JP2008113231A - Network-distributed video reproducing method and network-distributed video reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent loads from concentrating on a network line between a server and a viewer's video reproducing device in particular, in a system for receiving the distribution of video by a network. <P>SOLUTION: Content can be downloaded from a user in advance even when the content has determined date and hour to be normally provided for a viewer. Encrypted content is distributed at that time, and when viewable date and hour come, the video reproducing device requests a key for decryption, and a content distribution server for providing content transmits the decryption key to the video reproducing device. The video reproducing device decrypts the encrypted content with the decryption key, so that the content can be reproduced. When the user downloads the content in advance, a discount rate is applied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a video (VOD, Video On Demand) distributed in response to a request from a viewer via a network, and an apparatus for reproducing the video, and in particular, concentrates the load of downloading content by the network of the system. The present invention relates to a network distribution video reproduction method and a network distribution video reproduction apparatus suitable for use in mitigation.

  In recent years, in television broadcasting, it has become possible to acquire or view a large amount of moving image data by making multi-channel broadcasting of moving image data by digital television broadcasting and widening the network bandwidth. As a result, the video data that can be viewed has been flooded. For example, according to Patent Document 1 below, a mechanism for understanding the content in a short time and the video data that the user really wants to view can be found. For this purpose, techniques capable of displaying important scenes in moving image data have been introduced.

  On the other hand, in communication using a network in recent years, with the spread of a large-capacity broadband line, the integration of broadcasting and the Internet has progressed, and accordingly, for example, a user wants to view through the network. The demand video distribution that can distribute the video, that is, can be viewed according to the user's request, has attracted attention.

  Along with the improvement in the image quality of digital television, it is conceivable that a high-resolution video is desired also in requested video distribution. However, when streaming a high-resolution video, a large amount of data must be transmitted in real time, so a large-capacity communication line is required. Therefore, a method of downloading all content data in advance to a network distribution video reproduction device and viewing it without applying a load on a communication line is also being studied.

JP 2003-153139 A

  There is no concept of capacity limitation in the broadcast wave of the conventional television broadcast, but the VOD service that distributes contents such as video and audio using the IP network such as the Internet that is expected to spread in the future uses a communication line. In many cases. In this case, in order to view high-quality video such as HD, a mechanism for allowing the user to maintain and maintain the quality of the content, such as securing a band in advance, has been considered.

  However, if there is a demand for viewing popular content, some users may not be able to secure (acquire) the bandwidth. In particular, for example, a new movie provided by a content distribution server or a movie that has become a hot topic in the game may be flooded at a time and the line may be punctured.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a system for receiving video distribution over a network, and in particular, loads on the network line between the server and the video playback device of the viewer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a network distribution video reproduction method and a network distribution video reproduction device that can prevent concentration.

  According to the network distribution video reproduction method of the present invention, even if the date and time is properly provided to the viewer, the content can be downloaded in advance from the user.

  At that time, when the encrypted content is distributed and the viewable date / time is reached, a content distribution server that requests a key for decryption from the video reproduction device and provides the content is sent to the video reproduction device. Send the decryption key. In the video reproduction device, the encrypted content can be decrypted and reproduced by the decryption key.

  Further, the content distribution server may store the content distribution request and transmit the decryption key when the regular provision date is reached.

  It is not always necessary for the content distribution server to transmit the decryption key, and a separate decryption key distribution server may be provided.

  Further, before the due date that is normally provided to the viewer, incomplete content data (such as frame skipping data) is transmitted to the user's video playback device, and the due date that is normally provided to the viewer. Thereafter, a mechanism that can reproduce the complete content may be provided.

  It is desirable to give privileges such as fee discounts and coupons to users who have downloaded content in advance.

  According to the present invention, in a system that receives video distribution over a network, in particular, network distribution video playback that can prevent a load from being concentrated on the network line between the server and the video playback device of the viewer. A method and a network distribution video reproduction apparatus can be provided.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

  First, a system configuration relating to a network distribution video reproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram relating to a network distribution video reproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The network distribution video playback apparatus of this embodiment receives and plays back video by VOD over a network such as the Internet.

  When playing back video by VOD, as shown in FIG. 1, the video is sent from the content delivery server 2 and portal server 3 of the network delivery video playback device 1 of this embodiment via the IP network 4 such as the Internet. Receive streaming. Since VOD video needs to be streamed with a large capacity, a broadband line such as an optical fiber line or an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line is preferable. An example of a protocol used at this time is, for example, RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol).

  Next, the function and configuration of the network distribution video reproduction apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the network distribution video reproduction device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing functions of the network distribution video reproduction device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the network distribution video reproduction device 1 includes a central processing unit 101, a display device 102, a main storage device 103, an input device 105, an audio output device 106, a network interface unit 107, and an auxiliary storage device interface unit 19. However, each unit is configured to be able to transmit / receive data to / from each other via the bus 100.

  The central processing unit 101 is usually composed of a microprocessor, reads data loaded in the main storage device 103, executes a program, and gives control instructions to each unit.

  The display device 102 is realized by a display adapter, a liquid crystal display connected to the display adapter, a plasma display, and a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube).

The main storage device 103 uses a volatile or non-volatile semiconductor device, and data and programs handled by the central processing unit 101 are loaded from the auxiliary storage device 30 to the input device 105. A device for inputting data such as a front button, a keyboard, a mouse, or a remote control device.

  The audio output device 106 includes, for example, a sound card and a speaker, and outputs broadcast and video audio.

  The network interface unit 107 is a part that controls an interface with the IP network.

  The auxiliary storage device interface unit 109 is a part that controls the interface with the auxiliary storage device.

  The auxiliary storage device 30 is usually a large-capacity hard disk drive, and can store video data or the like for a long period of time as a video recording or the like. A program executed by the central processing unit 11 is also stored here.

  As shown in FIG. 3, as a function of the network distribution video reproduction device 1, in order to reproduce VOD video, the IP network control unit 100 controls packets transmitted by the IP network. Then, the video is received by the VOD receiving unit 101, and streaming playback is performed by the streaming playback unit 102.

  Then, the video is selected by the TS Buffer / Switch unit 300, the MPEG is separated by the DeMux unit 301, decoded by the MPEG gorder unit 302, and output to the display device.

  In the above description, the case of MPEG has been described. A decoder according to the H.264 standard may be used.

  In addition, the network distribution video reproduction device 1 of the present embodiment can also display a portal site that provides VOD by the Web browser 400.

  Next, processing of the network distribution video reproduction method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 4 to 10.

  4 to 6 are flowcharts showing each processing form of the network distribution video reproduction method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a content list screen for the viewer to select content viewing.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a notification screen displayed when a viewer downloads content.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a notification screen for notifying the viewer that the content can be viewed.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of content management information.

  The processing of the network distribution video reproduction method according to the present embodiment enables downloading from the viewer in advance with respect to the content for which the viewable date and time is determined.

  When the viewer receives content distribution, for example, a content list screen as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed by the Web browser.

  The content list screen displays a content title, a charge, a distribution start date / time, a viewable date / time, a content state, and a distribution instruction button.

  The title of the content is a title representing the content content such as the title of a movie to be viewed (Japanese translation name). The fee is a fee charged by the viewer when viewing the content, and may be free. Moreover, you may write a discount charge together as shown in the figure. In the example of this figure, it is shown that a discount fee is applied when the viewer downloads content before opening.

  The distribution start date and time is the date and time when the user who wants to view can download the content. In the figure, only the date is displayed, for example, midnight is the reference date and time, but the time may be displayed for each content.

  The viewable date and time is the date and time when the viewer can properly view the content. In other words, it is a movie release.

  The user who wants to view can download the content after the delivery start date and time, but cannot view the content properly. However, depending on the viewer's options, it is possible to provide options such as viewing content with advertisements and paying an extra fee.

  The status of the content represents the status of “waiting for distribution”, “distributable”, and “viewable”. The “waiting for delivery” state is a state before the delivery start date and time, and the content cannot be downloaded yet. “Distributable” is the time after the distribution start date and time and before the viewable date and time, and is a state in which the content can be received but the viewer cannot properly view. “Viewable” is a state after the viewable date and time, where the viewer can normally view the content.

  A user who wishes to view receives a distribution by instructing a distribution instruction button to a pointing device such as a mouse. When the content state is “distributable”, regular viewing is still not possible, but when the content state is “viewable”, the user can immediately regular view when receiving the distribution.

  In FIG. 7, “recommended” titles and content by genre are displayed. The recommended title “Content A” has a discount fee of 200 yen for a one-time viewing fee, which is downloaded in advance (ie, when the content status is “Distributable” before the viewable date and time). 150 yen, the distribution start date and time is September 2, 2006 (from midnight), the viewable date and time is November 3, 2006 (from midnight), and the content status is as of October 31, 2006. This indicates that “delivery is possible”.

  Note that “content C” whose genre is “drama / love story”, as of October 31, 2006, is before the delivery date and time of November 15, 2006 (from midnight), Since the status is “waiting for delivery”, the delivery instruction button is not displayed.

  In addition, since “Content D” is past the viewing-and-listening date of October 30, 2006 as of October 31, 2006, the content status is “viewable”, so a discount fee is displayed. It has not been.

On the time axis T shown in FIG. 4, t ₀ is a delivery possible date and time, t ₁ is a viewable date and time, and t ₂ is a date and time when the content can actually be reproduced.

When prior distributable date t _0, the network delivery video reproduction device 1 (hereinafter, simply "reproducing apparatus 1" hereinafter) when the content distribution request from is (S100), the content distribution server 2 rejects the request (S101).

Past the distributable date t _0, when that is the content distribution request from the playback apparatus 1, moreover when not only the viewable time t ₁ (S102), the content distribution server 2, the reproducing apparatus 1, IP network The encrypted stream of the content is transmitted via 4 (S103). This content distribution request is made when the user who wants to view selects a distribution instruction button from the content list screen shown in FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the content management information includes a title 501, a genre 502, a distribution start date and time 503, a viewable date and time 504, a playback time 505, a fee 506, a pre-opening discount fee 507, a premium fee 508, and an advertisement. It is stored in a table composed of fields such as presence / absence of video 509.

  Here, the fee 506 is a regular fee for providing content. The pre-opening discount fee 507 is a discount fee for downloading and viewing the content when the content before the viewable date and time is in the “distributable” state. The premium charge 508 is specially viewable when the content before the viewable date and time is in the “distributable” state and the user pays before the viewable date and time. It is a charge with a premium of. The presence / absence of advertisement-added video 509 is provided when the content before the viewable date / time is in the “distributable” state and the video with advertisement permitted to be viewed is provided before the viewable date / time. It is shown whether or not. The premium fee and the video with advertisement may be different depending on the content.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, in the content A, a video with an advertisement is provided and no premium fee is set. On the other hand, in Content B, the regular fee is 250 yen, the pre-opening discount fee is 200 yen, the premium fee is 300 yen (50 yen premium), and video with advertisement is provided. Absent.

  When the content stream and content management information are received on the playback device 1, the content is normally stored in the auxiliary storage device 30 shown in FIG. 2 (S110).

  At that time, a notification screen as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display device on the playback device 1 side. The example of this screen indicates that the content A can be normally viewed from November 3rd. In addition, before the date and time, if the video includes an advertisement, the user can select and view it. That is, it can be said that the video with an advertisement is a provisional video that can be viewed even at a viewable date and time.

  In the above example, the content management information is described so as to be downloaded and stored together with the content stream. However, when necessary, the content management information may be sent from the playback device 1 to the content provider portal site. Good.

Next, when the viewable date / time t ₁ is reached, the playback device 1 requests the content distribution server 2 for a decryption key for the content. This decryption key request is automatically issued when the video playback monitoring program is started in the background, and the time is constantly monitored and the content viewable date / time t ₁ stored in the management information is reached. To do. When there is a possibility that the power supply of the reproducing apparatus 1 in the viewable time t ₁ is OFF, set in advance timer, requesting the decryption key in the ON power to the viewable time t ₁ do it. By this method, the content can be viewed immediately when the power is turned on next time.

Also, if there is a risk that the power supply of the reproducing apparatus 1 in the viewable time t ₁ is OFF, recognizes that past the viewable time t ₁ at next power ON, requests the decryption key to the server May be. By this method, requests for decryption keys to the server are distributed, and it is possible to avoid a load from being concentrated on the viewable date / time t ₁ .

Furthermore, in order to grasp the viewable date and time t ₁ more accurately, for example, time information acquired from SI (Service Information) of digital broadcasting or time information acquired via a network by NTP (Network Time Protocol) is used. Also good.

  When the content distribution server 2 determines that the viewable date / time of the content has been reached, the content distribution server 2 distributes the decryption key (S210). Then, the playback apparatus 1 decrypts the content stream with the decryption key.

  Although not shown in the figure, the content server 2 rejects the delivery of the decryption key when it is determined that the content viewable date / time has not been reached.

Then, the time t ₂ after which the content is actually become possible reproduction, the viewer to reproduce the content, the content of the normal will be able to view (S300).

  When the decryption is successful, a notification screen as shown in FIG. 9 is displayed to alert the user.

  If the content is downloaded in advance in this way, a large amount of content stream is not requested immediately after the content viewable date and time, and the load on the network is reduced. The decryption key is very small data compared to the content stream, and there is almost no problem in terms of network load.

  Further, if the user who downloaded the content before the date and time when the content can be viewed is provided with a discount for the content and a privilege such as a coupon, there is an advantage for both the system provider and the user.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the decryption key is requested from the playback device 4. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, when the playback device 4 connects to the content distribution server 2, the management information of the content distributed for each user in the content distribution server 2 is stored. The decryption key may be distributed from the content distribution server 2 for the content whose viewable time has passed (S202).

In the example described above, the encrypted stream is downloaded before the viewable date and time, and when the viewable date and time is reached, the stream is decrypted by decryption. Not limited to the example, as shown in FIG. 6, incomplete stream information of the content may be distributed before the viewable date and time t ₁ (S104).

  Incomplete stream information is, for example, partial information of content video, and is data that skips frames when played back.

When the viewable date / time t ₁ is reached, the playback apparatus 1 requests that the stream be complete (S203).

  On the content distribution server 3 side, information for completing the stream, that is, in the above example, the remaining information of the content video is distributed (S204).

  Upon receiving this distribution, the playback device 1 completes the stream and makes it ready for playback (S220).

In this example, the distribution of the content after the viewable date and time t _{1 is} also a part of the content although a certain amount of network load is applied. Therefore, the load on the network is smaller than when all the content information is downloaded. It is reduced.

  In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, if a malicious person eavesdrops on the decryption key, the content may be reproduced, but in this example, the information of the downloaded content is originally incomplete. For that reason there is no fear.

1 is a system configuration diagram related to a network distribution video reproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a hardware block diagram of the network delivery video reproduction apparatus 1 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram showing the function of the network delivery video reproduction apparatus 1 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows each processing form of the network delivery video reproduction method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention (the 1). It is a flowchart which shows each process form of the network delivery image | video reproduction | regeneration method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention (the 2). It is a flowchart which shows each processing form of the network delivery image | video reproduction | regeneration method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention (the 3). It is a figure which shows an example of the content list screen for a viewer to select viewing of content. It is a figure which shows an example of the information screen displayed when a viewer downloads a content. It is a figure which shows an example of the alerting | reporting screen for notifying that a viewer can view content now. It is a figure which shows an example of content management information.

Claims (8)

In a network distribution video reproduction method in which a network distribution video reproduction device requests a content for which a distribution possible date and time and a viewing possible date and time are determined and reproduces the content from a content distribution server via a network.
Via the network, the network distribution video playback device makes a content distribution request to the content distribution server;
The content delivery server delivering an encrypted content stream to the network delivery video playback device when the content delivery date and time has passed;
Decrypting the encrypted content stream with a decryption key by the network delivery video playback device when the viewable date and time has passed;
A network distribution video reproduction method, wherein the network distribution video reproduction apparatus reproduces a decrypted content stream.   The decryption key is requested from the network distribution video reproduction device to the content distribution server when the viewable date and time has passed, and the content distribution server is requested from the network distribution video reproduction device. 2. The network distribution video reproduction method according to claim 1, wherein the decryption key is distributed.   The decryption key specifies the decryption key of the downloaded content when the viewable date and time has passed, and distributes the decryption key for decrypting the content from the content distribution server. The network delivery video reproduction method according to claim 1, wherein: The content has a regular provision fee and a discount fee when downloaded before the viewable date and time,
2. The network video reproduction method according to claim 1, wherein the discount fee is charged when the viewer downloads before the viewable date and time. The content has a regular provision fee and an additional fee for viewing before the viewable date and time,
2. The network video reproduction method according to claim 1, wherein the additional fee is charged when the viewer views before the viewable date and time. The content has a regular provided video and a provisional video when viewed before the viewable date and time,
2. The network video reproduction method according to claim 1, wherein when the viewer views the video before the viewable date and time, only the provisional video can be viewed. In a network distribution video reproduction method in which a network distribution video reproduction device requests a content for which a distribution possible date and time and a viewing possible date and time are determined and reproduces the content from a content distribution server via a network.
Via the network, the network distribution video playback device makes a content distribution request to the content distribution server;
The content delivery server delivers an incomplete stream of content to the network delivery video reproduction device when the content delivery date and time has passed;
When the viewable date and time has passed, the content distribution server distributes information for completing the incomplete stream, and the network distribution video reproduction device completes the incomplete stream. When,
A network distribution video reproduction method, wherein the network distribution video reproduction apparatus reproduces a complete content stream. In a network distribution video reproduction device that requests content that has been determined for distribution possible date and time and viewable date and time from a content distribution server via a network and reproduces the content,
Means for requesting distribution of content to the content distribution server via the network;
Means for receiving, from the content distribution server, a stream of content encrypted by the network distribution video reproduction device when the content can be distributed;
Means for monitoring the viewable date and time and requesting a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted content stream to the content distribution server when the viewable date and time has passed;
Means for receiving the decryption key from the content distribution server;
Means for decrypting the encrypted content stream with the decryption key;
A network distribution video reproduction device comprising: means for reproducing the decrypted content stream.

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