JP2014532336A - Content management system, method, apparatus and user interface - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a content management system, method, apparatus, and user interface for transmitting, displaying, and manipulating content from multiple sources. In one embodiment, a system for managing content supplied from multiple sources on each signal communicates with a server for transmitting a multicast stream that includes streams representing signals from multiple sources, and the server And includes one or more devices that subscribe to the multicast stream. Each device includes a plurality of player objects, each paired with a component stream of a multicast stream. The apparatus also includes at least one viewing object that is coupled to one of the player objects, thereby displaying content from the stream with which each player object is paired. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a content management system, method, apparatus, and user interface. In particular, the present invention relates to a system, method, apparatus, and user interface for transmitting, displaying, and manipulating content from multiple sources.

  Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) typically uses the TCP / IP protocol instead of delivering audio and video content to end users through conventional channels such as free broadcast television, satellite and cable television, etc. This is a system for delivery through a packet switched network. One example of its use is in hospitality departments such as hotels and bars. For example, in a hotel room, the user can include live free broadcast television, television program playback, video on demand (VOD), satellite and / or cable channels, which can include interactivity associated with the program being viewed. Content can be accessed including radio channels as well as information about the hotel or the city where the hotel is located.

  In an IPTV system, a venue modulator receives signals from a plurality of sources as described above, and the modulator combines the plurality of signals into one modulation signal. A modulated RF signal including a plurality of signals is transmitted to an IPTV server, which typically multicasts the signal to a plurality of receivers at the venue via one or more routers. A signal displayed by a receiver such as an LCD screen is in accordance with the selected channel. This system uses transcoding as necessary to convert the signal format for display purposes and to reduce bandwidth requirements.

  One problem with the systems described above is the time lag or latency that occurs when switching channels, which can typically be several seconds or more. This is caused by the “handshake” required to synchronize the receiver and the IPTV server. Especially in an environment like a bar, such a delay in switching between channels impairs the user experience. In addition to the user missing part of the content during the switch, the accumulated time loss is, for example, the time that could have been used for advertising, thus potentially representing a loss of revenue.

  Another problem with the above-described system, particularly in an environment such as a bar, is the lack of interactivity with such a system. For example, a venue typically includes multiple screens displaying different channels and content, but the user is limited to viewing content only. Also, users tend to be just in one direction to view the screen, which can reduce user interaction and make such systems somewhat unsocial. In addition, if the user wants to watch another channel but wants to stay in the same area of the venue, the user must ask the staff to change the channel. In addition, this may not give the consent of the user who wants to keep watching the same channel in the same area of the venue. In addition, the venue is always thinking of attracting more customers and increasing sales and profits.

  A preferred object of the present invention is to provide a system and / or method and / or apparatus and / or user interface that addresses or at least ameliorates one or more of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. It is.

  Embodiments of the present invention are generally systems, methods, apparatus, and user interfaces for transmitting, displaying, and manipulating content from multiple sources, including multiple channels from different sources. The present invention relates to a system, a method, an apparatus, and a user interface that enable simultaneous viewing and switching between channels with reduced latency compared to the prior art.

According to one aspect, although not necessarily the widest aspect, a method for managing content supplied with multiple signals from multiple sources:
Dividing a multicast stream including a plurality of streams representing the signal into component streams;
Pairing a player object with each component stream; and linking a viewing object with one of the player objects, thereby displaying content from the stream paired with each player object. Relates to the method of including.

  Preferably, the method further includes switching the stream displayed by the viewing object by connecting the viewing object to the different player objects.

  Preferably, the method further includes transcoding one or more of the signals and / or changing the size of the content prior to combining the signals into the multicast stream.

According to another aspect, although not necessarily the broadest aspect, the present invention is an apparatus for managing content supplied from multiple sources of a multicast stream:
A plurality of player objects, each player object paired with a component stream of the multicast stream; and one of the player objects connected thereby, the content from the stream paired with each player object The present invention relates to a device including at least one viewing object to be displayed.

  Preferably, the apparatus includes a plurality of viewing objects capable of simultaneously displaying content from a stream paired with each player object to which the viewing objects are connected.

  Preferably, the device is in the form of a table top display, bar top display, desktop display or display tablet.

  Preferably, the apparatus comprises one or more input devices such as a touch screen, keyboard, controller, card reader, bill acceptor, coin acceptor, bar code scanner, ticket scanner or other physical or virtual input device. .

  Preferably, the apparatus comprises one or more output devices such as a printer.

According to a further aspect, though not necessarily the broadest aspect, the present invention is a system for managing content supplied with multiple signals from multiple sources:
A server for transmitting a multicast stream including a stream representing the signal from the plurality of sources; and one or more devices coupled to communicate with the server and applying for the multicast stream;
Each device is:
A plurality of player objects, each player object paired with a component stream of the multicast stream; and one of the player objects connected thereby, the content from the stream paired with each player object The present invention relates to a system including at least one viewing object to be displayed.

  Preferably, the server is an IPTV server.

  Preferably, the system further includes a main control server coupled to communicate with the server via a communication network.

  Suitably, the apparatus further includes a content management module, preferably coupled to communicate with the server via the main control server, thereby providing additional content to the apparatus.

According to another further aspect, although not necessarily the broadest aspect, the present invention is a graphical user interface for displaying content sourced from multiple sources of a multicast stream:
At least one viewing object coupled to one of a plurality of player objects, thereby displaying the content from the player object, wherein each player object is paired with one of the streams of the multicast stream Receiving at least one viewing object; and input from a user and linking the at least one viewing object to a different player object, thereby allowing content from a stream paired with the different player object The present invention relates to a graphical user interface including at least one user input field to be displayed on the viewing object.

  Preferably, the interface includes a plurality of viewing objects.

  Preferably, the interface further includes at least one field for displaying information related to the content displayed by the at least one viewing object, such as performance statistics on sports events and / or betting odds.

  Further aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

  Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the elements in the drawings are illustrated in a simplified and clarified manner and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the relative dimensions of some of these elements in the drawings may be distorted to help facilitate an understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram of a system for managing content supplied from multiple sources according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the system, method and apparatus of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a graphical user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a graphical user interface according to another embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a general flowchart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

  In order that the present invention may be readily understood and put into practice, a preferred embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

  A system, method, apparatus, and user interface for transmitting, displaying, and manipulating content from multiple sources so that multiple channels from different sources can be viewed simultaneously, Embodiments of the present invention also relate to systems, methods, apparatus and user interfaces that allow channel-to-channel switching with at least reduced or otherwise negligible latency compared to the prior art. explain.

  In this specification, reference is made to communication between various elements via one or more communication networks. In some embodiments, the communication network is the Internet. However, the present invention is not limited to communication via the Internet, but is publicly known to those skilled in the art, and can be implemented via publicly known wired and / or wireless communication means. (LAN), wide area communication network (WAN), management area communication network (MAN), intranet, extranet, or one or more of any combination thereof (but not limited to) Is also envisaged.

  Also, in this specification, references to content shall relate to any type of content such as, but not limited to, audio, video, still images, text, graphics, or any combination thereof. I want you to understand.

  Referring to FIG. 1, according to one aspect, embodiments of the present invention include free broadcast television, video on demand (VOD), satellite television, cable television, in-house television, radio channels, from specific websites. The present invention relates to a system 10 for managing content supplied from a plurality of sources 12, such as, but not limited to, web browser content such as content and static content from, for example, specific files. In order to receive signals from each of the plurality of sources 12, dedicated receivers 14A, 14B, and 14C such as a “set top box” are required.

  As in the conventional system, for example, the venue modulator 16 receives signals from the receivers 14A, 14B, and 14C, and the modulator 16 combines a plurality of signals into one modulated signal 18. The modulated RF signal 18 including a plurality of signals is transmitted to a server 20 such as an IPTV server. If necessary, the server 20 transcodes one or more of these signals, for example from MPEG2 format to MPEG4 format, as is known. The server 20 can also resize the content to suit the final output. Both transcoding and resizing reduce the amount of data and accordingly the required bandwidth. Server 20 bundles the signals into multicast stream 21 and transmits this multicast stream, including streams representing signals from multiple sources, typically via one or more routers 22.

  The system 10 includes one or more devices 24 that are coupled to communicate with the server 20. Each device subscribes to and receives the multicast stream 21 transmitted by the server 20. As will be described in more detail later, each device 24 includes a plurality of player objects and at least one viewing object. Each player object is paired with a component stream of the multicast stream 21. At least one viewing object is linked to one of the player objects, thereby displaying content from the stream paired with each player object.

  As will be described in more detail later, the device 24 may take the form of a table top display 24A, a bar top or desktop display 24B, a display tablet 24C, or a conventional IPTV receiver 24D.

  Although modulator 16 and server 20 are shown as separate elements in FIG. 1, according to some embodiments, modulator 16 and server 20 may be integrated within device 24.

  According to some embodiments, the system 10 includes a main control server 26 that is coupled to communicate with the server 20 via a communications network 28 such as, but not limited to, the Internet.

  According to some embodiments, the system 10 includes a content management module 30, preferably coupled to communicate with the server 20 via the main control server 26, thereby providing additional content to the device 24. In some embodiments, the additional content may be related to a venue that implements embodiments of the present invention, such as information related to goods and / or services provided at the venue.

  With reference to FIG. 2, according to another aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus 24 for managing content supplied from multiple sources 12 of a multicast stream 21. The device 24 includes a plurality of player objects 32 implemented in software. Each player object 32 is paired with a component stream of the multicast stream 21. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the device 24 includes four player objects 32 in the form of player objects P1, P2, P3, P4 linked to the streams S1, S2, S3, S4 of the multicast stream 21, respectively.

  The device 24 includes at least one viewing object 34 implemented in software, coupled to one of the player objects 32, thereby displaying content from the stream paired with each player object. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the device 24 includes four viewing objects 34 in the form of viewing objects V1, V2, V3, V4. The viewing object V1 is connected to the player object P1, thereby displaying the content from the stream S1 paired with the player object P1.

  In order to switch the stream displayed by the viewing object V1, the viewing object V1 is connected to different player objects such as P2, P3, P4, etc., thereby displaying each stream S2, S3, S4 paired with each player object. To do. When this is done, the connection between the viewing object V1 and the player object P1 is released.

  The player object 32 functions as a pseudo channel or proxy between the server 20 and the viewing object 34 to which the player object is connected. The player object 32 manages the viewing of the stream content and is independent of the viewing area when used by the device 24. The viewing object 34 manages parameters related to content display and switching between the streams S1, S2,. Switching between streams involves switching between player objects 32, and each player object 32 is paired with a specific stream of the multicast stream 21. The latency associated with channel switching is minimized or otherwise avoided.

  According to some embodiments, the device 24 includes a plurality of viewing objects 34, such as the four viewing objects V1-V4 shown in FIG. The plurality of viewing objects 34 can simultaneously display content from each player object 32 to which these viewing objects 34 are connected. The content displayed by the viewing object 34 corresponds to the stream in which each player object 34 is paired. For the sake of clarity, FIG. 2 shows only the viewing object V1 connected to the player object P1 with a solid arrow, and the option to switch to the player objects P2 to P4 with a dotted arrow.

  According to some embodiments, device 24 comprises one or more input devices to allow a user to interact with device 24. The input device can be in the form of a touch screen 36, which can also display content. Alternatively, a separate touch screen for user interaction can be provided. The input device may be in the form of a keyboard 38, controller 40, card reader 42, bill acceptor (BNA) and / or coin acceptor 44, bar code or ticket scanner 46, or other virtual or physical input device. . The device 24 may comprise one or more output devices 48 such as a printer and one or more loudspeakers for printing receipts or the like. The loudspeaker can be a unidirectional loudspeaker for directing audio for a particular channel to a particular area. Input and output devices can be integrated with or connected to the device 24.

  FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention, which is in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) 50 for displaying content provided by multiple sources from multiple sources. The GUI 50 includes at least one viewing object 34 connected to one of the plurality of player objects 32 as described above. Each viewing object 34 displays content from the stream of the multicast stream 21 paired with this player object from the player object 32 to which the viewing object 34 is connected. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the GUI includes four viewing objects 34 so that, for example, four people can view different contents in each viewing area.

  Although FIG. 3 shows the viewing object 34 as a generally square area, it will be understood that these can be any shape. In some embodiments, rather than separating the viewing objects 34 as shown in FIG. 3, the viewing objects 34 are tessellated on the touch screen 36 as shown in FIG. Can be made. It will also be appreciated that the viewing object can be in any desired orientation as desired. For example, when the apparatus is a wall-hanging type, the viewing object 34 can be arranged in the same direction. When the device 24 is in the form of a table top display 24A, the viewing object 34 is oriented so that the content is displayed in the correct orientation for the user located on each side of the table top display 24A, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 3A. Can be arranged.

  The GUI 50 includes at least one user input field 52 for receiving input from the user. Via the input field 52, the user can change the source of the content displayed by each viewing object in each viewing area, i.e., can effectively switch channels. As described above, channel switching is achieved by linking viewing objects to different player objects so that the content from the stream in which the different player objects are paired is displayed on the viewing object. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the GUI includes four input fields 52, one input field associated with each viewing object 34. In this example, the input fields 52 are shown as separate from the viewing area with which they are associated. However, in an alternative embodiment, the input field can be displayed by viewing area. In some embodiments, the input field 52 displays a virtual arrow to change the channel up and down and / or a virtual number pad that allows the user to key in the channel number.

  According to some embodiments, the GUI 50 includes at least one field 54 for displaying information related to content displayed by one or more of the at least one viewing object 34. For example, performance statistics and / or betting odds for sports events displayed by at least one of the viewing objects 34 can be displayed in the field 54. Although FIG. 3 shows a single field 54 located in the middle of the GUI 50, the GUI can comprise a plurality of fields 54, for example, one field 54 is associated with each viewing object 34.

  Alternatively, there may be one or more fields 54 in the viewing object 34. In other embodiments, the related information can be displayed in an overlay display over the content with which the information is related so that the information can be viewed without interfering with the underlying content.

  According to some embodiments, field 54 also allows a user to select content, for example, to participate in a wager. For example, users can view betting odds in field 54 related to the races displayed in their respective viewing areas. The user can select one of the competitors, such as horses, via field 54, for example, participate in a $ 10 bet, and select a bet format such as win, double win, triple win, etc. . A user can pay a wager via a communication network 28 to connect to a card reader 42 or bill acceptor (BNA) 44 and associated financial institution to authenticate payment. The bet receipt can be printed by the printer 48.

  On the other hand, other users can view different contents in other viewing areas. For example, another user can view a grand prix auto race or the like, and can select a desired viewing angle in a driver's car preferred by the user, for example.

  In some embodiments, the user looks at the food and beverage menu at the venue where the present invention is located and looks at the viewing object 34, field 54, card reader 42 or bill acceptor (BNA) 44, communication network 28 and printer 48. You can use the GUI 50 to order and pay for the items they have selected. Such additional content can be provided by a content management module 30 coupled to communicate with the server 20, or can be provided by an institutional television source.

  If the device 24 is in the form of a table top display 24A, the device 24A includes a touch screen 36, a large LCD screen, and a layer of tempered safety glass. The table top display 24A may also include one or more overlayers as desired. The table top display 24A can be replaced with a conventional table, which is particularly suitable for large groups, where each user can occupy one side of the table top display and have their own viewing experience. In the object 34, the contents selected by them can be viewed.

  For an individual or small group, a bar top or desktop display 24B, which is a smaller device with the same function, can be used. Alternatively, for an individual, a display tablet 24C having the same function can be provided instead of a menu, for example, and the user can take it to his table, or the user can bring it to the venue. You can move around.

  Referring to the general flowchart shown in FIG. 4, another aspect of the present invention is that, as described above, free broadcast television, video on demand (VOD), satellite television, web content such as content from a particular website, etc. A method 60 for managing content supplied with each signal from a plurality of sources such as, but not limited to, browser content, static content, content management module 30 and the like. In some embodiments, such a method 60 may include a step 62 in which the server 20 receives the modulated RF signal 18 from the modulator 16.

  The method 60 includes steps 64 in which the server 20 transcodes one or more of the signals and / or the server 20 changes the size of the content in the signals as needed.

  In step 66, the method 60 includes bundling the transcoded and / or resized signal into the multicast stream 21.

  In step 68, the method 60 includes splitting the multicast stream 21 including a plurality of streams representing signals into component streams.

  In step 70, method 60 includes pairing player object 32 with each component stream.

  In step 72, the method 60 includes concatenating the viewing object 34 with one of the player objects 32, thereby displaying content from the stream paired with each player object.

  In step 74, the method 60 further includes switching a signal displayed by the viewing object 34 by connecting the viewing object to a different player object.

  It will be appreciated that the server 20, the main control server 26 and the device 24 may comprise storage media in the form of memory including computer readable media. The computer readable medium includes computer readable program code components that each processor selectively executes at least a portion of to perform the embodiments of the invention described herein.

  Note that the use of the term “multicast” in this specification is intended to represent any stream that contains signals from multiple sources.

  In this way, the system, apparatus and user interface according to the embodiment of the present invention pair the player object 32 with each stream of the multicast stream 21, connect the viewing object 34 of the apparatus 24 with one of the player objects, This addresses or at least ameliorates the above-mentioned problems of the prior art by displaying content from each stream. Thus, embodiments of the present invention allow a user to switch between streams without the switching latency that occurs in prior art systems, methods and apparatus. By having a plurality of viewing objects 34 in a single device 24, the user can watch a plurality of streams simultaneously.

  Thus, embodiments of the present invention benefit users and society as a whole by promoting effective transmission, display and manipulation of content from multiple sources such as free broadcasts, cable and satellite television signals. The embodiments of the invention described herein also improve the user experience and increase social interaction, so that the user visits the venue where the embodiments of the invention are installed and stays longer. Promotes the use of more money at the venue, and thus contributes to the economic benefits of the venue and countries where the present invention is implemented.

  In this specification, the term “comprises; comprising” and similar terms are intended to be non-exclusive generic representations, and thus a device comprising the elements described in a description is not Not only elements but also other elements not described in the description may be provided.

  In this specification, references to prior art are not intended to indicate or suggest that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

  Throughout this specification, it was the purpose of the present invention to be described without limiting it to any one embodiment or specific group of features. Those skilled in the art can implement variations that come from specific embodiments and nevertheless fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (19)

A method for managing content supplied with multiple signals from multiple sources:
Dividing a multicast stream including a plurality of streams representing the signal into component streams;
Pairing a player object with each component stream; and linking a viewing object with one of the player objects, thereby displaying content from the stream paired with each player object. Including methods.   The method of claim 1, further comprising switching the stream displayed by the viewing object by connecting the viewing object to the different player objects.   The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising transcoding one or more of the signals and / or resizing the content prior to combining the signals into the multicast stream. An apparatus for managing content supplied from multiple sources of a multicast stream:
A plurality of player objects, each player object paired with a component stream of the multicast stream; and one of the player objects connected thereby, the content from the stream paired with each player object A device comprising at least one viewing object for display.   The apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a plurality of the viewing objects capable of simultaneously displaying content from a stream paired with each player object to which the viewing objects are connected.   6. A device according to claim 4 or 5, which is in the form of one of a table top display; a bar top display; a desktop display; a display tablet.   The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, comprising one or more physical or virtual input devices.   8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the input device is one or more of a touch screen; a keyboard; a controller; a card reader; a bill acceptor; a coin acceptor; a bar code scanner;   9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8, comprising one or more output devices of a printer; a loudspeaker; a unidirectional loudspeaker.   The device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of viewing objects are arranged adjacent to each other on a touch screen.   The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the viewing objects are arranged for a user on each side of the touch screen. A system for managing content supplied with multiple signals from multiple sources:
A server for transmitting a multicast stream including a stream representing the signal from the plurality of sources; and one or more devices coupled to communicate with the server and applying for the multicast stream;
Each device is:
A plurality of player objects, each player object paired with a component stream of the multicast stream; and one of the player objects connected thereby, the content from the stream paired with each player object A system that includes at least one viewing object for display.   The system of claim 12, further comprising a main control server coupled to communicate with the server via a communication network.   14. A system according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising a content management module, preferably coupled to communicate with the server via the main control server, thereby providing additional content to the device.   The system according to claim 12, wherein the server is an IPTV server. A graphical user interface for displaying content sourced from multiple sources of a multicast stream:
At least one viewing object coupled to one of a plurality of player objects, thereby displaying the content from the player object, wherein each player object is paired with one of the streams of the multicast stream Receiving at least one viewing object; and input from a user and linking the at least one viewing object to a different player object, thereby allowing content from a stream paired with the different player object A graphical user interface including at least one user input field to be displayed on the viewing object.   The user interface of claim 16, further comprising at least one field for displaying information related to the content displayed by the at least one viewing object.   18. The user interface of claim 17, wherein the information related to the content displayed by the at least one viewing object includes performance statistics and / or betting odds regarding a sporting event displayed by the at least one viewing object.   The user interface according to claim 16, comprising a plurality of the viewing objects.

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