data format converted by the program information storage unit 1503, and then transmitted to the transmission server 1800 by the transmitting unit 1502.

[0047] The transmission server then converts the received metadata into a predetermined transmission format and transmits it to the television receivers 1600 and 1700 .

[0048] In this embodiment, a configuration with three distribution systems and two television receivers is illustrated, but even if the number of distribution systems and television receivers increases, this can be accommodated by improving the receiving and transmitting capabilities of the intermediate shared server and transmission server.

[0049] The television receiver 1600 is composed of a receiving unit 1603, a decoder 1602, a content display unit 1601, a program information processing unit 1604, a selection screen unit 1605, a control unit 1606, and a remote control 1607. The receiving unit 1603 receives a video and audio stream transmitted via the stream distribution network 1400 and outputs it to the decoder 1602. The decoder decompresses the compressed video and audio stream, restoring it to the original video content and outputting it to the content display unit 1601. Meanwhile, the program information processing unit 1604 receives metadata transmitted from the transmission server 1800 and outputs the results of processing the metadata to the selection screen unit 1605. The selection screen unit 1605 creates a screen for program selection and outputs the results to the content display unit 1601. Here, the viewer uses the remote control 1607 to send commands to the control unit 1606 to execute predetermined processing.

[0050] The television receiver 1700 is made up of a receiving unit 1703, a decoder 1702, a content display unit 1701, a program information processing unit 1704, a selection screen unit 1705, a control unit 1706, and a remote control 1707. The television receiver 1700 operates in the same manner as the television receiver 1600.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a detailed explanatory diagram of a first embodiment according to the present invention.

[0052] The transmission server 2800 (1800 in FIG. 1) is connected to the intermediate server 2500 (1500 in FIG. 1), receives metadata transmitted from the intermediate server 2500 (1500 in FIG. 1) at a receiver 2801, and outputs the received metadata to a format processor 2802. The format processor outputs a thumbnail image to an integrated image storage unit 2803 and outputs format-converted metadata to a transmitter 2804. The integrated image storage unit 2803 integrates multiple thumbnail images into a single image and outputs the integrated image to a transmitter / receiver 2805. The transmitter / receiver 2805 is connected to the television receivers 2600 and 2700, and transmits a request signal for an integrated image from the television receivers 2600 and 2700 to the transmitter / receiver 2805. In response to the request signal, the transmitter / receiver 2805 retrieves the integrated image from the integrated image storage unit 2803 and transmits it to the television receivers 2600 and 2700.

[0053] An example of metadata based on the present invention is shown in Figure 3. Thumbnail information 3000 and metadata update information 3100 have been added to the conventional metadata.

[0054] The thumbnail information has attributes such as a thumbnail URL 3001, an integrated image width 3002, an integrated image height 3003, a vertical tile count 3004, a horizontal tile count 3005, a tile start number 3006, and a total tile count 3007. The metadata update information 3100 also has a video content update 3101 and a metadata update 3102.

[0055] Program information 3300 has a program thumbnail 3302 as an attribute, but unlike conventional program thumbnails, this program thumbnail 3302 is configured from thumbnail information 3000. In other words, program thumbnail 3302 has a thumbnail URL 3001, integrated image width 3002, integrated image height 3003, number of vertical tiles 3004, number of horizontal tiles 3005, tile start number 3006, and total number of tiles 3007 as attributes.

[0056] Similarly, the video thumbnail 3401 of the video information 3400 is also configured from the thumbnail information 3000. Therefore, the video thumbnail 3401 also has attributes such as a thumbnail URL 3001, an integrated image width 3002, an integrated image height 3003, the number of vertical tiles 3004, the number of horizontal tiles 3005, a tile start number 3006, and a total number of tiles 3007.

[0057] Metadata update information 3100 is made up of video content update 3101 and metadata update 3102, and a value is set when the distribution system updates the metadata. Normally, a value indicating no change is set, and when an update has occurred, a value indicating that a change has occurred is set.

[0058] Metadata updates are sent from each distribution system, so by looking at the metadata update information, the intermediate shared server can check whether there have been any updates in each distribution system.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of thumbnails according to the present invention. Thumbnail information 4400 is the same as the thumbnail information 3000 described in FIG. 3. Here, the series thumbnail 4101 held by the series information 4100 is made up of thumbnail information 4400. Similarly, the season thumbnail 4201 held by the season information 4200 is made up of thumbnail information 4400. Furthermore, the episode thumbnail 4201 held by the episode information 4300 is made up of thumbnail information 4400.

[0060] As described above, the program thumbnails, video thumbnails, series thumbnails, season thumbnails, and episode thumbnails shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are all made up of thumbnail information.

[0061] 5 shows an example of thumbnail information according to the present invention. Thumbnail information 5000 includes image parameters of an integrated image 5100 of the thumbnail, namely, integrated image width 5101, integrated image height 5102, number of vertical tiles 5103, number of horizontal tiles 5104, tile start number 5105, and total number of tiles 5106. The integrated image is a single image obtained by integrating multiple thumbnail images, and is described by the thumbnail information 5000 as described above.

[0062] When a television receiver is to render thumbnail 5201 of content 1A in program guide 5200 from integrated image 5100 of the thumbnails, a specific thumbnail is extracted based on the attributes of video thumbnail 5202 described in the video information indicating content 1A, i.e., integrated image width 5101, integrated image height 5102, number of vertical tiles 5103, number of horizontal tiles 5104, tile start number 5105, and total number of tiles 5106, and displayed on program guide display screen 5200. Here, integrated image 5100 of the thumbnails is once imported into the television receiver, so multiple thumbnails become a single image and communication is completed in one go. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the number of communications even when multiple thumbnails are imported.

[0063] Next, the process of creating the integrated thumbnail image 5100 will be described. The thumbnail images of episodes transmitted from the intermediate shared server shown in Fig. 2 are received by the receiving unit 2801 of the transmission server 2800 and sent to the format processing unit 2802. The format processing unit 2802 sends the transmitted thumbnail images to the integrated image storage unit 2803. The integrated image storage unit 2803 combines the thumbnail images of the individual episodes to form the integrated image 5100 shown in Fig. 5.

[0064] The above describes the process for creating thumbnail images for episodes, but thumbnail images for other items such as series and seasons can also be created in the same way.

[0065] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the three-layer structure and thumbnails according to the present invention. Below series information 6000, season information 6100, 6200, and 6300 are located. Below season information 6100, episode information 6101, 6102, and 6103 exist. Below season information 6200, episode information 6201, 6202, and 6203 exist. Below season information 6300, episode information 6301, 6302, and 6303 exist. When thumbnails are drawn using metadata that constitutes such a hierarchical structure, an integrated image is formed using season thumbnails 6401, 6402, and 6403, an integrated image is formed using episode thumbnails 6411, 6412, and 6413, and an integrated image is formed using episode thumbnails 6431, 6432, and 6433. By constructing an integrated image using thumbnail images for each layer in this way, each layer can be imported into a television receiver. This means that if the integrated image is too large to be loaded into the television receiver all at once, it can be loaded layer by layer to ensure consistency with the displayed screen.

[0066] Next, the process of creating a hierarchical structure using series information, season information, and episode information will be explained using Figures 2 and 4. Figure 4 shows the configuration of the series information, season information, and episode information sent from intermediate shared server 2500. Series information 4100 has a season list 4102, and is configured as a collection of season information 4200 in list format. Season information 4200 has an episode list 4202, and is configured as a collection of episode information 4300 in list format. The above processing is performed by format processing unit 2802 shown in Figure 2.

[0067] Next, as shown in Fig. 4, series information 4100 has series thumbnails 4101, season 4200 has season thumbnails 4201, and episode information 4300 has episode thumbnails 4301. Thumbnail images according to each of the above hierarchical structures are separated by a format processing unit 2802 and input to the integrated image storage unit 2803 shown in Fig. 2. The integrated image storage unit 2803 combines season thumbnail images obtained from the season information to form an integrated image. It also combines episode thumbnail images obtained from the episode images to form an integrated image.

[0068] Next, the process of receiving and displaying the integrated thumbnail image shown in Fig. 6 on the screen will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The television receiver 2600 shown in Fig. 2 has an update transmitting / receiving unit 2608. The update transmitting / receiving unit 2608 is connected to the transmitting / receiving unit 2805 of the transmission server 2800, and in response to a transmission request from the update transmitting / receiving unit 2608, the television receiver 2600 acquires an integrated image that combines thumbnail images. The integrated image received by the update transmitting / receiving unit 2608 is transmitted to the selection screen unit 2605 via the control unit 2606. Here, the selection screen unit 2605 cuts out the necessary thumbnail images from the integrated image and composes a display screen.

[0069] Meanwhile, the program information processing unit 2604 of the television receiver 2600 is connected to the transmitting unit 2804 of the transmission server 2800 and receives metadata. The received metadata stores thumbnail information 3000 shown in FIG. 3, and transmits parameters of the integrated image of the thumbnail information 3000 corresponding to the thumbnail image to the selection screen unit 2605 of the television receiver 2600. The selection screen unit 26050 extracts a necessary thumbnail image from the integrated image based on the parameters of the integrated image, composes a display screen, and transmits it to the content display unit 2601. The content display unit 2601 displays the specified thumbnail image.

[0070] Figure 7 shows an example of thumbnails displayed on a television receiver.

[0071] In the case of the program list screen 7000, the screen is formed by arranging multiple episode thumbnails. In this case, it is possible to display all at once by importing only the integrated image that makes up the episode thumbnails into the television receiver. On the other hand, in the mixed screen 7100 that displays seasons and episodes at once, it is possible to display all at once by importing an integrated image that has season thumbnails and episode thumbnails into the television receiver.

[0072] The above operation will be explained in detail using Fig. 2. The television receiver 2600 shown in Fig. 2 has an update transmission / reception unit 2608. The update transmission / reception unit 2608 is connected to the transmission / reception unit 2805 of the transmission server 2800, and in response to a transmission request from the update transmission / reception unit 2608, the television receiver 2600 acquires an integrated image that combines thumbnail images. The integrated image received by the update transmission / reception unit 2608 is transmitted to the selection screen unit 2605 via the control unit 2606. Here, the selection screen unit 2605 cuts out the necessary thumbnail images from the integrated image and composes a display screen.

[0073] Meanwhile, the program information processing 2604 of the television receiver 2600 is connected to the transmitting unit 2804 of the transmission server 2800 and receives metadata. Here, the viewer uses the remote control 2607 to select a desired screen display. A command from the remote control 2607 is input to the control unit 2606 to select the desired display screen. When the program list is selected, a program list screen 7000 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. On the program list screen 7000, thumbnail images 7011 to 7033 corresponding to each content cut out from the integrated image are displayed.

[0074] When the viewer selects the mixed screen using the remote control 2607, the mixed screen 7100 shown in Fig. 7 is displayed. The mixed screen 7100 displays a mixture of series, seasons, and episodes. Appropriate thumbnail images are displayed according to the structure of each hierarchical level shown in Fig. 6.

[0075] In the screen selection unit 2605 of the television receiver 2600, thumbnail images 7100 and 7200 representing the series are configured as the highest layer in the mixed screen 7100. Also, thumbnail images 7101-7103 and thumbnail images 7201-7203 representing episode images are configured as the lowest layer in the hierarchical structure. The display screen having the thumbnail images configured in the selection screen unit 2605 is transferred to the content display unit 2601, which displays a predetermined screen.

[0076] FIG. 8 shows an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

[0077] A metadata update flag unit 8804 is added to the transmission server 8800. The other components of the distribution systems 8100, 8200, 8300, intermediate common server 8500, and stream distribution network 8400 operate in the same manner as in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0078] The transmission server 8800 is composed of a receiving unit 8801 , a format processing unit 8802 , an integrated image storage unit 8803 , a transmitting unit 8805 , a transmitting / receiving unit 8806 , and a metadata update flag unit 8804 .

[0079] Here, the metadata update flag unit 8804 acquires the metadata update information 3100 shown in FIG.

[0080] The metadata update information is transmitted from the distribution systems 8100, 8200, and 8300, and is received by the transmission server 8800 via the intermediate shared server 8500. The metadata received by the receiving unit 8801 of the transmission server 8800 is input to the format processing unit 8802, which extracts the metadata update information from the metadata and inputs it to the metadata update flag unit 8804.

[0081] The format processing unit 8802 converts the metadata input from the receiving unit 8801 into a predetermined format and outputs it to the transmitting unit 8805 .

[0082] FIG. 9 shows an example of a transmission format of metadata based on the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] The first level of the root 9000 includes an operator configuration file 9001, a metadata update file 9002, a maintenance file 9003, an operator directory 9100, and an operator directory 9200. Furthermore, below the operator directory 9100 are a channel configuration file 9101, a program guide directory 9102, and a program list directory 9301. Below the program directory 9102 are a channel directory 9103 and a channel directory 9203. Below the channel directory 9103 is an x-year, x-month, x-day program information file 9104, which contains program information 9105 and video information 9106. Similarly, the x-year, x-month, x-day program information file 9109 contains program information 9110 and video information 9111.

[0084] On the other hand, a video group file 9310 under the program list directory 9301 contains video information 9311, episode information 9312, season information 9313, and series information 9314.

[0085] FIG. 10 shows an example of a configuration file according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] The provider configuration file 10000 (9001 in FIG. 9) includes provider information 10100 and provider information 10200. The provider information 10100 has attributes of a provider ID 10101, a provider name 10102, a provider logo 10103, a terms of use list 10104, and a PP list 10105. The provider information 10200 has attributes of a provider ID 10201, a provider name 10202, a provider logo 10203, a terms of use list 10204, and a PP list 10205. Here, the value of the provider ID 10101 is set as the directory name of the provider directory 10600. Also, the value of the provider ID 10201 is set as the directory name of the provider directory 10700.

[0087] In this way, by configuring a provider directory for information on a plurality of distribution providers according to the provider ID, a location for storing metadata information unique to each provider is secured.

[0088] Typically, distribution providers support different distribution systems, and by creating a directory structure for each provider, as described above, for programs from multiple distribution systems, the processing load on the television receiver can be reduced.

[0089] Next, the channel configuration file 10500 (9101 in FIG. 9) will be described.

[0090] The channel configuration file 10500 includes channel information 10300 and 10400. The channel information 10300 includes a service ID 10301, a service name 10302, a service logo 10303, and a list of program information for x year, x month, x day 10304. The channel information 10400 includes a service ID 10401, a service name 10402, a service logo 10403, and a list of program information for x year, x month, x day 10404.

[0091] Here, the value of the service ID 10301 included in the channel information 10300 is set as the directory name of the channel directory 10602. Also, the service ID 10401 included in the channel information 10400 is set as the directory name of the channel directory 10603.

[0092] In this way, by configuring a channel directory for a plurality of channel information according to the service ID, a location for storing each of the metadata information uniquely for each channel is secured.

[0093] Channel directory 10602 contains program information file 10604 for x year, x month, x day, and lists program information 10305 and 10306 for x year, x month, x day, which is included in program information list 10304 for x year, x month, x day. Each of these program information 10305 and 10306 for x year, x month, x day is expanded and placed under channel directory 10602 as program information files 10604 and 10605 for x year, x month, x day.

[0094] Similarly, channel directory 10603 contains program information files 10606 and 10607 for x year, x month, x day, which contain program information 10405 and 10406 ​​for x year, x month, x day included in program information list 10404 for x year, x month, x day. Each of these program information 10405 and 10406 ​​for x year, x month, x day is expanded and placed under channel directory 10603 as program information files 10606 and 10607 for x year, x month, x day.

[0095] As described above, by converting the metadata into a transmission format based on the present invention in advance at the transmission server, there is no need to analyze the structure of the metadata on the television receiver side, and the load on the television receiver can be significantly reduced.In addition, when displaying on the television receiver, in the case of a program guide display, the program guide directory and below can be displayed according to the directory structure, and the display process from the metadata can be easily performed.

[0096] Similarly, the necessary information for program listings is available under the program listing information directory in the operator directory, which facilitates display processing on the television receiver.

[0097] FIG. 11 shows an example of updating metadata according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0098] The metadata update file 11000 is made up of channel information 11100, 11200, and 11300. The channel information 11100 has metadata update information 11101 as an attribute, and the metadata update information 11101 is made up of video content update 11102 and metadata update 11103.

[0099] Channel information 11200 has metadata update information 11201 as an attribute, and metadata update information 11201 is made up of video content update 11202 and metadata update 11203 .

[0100] Channel information 11300 has metadata update information 11301 as an attribute, and metadata update information 11301 is made up of video content update 11302 and metadata update 11303 .

[0101] The intermediate shared server 11700 integrates the metadata transmitted from each distribution system. The channel information is also integrated and transmitted to the transmission server 11500. In the transmission server 11500, the receiver 11401 receives the metadata and inputs it to the format processor 11402. The format processor 11402 inputs each piece of channel information to the metadata update flag unit 11500. In the metadata update flag unit 11500, update flags 11501, 11502, and 11503 correspond to the metadata update information 11100, 11200, and 11300 for each channel. When a value indicating a change in video content update or metadata update is indicated in each piece of metadata update information, a flag indicating the change is set in the update flags 11501, 11502, and 11503. The representative update flag unit 11504 checks the value of each update flag, and if all update flags indicate an update, it considers the update to have occurred and sends a notification notifying the transmission / reception unit 11404 of the update. Furthermore, the representative update flag unit 11504 has a timer function, and if one or more updates occur within a predetermined time, similarly sends a notification to the transmitting / receiving unit 11404 informing the transmission / reception unit 11404 of the updates.

[0102] When the television receiver 11600 is notified of the update, it acquires the new metadata whose transmission format has been changed via the transmission unit 11403 of the transmission server 11500 .

[0103] FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of maintenance according to the present invention.

[0104] The maintenance file 12000 is composed of a maintenance advance notice start time 12001, a maintenance start time 12002, a maintenance end time 12003, and a notification message 12004 to the user. The maintenance file 12000 is used to notify viewers that service will be temporarily suspended when maintenance is performed on a transmission server or an intermediate shared server. When the time written in the maintenance advance notice start time 12001 written in the maintenance file 12000 arrives, a pop-up appears on the program guide screen 20160 on the television receiver, and a maintenance screen 12300 is displayed. The values ​​of the maintenance start time 12002 and maintenance end time 12003 are used to notify the start and end times of maintenance.

[0105] Although the present invention has been described with reference to an embodiment using the transmission server 1800 in FIG. 1, the functions of the transmission server 1800 may be realized within the intermediate shared server 1500 .

[0106] The above maintenance operation will be described with reference to FIG. 2. In the transmission server 2800, metadata is normally transmitted from the transmitting unit 2804, and the program information processing unit 2604 of the television receiver 2600 receives the metadata. When the transmission server 2800 enters maintenance mode, the transmitting unit 2804 transmits a maintenance file 12000 shown in FIG. 12. Upon receiving the maintenance file 12000, the program information processing unit 2604 of the television receiver 2600 detects that it has received the maintenance file 12000 shown in FIG. 12 in addition to normal metadata reception. The program information processing unit 2604 creates a message 12300 indicating maintenance based on the maintenance start time 12002, maintenance end time 12003, and user notification message 12004 from the maintenance file 12000 shown in FIG. 12. The created maintenance message is transferred from the program information processing unit 2604 to the selection screen unit 2605, which creates a maintenance screen. The maintenance screen is further transferred from the selection screen section 2605 to the content display section 2601 and is displayed as an overlay on the top level.

[0107] [Appendix 1] The present invention comprises a server system for distributing video content, an intermediate shared server that receives and converts metadata for selecting video content, a transmission server that receives the metadata output from the intermediate shared server and converts it into an efficient transmission format, and a receiving terminal that receives the video content and the metadata in the converted transmission format. The transmission server according to the present invention can reduce the load on a television receiver that receives the metadata and enables efficient display when presenting it on the screen. In the thumbnail display of this invention, the transmission server combines multiple thumbnails sent to it into a single image. The television receiver acquires the combined thumbnail images from the transmission server, significantly reducing the number of communications, thereby resolving the above problem 1).

[0108] An image in which multiple thumbnail images are combined will be referred to as an integrated image hereinafter.

[0109] Furthermore, in the metadata transmission method using the transmission format of the present invention, the files and directory structure that describe the metadata structure in advance enable display without detailed metadata analysis on the television receiver side, thus resolving the above 2).By combining these two solutions, the load on the receiver is reduced, and as a result, the above 3) is resolved.

[0110] [Appendix 2] A transmission server is deployed to collect thumbnail images, convert them into an integrated image, and then transmit it to the television receiver, thereby reducing the load on the television receiver. · Add thumbnail information to metadata for efficient display of integrated images. · By using thumbnail information for program thumbnails, video thumbnails, series thumbnails, episode thumbnails, the integrated image can be used to efficiently present a program guide and program list. · Thumbnail images are integrated for each layer, an integrated image is generated for each layer, and the television receiver captures the integrated image for each layer. The transmission server converts the metadata transmission format. The transmission format configures the metadata structure in advance as a directory structure. The directory structure transmission format adds operator configuration files and channel configuration files to reduce metadata parsing at the TV receiver. The metadata update file notifies the timing of acquiring metadata in the transmission format. -By adding a maintenance file, you can notify that the transmission server is down.

Claims

1. a distribution system that transmits video content and metadata including thumbnail information corresponding to the video content; an intermediate shared server that receives, stores, and transmits metadata for selecting video content from the distribution system; a transmission server that receives the metadata output from the intermediate shared server, converts a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to a series of mutually related video contents into a single integrated image, converts the transmission format of the integrated image, and transmits the metadata; a television receiver that receives the video content from the distribution system and the metadata from the transmission server; It consists of The thumbnail information comprises a series thumbnail contained in series information, a season thumbnail contained in season information, and an episode thumbnail contained in episode information, the intermediate shared server transmits the series information, the season information located under the series information, and the episode information located under the season information to the transmission server; the transmission server constructs an integrated image by combining a plurality of season thumbnails and a plurality of episode thumbnails for each season into thumbnail images for each layer; The display screen of the television receiver is selected by operating a remote control of the television receiver. A video content distribution system comprising:

2. 2. A video content distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the thumbnail information distributed by the distribution system includes program thumbnails, video thumbnails, series thumbnails, season thumbnails, and episode thumbnails.

3. 2. The video content distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission format of the transmission server is configured by a group of files and a directory that describe the structure of the metadata.

4. 2. The transmission server according to claim 1 integrates thumbnail images in the transmission format for each layer, and generates an integrated image for each layer. A video content distribution system comprising:

5. The transmission format of the transmission server of claim 1 is configured such that the metadata structure is a directory structure. A video content distribution system comprising:

6. The transmission format of the transmission server of claim 1 includes an operator configuration file and a channel configuration file. A video content distribution system comprising:

7. 2. The transmission format of the transmission server according to claim 1 includes notification information of the timing for acquiring metadata. A video content distribution system comprising:

8. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: providing a maintenance file for notifying that maintenance is to be performed on the metadata of the distribution system or the transmission format of the transmission server. A video content distribution system comprising:

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