KR100841303B1 - Method for servicing VOD - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a video on demand (VOD) service method using a digital broadcasting receiver, and in particular, each broadcasting station uses a user-selected VOD program through a terrestrial broadcasting channel such as a free channel assigned to a broadcaster or a specific broadcasting channel. By transmitting to a broadcast receiver, additional facility investments can be reduced in providing their own VOD service. In addition, it may be an effective service method when the channel capacity is increased or other transmission technologies are developed, and there is a margin in channel capacity. In addition, by collecting and managing the program database information of all broadcasters to configure and integrate a VOD database server, users can search for various programs through the VOD database server from the user's point of view. The functionality is simpler to implement.

VOD, EPG, Broadcast Channel

Description

Video service on demand {Method for servicing VOD}

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a relationship between a digital broadcast receiver, a VOD database server, and a broadcasting station of the present invention for implementing a VOD service through a broadcast channel;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of a relationship between a digital broadcast receiver, a VOD database server, and a broadcast station for implementing a VOD service through a broadcast channel; FIG.

The present invention relates to a method of implementing a video on demand (VOD) service using a digital broadcast receiver.

Since the beginning of digital broadcasting, a lot of digital multimedia contents are produced, and VOD service using them has been proposed.

The VOD service implementations proposed so far can be broadly classified into using wired service networks such as web and ATM, and wireless service networks such as mobile communication networks that guarantee transmission speed.

Therefore, in order to receive a VOD service using a digital broadcast receiver, the digital broadcast receiver receives a wired service using a modem, a high speed transmission line, an ATM network, and the like. For example, a digital broadcast receiver connects to a VOD server, selects a desired program, and then receives service using the same wired network.

Among the VOD service components, a conventional technology for searching for a program implements an electronic program guide (EPG) in a digital broadcasting receiver to configure program information for each channel in a table format, and then selects or inputs characters on the screen. Implement the keyboard format to enable search using a remote controller.
However, this method is difficult to display all programs within a limited screen as the number of programs gradually increases and the variety of programs is limited, and the length of EPG data transmitted in real time is limited. If the information is not included in the EPG database such as the database, the search is impossible.
In addition, when searching for a program by accessing a VOD server through a modem, a separate browser is required for accessing the VOD server, and a remote controller is implemented if an advanced user interface for inputting a search word is implemented. A separate interface device is needed.
The conventional VOD service technology using a digital broadcast receiver uses a wired network, which overlooks the main function of the digital broadcast receiver, that is, a function of directly receiving and playing a program in a channel such as wireless or cable. Accordingly, in order to broadcast a VOD program downloaded using a wired network in real time through a digital broadcast receiver, there is a problem such as requiring an additional process for processing the downloaded data.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a VOD service method that makes the VOD processing part inside a digital broadcast receiver more efficient by receiving VOD data using a broadcast channel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a VOD service method for coherently managing each VOD server so that a program search using EPG data and a program search for a VOD service are consistent.

One example of a video on demand (VOD) service method according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises the steps of: searching or inputting and selecting a program to be watched by calling a search engine; Searching for the selected program in an external VOD related server; And receiving and storing the searched VOD program through a broadcast channel.
In this case, the external VOD-related server may exist separately or be provided in a broadcasting station.
In addition, the search engine may search in a database related to the electronic program guide (EPG) that receives the selected program.
In addition, the broadcast channel may be a dedicated or dedicated channel for VOD.

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Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the configuration and operation of the embodiment of the present invention, the configuration and operation of the present invention shown in the drawings and described by it will be described as at least one embodiment, By the technical spirit of the present invention described above and its core configuration and operation is not limited.

The present invention intends to transmit a VOD program to a digital broadcast receiver through a terrestrial channel for broadcasting, for example, an allocation channel for VOD.

In addition, the VOD database server may be a separate server having program database information of all broadcasters, or may be a VOD server operated by a specific broadcaster, respectively. The former case is shown in FIG. 1 and the latter case is shown in FIG.

1, a VOD database server and a digital broadcast receiver are connected by a network, and the VOD database server is also connected by a network with each broadcasting station.                     

2, the digital broadcast receiver is connected to the VOD database server of each broadcasting station through a network.

1 and 2 are block diagrams for implementing a VOD service in a digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention, and show a relationship between a broadcasting station, a VOD server, and a digital broadcast receiver.

The overall operation sequence of the VOD service of the present invention is as follows.

1. A user calls a search engine of a digital broadcasting receiver using a remote controller capable of text input.

Here, the search engine refers to an engine capable of displaying a result by directly inputting a search word such as a search engine of the web as well as an optional menu such as a conventional EPG user interface. Also included are a search engine that simultaneously searches EPG data and a VOD database server and a series of methods for searching each one in different ways and presenting the results. In this case, the search is performed based on not only the received EPG-related data but also a program-related database of a VOD database server of each broadcaster or a VOD database server that integrates and manages a plurality of broadcaster programs separately.

2. The user can search by adjusting a menu on the OSD (On Screen Display) using the direction control buttons of the remote control or directly enter a search word using the 'remote inputting text'.

3. The result of the search word appears on the screen, and the user selects a program to watch.                     

Here, the program to be viewed includes a program that can be viewed on the EPG data, a program that can be reserved, and a program on the VOD database server.

4. When the user selects a specific program, the search engine searches for the program in the VOD database server as well as the received EPG related database.

For example, the search engine searches for EPG related data received by the corresponding digital broadcast receiver, and searches for programs in the VOD database server if there is no program information selected by the user. If the selected program information is in a VOD database server, the VOD database server transmits VOD program selection information to a corresponding broadcaster.

At the same time, the VOD database server transmits additionally necessary data such as a channel and a password for transmitting the VOD program to the corresponding digital broadcasting receiver.

Here, the VOD server may be an integrated server having program database information of all broadcasters as shown in FIG. 1, or may be a VOD server independently operated by a specific broadcaster as shown in FIG. 2.

5. When the VOD program selection information is transmitted from the VOD database server, the broadcaster transmits the VOD program to the digital broadcast receiver through the corresponding channel.

Here, the corresponding channel may be various. One of them refers to the remaining capacity of the channel except for the channel where the program is currently being broadcast in the channel operated by the broadcaster. For example, the remaining channel, that is, the SD class 1 in the channel broadcasting three SD programs 1 VOD data can be transmitted using a spare channel capable of transmitting a dog.

The other is to set a channel not broadcasted by the broadcaster 24 hours as a dedicated channel for VOD to broadcast a program or transmit a program for VOD at any time.

At this time, in the case of the above two channels, it can be distinguished that the program for the VOD through the PID (Packet IDentification) of the TP (Transport Packet).

In addition, when many users simultaneously use the VOD service of the same broadcaster, a problem of transmission limitation that may occur due to channel capacity limitation is that multiplexing each program and assigning an ID to a PID or a separate field in a packet and transmitting the same. This can be solved by using the method.

6. Each digital broadcast receiver first sets up a channel to receive VOD data internally, and separates and stores a packet when a corresponding program comes in.

Here, the VOD data includes original program configuration data or compressed program data.

7. After receiving all VOD data, users can watch the program they searched for.

8. The rate system of the VOD service may follow the conventional Pay Per View (PPV) method.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the VOD database server is configured in each particular broadcaster, the overall flow when operating independently is as follows.                     

That is, when a user calls a search engine of a digital broadcasting receiver using a remote controller capable of text input and then inputs a search word to select a program to watch, the search engine searches for the corresponding program in the VOD database server of each broadcasting station. do. Then, the broadcaster having the program transmits the VOD program to the digital broadcast receiver through the channel. In this case, the corresponding channel means a free channel or a dedicated VOD channel except for a channel where a program is currently being broadcast within a channel operated by a broadcaster.

As described above, according to the VOD service method according to the present invention, each broadcasting station transmits VOD data to a digital broadcasting receiver through a terrestrial broadcasting channel, for example, a free channel assigned to a broadcasting company or a specific broadcasting channel, thereby allowing the broadcasting station to transmit its own data. In VOD services, there is an effect of reducing additional facility investment. In addition, it may be an effective service method when the channel capacity is increased or other transmission technologies are developed, and there is a margin in channel capacity. In addition, by collecting and managing the program database information of all broadcasters to configure a VOD database server, the user can search a variety of programs through the VOD database server from the user's point of view, VOD service for the digital broadcast receiver manufacturer It's easier to implement support. That is, the user can easily and conveniently and consistently search for a program or a VOD related program to be watched now or in the future.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the embodiments, but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (4)

Calling a search engine to search for or input a specific program to select the program; Retrieving the selected program from an external video on demand (VOD) related server; And And receiving and storing the found VOD program through at least one broadcast channel among a VOD allocation channel and a VOD dedicated channel among broadcast channels. The method of claim 1, The external VOD related server is provided separately or provided in a broadcasting station. The method of claim 1, The search engine is a VOD service method characterized in that the search for the EPG related database that received the selected program. The method of claim 1, In the receiving and storing the VOD program, a broadcast signal including identifier information identifying the VOD program is transmitted to the broadcast channel.

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