Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
  • H04N21/254—Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
  • H04N21/266—Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
  • H04N21/2665—Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/478—Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
  • H04N21/4828—End-user interface for program selection for searching program descriptors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
  • H04N21/65—Transmission of management data between client and server
  • H04N21/658—Transmission by the client directed to the server
  • H04N21/6581—Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N7/00—Television systems
  • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
  • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
  • H04N7/17309—Transmission or handling of upstream communications
  • H04N7/17318—Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for acquiring data describing broadcast audiovisual content. It also relates to a system, a broadcasting server, a description server, and a reception terminal for the implementation of this method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of the type comprising:
• description data acquisition methods are generally implemented in description servers accessible via the Internet.
• the website of an audiovisual content distribution channel therefore offers to search for audiovisual content that may interest a user, using a search engine inserted in a presentation page.
• a search engine inserted in a presentation page.
• a user wishes to receive description data relating to several audiovisual content broadcast by several channels, he will have to browse several websites and complete several requests.
• the object of the invention is to remedy this drawback by providing a method of acquiring description data capable of facilitating the step of transmitting information requests to obtain the desired description data.
• the subject of the invention is a method for acquiring description data of the aforementioned type, characterized in that it includes a prior step of acquiring and storing in the terminal for receiving at least one request. initial information comprising the address of at least one audiovisual content description server and a step of generating the request from the initial request previously acquired.
• a method for acquiring description data includes the characteristic that, during the reception step, data for describing audiovisual content as a function of a relationship between at least one date and time associated with the request and the date and time of broadcasting of this audiovisual content.
• An advantage of this acquisition method is to allow the reception of description data relating to audiovisual content broadcast at a certain time, or within a certain time slot, without requiring the identification or reference of specific audiovisual content.
• a method of acquiring description data according to the invention may also include one or more of the following characteristics: - the date and time associated with the request correspond to the date and time of transmission of the request ;
• the initial request is completed by specifying at least one date and time;
• the data provided are those of audiovisual content broadcast on the date and at the time specified in the request;
• the initial request is completed by specifying a number of contents, and, during the reception step, the data supplied are those of the requested number of audiovisual contents broadcast from the date and time specified in the request;
• the initial request is completed by specifying a time interval, and, during the step of receiving description data, the data provided are those of audiovisual content broadcast in the time interval specified in the request;
• the time interval is defined by a start date and time and an end date and time;
• the time interval is defined by a start date and time and a duration
• the initial request is completed by specifying the keywords corresponding to names of elements of description of the audiovisual content broadcast;
• the step of acquiring and storing an initial request comprises downloading this request from the description server;
• the step of acquiring and storing an initial request comprises the reception of this request by the reception terminal in a signaling channel associated with a broadcasting channel for audiovisual content;
• the step of acquiring and storing an initial request comprises the supply, by a broadcasting server, of an SDP type file comprising an address field of the description server;
• the description data is provided in the form of an XML file; - the request is associated with a single broadcasting channel for audiovisual content; and
• the subject of the invention is also a system for acquiring data for describing broadcast audiovisual content comprising at least one terminal for receiving audiovisual content and at least one server for describing audiovisual content, characterized in that the reception terminal comprises means for acquiring and storing at least one initial information request comprising the address of at least one description server, means for generating a request from the initial request and transmission means of this request to the description server, and in that the description server comprises means for transmitting to the receiving terminal description data supplied as a function of the request.
• the description server includes means for making an initial request available; and
• the system comprising at least one server for broadcasting audiovisual content, the latter comprising means for transmitting initial requests with the content broadcast.
• the invention also relates to a server for broadcasting audiovisual content for the implementation of a method for acquiring description data as described above, characterized in that it comprises means for transmitting initial requests with the content broadcast.
• a broadcasting server according to the invention can also include the characteristic that the transmission means are regular transmission means.
• the invention also relates to a terminal for receiving audiovisual content for the implementation of a data acquisition method as described above, characterized in that it comprises means for storing an initial request and means for generating a request to be transmitted from the initial request.
• the invention also relates to a description server for audiovisual content for the implementation of a method for acquiring description data as described above, characterized in that it includes means for making available of an initial request.
• FIG. 1 schematically shows a description data acquisition system according to the invention.
• FIG. 2 represents the steps of a method for acquiring description data implemented by the system of FIG. 1.
• the system shown in FIG. 1 comprises at least one broadcasting server 10, suitable for the scheduled broadcasting of audiovisual content to a reception terminal 12.
• broadcasting servers 10 can transmit programmed audiovisual content to the reception terminal 12, the latter comprising several reception channels.
• broadcasting takes place via a conventional information transmission network, such as the Internet. It can also be done using a radio broadcast network, by cable, or by satellite.
• the transmission network is represented by the reference 14.
• Servers 16 for describing audiovisual content are also connected to the Internet 14 for the exchange of data with the reception terminal 12.
• These servers can each be associated with a particular broadcast server or with a set of broadcast servers. They are adapted to supply data for describing audiovisual content as a function of requests which are transmitted to them by the reception terminal 12.
• This method comprises a first step of reception and storage by the reception terminal 12 of initial requests.
• This first step is represented by references 20, 22 and 24. It breaks down into three different acquisition steps, which can be executed independently of one another, simultaneously or at different times.
• a first step 20 of acquiring an initial request comprises downloading such a request from one of the description servers 16.
• the downloaded request comprises at least an identifier of the source for broadcasting audiovisual content corresponding to this description server.
• a second step 22 of acquiring an initial request comprises the reception of this request by the terminal 12 in a signaling channel, associated with the broadcasting channel for audiovisual content used by the broadcasting server 10.
• the request initial is transmitted to the receiving terminal 12 repeatedly, and preferably regularly, so that the user of the receiving terminal 12 can store it in the terminal when desired.
• a third step 24 of acquisition of an initial request comprises the supply, by the broadcasting server 10 to the reception terminal 12, of a file of SDP type (for "Session Description Protocol"), the latter corresponding to the source of audiovisual content.
• SDP type for "Session Description Protocol”
• An initial request stored by the reception terminal 12 comprises at least an identifier of a broadcasting source and can take, for example, one of the following forms:
• the identifier of the broadcasting source is a specific directory of the request ("chain_un”).
• the identifier of the broadcasting source corresponds to a file name ("two_string").
• the initial request includes a parameter that the user can possibly complete during the next step to specify a date and a time (UTC parameter, current date or time).
• UTC parameter current date or time
• the central unit of the reception terminal 12 includes a program for generating these requests. This program is implemented conventionally through a single man-machine interface in order to complete the initial requests stored by the reception terminal 12.
• the interface can for example propose to the user to choose a set of broadcasting channels in which the request must be made.
• the system will then generate as many requests as there are broadcast chains defined in the set.
• the interface can offer the user to enter a date and time.
• This date and this time are for example considered by the system to be the dates and times of broadcasting of the audiovisual content from which the user wishes to obtain the description data. If no such date and time is specified, the requests generated will be associated with the date and time at which they will be transmitted.
• the user can specify a time interval, either by specifying a new date and a new time, or by specifying a duration.
• the requests will be considered for example as requests for the acquisition of data describing audiovisual content in whole or in part broadcast in this time interval defined by the user.
• a complete request can take the following form:
• Such a request includes, in addition to the source of broadcast ("chain__un”), a date (the
• the parameter duration "T02: 0O: 00.0O00Z" indicates that the user wishes to receive the data of description of the audio-visual contents which will be diffused in whole or in part between the date and time indicated and the date equal to these indicated date and time plus the duration specified in this parameter, after the keyword "duration".
• the user can complete his requests by adding a parameter making it possible to indicate that he wishes to receive data describing a certain number of audiovisual content broadcast before or after the date and time associated with the requests. .
• Such a request includes, in addition to the broadcasting source ("chain_un”), a date (July 16, 1997), an hour (8:20 pm and 45.4321 seconds) and an additional parameter called "range”.
• the parameter range "+ 0 + 2" indicates that the user wishes to receive the description data of three audiovisual content, that broadcast on the date and at the time indicated in the request, as well as the following two contents.
• the queries can also be supplemented by keywords which must contain the description data desired by the user, or keywords specifying a research field.
• the keywords which can be inserted in the request must be the names of the elements appearing in the description data of the contents returned in response by the description servers 16, such as for example the elements "Title”, "Keyword” which are for example defined in the metadata specified by the Anytime TV forum.
• the reception terminal 12 receives the audiovisual content description data corresponding to the requests transmitted during the previous step.
• This description data is preferably received in a standard format, for example the format defined by the Anytime TV forum.
• step 30 following this step 30 and according to a choice of the user for example, one can return to step 26 of generation of requests, for the generation of new requests associated with a new date and a new time corresponding to the date and time of end of broadcast of the audiovisual content from which we have just received the description data.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Astronomy & Astrophysics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
• Circuits Of Receivers In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Family Cites Families (18)

• 2002
  • 2002-09-16 FR FR0211445A patent/FR2844661B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2003
  • 2003-09-05 US US10/528,198 patent/US20060098120A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-05 CN CN038250233A patent/CN1695376B/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-09-05 EP EP03769583A patent/EP1540958A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2003-09-05 AU AU2003278275A patent/AU2003278275A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-05 WO PCT/FR2003/002659 patent/WO2004025961A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2003-09-05 JP JP2004535583A patent/JP4864322B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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