KR100824741B1 - Moving picture on demand service method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of providing an MPOD(Moving Picture On Demand) service is provided to allow users to freely share moving pictures which are stored in an MPOD server by MPOD members. Users are connected to an MPOD server through clients to sign in an MPOD service and receive MPOD member identifiers, MPOD member passwords and set top box identifiers. The set top box identifiers are respectively stored in set top boxes of the users. A user is connected to the MPOD server to log in and selects a moving picture to be downloaded. The selected moving picture is downloaded to the MPOD server and stored in the MPOD server. A first user who requests a predetermined moving picture to be shared selects a second user who shares the moving picture and the predetermined moving picture. The first user requests the second user to accept the request. When the second user accepts the request, a user interface of the first person displays the second user and the shared moving picture and a user interface of the second person displays the first user and the shared moving picture. When the second user selects the shared moving picture, the shared moving picture is encoded and demodulated into digital broadcasting streams and transmitted to the set top box of the second user. The set top box decodes and demodulates the digital broadcasting streams and plays the moving picture in real time through a broadcasting output unit.

Description

Moving picture on demand service method}

1 is a view showing an on-demand video system for implementing an on-demand video service according to the present invention;

2 is a flow chart that divides the on-demand video service method according to the invention step by step,

3 is a diagram illustrating a user interface provided from an MPOD server.

-Explanation of terms for the main parts of the accompanying drawings-

10; Broadcaster server, 20; Broadcast server,

30; Digital TV, 31; Set Top Box,

32; Broadcast output unit, 32a; display,

32b; Speaker, 33; remote,

40a-40n; Client, 50a-50n; Website server,

60; Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server,

70a to 70n; Moving picture on demand server,

100; The user interface provided by the MPOD server,

110; A share target setting unit, 111; Shared group settings section,

111a; Setting group display section 111b; New group input,

111c; Add Group Menu, 111d; Delete group menu,

112; Personal sharer setting by group, 112a; Personal sharer settings,

112b; Personal sharer input, 112c; Add personal sharer menu,

112d; Delete Personal Sharer Menu, 112e; Share request menu,

120; MPOD member-specific video setting unit, 121; Video display,

122; Movie play menu, 123; Remove video menu,

124; Video Sharing Setup Menu, 124a; Show shared status,

124b; Display unshared status, 130; Sharing requester settings,

131; A share requestor display unit, 132; Delete share requestor menu,

140; Shared video setting unit by sharing requester,

141; Shared video display, 142; Shared video launch menu.

The present invention relates to an on-demand video service method in which a viewer can directly store various types of moving images capable of Internet transmission in an MPOD server, and then watch the moving images through a broadcasting output unit of a digital TV at a desired time.

As is well known, the known over-the-air, cable and satellite broadcasts transmit broadcast programs at predetermined times, and viewers simply watch them passively, thus greatly reducing the convenience of viewing.

Accordingly, an interactive video service, such as an IP TV (Internet Protocol Television) service or a Video On Demand (VOD) service, has been proposed to allow a viewer to watch a desired broadcast program at a desired time. After connecting to a server providing a two-way video service through a set-top box of a digital TV by operating a remote control, and selects one of the video stored in the server providing a two-way video service to watch the video, The choice of videos that can be watched was greatly limited.

In order to solve the problem of the conventional two-way video service, recently, various forms of moving images that can be transmitted by the Internet, such as Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0002960, which the applicant has previously applied for, can be directly stored in the MPOD server. On demand, a video on demand service method has been proposed that allows users to watch a video at a desired time through a broadcast output unit of a digital TV.

However, the conventional on-demand video service method does not come up with a way to selectively share the videos stored separately for each MPOD member on the MPOD server as needed, so that MPOD members can freely exchange the videos owned by them Since it is impossible, the inconvenience of using the service has been caused.

Accordingly, the present invention has been invented to solve the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a video on-demand service method that can be freely shared according to the video stored separately for each MPOD member in the MPOD server.

The present invention for achieving the above object, the first step of accessing the MPOD server via the client to join the service member, and receives the MPOD member identifier, MPOD member password and set-top box identifier; A second step of storing the set-top box identifiers for each MPOD server in the set-top box through the remote controller; A third step of logging into the MPOD server through the client; A fourth step of selecting a video to download via the client; Downloading the selected video to the MPOD server through the client, and storing the downloaded video to the MPOD server for each MPOD member; A sixth step in which the share requester selects a share target and a shared video; A seventh step of requesting sharing permission from the sharing requester to the sharing party; An eighth step of displaying the share target person and the shared video on the user interface of the share requester, and displaying the share requester and the shared video on the user interface of the share permitter, if the share target allows sharing; When the sharing permission viewer selects to view the shared video of the sharing requester, a ninth step of encoding and modulating the viewing-selected shared video into a digital broadcast stream and transmitting the same to the set-top box of the sharing permission provider; And a tenth step of decoding and demodulating the transmitted digital broadcast stream in a set top box and broadcasting it in real time through a broadcast output unit.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the on-demand video service according to the present invention is implemented by the on-demand video system shown in FIG. 1.

On-demand video system according to Figure 1 includes a broadcast provider server 10 for providing a digital broadcast application and digital broadcast content to the broadcast delivery server 20; A broadcast transmission server 20 connected to the broadcasting network for transmitting the digital broadcasting application from the broadcasting company server 10 and the digital broadcasting contents to the set top box 31 of the digital TV 30 through the broadcasting network; A set-top box connected to a broadcasting network and the Internet, receiving a digital broadcasting application from the broadcasting transmission server 20 and digital broadcasting contents through a broadcasting network, decoding and demodulating the same, and outputting the digital broadcasting contents to the broadcasting output unit 32. And a remote control for remotely controlling the operation of the set-top box 31 and the broadcast output unit 32 that broadcasts the digital broadcast content from the set-top box 31, the display 32a and the speaker 32b. A digital TV 30 equipped with 33; Clients 40a to 40n that are connected to the Internet, request the server for main tasks or information and return the results; A website server 50a to 50n that is connected to the Internet and returns a result of execution to the clients 40a to 40n after performing a task or information requested by the clients 40a to 40n; DHCP server that is connected to the Internet, assigns a variable IP address to clients 40a to 40n or set-top box 31, and assigns a static IP address to website servers 50a to 50n or MPOD servers 70a to 70n. 60 and; Connected to the Internet, the MPOD server 70a to 70n downloads and stores the requested video from the clients 40a to 40n, converts the stored video into a digital broadcast stream, and transmits the video to the set top box 31 of the corresponding MPOD member. Is done.

On-demand video system according to Figure 1 is a known digital broadcasting system having a broadcaster server 10, broadcast delivery server 20 and the digital TV 30, the set-top box 31 of the digital TV 30 It forms a structure connected to a known client / server system consisting of clients 40a-40n and servers 50a-50n, 60, 70, 70a-70n.

Since the MPOD servers 70a to 70n according to the present invention have substantially the same hardware configuration as the server providing the IP TV service, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to Figure 2 in detail step by step the video on-demand service method according to the present invention.

1. A first step of accessing the MPOD servers 70a to 70n through the clients 40a to 40n to sign up for service members, and receiving an MPOD member identifier, an MPOD member password, and a set-top box identifier.

The first step is to join the on-demand video service member by connecting the Internet to the MPOD server 70a to 70n using the clients 40a to 40n. The personal information of the registered viewers is stored in the MPOD server 70a to 70n. It is registered to, and is given an MPOD member identifier and MPOD member password for member authentication, and a set-top box identifier for identifying the set-top box of the MPOD member. If necessary, one identifier may be jointly used as the MPOD member identifier and the set-top box identifier, or two different identifiers may be separately used as the MPOD member identifier and the set-top box identifier.

The MPOD server 70a to 70n stores the personal information of the subscribed viewer, the MPOD member identifier, the MPOD member password, and the set-top box identifier, and the user of the client 40a to 40n via the MPOD member identifier and the MPOD member password. Certifies that the MPOD member is a legitimate MPOD member and identifies the set-top box of the MPOD member through the set-top box identifier

2. The second step of storing the set-top box identifier by the MPOD server (70a ~ 70n) in the set-top box 31 via the remote control 33.

In this second step, the MPOD servers 70a to 70n identify the set-top box 31 and automatically recognize the set-top box IP address for session connection between the set-top box 31 and the MPOD server 70a to 70n. The set-top box identifier is stored in the set-top box 31 for each MPOD server 70a to 70n.

A user interface (not shown) for storing the set-top box identifier for each MPOD server 70a to 70n in the set-top box 31 is included in an application provided from the broadcast transmission server 20 to the set-top box 31. Stored.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, when the MPOD member presses the setup button on the remote control 33, a configuration screen including a "save set-top box identifier" menu, "confirm set-top box identifier" menu and "close screen" menu is displayed Displayed via the display 32a, and operating the remote control 33 to select the "Save Set-Top Box Identifier" menu, the prompt "Please select a MPOD service provider", "No. 1; AAA company", "2 The MPOD service provider selection screen including menus such as No. BBB company and No. 3 CCC company is displayed on the display 32a. In this state, when the MPOD member operates the remote controller 33 and selects a specific MPOD service provider, for example, "No. 1; AAA supplier", the prompt "Enter the set-top box identifier obtained from the AAA company" and In addition, the set-top box identifier storage screen including an input window for inputting the set-top box identifier is displayed on the display 32a. In this state, when the MPOD member operates the remote controller 33 to input the set top box identifier given at the time of membership registration, the set top box configuration screen is displayed through the display 32a. When the set top box configuration screen is displayed on the display 32a, when the remote controller 33 is operated to select the "confirm the set top box identifier" menu, "No. 1 is the set top box identifier of the AAA company is XXXXXXXX". , "No. 2; BBB company's set-top box identifier is not registered", "No. 3; CCC company's set-top box identifier is not registered", and the set-top box identifier confirmation screen including the "OK" menu is displayed. Displayed via the display 32a. In this state, when the MPOD member operates the remote controller 33 and selects the "confirmation" menu, the set top box configuration screen is displayed on the display 32a. Subsequently, when the set top box configuration screen is displayed on the display 32a, when the remote control 33 is operated to select the “Close screen” menu, the set top box configuration screen disappears from the display 32a. In the present embodiment, the fixed IP address of each MPOD server (70a ~ 70n) is included in the application provided from the broadcast transmission server 20 is stored in the set-top box 31. Therefore, the IP address of the set-top box 31 for each member is automatically updated for each of the MPOD servers 70a to 70n, and the MPOD server 70a to 70n uses the set-top box identifier and the set-top box IP address to set the member's set-top. The box 31 can be freely selected and connected.

3. The third step of logging in by accessing the MPOD servers 70a to 70n via the clients 40a to 40n.

The third step is a session connection between the clients 40a to 40n of the MPOD members to the MPOD servers 70a to 70n.

First of all, if the Internet is connected to the MPOD servers 70a to 70n via the clients 40a to 40n and a session connection is requested by inputting the MPOD member identifier and the MPOD member password given at the time of membership registration, the MPOD server 70a to 40n. In 70n), the MPOD member identifier and the MPOD member password inputted from the clients 40a to 40n are compared with the MPOD member identifier and the MPOD member password of the corresponding MPOD member stored in the MPOD server 70a to 70n. Allow login to connect the clients 40a to 40n and the MPOD server 70a to 70n with each other, and if they do not match, send a login error message to the corresponding clients 40a to 40n.

4. The fourth step of selecting a video to download via the client 40a to 40n.

In this fourth step, the client 40a to 40n and the MPOD server 70a to 70n are connected to a session, and the MPOD member selects a video to download to the MPOD server 70a to 70n using the client 40a to 40n. It's a step.

The video to be downloaded is a video held by the client 40a to 40n, a file shared video held by another client 40a to 40n, or a video held by the website server 50a to 50n. All is possible.

However, if the video held by the website server 50a to 50n is provided for a fee, the MPOD member accesses the website server 50a to 50n and authenticates the membership and pays an annual fee, or a separate user. The video transmission authentication procedure, such as separately paying the transmission fee per case through the authentication process, should be allowed to receive video transmission from the website server (50a ~ 50n).

5. Downloading the selected video to the MPOD server 70a to 70n via the client 40a to 40n, and storing the downloaded video to the MPOD server 70a to 70n for each MPOD member.

The fifth step is a step of storing the video that the user wants to watch on the MPOD server (70a ~ 70n) so that the MPOD member can watch the desired video at the desired time.

The operation of selecting and downloading the video to be downloaded is performed through a user interface for downloading provided by the MPOD servers 70a through 70n, and the user interface is displayed on a web page provided by the MPOD servers 70a through 70n. It may be provided to the clients 40a to 40n as a separate user interface program, such as a known messenger program.

In the present embodiment, the user interface 100 as shown in FIG. 3 is applied, and the video to be downloaded is dragged to the video display unit 121 of the MPOD member-specific video setting unit 120 constituting the user interface 100. If you drop and drop, the name of the video is displayed on the video display unit 121 and automatically downloaded to the MPOD servers 70a to 70n, and the downloaded video is stored for each MPOD member in the MPOD servers 70a to 70n. The user interface 100 shown in FIG. 3 includes: a sharing target setting unit 110 used to set a sharing target; MPOD member-specific video setting unit 120 used to download and save the video to the MPOD server (70a ~ 70n), and set the video stored in the MPOD server (70a ~ 70n) as a shared video; A sharing requestor setting unit 130 used to set a sharing requestor; A shared video setting unit 140 for each sharing requestor used to set a shared video for each sharing requester. In addition, the sharing target user setting unit 110 is composed of a sharing group setting unit 111 and the individual sharer setting unit 112 for each group, it is possible to set the sharing target for each individual or group. The sharing group setting unit 111 includes a setting group display unit 111a for displaying the set groups, a new group input unit 111b for inputting a group name to be added to the setting group display unit 111a, and a new group input unit 111b. The group addition menu 111c which adds the group name inputted to the set) to the setting group display part 111a, and the group deletion menu 111d which deletes the group selected by the setting group display part 111a. The group-specific personal sharer setting unit 112 includes a setting personal sharer display unit 112a displaying the MPOD member identifiers of the set individual sharers belonging to the group selected by the setting group display unit 111a, and a personal sharer to be newly added to the group. The personal sharer input unit 112b for inputting the MPOD member identifier of the user, the add personal sharer menu 112c for adding the MPOD member identifier inputted to the personal sharer input unit 112b to the set personal sharer display unit 112a, and the set personal sharer display unit ( A personal sharer delete menu 112d for deleting the MPOD member identifier selected in 112a), and a share request menu 112e for requesting sharing to individual sharers belonging to the group. The MPOD member-specific video setting unit 120 includes a video display unit 121 for displaying a video stored for each MPOD member in the MPOD servers 70a to 70n, and a video execution menu for executing a video selected from the video display unit 121 ( 122), a video deletion menu 123 for deleting the video selected by the video display unit 121, and a video sharing setting menu 124 for individually setting and displaying whether or not the video displayed on the video display unit 121 is shared. The sharing requestor setting unit 130 may delete the sharing requester display unit 131 displaying the sharing requester's MPOD member identifier and the sharing requestor display unit 131 's MPOD member identifier selected by the sharing requester display unit 131 and block sharing. Deletion menu 132 is made. The shared video setter 140 for each sharing requester may include a shared video display unit 141 for displaying the shared videos of the share requester selected in the shared video setter 140 for the share requestor, and a sharing selected from the shared video display unit 141. It consists of a shared video execution menu 142 for executing a video.

Meanwhile, when the downloaded video is a digital broadcast video format (MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264, etc.), the video is stored without file format conversion. On the other hand, if the downloaded video is not a digital broadcast video format, such as MPEG1, MOV, RealVideo, Avi, etc., converts them to a digital broadcast video format and stores them in the MPOD servers 70a to 70n, or the MPOD server 70a in its original format. 70n) and convert the video to digital video format before encoding and modulating the video into a digital broadcast stream.

6. The sixth step in which the share requester selects the share target and the share video.

In the sixth step, among the MPOD members, a person to be shared and a shared video are selected so that other MPOD members can view the video stored in the MPOD servers 70a to 70n.

Referring to the user interface 100 illustrated in FIG. 3, the sixth step will be described in more detail as follows.

First, the sharing requester (a person who is an MPOD member and wants to share his own video to another MPOD member) inputs an identifiable group name in the new group input unit 111b of the sharing target setting unit 110. Click on the group add menu 111c to register the group name on the setting group display section 111a.

Subsequently, in the state in which the group name registered and registered on the setting group display unit 111a is selected, the MPOD member identifier of the personal sharer to belong to the group is input to the personal sharer input unit 112b, and then the add personal sharer menu 112c is displayed. Click to register the personal sharer MPOD member identifier in the setting personal sharer display unit 112a.

Thereafter, the video sharing setting menu 124 of the MPOD member-specific video setting unit 120 is clicked to select a video to be shared to individual sharers belonging to the group among the videos displayed on the video display unit 121. Here, the unexplained symbol "124a" indicates a state in which the corresponding video is shared, and the unexplained symbol "124b" indicates a state in which the corresponding video is not shared.

7. The seventh step in which the sharing requestor requests permission to share with the sharing party.

In the seventh step, the sharing requester requests the person to be shared whether to share and watch the video.

In the case of using the user interface 100 shown in FIG. 3, after selecting the person to be shared and the shared video by performing the sixth step, when the user clicks the sharing request menu 112e, "DDD requests to share the video. Do you allow it? "And a sharing permission request window (not shown) that includes a" License "menu and a" Reject "menu to configure the clients 40a to 40n of individual sharers belonging to the group. Each display is individually displayed through the display.

8. When the person to be shared permits the sharing, the eighth step of displaying the person to be shared and the shared video on the user interface 100 of the share requester, and displaying the person to be shared and the video to be shared on the user interface 100 of the person allowing the sharing.

In the eighth step, when the sharing target allows the sharing request, the sharing target is displayed to the sharing requester and the sharing permitting party, and the sharing relationship between them is maintained.

Referring to the user interface 100 illustrated in FIG. 3, a specific embodiment of the eighth step will be described as follows.

First, if the sharing permission request window is displayed through the display constituting the clients 40a to 40n of the personal sharer belonging to the group by performing the seventh step, the corresponding personal sharer confirms this and if the sharing is to be permitted. Click the "Allow" menu, or the "Deny" menu if you do not want to allow sharing. If the personal sharer clicks on the "permit" menu, the MPOD member identifier of the sharer is displayed on the setting personal sharer display unit 112a constituting the share requester's user interface 100 without being automatically deleted, The share requester's MPOD member identifier is automatically added to and displayed on the share requester display unit 131 of the share requester setting unit 130 constituting the user interface 100 of the share permitter. ) Is displayed on the shared video display unit 141 of the share requester's shared videos. On the other hand, when the personal sharer clicks the "decline" menu, the sharing permit MPOD member identifier of the share permitter is automatically deleted on the setting personal sharer display unit 112a constituting the share requester's user interface 100, while rejecting the share. The share requester display unit 131 of the share requester setting unit 130 constituting the user interface 100 of the user and the share requester display unit 141 of the share video setting unit 140 for each share requester; , Shared videos are not displayed respectively.

9. When the sharing permission is selected to watch the shared video of the share requester, the ninth step is to encode and modulate the viewing-selected shared video into a digital broadcast stream and to transmit it to the set-top box 31 of the sharing permission.

In the ninth step, the sharing permission of the MPOD member selects to watch the sharing video of the sharing requester who is another MPOD member and receives the corresponding sharing video.

Referring to the user interface 100 illustrated in FIG. 3, a specific embodiment of the ninth step will be described below.

When the share permitter selects the share requester displayed on the share requester display unit 131 of the user interface 100, the names of the share videos of the share requester are displayed on the share video display unit 141. In such a state, when a specific shared video to be watched is selected from the shared videos displayed on the shared video display unit 141 and the shared video execution menu 142 is clicked, the shared video of the corresponding share requester is digitally displayed on the MPOD server 70a to 70n. The video stream is encoded and modulated into a broadcast stream and transmitted to the set top box 31 of the sharing permitter.

10. The tenth step of decoding and demodulating the transmitted digital broadcast stream in the set-top box 31 to broadcast in real time via the broadcast output unit 32.

The tenth step is a step in which the sharing permission user views the shared video of the sharing requester through the broadcast output unit 32 of the digital TV 30 on the digital broadcast stream from the MPOD servers 70a to 70n.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment as described above, and of course, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

For example, the user interface 100 provided from the MPOD servers 70a to 70n is not limited to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, and may be modified in various forms as necessary. For example, the video execution stop menu may be added to the video setting unit 120 for each MPOD member, or the shared video execution stop menu may be added to the shared video setting unit 140 for each share requester. The sharing permission request window may not be separately displayed on the display configuring the clients 40a to 40n of the sharing target, but may be displayed in the sharing permission setting unit 130, for example, in the sharing target user interface 100. Of course. Of course, the sharing requestor may display a sharing rejection confirmation window in the sharing requester's user interface 100 so as to recognize the sharing rejection state of the sharing requester.

In addition, since the video includes video information and audio information that can be viewed, and the video is a continuation of still images, the present invention is not limited to only the video but can be executed through the broadcast output unit 32 of the digital TV 30. It can be applied to all content that can be, they can also be said to belong to the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention as described above, since the individual videos stored for each MPOD member can be selectively shared in the MPOD server as needed, it is possible for MPOD members to freely interchange and watch the videos owned by them. On-demand, video-on-demand service has a wider and more varied effect.

Claims (1)

A first step of accessing the MPOD servers 70a to 70n through the clients 40a to 40n to join the service members, and receiving the MPOD member identifier, the MPOD member password, and the set-top box identifier; A second step of storing the set-top box identifier by the MPOD server 70a to 70n in the set-top box 31 through the remote controller 33; A third step of accessing and logging in to the MPOD servers 70a to 70n via the clients 40a to 40n; A fourth step of selecting a video to be downloaded via the clients 40a to 40n; Downloading the selected video to the MPOD servers 70a to 70n through the clients 40a to 40n, and storing the downloaded video to the MPOD servers 70a to 70n for each MPOD member; A sixth step in which the share requester selects a share target and a shared video; A seventh step of requesting sharing permission from the sharing requester to the sharing party; An eighth step of displaying the share target person and the shared video on the user interface 100 of the share requester and sharing the share requester and the shared video on the user interface 100 of the share permitter, if the share target allows sharing; When the sharing permission viewer selects to view the shared video of the sharing requester, a ninth step of encoding and modulating the viewing-selected shared video into a digital broadcast stream and transmitting the encoded video to the set top box 31 of the sharing permission provider; On-demand video service method comprising the tenth step of decoding and demodulating the transmitted digital broadcast stream in the set-top box (31) to broadcast in real time via the broadcast output unit (32).

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