JP2003333580A - Video distribution apparatus and system, and charging method for video distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging technology with extensibility capable of confirming the charges to a user when the user receives video distribution services. <P>SOLUTION: An authentication server 4 authenticates a user with respect to a video view request from a receiver 1 of the user, a video server 3 distributes the video image to the authenticated user in terms of IP multicasting, and a charging server 7 calculates the view charges for a distributed video image to each user. The authentication server 4 generates an authentication history at the start and end of viewing of the video image by the user after the user authentication and stores the history in a database 5, and the charging server 7 refers to the authentication history and program data and a charging type provided from a program information server 6 to calculate the view charges. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to video viewing usage fee calculation in a video distribution service such as IP multicast. In particular, the present invention relates to a billing technology that can be calculated at the time of user request and can create a bill detail such as a monthly fee.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In existing video distribution services (CS digital broadcasting, BS digital high-definition), as a charging technology, an IC card (B-CAS card, etc.) installed in a receiver (STB: Set Top Box, etc.) A method is used in which viewing history information (billing information) regarding a video viewed by a user is accumulated in a storage medium and the viewing history information is collected via a telephone line or the like. The charge calculation to the user is performed based on this history information collected about every month.

Regarding the billing method in the existing video distribution service, http://www.skyperfectv.co.jp/skycom/corporate/cs/c
See s4_1.html, http://www.b-cas.co.jp, http://findx.nikkeibp.co.jp/ws/sp00bs1.html for more information.

[0004]

In the conventional charging technology, the viewing history information accumulated in the IC chip in the IC card at the user's house is used at a constant interval (about 1 month) by using an emergency connection line such as a telephone line. It is difficult for the user to confirm the usage fee at this point in time because it is a method of collecting every time. In addition, the memory capacity of the IC chip is also limited, and expandability is limited when a new accounting type is set in the future or when viewing history information increases.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a charging technology which allows the user to check the usage charge and has expandability.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, video distribution means for multicasting a video,
Authentication means for authenticating the user in response to a video viewing request from the user, gate means for passing the video from the video distribution means to the authenticated user, and a viewing fee for the distributed video is calculated for each user. In the video distribution device including the charging means, the authentication means includes means for accumulating the authentication history created when the user starts and ends viewing the video, and the charging means stores the authentication history accumulated in the accumulating means. There is provided a video distribution device characterized in that a viewing charge is calculated with reference.

A means for storing the video program data and a billing type defined for each program is provided, and the billing means refers to the video program data and the billing type stored in the storing means in addition to the authentication history. , It is desirable to calculate the viewing fee.

[0008] It is desirable that the charging means be capable of notifying the requesting user of information regarding the usage fee in response to a request from the user.

The video distribution means, the authentication means and the gate means, the charging means, and the storing means can be provided in different service providers connected to each other via a network. That is, according to the second aspect of the present invention, an electronic program guide that stores a video distribution service provider for multicasting video, a video program provided by the video distribution service provider, and a charge type for the electronic program guide is provided to the user. A program guide service provider and a billing service provider that calculates a viewing fee of the video delivered by the video delivery service provider are connected via a network so that the video delivery service provider can use the billing service when the user uses the billing service. The video distribution system that accumulates the history of authentication performed and the billing service provider calculates the viewing charge for each user from the history of authentication accumulated by the video distribution service provider and the electronic program guide of the electronic program guide service provider Provided.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the user is authenticated in response to a video viewing request from the user, the video is multicast-distributed to the authenticated user, and the viewing fee of the distributed video is charged for each user. In the accounting method of a video distribution system for calculating, a video characterized by creating an authentication history at the start and end of viewing of a video by the user with user authentication, and referring to the authentication history to calculate a viewing fee. A delivery system billing method is provided.

In the present invention, the IC card (IC
Instead of storing the viewing history in the chip), the authentication history is stored in a database that cooperates with the authentication means, and the charging history refers to the authentication history in the database. As a result, it becomes possible for the user to check, on demand, the usage charge that the user wants to know at that time, which could not be realized by the conventional technology. Further, by accumulating the authentication history in the database, the limitation of the capacity and the like is not strict compared with the case of accumulating the authentication history in the IC card as in the past, and it is possible to easily cope with a new accounting type in the future.

[0012]

1 is a block diagram showing a video distribution apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows its network configuration.

This video distribution apparatus includes a receiver 1 installed in a user's house, an authentication gateway 2, a video server 3, an authentication server 4, a database 5, a program information server 6 and a billing server 7 installed in a network. Prepare Although the video distribution network is shown as being different from the Internet in FIG. 2, the video distribution network is also a network that uses the IP protocol and can be regarded as a part of the Internet.

As the receiver 1, an STB or a user terminal is generally used. The authentication gateway 2 sorts video traffic and Internet traffic,
The video from the video server 3 to the authenticated user is passed. The video server 3 delivers the video by IP multicast. The authentication server 4 authenticates the user in response to a video viewing request from the user, and notifies the authentication gateway 2 of whether or not the video can be distributed. The database 5 accumulates the authentication history (authentication log) created by the authentication server 4 at the start and end of the viewing of the video by the user. Program information server 6
Is provided with a database for storing video program data and a charge type defined for each program, and provides the user with the program information (in FIG. 1, the connection regarding the provision of the program information to the user is omitted). . The billing server 7 refers to the authentication history accumulated in the database 5, the video program data and the billing type stored in the database of the program information server 6, and calculates the viewing fee of the delivered video for each user. .

To view a video program, the user accesses the authentication server 4 from the receiver 1 via the authentication gateway 2 and after the authentication is completed, the video distributed from the video server 3 by the IP multicast signal is received by the receiver. Receive with 1 and watch. At this time, the authentication log is accumulated in the database 5, and the billing server 7 calculates the charge based on this authentication log. Since the fee is calculated by referring to the authentication log,
The user accesses the billing server 7 from the receiver 1 and
It is possible to check on-demand the usage charge information desired to be known at that time, for example, the usage charge for each month, the usage charge up to that point in the month, the charge details, and the viewing charge of the program currently being viewed.

FIG. 3 shows the flow of the authentication process for viewing the video. Here, it is assumed that the authentication procedure shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-4844 (unpublished at the time of application of the present application), that is, the authentication procedure in which the authentication function is added to the multicast control protocol is used.

When there is a video viewing request from the receiver 1, the authentication gateway 2 notifies the authentication server 4 of the authentication request. User authentication is performed between the authentication gateway 2 and the authentication server 4 using the authentication data such as the user ID and password included in the video viewing request from the receiver 1.
When the user is authenticated, the authentication server 4 notifies the authentication gateway 2 of the authentication permission. Upon receiving this authentication permission, the authentication gateway 2 causes the video distributed by the IP multicast from the video server 3 to be distributed to the receiver 1. As a result, the video can be viewed with the receiver 1 or a device connected to the receiver 1. The authentication gateway 2 also allows the video to be delivered to the receiver 1, and at the same time notifies the authentication server 4 of the start of charging. When the authentication server 4 is notified of the start of charging, the authentication server 4 stores the authentication log in the database 5. When the video viewing by the receiver 1 is completed, the authentication gateway 2 notifies the authentication server 4 of the end of charging, and the authentication server 4 stores the authentication log in the database 5.

FIG. 4 shows an example of various attributes of the authentication log stored in the database 5. Type 1 is the username, RF
Defined in C2865. Type 2 is the user's password, which is also defined in RFC2865. It is specified in RFC2865 that Type 26 can be used as a vendor-specific value, and in the present invention, a multicast address is set. Type 40, Type 44 and Type 46 represent authentication start and end control, unique session identifier and session time respectively and are defined in RFC2866. Date is the date and time, Record-Type is an identifier that indicates the start and end of video viewing and authentication on / off, Fu
The ll-Name is the user's distinguished name, and these are defined uniquely to the authentication server.

FIG. 5 shows an example of billing types. Here, PPV live type, PPV one-day viewing type, monthly fixed viewing type, monthly fixed pack type, PPS type, free program type and pay-as-you-go type are shown as billing types. In the PPV live type, programs such as concerts are delivered on a fixed date and time, and individual programs are billed. In the PPV 1-day viewing type, the same program, such as a movie, is repeatedly distributed throughout the day, and the charging unit is one day. In the fixed monthly subscription type, channels such as news channels are contracted in advance on a monthly basis, and individual channels are charged. The monthly fixed pack type has several channels such as news, sports, and variety program packs contracted on a monthly basis, and the packed channels are charged as billing units. The PPS type is delivered every week at a fixed date, such as classes at a prep school, and one series is used as the charging unit. The free program type is available for viewing only for basic charges such as TV shopping. With the pay-as-you-go type, you will be charged for each hour such as 1 yen / minute or 100 yen / hour, such as Olympic individual event relay.

FIG. 6 shows an example of relation relations of the electronic program guide database, and FIGS. 7 to 13 show constitutional examples of each table. In the electronic program database, Userlist table (Fig. 7): user information table, Locale table (Fig. 8): table in which each regional name for local broadcasting is entered, Station table (Fig. 9): Channels and Multi
Table of cast addresses, Program table (Fig. 10): Information table for each program, Packset table (Fig. 11): Pack set information table in which multiple programs are set, StationSet table (Fig. 12): Station information belonging to 1 pack set Table UserOption table (FIG. 13): Contains a table of user option information. For accounting processing, each of these tables and the authentication log (Accounting table) of the authentication server are referred to.

The billing server 7 obtains the program information viewed by the user from the Accounting table stored in the database 5. Specifically, the program viewed by the user is specified from the program information stored in the electronic program guide, using the attributes shown in FIG. Type26 Multicast-Ad
dress (multicast address) becomes channel information called in terrestrial TV broadcasting, Type 40 Acct-Status-Typ
e, Record-Type corresponds to the start / end of the video, and Da
te is the time corresponding to the start and end. The program information viewed by the user is obtained from the electronic program guide by using the viewing start time, the viewing end time, and the attributes of the channel information. Further, in this electronic program guide, the billing type shown in FIG. 5 corresponding to each program is set, and at the same time, the billing type of the program viewed by the user is acquired. Other attributes are used as user information and attributes related to system construction. As a result, the billing server 7 can calculate the fee viewed by the user from the obtained program information and the billing type set for the program.

FIG. 14 shows an example in which an electronic program guide is displayed using the electronic program guide database.

When implementing the present invention, the authentication gateway 2, the video server 3, the authentication server 4 and the database 5 are provided.
The program information server 6 and the billing server 7 can be provided by different companies. Such an example is shown in FIG.

In the example of FIG. 15, two video distribution service providers 12 and 13 for multicasting the video are provided.
And an EPG service provider 14 that provides the user with an electronic program guide (EPG: Electric Program Guide) that stores the video programs provided by these video distribution service providers 12 and 13 and their charge types, and the video distribution service provider 12 , 13 are connected via a network to a billing service provider 15 that calculates the viewing fee of the video distributed by each user. The video distribution service providers 12 and 13 accumulate the history of authentication performed when the user 11 uses the charging service, and the charging service provider 15 stores the video distribution service providers 12 and 1.
A viewing fee for each user is calculated from the authentication history accumulated in 3 and the electronic program guide of the electronic program guide service provider 14. User 11 uses EPG from STB or user terminal
By browsing the EPG server of the service provider 14, it is possible to obtain the channel information of the program to be viewed and switch to the channel to which the desired video is distributed.

Here, the video distribution service provider 1
Reference numerals 2 and 13 entrust the charging service provider 15 with tasks such as calculation of the usage fee and pay the usage fee. The video distribution service providers 12 and 13 also provide program information to the EPG service provider 14 in order to watch the distributed video and pay the posting fee to the EPG service provider 14. The EPG service provider 14 creates an electronic program guide based on the usage charges obtained from the video distribution service providers 12 and 13 and the billing service provider 15, and provides the user 11 with the program information. The billing service provider 15 pays the usage fee to the EPG service provider 14 and browses the program information and billing type information.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, it becomes possible for a user to know the usage fee at that time on demand, which cannot be applied in the conventional technique. Further, in the conventional IC card compatible charging technology, the expandability of the charging type is also restricted due to the capacity restriction. However, according to the present invention, by using a database system in which the upper limit of the capacity restriction is not strict, There is no restriction on the size of the video viewing history, various charge types can be set, and user convenience and satisfaction can be improved.

Further, in the prior art, since the viewing history information is stored in the STB of the user's house or in the user terminal, the charging system cannot develop various services using the video viewing history, for example, a certain program. Even when conducting the audience rating survey, it was difficult to conduct the audience rating survey on demand. On the other hand, according to the present invention, such an on-demand survey can be easily realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing a video distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a network configuration.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flow of an authentication process for viewing a video.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of various attributes of an authentication log.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a charging type.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a relation relationship of an electronic program guide database.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a Userlist table.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a Locale table.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a Station table.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a Program table.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a Packset table.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a StationSet table.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a UserOption table.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a display example of an electronic program guide.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a service form.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 receiver 2 Authentication gateway 3 Video server 4 Authentication server 5 database 6 Program information server 7 Billing server 11 users 12, 13 Video distribution service providers 14 EPG service providers 15 Billing service provider

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Kaori Izutsu             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Keisei Hayashi             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Katsushi Iwashita             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation F-term (reference) 5C064 BA01 BB01 BC04 BC06 BC18                       BC23 BD02 BD03 BD07 BD08

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A video distribution means for multicasting a video, an authentication means for authenticating the user in response to a video viewing request from the user, and a gate for passing the video from the video distribution means to the authenticated user. And a billing unit for calculating a viewing fee of the delivered video for each user, wherein the authenticating unit accumulates the authentication history created at the start and end of the viewing of the video by the user. The video distribution device, wherein the billing unit calculates the viewing fee with reference to the authentication history accumulated in the accumulating unit. 2. A means for storing video program data and a charge type defined for each program, wherein the charge means, in addition to the authentication history, the video program data and charge type stored in the storing means. The video distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the viewing fee is calculated with reference to. 3. The video distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the billing unit can notify the requesting user of information regarding the usage fee in response to a request from the user. 4. A video distribution service provider for multicasting video, an electronic program guide service provider for providing a user with an electronic program guide storing a video program provided by the video distribution service provider and a charge type thereof, A billing service provider that calculates a viewing fee of the video delivered by the video delivery service provider for each user is connected via a network, and the video delivery service provider has a history of authentication performed when the user uses the billing service. The charging service provider calculates a viewing fee for each user from the authentication history accumulated by the video distribution service provider and the electronic program guide of the electronic program guide service provider. Delivery system. 5. A charging method for a video distribution system, which authenticates a video viewing request from a user, multicasts the video to the authenticated user, and calculates a viewing fee for the distributed video for each user. 2. A billing method for a video distribution system, wherein, in accordance with user authentication, an authentication history is created at the start and end of viewing of a video by the user, and the viewing fee is calculated with reference to the authentication history. 6. The video distribution according to claim 5, wherein the video program data and the charge type defined for each program are stored, and the viewing fee is calculated from the authentication history and the video program data and the charge type. System billing method. 7. The charging method for a video distribution system according to claim 5, wherein the viewing fee is calculated in response to a request from the user, and the user is requested to notify the viewing fee.