Method and system for providing IPTV service

Abstract

The method and system for providing an IPTV service according to an embodiment of the present specification may display a real-time broadcast screen regarding multiple channels on a single screen on the basis of viewing history information regarding a specific set-top box. In addition, the method and system may render one image in which multiple images are multiplexed according to a UI standard on the basis of a signal received from a remote control including a four-direction key.

Description

Method and system for providing IPTV service

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for providing IPTV services. Specifically, it relates to a method and system for providing personalized real-time broadcasts on a single screen on IPTV and facilitating the selection of different channels or content.

[0002] Currently, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) provides information on real-time trending channels within its user interface (UI). However, because this information is generated based on the aggregate viewership of all IPTV subscribers, it cannot recommend individual preferred live channels.

[0003] Recently, the penetration of diverse media content and IPTV has increased. Consequently, users have become accustomed to selecting and viewing content from a variety of broadcasting options.

[0004] The Korea Communications Commission's "2022 Broadcast Media Usage Behavior Survey" provides insight into how people view broadcast content. According to the survey, 91.1% of domestic broadcast content viewers watch live channels. Furthermore, 88.5% of these users use TV sets to view live channels. Many users watch live channels on TV sets, and the average number of channels offered by pay TV operators is around 250.

[0005] As the variety of channels available increases, users are experiencing increased search time and inconvenience before selecting the desired channel or program.

[0006] Additionally, the existing IPTV home UI technology for providing ground-level programming within a screen does not allow all content within the screen to be played simultaneously, but rather only focused content. In other words, a single screen cannot contain all live broadcasts, VOD, and OTT content.

[0007] Furthermore, the existing Multiple-Program Transport Stream (MPTS) protocol, on the transmission network side, proportionally increases the amount of data as video streams increase, making it inefficient in limited network environments. Furthermore, in terms of video decoding, parallel decoding of each video stream included in the MPTS is required. However, the decoding capacity of terminals (set-top boxes) for parallel decoding is limited, making it difficult to keep up with the increasing number of video streams.

[0008] Additionally, while a video cloud UI approach can be used to provide a visual experience that exposes multiple real-time channels on a single screen, the server handles all of the multi-image compositing, UI capture, image transmission, and streaming processing. This necessitates a high-performance server, and as the number of concurrent users increases, the need for proportional server expansion increases, driving up costs.

[0009] The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide an IPTV service providing method and system for collecting viewing history information unique to a specific set-top box and providing personalized real-time broadcast information to a user of the set-top box through a single screen (collection screen).

[0010] In addition, the technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a method, device and system that enables displaying and selecting multiple channels or contents on one screen through a remote control including a four-way key in providing an IPTV service.

[0011] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] The present invention provides a method and system for providing IPTV service.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, a method performed by a system for providing an IPTV service is provided, comprising: a step for a set-top box to execute a collection application; a step for the set-top box to transmit viewing history information to a management server based on the execution; a step for the management server to transmit a request for creating tiles for configuring a collection screen and the viewing history information to a tile stream muxer; a step for the tile stream muxer to collect real-time broadcast information from a tile encoder based on the request and the viewing history information; a step for the tile stream muxer to configure and transmit a plurality of tiles for generating a real-time collection screen to the set-top box; and a step for the set-top box to resize the plurality of tiles and combine them with a user interface (UI) to configure and play the collection screen; wherein the plurality of tiles are configured in the form of a single screen by the tile stream muxer based on the viewing history information and the real-time broadcast information.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, a system for providing an IPTV service includes a set-top box; a management server; a tile encoder; and a tile stream muxer; wherein the set-top box executes a collection application and transmits viewing history information to the management server based on the execution, the management server transmits a tile creation request for configuring a collection screen and the viewing history information to the tile stream muxer, and based on the request and the viewing history information, the tile stream muxer collects real-time broadcast information from the tile encoder, and the tile stream muxer configures and transmits a plurality of tiles for generating a real-time collection screen to the set-top box, and the set-top box resizes the plurality of tiles and combines them with a user interface (UI) to configure and play the collection screen, and the plurality of tiles are configured in the form of a single screen by the tile stream muxer based on the viewing history information and the real-time broadcast information.

[0015] In the above method and system, the tiles can be configured to exclude viewing history information for set-top boxes other than the set-top box.

[0016] In the above method and system, the tile encoder can obtain the real-time broadcast information in a multicast format and transmit it to the tile stream receiver in a multicast or unicast format.

[0017] In the above method and system, the tile stream receiver can transmit the plurality of tiles to the set-top box in the form of RTSP (real-time streaming protocol) or RTP (real-time transport protocol) through unicast-based TCP (transmission control protocol) or UDP (user datagram protocol).

[0018] In the above method and system, the management server performs load distribution based on a health check of the tile stream mux, and the health check may include confirmation of the number of simultaneous connections and the amount of transmission traffic of the tile stream mux.

[0019] In the above method and system, the viewing history information includes: a list of top X channel IDs based on the set-top box's number and the viewing history within the set-top box; information stored for the previous Y days based on the execution time of the collection app; and the list of X channel IDs can be configured based on Z channel IDs for which the viewing history is stored within the set-top box.

[0020] In the above method and system, the X, Y, and Z can be set based on the number of the tiles and the storage space in the set-top box.

[0021] In the above method and system, the viewing history includes a viewing ranking by channel ID, and the viewing ranking can be set based on PV (page view) information of a channel maintained for a certain period of time or longer.

[0022] In the above method and system, the real-time broadcast information can be obtained based on tiled high efficiency video coding (HEVC) by the tile encoder.

[0023] In the above method and system, the tiles are transmitted together with metadata, and the metadata includes information about a channel ID associated with each tile, a location of each tile, and a resolution of each tile, and the set-top box can configure and play the collection screen based on the metadata.

[0024] In the above method and system, the operation performed by the set-top box may further include: receiving an input signal by one of the four directional keys from a remote control including an up directional key, a down directional key, a right directional key, and a left directional key; requesting images belonging to a specific category when a specific category is selected by the input signal; receiving a URL (uniform resource locator) for one image generated based on muxing of the images in response to the request; receiving the one image and metadata based on the URL; and rendering the one image according to a UI (user interface) standard based on the metadata.

[0025] In the above method and system, the categories including the specific category may include real-time broadcast channels, VOD (video on demand) content, and OTT (over on top) content.

[0026] In the above method and system, the categories including the specific category may include a general programming channel, a news channel, an entertainment channel, a drama channel, a sports channel, a movie channel, and a home shopping channel.

[0027] In the above method and system, if the specific category is a category of the real-time broadcast channel, a real-time broadcast stream can be muxed for a video belonging to the category of the real-time broadcast channel.

[0028] In the above method and system, if the specific category is a category of the VOD content, a file-based trailer stream is multiplexed for a video belonging to the category of the VOD content, and programming information together with the one video can be received by the set-top box.

[0029] In the above method and system, if the specific category is a category of the OTT content, a file-based trailer stream may be multiplexed for a video belonging to the category of the OTT content, and deep link information may be received by the set-top box together with the one video.

[0030] In the above method and system, one image in which images of channels belonging to the specific category are multiplexed can be rendered by the set-top box so as to be displayed by overlapping a portion of the main image based on the input signal.

[0031] In the above method and system, when a second input signal for changing the specific category is received by the set-top box through one of the four-way keys from the remote control, the main image can be maintained and a single image in which images for the changed specific category are multiplexed can be rendered by the set-top box so as to be displayed by overlapping a portion of the main image maintained.

[0032] In the above method and system, the one image is composed of a combination of the plurality of tiles, and each of the plurality of tiles may correspond to one of the images belonging to the specific category.

[0033] In the above method and system, the number of tiles to be displayed on the screen among the plurality of tiles and the size of the image corresponding to each tile can be changed based on an input signal by one of the four-way keys.

[0034] The above-described aspects of the present invention are only some of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments reflecting the technical features of the present invention can be derived and understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art based on the detailed description of the present invention described below.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the present invention, by providing a personalized real-time broadcast list to a specific user, it is possible to induce an increase in IPTV viewing time.

[0036] Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in providing IPTV services, users can more conveniently check and select real-time channels or contents.

[0037] The technical effects of the present invention are not limited to the technical effects described above, and other technical effects can be inferred from the embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 1 illustrates the structure and operation of an IPTV service providing system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an IPTV service provision screen displayed according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 illustrates the structure and operation of an IPTV service providing system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figures 4 to 6 illustrate an example of an IPTV service provision screen displayed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] In order to more clearly explain the features and advantages of the problem-solving means of the present invention, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to specific embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the attached drawings.

[0043] However, detailed descriptions of known functions or components that may obscure the gist of the present invention in the following description and attached drawings are omitted. It should also be noted that, where possible, identical components are indicated with identical reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0044] The terms and words used in the following description and drawings should not be interpreted as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted with meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of ​​the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term to best describe his or her own invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of filing this application.

[0045] Additionally, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0046] Additionally, terms containing ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe various components, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, not to limit said components. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a second component could be referred to as a "first component," and similarly, a first component could also be referred to as a "second component."

[0047] In addition, the terminology used in this specification is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" described in this specification are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0048] Additionally, terms such as "unit," "device," and "module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, terms such as "a" or "an," "one," "the," and similar related words may be used in the context of describing the present invention (especially in the context of the claims below) to include both singular and plural meanings, unless otherwise indicated in the specification or clearly contradicted by the context.

[0049] In various examples of the present disclosure, " / " and "," should be interpreted as indicating "and / or". For example, "A / B" can mean "A and / or B". Furthermore, "A, B" can mean "A and / or B". Furthermore, "A / B / C" can mean "at least one of A, B, and / or C". Furthermore, "A, B, C" can mean "at least one of A, B, and / or C".

[0050] In various examples of this disclosure, "or" should be interpreted as meaning "and / or." For example, "A or B" can include "only A," "only B," and / or "both A and B." In other words, "or" should be interpreted as meaning "additionally or alternatively."

[0051] In addition to the terms described above, specific terms used in the following description are provided to help understand the present invention, and the use of these specific terms may be changed to other forms without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0052] Additionally, embodiments within the scope of the present invention include computer-readable media having or carrying computer-executable instructions or data structures stored on the computer-readable media. Such computer-readable media may be any available media that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer system. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include physical storage media such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage, or any other medium that can be used to store or carry predetermined program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions, computer-readable instructions or data structures, and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer system.

[0053] Furthermore, the present invention can be practiced in a network computing environment having various types of computer system configurations, including personal computers, laptop computers, handheld devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile phones, PDAs, pagers, etc. The present invention can also be practiced in a distributed system environment in which both local and remote computer systems perform tasks linked by wired data links, wireless data links, or a combination of wired and wireless data links over a network. In a distributed system environment, program modules can be located in local and remote memory storage devices.

[0054] Additionally, it will be appreciated that each block of the processing flowchart drawings and combinations of the flowchart drawings can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be installed in a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, such that the instructions, when executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment, create a means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to perform the functions in a specific manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory can produce an article of manufacture that includes an instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). Since the computer program instructions may be installed on a computer or other programmable data processing device, a series of operational steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-executable process, and the instructions that cause the computer or other programmable data processing device to perform the steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s) may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0055] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation examples, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on their respective functions.

[0056] In specifically describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of specific systems will be primarily targeted, but the main points claimed in this specification can be applied to other communication systems and services having similar technical backgrounds within a scope that does not significantly exceed the scope disclosed in this specification, and this can be done at the discretion of a person skilled in the relevant technical field.

[0057] Now, a method and system for providing a collection screen according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0058] As explained above, in the past, popular channels were displayed on the screen by synthesizing the viewership ratings of all set-top boxes used to watch IPTV, and thus there was a problem in that real-time channels suitable for each set-top box user could not be recommended.

[0059] For reference, the number of households that watched a specific channel is calculated using the existing viewership aggregation method for displaying popular channels, as shown in the following mathematical expression 1.

[0060] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0061] Percentage of households watching a specific channel = Number of households watching a specific channel / Total number of set-top boxes

[0062] Viewership ratings can be measured, for example, in one-minute increments. To be included in the total number of set-top boxes, a set-top box must have been activated as of the previous month. Therefore, it must not be a canceled or suspended set-top box. Furthermore, set-top boxes using trial lines, multi-lines, multi-lines, or those subscribed to through corporate plans are excluded. If a household has multiple set-top boxes, the one with the longest viewing time is considered the primary set-top box, and only the primary set-top box is included in the total number of set-top boxes.

[0063] Additionally, when popular channels are displayed on a single screen via a single view, video / audio synchronization can be performed for each channel. However, because the video player is executed or loaded only as many times as the number of videos (channels) displayed on a single screen, the display of the single view screen is highly dependent on the performance of the terminal (set-top box).

[0064] In addition, referring to prior literature (especially, among prior art literature, registered patent 10-1459557), there was a problem of excessive use of server resources because the server performs rendering of images including UI, image capture, and stitching of segmented images to display a collection screen.

[0065] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an IPTV service providing system and an IPTV service providing method performed by the system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 1, an IPTV service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a set-top box (100), an administrator server (200), a tile stream receiver (300), and a tile encoder (400). In addition, the IPTV service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a database (500, DB) and a CTC (600, Cloud Traffic Collector).

[0067] Then, with reference to Figure 1, each component will be briefly explained.

[0068] A set-top box (100) generally refers to a device for receiving digital broadcasting. The set-top box receives signals transmitted by a management server (200) and / or a tile stream receiver (300) through a digital tuner, and then performs a demodulation process to decompress and separate each signal.

[0069] A set-top box according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a collection app (APP). The collection app, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is a program capable of displaying multiple channels on a single screen and processing and transmitting / receiving related information. The collection app may be independent of existing programs within the set-top box. However, the collection app is not necessarily independent of existing programs within the set-top box; it may be implemented as part of a program that includes a function for transmitting a single channel of video within the set-top box.

[0070] In this specification, 'execution of the collection app' is described to encompass (i) execution of an independent program and (ii) execution of the collection function as part of another program.

[0071] The set-top box (100) stores the viewing history for channels viewed within the set-top box, generates viewing history information based on the stored viewing history and transmits it to the management server (200), and includes a function of playing tiles received from the tile stream receiver (300).

[0072] Specifically, the set-top box (100) stores information about channels viewed within the set-top box as a viewing history in a storage device within the set-top box (100). Thereafter, when the collection app is executed within the set-top box (100), the set-top box (100) transmits the viewing history information to the management server (200) based on the execution of the collection app.

[0073] The viewing history information includes the number of the set-top box (100) and a list of the top X channel IDs based on the viewing history within the set-top box (100). Here, the viewing history information may be information stored for the previous Y days based on the execution time of the collection app. In addition, the list of the top X channel IDs may be composed based on Z channel IDs in which the viewing history is stored within the set-top box.

[0074] Viewing history information can include information on viewing rankings for each channel ID. Here, viewing rankings can be based on PV (page view) information. Preferably, PV information can only be used for channels that have been viewed for a certain period of time (e.g., 5 seconds or more). This prevents channels that have not actually been viewed from being formally included in viewing history, typically through the act of "channel flipping."

[0075] Additionally, along with the above viewing history information, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) request for the collection screen can be transmitted from the set-top box (100) to the administrator server (200).

[0076] Additionally, the set-top box (100) can transmit an action log to the CTC (600).

[0077] The administrator server (200) according to an embodiment of the present invention may have the same hardware configuration as a typical web server or network server. Software-wise, it includes program modules implemented using languages ​​such as C, C++, Java, Visual Basic, and Visual C.

[0078] The administrator server (200) receives viewing history information transmitted from the set-top box (100). The administrator server (200) can store the viewing history information in a database (500). Here, in order to achieve the purpose and effect of the present invention, the administrator server (200) can store the viewing history information in the database (500) by classifying it for each set-top box (100). The viewing history information for each set-top box (100) stored in the database (500) can also be referred to as preferred channel information. The administrator server (200) can search and utilize the viewing history information for each set-top box (100) stored in the database (500).

[0079] In addition, the administrator server (200) transmits a tile creation request for configuring a collection screen to the tile stream receiver (300). Here, the tile creation request for configuring a collection screen may be transmitted together with viewing history information (preferred channel information) retrieved from a database (500) for a specific set-top box (100).

[0080] The tile stream receiver (300) is a module for composing tiles based on screens being broadcast in real time on IPTV and transmitting them to a set-top box (100). The tile stream receiver (300), which receives a tile creation request from the management server (200), can collect real-time broadcast information from the tile encoder (400) based on the received request.

[0081] The tile encoder (400) acquires real-time broadcast information in a multicast format. Here, the real-time broadcast information can be acquired by the tile encoder (400) based on the tiled HEVC. Specifically, the real-time broadcast information can be acquired by encoding each IPTV's real-time broadcasts by the tile encoder (400) based on the tiled HEVC standard.

[0082] The tile encoder (400) and the tile stream muxer (300) are linked in a multicast or unicast format, so that real-time broadcast information can be transmitted from the tile encoder (400) to the tile stream muxer (300) in a multicast or unicast format.

[0083] The tile stream receiver (300) configures a plurality of tiles for generating a real-time broadcast collection screen based on the received viewing history information and the collected real-time broadcast information. Since the collection screen is intended to reflect the preference of a single set-top box (100), viewing history information for other set-top boxes is excluded when configuring tiles for a specific set-top box (100). The number of the plurality of tiles can be configured within the range of 2x2=4 to 5x5=25. The number of the plurality of tiles can be related to the number of X and Y in the viewing history information received from the set-top box. Therefore, the number of the plurality of tiles that can be supported can be determined based on the storage space of the set-top box (100).

[0084] The tile stream receiver (300) configures multiple tiles in the form of a single screen (or a single screen), encodes (or encodes / compresses) the configured screen, and transmits it to the set-top box (100) in the form of a stream. When multiple tiles are configured in the form of a single screen, the positions of each tile can be aligned based on viewing history information.

[0085] Multiple tiles can be transmitted with metadata. The metadata includes information about the channel ID associated with each tile, the location of each tile, and the resolution of each tile.

[0086] When multiple tiles are transmitted to the set-top box (100) by the tile stream receiver (300), the multiple tiles are transmitted in the form of RTSP / RTP via unicast-based TCP / UDP.

[0087] Additionally, before the tile stream receiver (300) transmits multiple tiles to the set-top box (100), the management server (200) can transmit a stream URL to the set-top box (100). The set-top box (100) can receive multiple tiles based on the received stream URL.

[0088] Additionally, the management server (200) can perform load balancing based on a health check of the tile stream muxer (300). The health check includes checking the number of simultaneous connections and the amount of transmission traffic of the tile stream muxer (300).

[0089] The set-top box (100) resizes the received tiles and combines them with the UI to compose and play a collection screen. The set-top box (100) can resize each tile and combine it with the UI using the metadata received along with the tiles. When the set-top box (100) decodes the tiles, the tiled HEVC standard used by the tile encoder (400) can be used.

[0090] Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a single screen displayed on a display by a set-top box (100). In Fig. 2, four tiles in a 2x2 format are displayed on a single screen, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of tiles may be determined based on the storage space of the set-top box (100). The set-top box (100) receives tiles for each channel, combines the received tiles with a UI, and plays them on a single screen. The location and resolution of the tiles may be determined based on metadata.

[0091] Additionally, our own customer survey revealed the method of navigating time channels and the resulting inconveniences. 78.6% of users used the up / down keys on their remote control to navigate channels. Of these, 44% complained of inconvenience. Next, 55.8% of users entered channel numbers directly with the remote control, and 23% of these users complained of inconvenience.

[0092] To address the inconvenience of switching channels for the survey subjects, we also conducted a survey on their preference for a method of simultaneously displaying multiple live channels on a single screen and allowing them to navigate and select channels or programs using the 4-way keys on the remote control. We were able to confirm a positive response from 57% of users.

[0093] In order to provide a more intuitive and convenient environment than before for users to browse and select real-time broadcast channels, VOD content, and / or OTT content, this patent additionally discloses a method for simultaneously displaying and selecting images of multiple channels and / or content on a single screen using a remote control including directional keys.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 3, an IPTV service providing system according to an additional embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a set-top box, a tile encoder (1), a tile stream receiving server (2), and an administrator server (3).

[0095] Then, referring to FIG. 3, a HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) tile-based video transmission technique is described.

[0096] Multiple IPTV live broadcast videos are acquired via a tile encoder (1) on a multicast basis. The tile encoder (1) reduces the resolution of each video, resizes it, transcodes it for HEVC encoding, and outputs it. The tile encoder (1) of Fig. 3 corresponds to the tile encoder (400) of Fig. 1.

[0097] The transcoded real-time broadcast video is received by the tile stream muxing server (2). The tile stream muxing server (2) performs the function of reassembling (muxing) multiple videos based on the HEVC tile standard within a single resolution.

[0098] Here, the reassembly (muxing) does not refer to encoding processing, but rather to arranging one image in one tile. Tiles can be implemented in various ways, such as 4X3, 4X4, or 5X5 within a single resolution.

[0099] The set-top box requests multiple real-time broadcast videos to be displayed on the screen from the management server (3). Based on this, the tile stream mux server (2) reassembles the multiple videos into a single video and transmits the reassembled video to the set-top box in a multicast (or unicast) format. At this time, metadata may be transmitted together with the reassembled video. The set-top box of Fig. 3 corresponds to the set-top box (100) of Fig. 1. The tile stream mux server (2) corresponds to the tile stream mux (300) of Fig. 1.

[0100] In order for the tile stream muxing server (2) to transmit a stream to the set-top box, the administrator server (3) can transmit a URL for one video (stream) and / or metadata muxed to the set-top box to the set-top box.

[0101] The set-top box can receive a single video and / or metadata based on the received URL. The set-top box decodes the received video based on the tile specifications (referencing the metadata) and renders each decoded tile-specific video according to the UI specifications, allowing multiple videos to be displayed on a single screen.

[0102] Each operation shown in the system in Figure 3 is explained from the user's perspective as follows.

[0103] When a user runs the collection app, the set-top box requests a list of real-time broadcast videos to be watched from the administrator server (3).

[0104] The administrator server (3) requests the tile stream muxer server (2) to reassemble (mux) multiple videos based on the real-time broadcast video list.

[0105] The tile stream muxer server (2) reassembles (muxes) the video corresponding to the real-time broadcast video list and transmits the stream to the set-top box.

[0106] The set-top box decodes the received transmission stream and displays multiple IPTV live broadcast channels on a single screen for simultaneous playback. This allows users to intuitively check broadcast programs. Users can select one or more of the displayed channels using a remote control with a four-way key.

[0107] Although Fig. 3 is described based on a real-time broadcast channel, the real-time broadcast channel in the description of Fig. 3 may be interpreted as a real-time broadcast channel, VOD content, and / or OTT content.

[0108] When muxing is performed on the tile stream muxer server (2), the live broadcast stream is muxed for videos from live broadcast channels. For VOD content and OTT content, a file-based trailer stream is muxed.

[0109] In the case of VOD content, in addition to a single muxed video and metadata, programming information for the VOD content can be received from the set-top box.

[0110] For OTT content, deep link information for the OTT content can be received from the set-top box in addition to the muxed video and metadata.

[0111] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an example of a remote controller including a screen displayed after rendering is completed and a 4-way key linked thereto according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0112] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a screen displayed according to an embodiment of the present invention allows a plurality of IPTV live broadcast channels, VOD content, and / or OTT content to be organized / displayed on a single screen for simultaneous playback, thereby enabling users to intuitively check broadcast programs. Furthermore, by enabling selection of specific categories or content via the 4-way directional keys, the inconvenience experienced through existing channel selection methods (such as remote control up / down keys, numeric keys, or EPG) can be overcome.

[0113] Additionally, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, an interface having an "edit" or "edit screen" function may be included. Based on a signal input via a remote control including a four-way key, the number of images displayed on one screen and the size of each image may be changed. As described in FIG. 3, since one image is arranged in one tile, this may mean that the number of tiles displayed on one screen and the size of the image corresponding to each tile may be changed based on a signal input via a remote control including a four-way key.

[0114] When a specific video (or tile) is selected via a remote control including a 4-way key on the screen of FIG. 4 or 5, the selected content is displayed on a large screen (main screen) as shown in FIG. 6. Below, real-time channels and / or content of a similar genre to the video displayed on the main screen may be organized / exposed on a small screen (sub screen) and played simultaneously. This allows the user to intuitively check similar broadcast programs, and specific real-time channels and / or content may be selected via a remote control including a 4-way key. The videos at the bottom may be displayed in a pop-up form and disappear after a certain period of time (e.g., 5 seconds) if no separate input is made.

[0115] Additionally, the screen of FIG. 6 may include an interface for selecting a category. The user may select a different category by using the left and / or right arrow keys on a remote control including four-way keys, and accordingly, multiple images corresponding to different categories are displayed on a sub-screen. The process of displaying images belonging to a specific category on the sub-screen may be based on the process described in FIG. 3. However, since the main image is being played in FIG. 6, a single muxed image may be rendered to be displayed overlaid on a portion of the main image. Even if a different category is selected by inputting one or more of the four-way keys, the main image is maintained, and a single image muxed with images for the changed category is displayed on a portion of the main image.

[0116] Although this specification and drawings describe exemplary device configurations, the functional operations and subject matter described herein may be implemented by other types of digital electronic circuitry, or by computer software, firmware, or hardware incorporating the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents, or by a combination of one or more of these. The subject matter described herein may be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a tangible program storage medium for controlling the operation of, or for execution by, the devices according to the present invention. The computer-readable medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter for affecting a machine-readable radio signal, or a combination of one or more of these.

[0117] Although not shown, each component of FIG. 1 and / or FIG. 3 may be connected via a communication network. The communication network serves to transmit data for data transmission and reception between the set-top box (100), the management server (200), the tile stream muxer (300), the tile encoder (400), the database (500), the CTC (600) and / or an external system, and depending on the system implementation method, a wired communication method such as Ethernet, xDSL (ADSL, VDSL), HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coaxial Cable), FTTC (Fiber to The Curb), FTTH (Fiber to The Home) may be used, and a wireless communication method such as WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi, Wibro, WiMAX, HSDPA (High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (Long Term Evolution Advanced) may be used.

[0118] In addition, such a communication network may be configured to include, for example, a plurality of access networks (not shown) and a core network (not shown), and an external network, for example, an Internet network (not shown). Here, the access network (not shown) is a network that performs wired and wireless communication with a set-top box (100), a management server (200), a tile stream muxer (300), a tile encoder (400), a database (500), a CTC (600) and / or an external system, and may be implemented with, for example, a plurality of base stations such as a BS (Base Station), a BTS (Base Transceiver Station), a NodeB, an eNodeB, a gNodeB, etc., and a base station controller such as a BSC (Base Station Controller) and an RNC (Radio Network Controller). In addition, as described above, the digital signal processing unit and the radio signal processing unit that were implemented integrally in the base station can be divided into digital units (hereinafter referred to as DUs) and radio units (hereinafter referred to as RUs), respectively, and a plurality of RUs (not shown) can be installed in each of a plurality of areas, and the plurality of RUs (not shown) can be connected to a centralized DU (not shown).

[0119] Additionally, the core network (not shown), which constitutes a mobile network together with an access network (not shown), plays a role in connecting the access network (not shown) and an external network, such as the Internet network (not shown).

[0120] As described above, the core network (not shown) is a network system that performs major functions for mobile communication services, such as mobility control and switching between access networks (not shown), and performs circuit switching or packet switching, and manages and controls packet flow within the mobile network. In addition, the core network (not shown) may manage inter-frequency mobility, and may also perform a role in interconnecting traffic within the access network (not shown) and the core network (not shown) and other networks, such as the Internet (not shown). The core network (not shown) may further include a Serving GateWay (SGW), a PDN GateWay (PGW), a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), a Home Location Register (HLR), a Mobile Mobility Entity (MME), and a Home Subscriber Server (HSS).

[0121] In addition, the Internet network (not shown) refers to a typical open communication network, i.e., a public network, in which information is exchanged according to the TCP / IP protocol, and is connected to a set-top box (100), an administrator server (200), a tile stream muxer (300), a tile encoder (400), a database (500), a CTC (600) and / or an external system, and information provided from the set-top box (100), the administrator server (200), the tile stream muxer (300), the tile encoder (400), the database (500), the CTC (600) and / or the external system can be provided to the set-top box (100), the administrator server (200), the tile stream muxer (300), the tile encoder (400), the database (500), the CTC (600) and / or the external system through a core network (not shown) and an access network (not shown). However, it is not limited thereto, and the set-top box (100), management server (200), tile stream muxer (300), tile encoder (400), database (500), CTC (600) and / or external system may be implemented integrally with the core network (not shown).

[0122] In addition to the communication methods described above, it may also include any other widely known or future developed communication methods.

[0123] The structure and operation of the IPTV service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention have been described above.

[0124] Although not shown, a non-volatile storage medium may be provided for performing the IPTV service providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0125] Meanwhile, the memory mounted on each device of the present invention stores information within the device. In one embodiment, the memory is a computer-readable medium. In one embodiment, the memory may be a volatile memory unit, and in another embodiment, the memory may be a non-volatile memory unit. In one embodiment, the storage device is a computer-readable medium. In various different embodiments, the storage device may include, for example, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or any other mass storage device.

[0126] Although this specification and drawings describe exemplary device configurations, the functional operations and subject matter described herein may be implemented by other types of digital electronic circuitry, or by computer software, firmware, or hardware incorporating the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents, or by a combination of one or more of these. The subject matter described herein may be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a tangible program storage medium for controlling the operation of, or for execution by, the devices according to the present invention. The computer-readable medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter for affecting a machine-readable radio signal, or a combination of one or more of these.

[0127] Additionally, various pieces of information generated during execution of the method for providing a collection screen according to the present invention can be stored and accessed on any computer-readable medium associated with a computing system. For example, some of these program modules and some of the associated program data may be included in the operating system, application programs, program modules, and / or program data for storage in system memory.

[0128] Additionally, if a mass storage device, such as a hard disk, is connected to the computing system, these program modules and associated program data may be stored on the mass storage device. In a network environment, the program modules related to the present invention, or portions thereof, may be stored on a remote computer system connected via a modem or network interface as an input / output interface. The execution of these modules may be performed in a distributed environment.

[0129] While this specification contains details of a number of specific implementations, as described above, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any invention or what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be unique to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features described herein in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments, either individually or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may operate in a particular combination and may initially be described as being claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be excluded from that combination, and the claimed combination may be modified into a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0130] Likewise, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that those operations be performed in the particular or sequential order depicted to achieve desired results, or that all depicted operations be performed. In certain instances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of the various system components of the embodiments described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the program components and systems described can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0131] Specific embodiments of the subject matter described herein have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the operations recited in the claims may be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. For example, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific illustrated order or sequential order to achieve desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0132] This description presents the best mode of the present invention and provides examples to illustrate the invention and enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention. This specification, written in this manner, is not intended to limit the invention to the specific terms presented. Therefore, while the invention has been described in detail with reference to the examples described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications, variations, and variations can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0133] Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be determined by the described embodiments but by the claims.

[0134] The present invention relates to a method and system for providing IPTV services, and more specifically, to a method and system for providing a personalized real-time broadcast collection, thereby improving the inconvenience of channel search and enhancing viewing convenience, and contributing to increasing IPTV viewing time by exposing channels preferred by customers.

[0135] Additionally, by providing personalized content, it is possible to improve the inconvenience of channel navigation and expose content that customers may prefer, while providing convenience in category / channel selection through a remote control that includes a 4-way key.

[0136] Accordingly, the present invention can contribute to the development of related industries by providing a method and system for providing IPTV services, and has industrial applicability because it has sufficient potential for commercialization or sales and can be clearly implemented in reality.

Claims

1. A method performed by a system for providing IPTV service, Steps for the set-top box to run the collection app; Based on the above execution, a step of the set-top box transmitting viewing history information to the administrator server; A step in which the administrator server transmits a request for creating tiles for configuring a collection screen and the viewing history information to a tile stream muxer; A step of collecting real-time broadcast information from a tile encoder by the tile stream receiver based on the above request and the above viewing history information; A step of transmitting a plurality of tiles to the set-top box by the above tile stream receiver to create a real-time broadcast collection screen; and The set-top box comprises a step of resizing the plurality of tiles and combining them with a UI (user interface) to configure and play the collection screen; The above plurality of tiles are configured in the form of a single screen by the tile stream server based on the viewing history information and the real-time broadcast information. How to provide IPTV service.

2. In paragraph 1, The above tiles are configured to exclude viewing history information for set-top boxes other than the above set-top box. How to provide IPTV service.

3. In paragraph 1, The above tile encoder obtains the real-time broadcast information in a multicast format and transmits it to the tile stream muxer in a multicast or unicast format. How to provide IPTV service.

4. In paragraph 1, The above tile stream receiver transmits the plurality of tiles to the set-top box in the form of RTSP (real-time streaming protocol) or RTP (real-time transport protocol) through unicast-based TCP (transmission control protocol) or UDP (user datagram protocol). How to provide IPTV service.

5. In paragraph 1, The above management server performs load balancing based on a health check of the above tile stream server, The above health check includes checking the number of simultaneous connections and the amount of transmission traffic of the tile stream server. How to provide IPTV service.

6. In paragraph 1, The above viewing history information: A list of the top X channel IDs based on the number of the set-top box and the viewing history within the set-top box; Based on the time of execution of the above collection app, the information is stored for the previous Y days; The above X channel ID list is composed based on Z channel IDs whose viewing history is stored in the set-top box. How to provide IPTV service.

7. In paragraph 6, The above X, Y, and Z are set based on the number of the tiles and the storage space in the set-top box. How to provide IPTV service.

8. In paragraph 6, The above viewing history includes the viewing ranking by channel ID, The above viewing ranking is set based on the PV (page view) information of the channel that has been maintained for a certain period of time. How to provide IPTV service.

9. In paragraph 1, The above real-time broadcast information is obtained based on tiled HEVC (tiled high efficiency video coding) by the tile encoder. How to provide IPTV service.

10. In paragraph 1, The above tiles are transmitted along with metadata, The above metadata includes information about the channel ID associated with each tile, the location of each tile, and the resolution of each tile. The above set-top box configures and plays the above collection screen based on the above metadata. How to provide IPTV service.

11. In paragraph 1, The operations performed by the above set-top box are: A step of receiving an input signal by one of the four directional keys from a remote control including an up directional key, a down directional key, a right directional key, and a left directional key; When a specific category is selected by the above input signal, a step of requesting images belonging to the specific category; In response to the above request, a step of receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) for one image generated based on muxing of the images; A step of receiving the one image and metadata based on the above URL; and A step of rendering the one image according to a UI (user interface) standard based on the above metadata; further comprising; How to provide IPTV service.

12. In paragraph 11, Categories that include the above specific categories include real-time broadcast channels, VOD (video on demand) content, and OTT (over on top) content. How to provide IPTV service.

13. In paragraph 11, Categories that include the above specific categories include general programming channels, news channels, entertainment channels, drama channels, sports channels, movie channels, and home shopping channels. How to provide IPTV service.

14. In paragraph 12, If the above specific category is a category of the above live broadcast channel, For videos belonging to the category of the above live broadcast channel, the live broadcast stream is muxed. How to provide IPTV service.

15. In paragraph 12, If the above specific category is the category of the above VOD content, For videos belonging to the above VOD content category, a file-based trailer stream is muxed. The program information is received by the set-top box along with the above one video, How to provide IPTV service.

16. In paragraph 12, If the above specific category is a category of the above OTT content, For videos belonging to the above OTT content category, a file-based trailer stream is muxed. Deep link information is received by the set-top box along with the above one video, How to provide IPTV service.

17. In paragraph 11, One video in which videos of channels belonging to the above specific category are multiplexed is rendered by the set-top box so as to be displayed by overlapping a part of the main video based on the input signal. How to provide IPTV service.

18. In paragraph 17, When a second input signal for changing the specific category is received by the set-top box by one of the four-way keys from the remote control, the main image is maintained and one image in which images for the changed specific category are multiplexed is rendered by the set-top box so that it is displayed by overlapping a part of the main image maintained. How to provide IPTV service.

19. In paragraph 11, The above one image is composed of a combination of the above multiple tiles, Each of the plurality of tiles corresponds to one of the images belonging to the specific category, How to provide IPTV service.

20. In paragraph 11, Based on an input signal by one of the four directional keys, the number of tiles to be displayed on the screen among the plurality of tiles and the size of the image corresponding to each tile are changed. How to provide IPTV service.

21. In a system for providing IPTV services, The system comprises a set-top box; an administrator server; a tile encoder; and a tile stream muxer; The above set-top box executes a collection app (application) and transmits viewing history information to the management server based on the execution. The above management server transmits a tile creation request for configuring a screen for viewing through the above tile stream and the viewing history information, Based on the above request and the above viewing history information, the tile stream receiver collects real-time broadcast information from the tile encoder, The above tile stream feeder configures and transmits a plurality of tiles for creating a real-time broadcast collection screen to the set-top box, The set-top box resizes the plurality of tiles and combines them with a UI (user interface) to configure and play the collection screen. The above plurality of tiles are configured in the form of a single screen by the tile stream server based on the viewing history information and the real-time broadcast information. IPTV service provision system.

22. In paragraph 21, The above tiles are configured to exclude viewing history information for set-top boxes other than the above set-top box. IPTV service provision system.

23. In paragraph 21, The above tile encoder obtains the real-time broadcast information in a multicast format and transmits it to the tile stream muxer in a multicast or unicast format. IPTV service provision system.

24. In paragraph 21, The above tile stream receiver transmits the plurality of tiles to the set-top box in the form of RTSP (real-time streaming protocol) or RTP (real-time transport protocol) through unicast-based TCP (transmission control protocol) or UDP (user datagram protocol). IPTV service provision system.

25. In paragraph 21, The above management server performs load balancing based on a health check of the above tile stream server, The above health check includes checking the number of simultaneous connections and the amount of transmission traffic of the tile stream mux. IPTV service provision system.

26. In paragraph 21, The above viewing history information: A list of the top X channel IDs based on the number of the set-top box and the viewing history within the set-top box; Based on the time of execution of the above collection app, the information is stored for the previous Y days; The above X channel ID list is composed based on Z channel IDs whose viewing history is stored in the set-top box. IPTV service provision system.

27. In paragraph 26, The above X, Y, and Z are set based on the number of the tiles and the storage space in the set-top box. IPTV service provision system.

28. In paragraph 26, The above viewing history includes the viewing ranking by channel ID, The above viewing ranking is set based on the PV (page view) information of the channel that has been maintained for a certain period of time. IPTV service provision system.

29. In paragraph 21, The above real-time broadcast information is obtained based on tiled HEVC (tiled high efficiency video coding) by the tile encoder. IPTV service provision system.

30. In paragraph 21, The above tiles are transmitted along with metadata, The above metadata includes information about the channel ID associated with each tile, the location of each tile, and the resolution of each tile. The above set-top box configures and plays the above collection screen based on the above metadata. IPTV service provision system.

31. In paragraph 21, The above set-top box: Receive an input signal by one of the four directional keys from a remote control including an up directional key, a down directional key, a right directional key, and a left directional key; When a specific category is selected by the above input signal, images belonging to the specific category are requested; In response to the above request, receive a uniform resource locator (URL) for one image generated based on muxing of the images; Based on the above URL, the above one image and metadata are received; Based on the above metadata, rendering the above one image according to the UI (user interface) standard, IPTV service provision system.

32. In paragraph 31, Categories that include the above specific categories include real-time broadcast channels, VOD (video on demand) content, and OTT (over on top) content. IPTV service provision system.

33. In paragraph 31, Categories that include the above specific categories include general programming channels, news channels, entertainment channels, drama channels, sports channels, movie channels, and home shopping channels. IPTV service provision system.

34. In paragraph 32, If the above specific category is a category of the above live broadcast channel, For videos belonging to the category of the above live broadcast channel, the live broadcast stream is muxed. IPTV service provision system.

35. In paragraph 32, If the above specific category is the category of the above VOD content, For videos belonging to the above VOD content category, a file-based trailer stream is muxed. The program information is received by the set-top box along with the above one video, IPTV service provision system.

36. In paragraph 32, If the above specific category is a category of the above OTT content, For videos belonging to the above OTT content category, a file-based trailer stream is muxed. Deep link information is received by the set-top box along with the above one video, IPTV service provision system.

37. In paragraph 31, One video in which videos of channels belonging to the above specific category are multiplexed is rendered by the set-top box so as to be displayed by overlapping a part of the main video based on the input signal. IPTV service provision system.

38. In paragraph 37, When a second input signal for changing the specific category is received by the set-top box by one of the four-way keys from the remote control, the main image is maintained and one image in which images for the changed specific category are multiplexed is rendered by the set-top box so that it is displayed by overlapping a part of the main image maintained. IPTV service provision system.

39. In paragraph 31, The above one image is composed of a combination of the above multiple tiles, Each of the plurality of tiles corresponds to one of the images belonging to the specific category, IPTV service provision system.

40. In paragraph 31, Based on an input signal by one of the four directional keys, the number of tiles to be displayed on the screen among the plurality of tiles and the size of the image corresponding to each tile are changed. IPTV service provision system.

Images