KR101178167B1 - Method and apparatus of switching channels being broadcasting preferred programs - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a channel switching method and apparatus for a preferred program. The method of switching a channel to a program that the viewer prefers, when the program is output for a predetermined time or more after changing the channel according to the user's control signal, or when responding to the user's control signal to select a program on the EPG, Checking a title of the output or selected program from the EPG information and extracting a keyword from the title; (b) searching for the program including the extracted keyword in the EPG information, and allowing the viewer to display the EPG information of the retrieved program. Recording a preferred program ID indicating a preferred program, (c) generating preference program setting information for the searched program based on the EPG information in which the preferred program ID is recorded, and (d) (a) ) To (c) are repeatedly executed, Year on the basis of the cumulative The preferred program set information, and a step of generating a preferred disposition program information statistical information screen for a program in which the viewer preferences based on time of day.

EPG, Favorite Channels, Channel Switching

Description

Channel switching method and device for preferred program {METHOD AND APPARATUS OF SWITCHING CHANNELS BEING BROADCASTING PREFERRED PROGRAMS}

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for channel switching, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for switching a channel to a program preferred by a viewer.

In general, the remote control of the broadcast reception apparatus has a function of selecting and viewing a preferred channel. The favorite channel selection function is a method in which a channel is switched to the set preferred channel by presetting a favorite channel of a viewer and pressing a button of a corresponding remote controller.

However, the viewer is more responsive to the particular type of broadcast program being broadcast on the channel than to prefer and rely on the particular channel. Therefore, even if the channel is changed to the set preferred channel, if a favorite program is not broadcasted in the corresponding channel, the viewer has a inconvenience in finding the preferred program and changing the channel again.

In addition, with the recent diversification of broadcast content, the types of IPTV channels and programs have increased exponentially, and the programs that have been previously watched and the corresponding channels are memorized in advance, and the channel is changed whenever the user wants to watch. Finding is more difficult for viewers.

Therefore, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0020282 (Channel Control Method for IPTV Service and its device) analyzes the channel change of viewers and searches for the favorite program, and automatically connects the favorite program at service logon. Started.

The above-mentioned prior document may compare the title, channel number, last broadcast time, next broadcast time, last watch time, etc. of the program with previously stored viewing history if the viewing time of the program selected by the user is equal to or greater than the preset minimum viewing time. Register new or update existing information with your favorite program.

However, the event information table (EIT) defined in the current digital broadcasting standard is assigned an event id for each program, and the title is changed when the title of the program includes a round or a subtitle. IDs are assigned differently. Therefore, even the same program has a problem that can be recognized as a different program.

For example, “I want to know it, 715 times, I want to go to school,” and “I want to know it, 718 times, the War of Support? I'm accusing my son. ”The same program differs only in episodes (715 and 718) and subtitles (teacher school…, stimulus war – my son…), but EIT's event IDs are assigned differently. When comparing two programs using the program title, the two programs may be classified as different programs.

Therefore, if the title of the program includes episodes, it is difficult to accurately analyze the viewers' favorite programs by using the program titles. Also, if the episodes are different, the sub-programs of the programs are generally different, and the broadcasting time is always according to the programming schedule. Since it is not constant, it is impossible to accurately analyze the program that the viewer prefers when registering the favorite program and updating the information by comparing the title of the program with the broadcasting time as described above.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for accurately identifying a program preferred by a viewer.

The present invention also provides a method and apparatus for automatically switching a channel to a channel on which a preferred program is broadcast, even if the viewer does not directly select a channel to watch a favorite program.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects not mentioned can be clearly understood from the following description.

In order to achieve the above object, a method of switching a channel to a program preferred by a viewer according to an aspect of the present invention, (a) when the program is output for a predetermined time or more after the channel change according to the user's control signal, or Checking the title of the output or selected program from the EPG information and extracting a keyword from the title when responding to a control signal of a user who selects a program on the EPG, and (b) displaying the program including the extracted keyword. Searching in the EPG information and recording a preferred program ID indicating that the viewer prefers the program to EPG information of the searched program, (c) based on the EPG information in which the preferred program ID is recorded, the searched program Generating preference program setting information for (d) the above ( When steps a) to (c) are repeatedly executed, based on the preference program setting information accumulated due to the repetition, the preference program tendency information obtained by statisticizing information on a program preferred by the viewer for each time zone is obtained. Generating.

In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus for switching a channel to a program preferred by a viewer according to an aspect of the present invention includes a keyword in a title of a program transmitted by a program or a control signal of a user transmitted for a predetermined time after a channel change. A keyword extracting unit for extracting a search function, an EPG information management unit for searching for a program including the extracted keyword in EPG information, and recording a preferred program ID indicating that the viewer is a favorite program in EPG information of the searched program; On the basis of the preference program setting information generation unit for generating preference program setting information including at least one of a keyword, a time selected as a preferred program, and a number of times selected as a preferred program, and the EPG information and the preferred program setting information.And a preference program tendency information generator for generating preference program tendency information obtained by statistically analyzing information on a program preferred by the viewer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It is provided to fully inform the owner of the scope of the invention.

According to one of the problem solving means of the channel switching method and apparatus for the preferred program of the present invention described above, it is possible to accurately grasp the viewer's preferred program.

In addition, the channel is automatically switched to the channel through which the preferred program is broadcast, even if the channel is not directly selected to watch the preferred program, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of having to find a broadcast schedule or search the channel one by one.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

For reference, in the entire specification, when a part is "connected" to another part, it is not only "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" with another element in between. Also includes.

In addition, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, this means that it may further include other components, without excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a general IPTV broadcasting service system.

Referring to FIG. 1, an IPTV broadcasting system includes a broadcaster 1000, a headend system 2000, a network network 3000, and a user terminal 4000.

In addition, the headend system 2000 includes a baseband system 2010, a compression multiplexing system 2020, a conditional access system (CAS) 2030, a back office system 2040, a monitoring system 2050, A media management core (MOC) 2060, a subscriber management system 2070, a data broadcasting system 2080, an electronic program guide (EPG) system 2090, and a return path server system 2100.

The broadcaster 1000 serves to produce, edit, and change broadcast content to provide to the headend system 2000. The broadcaster 1000 may include a program provider (PP), a terrestrial wave, or a content provider (CP). In addition, the broadcast content provided by the broadcaster 1000 may include existing broadcast content and rich content on the Internet.

The headend system 2000 receives and manages broadcast content from the broadcaster 1000 and distributes content to the user terminal 4000 to provide broadcast / recording / playback services. The received broadcast content may include related additional information and an EPG for such additional information.

The head-end system 2000 includes EPG information (PSIP / PSI /) including a subscriber concentrator, a broadcast video and audio signal, data broadcasting data, and a program recommendation service menu through a router supporting a multicast routing protocol. SI information) can be transmitted to IP set-top boxes of multiple subscribers by multicasting.

The baseband system 2010 receives an MPEG2 broadcast signal from an external program provider (PP) or an analog broadcast signal from terrestrial waves, converts the received source broadcast signal into a SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signal, and converts a frame ( Frames), and distributes video and audio signals from multiple broadcast channels (e.g. 100 channels) via a routine switcher, subtitle generator (CG) and automatic program controller (APC). At least one of an advertisement, a logo, or a subtitle is inserted into the broadcast video and audio signal (signal editing and processing) and transmitted to the compression multiplexing system 2020.

The SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signal is, for example, a digital signal standard having a transmission rate of 270 Mbps, and a composite digital video and four channels of digital audio signals may be mixed.

The baseband system 2010 is basically a tuner for receiving analog broadcast signals through a receiving device (eg, a DS-3 station, a Yagi antenna, and an IRD) for receiving broadcast signals such as a program provider (PP) and terrestrial waves, respectively. (Tuner)), a frame synchronizer for converting and correcting a source signal received from a receiving device into an SDI signal, synchronizing frames, and A connecting / centralizing all broadcast signal channels for operation management. A signal splitter such as a / V router, and a subtitle generator for inserting an advertisement, a logo, and a subtitle into the SDI signal to edit and process the signal.

The compression multiplexing system 2020 uses an A / V encoder (A / V Encoder) for broadcasting video and audio signals (Video, Audio) received from the baseband system 2010 for each broadcasting channel (eg, 100 channels). ) To compress the SDI (Serial Digital Interface) video signal to H.264, and to compress the audio signal to MPEG-2 AAC to generate MPEG-2 TS (Transport Stream), and to compress compressed broadcast video and audio -2 after multiplexing data broadcasting data and EPG information (PSIP / PSI / SI information) generated by a data encoder and a PSI / SI generator together with the TS signal When the received MPEG-2 TS signal is used in the reception restriction technique, the TS-2 may be inputted to a scrambler, encrypted, and finally IP packetized to transmit an IP packetized TS (Transport Stream) broadcast signal.

Also, optionally, the reception restriction system 2030 may be used to prevent illegal viewing and illegal copying of program recommended content.

The reception restriction system 2030 performs encryption of the real-time channel and pre-encryption of the VOD content, and controls viewing authority so that only the authenticated user can use the channel and the content. In order to prevent illegal copying of IPTV contents, a digital rights management (DRM) scheme may be used instead of the reception restriction system 2030.

The back office system 2040 is a provisioning system and provides a billing processing function for the use of the IPTV program service for each subscriber.

The monitoring system 2050 is a control system. The monitoring system 2050 may monitor a transmission failure of an A / V broadcast signal for IPTV broadcasting, a reception failure by monitoring a downlink of an IPTV headend system, and confirm subtitles.

The media management system 2060 is a system that manages various business process information (program organization information, location information, contract information, product information, etc.) for operating a broadcasting business. The media management system 2060 integrally manages the information flow through the organic combination with each system at the center of the broadcasting center.

The media management system 2060 manages broadcast program organization information, content and media management information, contract information of a program provider (PP) and a content provider (CP), and product information, and manages each system in the center of a broadcasting center. Through organic integration, it can act as a coordinator to manage and manage the flow of information.

In addition, the media management system 2060 includes contract management, media and content metadata management, EPG information acquisition / management as broadcast schedule information, and real time broadcasting and VOD in terms of operation. It provides channel formation management, agent management, interworking with each subsystem, VOD catalog creation management, and various product management.In terms of analysis, marketing analysis reporting, delivery such as settlement of CP / CA, subscriber viewing propensity, etc. In terms of broadcast transmission monitoring, video server transmission management and VOD subscriber authentication, transmission result recording / management for settlement with CP / CA, and data synchronization with each subsystem.

The subscriber management system 2070 provides membership registration and termination and member information management for IPTV services.

The data broadcasting system 2080 authors, verifies, organizes, and transmits the data broadcasting data.

The data broadcasting system 2080 includes a data agent manager (PSI) for managing data encoding, a PSI / SI generator (PSI) for generating program specific information / service information (SI). / SI Generator), Data Server / Data Encoder for encoding data broadcasting data into broadcast video and audio signals, and Multiplexer Manager for managing multiplexing functions of data into the broadcast video and audio signals Manager) and a scheduler user interface (Scheduler UI).

In addition, the data broadcasting system 2080 may use the A / V encoder to provide the A / V data provided from the A / V server according to the terrestrial Application Configuration Access Protocol (ACAP) data broadcasting standard. Compresses the broadcast video and audio signals by using a data server / data encoder and PSI / SI (Program Specific Information / Service Information), and compresses the compressed video and audio signals from an application by the authoring tool. ) Is multiplexed by a multiplexer together with data broadcasting data and EPG information (PSIP / SI information) generated by the generator to encode and transmit broadcast program data and related information from collection and storage of data broadcasting programs. .

The EPG system 2090 includes an EPG server and provides an electronic program guide (EPG) service to the user terminal 4000.

The return path server system 2100 processes bidirectional data by a data provider (DP), provides online bill transfer from the user terminal 4000, usage history / billing interworking processing of bidirectional data, and personalization authentication processing. , And receive bidirectional data for the program recommendation service and transmit the corresponding response data to the user terminal 4000 in unicasting.

The network 3000 receives the broadcast content from the headend system 2000 and delivers the received broadcast content to the user terminal 4000. The network network 3000 includes a backbone network and an access network, and the access network includes Ethernet, xDSL (ADSL, VDSL), Hybrid Fiber Coaxial Ca (HFC), and Fiber To The Curb), and may be configured in any one topology of a fiber to the home (FTTH) structure.

The user terminal 4000 is an apparatus for using an Internet broadcasting service, and generally includes an IPTV, a set top box (STB), and a remote controller. The IPTV outputs the broadcast content received from the headend system 2000 and transmits the user response signal received through the remote controller to the headend system 2000 through the return channel of the set top box.

The user terminal may use any one of a TV with an IP STB or an IP set-top box (IP STB), a computer, a notebook, or a personal portable terminal connected to the user's TV.

The IP set-top box includes a hardware layer composed of STB hardware such as a CPU, a media processor, flash RAM, and an Ethernet module, a system software layer including a system driver such as a device driver and an operating system, a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Middleware layer with Conditional Access System (CAS) module and Digital Rights Management (DRM) interface module, streaming protocol (RTP, RTSP), MPEG2, MPEG4, MPEG7, H.264, WMV- It may include four layers of an application layer that supports various multi codecs such as 9 and includes an electronic program guide (EPG) for selecting an IPTV service channel. In this case, the subscriber's IP set-top box may be assigned an IPv4 address or an IPv6 address.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for switching a channel to a program preferred by a viewer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The apparatus 100 for switching a channel to a program preferred by a viewer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a receiver 110, a keyword extractor 120, an EPG information manager 130, and a preference program setting information generator 140. ), The preference program tendency information generating unit 150 and the channel switching unit 160 may be included in the IP set-top box which is the user terminal 4000 of the IPTV broadcasting service system shown in FIG. 1.

To describe each component in detail, first, the receiver 110 registers a program that the viewer prefers, either from a remote controller, a program transmitted for a predetermined time after a channel change, or a program on an EPG displayed on a TV screen. Receive control signals for the selection of.

To this end, the viewer may select a favorite program while viewing the program as his or her favorite program, or separately, while searching the EPG, select the favorite program as his or her favorite program.

In this case, the remote controller is provided with a separate button (key) for registering a viewer's favorite program, and the viewer can easily register a program of his or her own preference by pressing a specific button (key) of the remote controller.

Hereinafter, a program currently being viewed by a viewer by pressing a specific button (key) on the remote controller and a specific program on the selected EPG by pressing a specific button (key) on the remote controller will be referred to as a "preferred program."

Meanwhile, the keyword extractor 120 selects a keyword from the title of the preferred program selected by the user in response to a user's control signal for selecting a program transmitted for a predetermined time after the channel change or a program on the EPG displayed on the screen of the TV. Extract. The keyword extraction method removes all occurrences or subtitles in the title of a program and extracts only pure program names as keywords.

For example, in the case of “I want to know, 715 times, I want to go to school,” the pure program name is 'I want to know', and '715' is the episode and 'I want to go to school' is a subtitle.

Therefore, the keyword extraction unit 120 is a pure program name that removes the '715' and the subtitle 'I want to go to school' from the preferred program "It wants to know, 715 times, I want to go to school". Extract 'as a keyword.

Hereinafter, a method of extracting keywords will be described in more detail.

The keyword extractor 120 may extract the keyword by removing the noise text from the selected preferred program title as follows.

Step 1. Remove common noise text.

-Remove whitespace from the selected favorite program title.

-Remove special characters other than letters and numbers. However, special characters included in patterns for subtitles or episodes are left without removing them in step 1.

Step 2. If the program title is in a consistent pattern, remove the noise text.

remove.

The following pattern is used because the program title includes subtitles or rounds.

Remove and extract keywords.

Pattern 1. Program name <subtitle>. Ex) Golden fishing ground

Pattern 2. Program name (times). Ex) 2009 Foreign Team (13)-2009 Foreign Team

For reference, when analyzing program titles of currently serving EPG information, subtitles and episodes are mostly in the pattern as described above. In the future, when the pattern of the program title stored in the EPG information is changed, the keyword extraction unit 120 may be updated to recognize the pattern of the changed program title in the EPG information to remove the subtitles / turns.

As described above, the reason why the keyword extracting unit 120 removes the episodes and subtitles and extracts only pure program names as keywords is to accurately search for the preferred program selected by the viewer from the EPG information.

Here, the EPG information is information received in a standard of an event information table (hereinafter, referred to as EIT) defined in the digital broadcasting standard. Generally, information of a program broadcast within 24 hours for each channel, for example, Include the title, genre, and performer of the program, including episodes or subtitles. As will be described later, in the present invention, a field for recording a preferred program ID may be added to the EPG information to indicate whether the corresponding program is a viewer's preferred program.

Here, the preference program ID is a unique value assigned to the preference program selected by the viewer in the EPG information manager 130 to be described later (default value is NULL).

In addition, the EIT includes a title of a program, and each title is matched with an event id.

Even if the same program has different episodes or subtitles, the event ids are different. Therefore, if the title of the program containing the episodes or subtitles is stored as a viewing history and a viewer's favorite program is selected, Selection is difficult.

For reference, the keyword extractor 120 may further extract information about the genre and performer of the preferred program selected by the viewer.

The EPG information manager 130 searches for the program including the keywords extracted by the keyword extractor 120 in the EPG information. In this case, the program may be searched by further comparing the genre or performer of the preferred program.

In this case, the EPG information manager 130 may search for the preferred program in the EPG information by checking whether the keyword of the preferred program, that is, the name of the program selected by the viewer as the preferred program is included in the program title of the EPG information in order. .

In more detail, the EPG information manager 130 searches the index included in the program title of the EPG information for each character of the preferred program keyword. If all the letters of the preferred program keyword are included in the program title of the EPG information, and the positions of the letters in the program title of the EPG information are compared by the letters of the preferred program keyword, the preceding and following order between the letters is not changed. To be considered.

For example, if the preferred program keyword is "infinite challenge" and the program title of EPG information is "Special! Infinite Challenge <rice farming>", the program title of EPG information is "no", "do", "do", "jeon" Each letter is different, but the order is not changed. Therefore, it is regarded as a favorite program.

In addition, the EPG information management unit 130 searches for the preferred program in the EPG information by comparing whether the preferred program keyword and the keyword extracted from the program title of the EPG information are the same.

In more detail, the EPG information management unit 130 extracts a keyword from the program title of the EPG information in the same manner as the preferred program keyword extraction, and if the preferred program keyword and the keyword extracted from the program title of the EPG information are the same, corresponding EPG information. Consider the program to be your preferred program. In this case, the hash value of the preferred program keyword and the hash value of the keyword string extracted from the program title of the EPG information may be compared to determine whether the two keywords are the same.

Thereafter, the EPG information manager 130 records the preferred program ID in the EPG information of the program searched for as the preferred program.

Here, the preference program ID is a unique value (default value is NULL) to be given to the preference program selected by the viewer. Since the preferred program ID indicating whether the preferred program is recorded in the EPG information, the channel switching unit 150 to be described later refers to the preferred program ID recorded in the EPG information at the time when the event occurs when the preset event occurs. The channel on which the favorite program is broadcast can be searched and the channel can be automatically switched to the found channel.

In addition, when the EPG information is updated and the previous EPG information is deleted, the EPG information manager 130 rewrites the above-described preferred program ID into the EPG information based on the preference program tendency information described later.

In the present invention, in order to update the EPG information and delete the previous EPG information, it generates and manages preference program setting information and preference program tendency information described later.

On the other hand, the preference program setting information generation unit 140 is a preference program ID, keyword (that is, the name of the pure program removing the program or subtitle of the corresponding program) for the preference program recorded the preference program ID in the EPG information management unit 130 In addition, preference program setting information including at least one of a time when the program is selected as the preferred program and a number of times the program is selected as the preferred program is generated and stored in a predetermined storage in the set-top box.

On the other hand, the preference program tendency information generation unit 150 generates preference program tendency information based on the preference program setting information, and stores it in a predetermined storage in the set-top box.

Here, the preference program propensity information is a statistic of information about a program that a viewer prefers for each time zone, and includes at least one of a broadcast time zone, a favorite program ID, a channel number, a number of times selected as a favorite program, and a final time selected as a favorite program. It includes.

The preference program tendency information generating unit 150 may sort the preference program tendency information in the order of selecting a number of preference programs, and selecting the most recent preference program.

Meanwhile, when a preset event occurs, the channel switcher 160 searches for EPG information in response to the event. Thereafter, the channel switching unit 160 searches for a program recorded with a preferred program ID among the programs broadcast in the time zone at which the event occurs, from the EPG information, and automatically switches the channel to the channel on which the searched program is broadcast.

The preset event here means any one of selecting a remote control button for watching a favorite program, turning on the TV (system) power, or ending the watching program.

At this time, the channel switching unit 160, if there are a number of programs recorded with a preferred program ID among the programs broadcast in the time zone at the time when the event occurs, the broadcast start time of the program closest to the time zone at the time when the event occurs Among a plurality of programs that are searched for a channel or searched for a favorite program, a broadcasting time (from a broadcast start time to a broadcast end time) includes a time point at which an event occurs, and a channel of a program having a large number of times selected as a favorite program. You can switch to the channel by searching for.

That is, when a preset event occurs, the channel switching unit 160 switches the channel to the channel where the preferred program is to be broadcasted soon or the channel currently being broadcast.

In addition, the channel switching unit 160 provides a list of channels of a plurality of preferred programs that can be viewed in a list when there are a plurality of programs in which a favorite program ID is recorded among programs broadcast in a time zone at which an event occurs. If is selected, the channel may be switched to the selected channel.

For reference, the components illustrated in FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention mean software components or hardware components such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and perform predetermined roles. .

However, 'components' are not meant to be limited to software or hardware, and each component may be configured to be in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to reproduce one or more processors.

Thus, by way of example, an element may comprise components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, Routines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.

Components and the functionality provided within those components may be combined into a smaller number of components or further separated into additional components.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of switching a channel to a program preferred by a viewer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

For convenience of description, it will be described with reference to the components of the channel switching device 100 for the preferred program shown in FIG.

First, in order to register a program preferred by the viewer, the receiver 110 receives, from the remote controller, a control signal for selecting a program transmitted for a predetermined time after changing a channel or a program on an EPG displayed on a screen of a TV (S301).

After step S301, the keyword extraction unit 120 extracts a keyword from the title of the selected preferred program (S302).

At this time, the keyword extraction method removes a space character from the selected preferred program title and removes special characters other than letters and numbers.

In addition, when the program title is configured to include the episode or subtitle in a predetermined pattern, the keyword extractor 120 removes the episode or subtitle from the program title and extracts only the pure program name as a keyword.

In addition, the keyword extractor 120 may further extract information about the genre and performer of the preferred program selected by the viewer.

After step S302, the EPG information management unit 130 searches for the program including the keyword extracted in step S302 in the EPG information, and records the preferred program ID in the EPG information of the retrieved program (S303).

Here, the preference program ID is a unique value assigned to the preference program selected by the viewer in the EPG information management unit 130.

In this case, the EPG information management unit 130 may check the preference program keyword, that is, the name of the program selected by the viewer in order in the program title on the EPG, and search for the preferred program in the EPG information.

In addition, the EPG information management unit 130 may search for the preferred program in the EPG information by comparing whether the preferred program keyword and the keyword extracted from the program title of the EPG information are the same.

In this case, the EPG information management unit 130 may search for a program preferred by the viewer in the EPG information by using a method of comparing a hash value of a keyword string extracted from a program title of EPG information with a hash value of a preferred program keyword. have.

After the step S303, the preferred program setting information generation unit 140 generates the preferred program setting information for the preferred program in which the preferred program ID is recorded in the step S303 and stores it in a predetermined storage in the set-top box (S304).

Here, the preference program setting information includes at least one of a preferred program ID, a keyword, name of a pure program having removed the program or subtitle of the corresponding program, a time when the program is selected as the preferred program, and the number of times the program is selected as the preferred program. do.

After the step S304, the preferred program tendency information generation unit 150 generates the preferred program tendency information based on the accumulated preference program setting information by repeating the steps S301 to S303, and stores it in a predetermined storage in the set-top box (S305). ).

Here, the preference program propensity information is a statistic of information about a program that a viewer prefers for each time zone, and includes at least one of a broadcast time zone, a favorite program ID, a channel number, a number of times selected as a favorite program, and a final time selected as a favorite program. It includes.

The preference program tendency information generating unit 150 may sort the preference program tendency information in the order of selecting a number of preference programs, and selecting the most recent preference program.

After the step S305, when the EPG information is updated to delete the previous EPG information (S306), the EPG information management unit 130, based on the preference program tendency information, the preference program ID to the EPG information of the program preferred by the viewer The data is rewritten (S307).

In the present invention, in order to update the EPG information and delete the previous EPG information, it generates and manages preference program setting information and preference program tendency information.

After the step S305, when the preset event occurs, the channel switching unit 160 searches for the program in which the preferred program ID is recorded among the programs broadcast in the time zone at which the event occurs, from the EPG information, and the channel on which the found program is broadcast. The channel is automatically switched (S308).

Here, the preset event refers to any one of selecting a remote control button for watching a favorite program, turning on the TV (system) power, or ending the watching program.

At this time, the channel switching unit 160, if there are a number of programs recorded with a preferred program ID among the programs broadcast in the time zone at the time when the event occurs, the broadcast start time of the program closest to the time zone at the time when the event occurs Among a plurality of programs that are searched for a channel or searched for a favorite program, a broadcasting time (from a broadcast start time to a broadcast end time) includes a time point at which an event occurs, and a channel of a program having a large number of times selected as a favorite program. You can switch to the channel by searching for.

In addition, the channel switching unit 160 provides a list of channels of a plurality of preferred programs that can be viewed in a list when there are a plurality of programs in which a favorite program ID is recorded among programs broadcast in a time zone at which an event occurs. If is selected, the channel may be switched to the selected channel.

The foregoing description of the present invention is intended for illustration, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be easily modified in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be.

It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive.

For example, each component described as a single entity may be distributed and implemented, and components described as being distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the above description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a general IPTV broadcasting service system.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for switching a channel to a program preferred by a viewer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of switching a channel to a program preferred by a viewer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

110: receiver

120: keyword extraction unit

130: EPG Information Management Department

140: preference program setting information generation unit

150: preference program tendency information generation unit

160: channel switching unit

Claims (11)

In a device for switching channels to viewers favorite program, A keyword extraction unit for extracting a keyword from a title of a program transmitted for a predetermined time after a channel change or a program selected by a user's control signal, An EPG information management unit searching for a program including the extracted keyword in EPG information and recording a preferred program ID indicating that the viewer prefers the program to EPG information of the searched program; A preference program setting information generation unit generating preference program setting information including at least one of a keyword for the selected program, a time selected as a preferred program, and a number selected as a preferred program; A preference program tendency information generation unit for generating preference program tendency information obtained by statisticizing information about a program preferred by the viewer for each time zone based on the EPG information and the preference program setting information. Including a channel switching device for the preferred program. The method of claim 1, When an event occurs in any one of selecting a remote control button for viewing the favorite program, turning on the TV (system) power and ending the program being watched, the preferred program ID among the programs broadcasted in the time zone when the event occurs A channel switching unit for retrieving a recorded program from the EPG information and automatically switching a channel to the retrieved channel Further comprising, the channel switching device for the preferred program. The method of claim 1, And the keyword extracting unit extracts the keyword by excluding at least one of a round and a subtitle from the program title. The method of claim 1, The preference program tendency information generating unit selects a number of times that the viewer prefers a program, and arranges the preference program tendency information in a recently selected order. The method of claim 2, The channel switching unit searches for a channel of a program in which a broadcast start time is closest to a time zone at which the event occurs, among the channels on which the program preferred by the viewer is broadcasted. The method of claim 2, The channel switching unit provides the searched channels in a list when the searched channels are plural, and when any one channel is selected, switches the channel to the selected channel. The method of claim 2, The channel switching unit includes a time when a broadcast time (from a broadcast start time to a broadcast end time) of the event is executed, among the channels on which the program preferred by the viewer is broadcasted, and among the channels, the viewer prefers the program. A channel switching device for the preferred program, which has a large number of times selected and searches for a channel of a recently selected program. The method of claim 1, When the EPG information is updated and the previous EPG information is deleted, the EPG information management unit rewrites the preferred program ID into EPG information of the program preferred by the viewer, based on the preference program tendency information. For channel switching device. In terms of switching channels to viewers' favorite shows, (a) When a program is output for a predetermined time or more after a channel change according to a user's control signal, or in response to a user's control signal for selecting a program on the EPG, the title of the output or the selected program is determined from the EPG information. Identifying and extracting keywords from the title, (b) searching for the program including the extracted keyword in the EPG information, and recording a preferred program ID indicating that the viewer prefers the program in the EPG information of the searched program; (c) generating preference program setting information for the retrieved program based on the EPG information in which the preferred program ID is recorded; (d) If the steps (a) to (c) are repeatedly executed, the statistical information of the program preferred by the viewer for each time zone is statistically preferred based on the preference program setting information accumulated by the repeated execution. Generating program propensity information Including a channel switching method for the preferred program. The method of claim 9, The step (a) (a-1) removing the space character from the title of the program, (a-2) removing special characters other than letters and numbers from the title of the program from which the space character has been removed; and (a-3) extracting the keyword by removing at least one of a series and a subtitle when the title of the program has a predetermined pattern Including a channel switching method for the preferred program. The method of claim 9, Step (b) is At least one of a method of checking whether the extracted keyword is included in the program title of the EPG information in order, and a method of comparing a hash value of the extracted keyword with a hash value of the keyword extracted from the program title of the EPG information Searching for a program including the extracted keyword by using a method of channel switching.

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