KR20200021817A - Clould tv control apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cloud TV control technology. The cloud TV control device comprises: a system interface processing part providing a system interface used for controlling a TV system independently of TV content to the TV system; a user interface processing part providing at least one TV user interface corresponding to a specific TV content and used for controlling the specific TV content to the TV system; and a remote TV operating system part controlling an overlay order between interfaces displayed in the TV system whenever the system interface or the at least one TV user interface is newly provided to provide an input possessory right of an input device related to the TV system to a specific interface.

Description

Cloud TV Control Unit {CLOULD TV CONTROL APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a cloud TV control technology, and more particularly, to a cloud TV control device for providing a system interface to a TV system in a cloud media environment.

Cloud TV is a concept that spreads IT service called cloud computing to TV. If cloud computing is a cheap PC that connects to the Internet and borrows a variety of software programs, Cloud TV is a low-cost cable TV set-top box that provides real-time broadcasting and access to the Internet to enjoy various content.

Cloud TV implements the process that was running using the resources of the set-top box using the resources of the server side, and drops it to the set-top box as a compressed file, and the set-top box sprays it on the screen through an app called Receiver. Only role will be played. Here, the concept of a receiver may be referred to as a web browser.

Pay-TV operators, including cable operators, see a growing demand for the fastest, easiest, easiest and most secure way to access their content anytime, anywhere. In exchange for subscription fees, customers' needs are evolving from simply watching a broadcast to a high-quality media experience.

The problem is that it is difficult for pay-TV operators to provide such a media experience in different fragmentation situations with different platforms and different terminal specifications and OSs.

Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0060242 (2016.05.30) relates to a cloud-based user interface providing system and a method thereof, comprising: a state information collecting unit collecting state information about a subscriber terminal device; At least one of a rendering control command for rendering control in the subscriber station device for at least one of content and UI resources and a terminal control command for controlling the subscriber station device based on the collected state information. A control command generation unit for generating a control command; And a controller for analyzing the state information received from the state information collecting unit, transferring the analyzed state information to the control command generation unit, and controlling the generation of the control command.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0066432 (2013.06.20) relates to a method and apparatus for providing a cloud-based IPTV service. In a cloud server providing an IPTV service to a subscriber terminal, information related to an additional service from a headend And a receiving unit which receives a transport stream frame including channel broadcast information and extracts information related to the additional service, an additional service information processing unit which processes to display information related to the extracted additional service on a screen, and an additional to be displayed on the screen. A capture unit for capturing screen information related to a service, and a transmission controller for transmitting the captured additional service related screen information to a set top box, wherein the captured additional service related screen information is transmitted to the channel broadcast information in the set top box. Overlaid and provided to the subscriber station.

Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0060242 (2016.05.30) Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0066432 (2013.06.20)

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a cloud TV control device for providing a system interface to a TV system in a cloud media environment.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a cloud TV control device for providing an input occupancy rights of the input device associated with the TV system by controlling the overlay order between the system interface and the TV user interfaces.

Among the embodiments, the cloud TV control device is a system interface processing unit for providing a system interface used to perform the control of the TV system independently of the TV content, each of which corresponds to a specific TV content and of the specific TV content A user interface processor for providing the TV system with at least one TV user interface used to perform control, and an interface being displayed on the TV system whenever the system interface or the at least one TV user interface is newly provided. Controlling the overlay order between the two to provide a specific interface to the remote TV operating system for providing the input occupancy of the input device associated with the TV system.

The system interface processor may set the system interface by receiving a TV identification code and a TV setting parameter from the TV system during a connection process of the TV system.

The system interface processor may control the system interface to detect a change regarding the setting of the TV system, change the TV setting parameter related to the TV system first, and then receive the changed TV setting parameter.

The user interface processor may perform playback control and channel selection control on the TV content through the user interface.

The user interface processor may generate the playback control by associating the interface with a TV tuner when the content corresponds to real-time broadcast content.

The remote TV operating system may generate an interface to be newly provided to be overlaid on the at least one TV user interface.

The remote TV operating system may maintain the system interface to be overlaid on the at least one TV user interface even when the interface is newly provided.

The remote TV operating system may temporarily reverse the modal control above the system interface when one of the at least one TV user interface generates a modal control including a request for payment.

If the system interface is not generated, the remote TV operating system may change the overlay order by performing selection control on one of the at least one TV user interface through the input device.

The remote TV operating system may provide the input occupancy right to the TV user interface that is the highest of the at least one TV user interface.

When the TV identification code is received from the TV system, the remote TV operating system may execute a system agent associated with the system interface and a user agent associated with each of the at least one user interface to the virtual machine.

The remote TV operating system unit may execute an agent associated with an interface overlaid as the foreground process in the virtual machine.

The disclosed technique can have the following effects. However, since a specific embodiment does not mean to include all of the following effects or only the following effects, it should not be understood that the scope of the disclosed technology is limited by this.

Cloud TV control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can provide the system interface to the TV system in the cloud media environment, it is possible to perform the same control in any TV system of various specifications (H / W specifications, OS).

An apparatus for controlling a cloud TV according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a TV system to a specific interface by providing a cloud-based system interface and at least one TV user interface to the TV system and controlling an overlay order between the interfaces displayed on the TV system. May provide input occupancy rights of the input device associated with the.

1 is a view for explaining a cloud TV system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view for explaining a cloud TV control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a system interface processor shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a user interface processor shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a remote TV operating unit in FIG. 2.
6 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process of providing an interface in the cloud TV control apparatus of FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an interface overlay screen in the cloud TV control apparatus of FIG. 2.

Description of the present invention is only an embodiment for structural or functional description, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited by the embodiments described in the text. That is, since the embodiments may be variously modified and may have various forms, the scope of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents for realizing the technical idea. In addition, the objects or effects presented in the present invention does not mean that a specific embodiment should include all or only such effects, the scope of the present invention should not be understood as being limited thereby.

On the other hand, the meaning of the terms described in the present application should be understood as follows.

Terms such as "first" and "second" are intended to distinguish one component from another component, and the scope of rights should not be limited by these terms. For example, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there may be other components in between, although it may be directly connected to the other component. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in between. On the other hand, other expressions describing the relationship between the components, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "neighboring to" and "directly neighboring", should be interpreted as well.

Singular expressions should be understood to include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and terms such as "comprise" or "have" refer to a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or portion thereof that is implemented. It is to be understood that the combination is intended to be present and does not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts or combinations thereof.

In each step, an identification code (e.g., a, b, c, etc.) is used for convenience of description, and the identification code does not describe the order of the steps, and each step is clearly contextual. Unless stated otherwise, they may occur out of the order noted. That is, each step may occur in the same order as specified, may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in the reverse order.

All terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. The terms defined in the commonly used dictionary should be interpreted to coincide with the meanings in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted as having ideal or excessively formal meanings unless clearly defined in the present application.

1 is a view for explaining a cloud TV system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the cloud TV system 100 may include a content providing device 110, a broadcast processing device 120, a broadband processing device 130, a cloud TV control device 140, and a TV system 150. The device 160 and the display device 170 are included.

The content providing device 110 may correspond to a content provider that provides content including broadcast broadcasting and broadband content. For example, the content providing device 110 may correspond to a server provided by a television broadcaster such as RTL, ZDF, or ZDF.

The broadcast processing device 120 may correspond to a broadcast transmission server capable of transmitting a Digital Storage Media Command and Control (DSC-CC) carousel on a broadcast channel. For example, the broadcast processing device 120 may correspond to base stations of terrestrial, integrated, and cable broadcasting stations. In one embodiment, the DSC-CC carousel may correspond to the form of a Broadcast Inter-ORB Protocol (BIOP) object message sent to send the corresponding files in the broadcast stream in a file system structure in a broadcast environment.

The broadband processing apparatus 130 may correspond to a content transmission server capable of transmitting data including a user interface implemented by the content providing apparatus 110 and related content presentation information through a broadband channel. For example, the broadband processing apparatus 130 may correspond to a server operated by a Video On Demand (VOD) provider and providing broadband content related services such as Electronic Program Guide (EPG), VoD, and Catch-up.

In one embodiment, the related content presentation information may include HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Uniform Resource Locator (URL) path information.

The cloud TV control device 140 may correspond to a cloud TV OS server platform capable of supporting various viewing environments for the TV system 150. In one embodiment, the cloud TV control device 140 may provide the TV system 150 with a TV user interface used to perform control of TV content. The cloud TV control apparatus 140 may provide the TV system 150 with a system interface used to control the TV system 150 independently of the TV content. The cloud TV control apparatus 140 may control the overlay order of the system interface and the TV user interface.

In one embodiment, the system interface may be used to control system menu settings such as screen brightness, color, size, volume, and the like.

The TV system 150 may correspond to a computing device capable of receiving and playing broadcast or other content. For example, the TV system 150 may be implemented as a set top box, a desktop, a notebook, a tablet PC, or a smartphone.

In one embodiment, the TV system 150 broadcasts a broadcast channel from the broadcast processing device 120 when a user request is associated with the broadcast processing device 120 (eg, when terrestrial broadcast reception is requested by the user). A DSM-CC carousel of content associated with a user request can be received and played back, and if the user request is associated with the broadband processing device 130 (eg, when a user is requested to receive certain VoD content), the cloud The TV control apparatus 140 may receive and play a TV user interface and specific content.

The TV system 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention may provide a TV identification code and a TV setting parameter to the cloud TV control device 140 in a cloud computing environment and receive a system interface. When the system interface is received from the cloud TV control apparatus 140, the TV system 150 may deactivate the self-supported system interface and use the received system interface to perform system control.

The input device 160 is a user device capable of key input to the TV system 150, and may be a remote controller.

The display device 170 may be connected to the TV system 150 and may correspond to an image output device capable of visually representing data received from the TV system 150. For example, the display device 170 may be implemented as a TV or a monitor.

2 is a view for explaining a cloud TV control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the cloud TV control device 140 includes a system interface processor 210, a user interface processor 220, and a remote TV operating system 230.

The system interface processor 210 provides a system interface (SI) used to control the TV system 150. In one embodiment, the system interface processor 210 receives a TV identification code (ID) and a TV setting parameter from the connected TV system 150 to obtain a system interface (SI) that matches the setting of the TV system 150. Configure. For example, the system interface SI may perform volume control and screen brightness control of the TV system 150. The system interface processor 210 transmits the changed TV setting parameter to the TV system 150 when the TV setting parameter is changed by the input of the input device 160 so that the TV system 150 can be changed to the set parameter value. .

The user interface processor 220 provides a TV user interface (UI) used to control each specific TV content and corresponding TV content. For example, the TV user interface (UI) may include playback control and channel selection control regarding TV content.

The remote TV operating system 230 manages priorities for each interface to set an overlay order of screens displayed on the TV system 150 and an interface to receive input from the input device 160. In one embodiment, the remote TV operating system 230 manages the system interface (SI) to have a higher priority than the TV user interface (UI), in which case the system interface (SI) over the TV user interface (UI) Overlaid and displayed on the screen of the display device 170, the input of the input device 160 is received by the system interface SI having the highest priority. In one embodiment, the remote TV operating system 230 overlays the system interface or TV user interface on the TV content currently being played in the TV system 150, and the overlay order is set according to the priority. In one embodiment, the remote TV operating system 230 may deactivate an On Screen Display (OSD) supported by the TV system 150 and provide a device independent system interface as a system interface. The OSD is an interface supported by the TV system 150 itself.

3 is a diagram illustrating the system interface processor 210 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, the system interface processor 210 may include a receiver 310, a setter 320, a changer 330, and a controller 340.

The receiver 310 receives a TV identification code (ID) and a TV setting parameter from the TV system 150.

The setting unit 320 is a system interface (SI) used to control the TV system 150 based on the TV identification code (ID) and the TV setting parameters (volume, screen brightness, etc.) received through the receiving unit 310. ).

The changing unit 330 first changes the TV setting parameters related to the TV system 150 to detect a change regarding the setting of the TV system 130 and to receive the changed TV setting parameters at the receiver 310.

The SI controller 440 controls the overall operation of the system interface processor 210.

4 is a diagram illustrating the user interface processor 220 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, the user interface processor 220 may include a TV content play performer 410, a channel select performer 420, a TV tuner play performer 430, and a UI controller 440. have.

The TV content reproduction performing unit 410 performs playback control regarding TV content currently displayed on the TV system 150 through the corresponding user interface.

The channel selection performing unit 420 performs channel selection control of one of a broadcast channel (terrestrial broadcast) and a broadband channel (VoD content) through a corresponding user interface. In one embodiment, the channel selection performer 420 may integrate broadcast and broadband channels in a cloud computing environment.

If the channel selected by the channel selection control of the channel selection execution unit 420 is a broadcast channel (terrestrial broadcast), the TV tuner reproduction execution unit 430 generates a reproduction control by associating the corresponding interface with the TV tuner. In one embodiment, if the TV content corresponds to the real-time broadcast content (KBS), the user interface is associated with the TV tuner to generate a playback control for the TV content. In one embodiment, the real time broadcast content does not have a pause, go back, forward, etc., so that it provides a corresponding interface used to perform playback control of the corresponding real time broadcast content in association with it.

The UI controller 440 controls the overall operation of the user interface processor 220.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the remote TV operating system 230 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 5, the remote TV operating system 230 includes an overlay order setting unit 510, an overlay order changing unit 520, an input occupancy right setting unit 530, a virtual machine unit 540, and an OS control unit 550. It may include, they may be electrically connected.

The overlay order setting unit 510 manages the priority of each interface to set the overlay order of the screen of the TV system 150. In an embodiment, the overlay order setting unit 510 sets the order of overlaying the newly provided interface over the at least one TV user interface. The overlay order setting unit 510 maintains the overlay order of the system interface so that the system interface is overlaid on the at least one TV user interface even when the interface is newly provided. The overlay order setting unit 510 reverses the overlay order such that when one of the at least one TV user interface generates a modal control including a request for payment, the modal control is temporarily overlaid on top of the system interface. The overlay order setting unit 510 maintains the inverted overlay order until the input is completed through the modal control, and sets the overlay order such that the system interface is overlaid when the input is completed.

When the system interface is not generated, the overlay order changing unit 520 may change the overlay order by performing selection control on one of the at least one TV user interface through the input device 160. In an embodiment, the overlay order changing unit 520 may change the overlay order of the TV user interface by a user input through the input device 160.

The input occupancy right setting unit 530 provides the input occupancy right of the input device 160 to the TV user interface that is at the highest level among the at least one TV user interface.

When the TV identification code is received from the TV system 150, the virtual machine 540 executes a system agent associated with the system interface and a user agent associated with each of the at least one user interface. It supports the interface to make the system 150 easy to use. In one embodiment, the user interface agent can infer preferences from the user profile and navigate offline to the page following the current page, filter the HTTP headers to record the transaction between the browser and the web server, and filter the cookie information to filter the user Protects your privacy and speeds up navigation by blocking the animation of GIF files.

The virtual machine unit 540 executes the agent associated with the interface overlaid as the foreground process. In one embodiment, the virtual machine unit 540 suspends execution of the plurality of underlayed interfaces and causes the interface that is overlaid on top to be processed first. When executing a plurality of interfaces at the same time, the virtual machine unit 540 executes the interface that is overlaid on the uppermost layer in the foreground process and sets the remaining interfaces as the background. In this case, the virtual machine 540 may control the brightness of the screen of the foreground based on Equation 1 below.

[Equation 1]

(Where Dmax_fore is the maximum depth of the foreground screen, and Th1 is the depth boundary that separates the foreground from the background.)

The virtual machine 540 may play the interface overlaid on the uppermost layer in the foreground and control the continuous connection of the background session with respect to the interface underlayed in the background. Based on Equation 2 below, the virtual machine unit 540 may determine a background session connection cycle for the underlayed interface, and accordingly, the virtual machine unit 540 performs a background session connection cycle for the underlayed interface. Accordingly, the virtual machine unit 540 connects the background session about the underlayed interface frequently at the beginning, and connects slowly as time passes, and disconnects when a specific time criterion is exceeded. The TV system 150 may manage to execute various contents at the same time.

[Equation 2]

(Where T corresponds to the background session connection period (S) for the underlayed interface, To is the default setting for the session connection period (S), and Tunselected is the total time under which the interface is underlayed ( S), Tconstant corresponds to a predetermined time reference S, and Cuser corresponds to a user interface change factor that can be statistically measured by the virtual machine 440 (eg, 1: Change to low frequency, 2: change to medium frequency, 3: change to frequent frequency))

The OS controller 550 may control overall operations of the remote TV operating system 230.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process of providing an interface in the cloud TV control apparatus of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 6, the system interface processor 210 receives a TV identification code and a TV setting parameter from the TV system 150 (step S610).

The system interface processor 210 sets the system interface based on the received TV identification code and the TV setting parameter and provides the system interface to the TV system 150 (step S620).

The user interface processor 220 provides the TV system 150 with a TV user interface used to perform playback control and channel selection control on TV content (step S630).

The remote TV operating system 230 controls the overlay order between the interfaces being displayed on the TV system 150 whenever a system interface or at least one TV user interface is newly provided to the TV system 150 (step S640). ).

The TV system 150 plays the TV content and overlays the interfaces on the TV content based on the overlay order (step S650).

The remote TV operating system 230 provides an input occupancy right of the input device 160 associated with the TV system 150 to the interface overlaid on the top (step S660).

The remote TV operating system 230 executes an agent associated with the interface overlaid as the foreground process in the virtual machine (step S670).

FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an interface overlay screen in the cloud TV control apparatus of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 7, the system interface 710 and the user interfaces 720 and 730 may be visually displayed by being overlaid on the screen in the overlay order. In this case, the newly provided interface of the user interfaces 720 and 730 is overlaid on the upper side, and the system interface 710 has a higher priority than the user interfaces 720 and 730 so that the new interface is overlaid on the uppermost even when the interface is newly provided. In an embodiment, the interface screens reproduced in the TV system 150 may be overlaid in the overlay order determined by the cloud TV control device 140 to be output and displayed on the display device 170. In this case, the overlaid interface screens may be overlaid on the entire screen area or may be overlaid on some areas. When overlaid on some areas, playback of the TV content of the underlayed interface may be performed on the screen of the remaining non-overlaid area.

Although described above with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art will be variously modified and changed within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims below I can understand that you can.

100: cloud TV system 110: content providing device
120: broadcast processing device 130: broadband processing device
140: cloud TV control unit 150: TV system
160: input device 170: display device
210: system interface processor 220: user interface processor
230: remote TV operating system
310: receiving unit 320: setting unit
330: change unit 340: SI control unit
410: TV content playback execution unit 420: Channel selection execution unit
430: TV tuner playback performing unit 440: UI control unit
510: overlay order setting unit 520: overlay order changing unit
530: input occupancy right setting unit 540: virtual machine
550: OS control unit

Claims (12)

A system interface processor for providing a system interface to a TV system, the system interface being used to perform control of the TV system independently of TV contents;
A user interface processor for providing at least one TV user interface to the TV system corresponding to specific TV content and used to perform control of the specific TV content; And
Whenever the system interface or the at least one TV user interface is newly provided, a remote control is provided to control the overlay order between the interfaces being displayed on the TV system to provide a specific interface with the input occupancy of the input device associated with the TV system. Cloud TV control device comprising a TV operating system.
The method of claim 1, wherein the system interface processor
And controlling the system interface by receiving a TV identification code and a TV setting parameter from the TV system in a connection process of the TV system.
The system interface processor of claim 2, wherein the system interface processor is configured.
And controlling the system interface to detect a change regarding the setting of the TV system, and first changing the TV setting parameter for the TV system and receiving the changed TV setting parameter.
The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface processing unit
Cloud control device characterized in that for performing the playback control and channel selection control for the TV content through the user interface.
The method of claim 4, wherein the user interface processing unit
And when the corresponding content corresponds to a real time broadcast content, generating the playback control by associating the corresponding interface with a TV tuner.
According to claim 1, wherein the remote TV operating system unit
And generating a new interface to be overlaid on top of the at least one TV user interface.
The method of claim 6, wherein the remote TV operating system unit
And the system interface is overlaid on the at least one TV user interface even in the case of the newly provided interface.
The method of claim 7, wherein the remote TV operating system unit
And when one of the at least one TV user interface generates a modal control including a request for payment, temporarily modifies the modal control above the system interface.
According to claim 1, wherein the remote TV operating system unit
If the system interface is not generated, the cloud TV control apparatus for changing the overlay order by performing a selection control on one of the at least one TV user interface via the input device.
The method of claim 9, wherein the remote TV operating system unit
And providing the input occupancy right to a TV user interface that is at the highest level among the at least one TV user interface.
According to claim 1, wherein the remote TV operating system unit
And when the TV identification code is received from the TV system, executing the system agent associated with the system interface and the user agent associated with each of the at least one user interface to the virtual machine.
The method of claim 11, wherein the remote TV operating system unit
And executing an agent associated with an interface overlaid on the top as a foreground process in the virtual machine.

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