KR20040022025A - Method and apparatus for providing multimedia contents capable of changing a media into the other media - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A multimedia contents offering method capable of replacing media and a device thereof are provided to diversely use the multimedia contents through a process to replace video, audio, or text media with other media depending on a trouble or a mistake during a multimedia contents service. CONSTITUTION: The device includes a contents providing server(21) storing the raw multimedia contents and a user adaptation server(22) generating/transmitting the replacement media(24) to a user terminal(23). The user adaptation server includes a storing part(31), a processing part(32), and a generating part(33). The processing part stores the information inputted from the contents providing server in the storing part while controlling the setting of a down/upstream channel between the user adaptation server and the user terminal. The processing part converts the raw contents into the user-adapted contents fit to a user characteristic and orders the generating part to generate the replacement media fit to the trouble if the trouble is existed in a function to use the multimedia contents.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MULTIMEDIA CONTENTS CAPABLE OF CHANGING A MEDIA INTO THE OTHER MEDIA}

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing multimedia contents that can replace media, in particular, in the case of providing digital multimedia contents such as audio, video, images, text, etc. through various networks including the Internet, original media according to a user's ability or environment. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a substitute for another media.

Recently, due to the development of Internet-related technology, a service for providing digital content through a network is spreading. MP3 music files are downloaded through the Internet, and movie information such as movies and TV programs can be easily accessed. In addition, image, music, and text information may be provided to the user in combination.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a conventional device for providing user adaptive content. The apparatus consists of a content providing server 11, a user adaptation server 12, and a user terminal 13.

In such a device, the user requests the content by accessing the content providing server 11 through the user terminal 13. At this time, in the case of delivering content from the content providing server 11 to the user terminal 13, the user adaptation server 12 is a 'user, which is information on the user's terminal environment, network environment, preference, etc. to which the content is to be delivered. Environment information, 'to configure' user adaptive content 'suitable for user characteristics with respect to the original content delivered from the content providing server 11, and deliver the generated content to the user terminal 13 so that the user can use it. will be.

In the interactive interactive multimedia content service, the service provider may simultaneously implement the content providing server function and the user adaptive server function, or may be implemented by different service providers.

Information that can be included in the 'user environment information' of FIG. 1 includes information on user's own preferences such as sports content preferences and music content preferences, terminal performance information such as CPU capability, storage capacity, QoS, transmission rate, and the like. Network information. Representative examples of this user environment information include the MPEG-7 Multimedia Description standard and the MPEG-21 Digital Item Adaptation standard, which is being standardized by the MPEG standardization group.

However, some users do not fully utilize the composite content provided by the multimedia content providers. For example, the user's terminal may be missing or malfunctioning. In addition, there is a case in which the user may not actively use the multimedia content because the user has a visual or audio impairment.

Generally, multimedia content is composed of video media, audio media, and text media. If the video information display device of the terminal is broken or the user is visually impaired, the video media cannot provide any information to the user. will be. In this case, the information possessed by the image media should be conveyed through the description of the acoustic media, for example, the screen. In other words, image media should be replaced by acoustic media. On the other hand, in the case of the hearing impaired, it is necessary to replace the acoustic media information of the multimedia content with image media information or text media information.

In the case of the existing one-way multimedia content providing service, users have to pay the same fee but suffer the inconvenience of the users. In addition, it is unable to provide a multimedia content providing service corresponding to various preferences of users.

In addition, even in the case of the interactive interactive multimedia service, the 'user adaptation step' is central to performing an adaptation function for the terminal capability of the user and the performance of the network. Therefore, when the terminal is broken or the user has a physical defect, there is a problem in that it cannot properly respond.

Therefore, in the currently developed interactive multimedia service, efforts have been made to provide content that meets the needs and needs of different users through a process of 'adapting' the composite multimedia content to fit the user environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention for solving the limitations of the prior art is to replace video, audio, or text media with other media depending on the user's disability or terminal malfunction in the case of serving multimedia content. It is to provide a method and apparatus for enabling various uses.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a conventional apparatus for providing user adaptive content;

2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus for providing user-adaptive content according to the present invention;

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing multimedia content to enable media replacement according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing multimedia content to enable media replacement according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the method for providing digital multimedia contents of the present invention for achieving the above object, in the method for providing digital multimedia contents processed in a user adaptive form in a user adaptive server,

Establishing downstream and upstream channels between the user terminal and the user adaptation server through an initialization operation, receiving user failure information through the upstream channel, and interpreting the user failure information to obtain the original content received from the content providing server. Generating a replacement medium and transmitting the replacement medium to the user terminal through the downstream channel.

In addition, the method for providing digital multimedia content of the present invention, in the method for providing digital multimedia content by processing in a user adaptive form in a user adaptive server,

Receiving user failure information from the content providing server, establishing downstream and upstream channels between the user terminal and the user adaptation server through an initialization operation, and interpreting the user failure information to receive the original content from the content providing server. Generating an alternative media for substituting a and transmitting the alternative media to the user terminal through the downstream channel.

In addition, the alternative media providing apparatus of the present invention, in the device for receiving the digital multimedia content in response to a request from the user terminal from the content providing server to process the user adaptive form to provide a replacement media,

A processing unit for controlling the setup of downstream and upstream channels with the user terminal and processing work related to generation of substitute media, original content from the content providing server according to the instructions of the processing unit, and a user from the upstream channel A storage unit that receives and stores the failure information, and the processing unit analyzes the user failure information stored in the storage unit, thereby reconstructing the original content that has received the replacement media adapted to the user according to the analysis result from the content providing server. It includes a generator that generates instead.

In addition, the alternative media providing apparatus of the present invention, in the device for receiving the digital multimedia content in response to a request from the user terminal from the content providing server to process the user adaptive form to provide a replacement media,

A processing unit for controlling the setting of the downstream and upstream channels between the user terminal and processing the work related to the generation of the replacement media, and receives the original content and the user failure information from the content providing server according to the instructions of the processing unit And a generating unit for generating, in place of the original content received from the content providing server, an alternative media adapted to the user according to the analysis result by analyzing the user disability information stored in the storage unit. Include.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described the configuration and operation of the present invention according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for providing user adaptive content according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a content providing server 21 including original multimedia contents, and a user adaptation server 22 which generates an alternative media 24 and delivers it to the user terminal 23. In addition, the user adaptation server 22 includes a storage 31, a processor 32, and a generator 33.

In this embodiment, the user accesses the content providing server 21 through the user terminal 23 and requests the content, and delivers user environment information including user disability information. Then, the content providing server 21 analyzes the user environment information to determine whether a use adaptation step is required, and if necessary, delivers the original content to the user adaptation server 22.

Here, the user disability information may be, for example, in the form of setting one information in one data type, and may be configured in the form of defining the plurality of times. An example of such user failure information is as follows.

User fault information =

Types of Disability Information {Image Information or Sound Information or Text Information or Additional Data ...} / * Information unavailable due to user's failure or terminal malfunction * /

+ Replacement information / * Information for replacing impossible information * /

Thereafter, the processing unit 32 of the user adaptation server 22 stores information coming from the content providing server 21 while controlling the setting of the downstream and upstream channels between the user adaptation server 22 and the user terminal 23. Stored in the unit 31. At this time, the user disability information is received from the content providing server 21 or the user terminal 23.

In addition, the processing unit 32 not only configures the original content delivered from the content providing server 21 as 'user adaptive content' suitable for the user's characteristics according to the contents of the user environment information, but is also required for the user to use the multimedia content. If there is a failure in function, the generation unit 33 is instructed to generate replacement content suitable for the degree of the user's failure according to the content of the user's failure information.

Accordingly, the generation unit 33 is to create a replacement media suitable for the degree of user disability, etc. The replacement media 24 may be made in the generation unit 33 as described above or may be prepared in advance by a content provider. An example of automatic generation by the generation unit 33 may be a case where a 'speech-to-text' technology for converting a human voice signal into a text signal is used.

Next, a procedure of generating a replacement media according to user disability information by the apparatus for providing user adaptive content according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing multimedia content to enable media replacement according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

This procedure includes the steps of requesting the content by the user, transmitting the original content by the content providing server, establishing a channel between the user terminal and the user adaptation server, and substituting the alternative content from the user adaptation server to the user terminal according to the user disability information. Delivering. These steps will be described in more detail below.

First, a user turns on a user terminal such as a computer, a PDA, a mobile phone, and performs a desired task through these terminals. In recent years, using these devices to search for data and perform various tasks related to work will be a common phenomenon. Of course, some of these users may have vision or hearing impairments, and some of the devices may fail.

If the user wants to receive a predetermined content, for example, video media, acoustic media, text media, etc. from the multimedia content provider while performing work through these devices, the user provides the content request through the user terminal 23. The server 21 transmits to the server 21 (step S11). Then, the content providing server 21 responds to the user terminal 23 after receiving this request (step S12), and according to the response, the user terminal 23 includes the 'user environment information including the user disability information. 'Is delivered to the content providing server 21 (step S13). In step S11, step S13 corresponds to a step in which the user requests content from step 4.

Next, the content providing server 21 analyzes the received user environment information (step S21) to determine whether the user requesting the content needs the media replacing the content prepared by him, that is, the user adaptation server 22. It is determined whether to pass through (step S22). Here, when there is no obstacle to the user or there is no failure in the user terminal, it is not necessary to pass through the user adaptation server 22, the content providing server 21 delivers the original multimedia content directly to the user terminal 23 (step S23). Then, the content providing procedure according to the user's request is finished. On the other hand, if the user has a problem or the user terminal is broken and needs to pass through the user adaptation server 22, the content providing server 21 delivers the original multimedia content to the user adaptation server 22 (step S24). . In step S21, step S24 corresponds to a step in which the content providing server transmits the original content.

Thereafter, the content adapted to the user through the user adaptation server 22 should be sent to the user terminal 23. For this purpose, an upstream / downstream channel is established between the user adaptation server 22 and the user terminal 23. (Step S31). At this time, the user terminal 23 transmits the user failure information to the user adaptation server 22 through the set upstream channel (step S32). This is because the user adaptation server 22 needs the information necessary to convert the original content into alternative content suitable for the current user. In step S31, step S32 corresponds to the step of establishing a channel between the user terminal and the user adaptation server in step 4.

Finally, in step S41, the user adaptation server 22 searches for or creates an alternative content adapted to the current user according to the user's disability information, and delivers it to the user terminal 23 so that the user may have a failure or a failure in the terminal. This content can be used without any inconvenience. Step S41 corresponds to the step of delivering the replacement content from the user adaptation server to the user terminal in step 4 according to the user disability information.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing multimedia content to enable media replacement according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the procedure according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of requesting the content by the user, transmitting the original content by the content providing server, establishing a channel between the user terminal and the user adaptation server, and user disability information. Accordingly, transmitting the replacement content from the user adaptation server to the user terminal. The difference from the embodiment of FIG. 3 is that the second and third steps of delivering content of the original content by the content providing server and setting up a channel between the user terminal and the user adaptation server transmit user disability information to the user adaptation server. It's in the way. These steps will be described in more detail below.

First, when a user wants to receive a predetermined content from a multimedia content provider while performing a task through a user terminal such as a computer, a PDA, or a mobile phone, a content request server 21 requests a content through the user terminal 23. (Step S11 '). Then, the content providing server 21 responds to the user terminal 23 after receiving this request (step S12 '), and according to the response, the user terminal 23 includes a' user environment 'including user disability information. Information 'is transmitted to the content providing server 21 (step S13'). In step S11 ', step S13' corresponds to a step in which a user requests content from step 4;

Next, the content providing server 21 analyzes the received user environment information (step S21 ') to determine whether the user requesting the content needs the media replacing the content prepared by him, that is, the user adaptation server 22. It is determined whether it is necessary to pass via) (step S22 '). Here, when there is no obstacle to the user or there is no failure in the user terminal, the content providing server 21 delivers the original multimedia content directly to the user terminal 23 (step S23 '). ), The content providing procedure according to the user's request is terminated. On the other hand, if the user has a problem or the user terminal has a failure and needs to pass through the user adaptation server 22, the content providing server 21 together with the original multimedia content user disability information received from the user terminal 23 It transfers to the user adaptation server 22 (step S24 '). Step S21 'corresponds to step S24' in which the content providing server transmits the original content.

Thereafter, an upstream / downstream channel is established between the user adaptation server 22 and the user terminal 23 (step S31 '). Step S31 'corresponds to the step of establishing a channel between the user terminal and the user adaptation server.

Finally, the user adaptation server 22 searches for or creates an alternative content adapted to the current user according to the user disability information, and delivers it to the user terminal 23 (step S41 '). Step S41 ′ corresponds to the step of delivering the replacement content from the user adaptation server to the user terminal in step 4 according to the user disability information.

As described above, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described only in the case of providing the replacement media through the user adaptation server, but those skilled in the art can transmit such alternative media directly to the user terminal through the content providing server. Will also understand.

According to the present invention as described above, in the case of distributing and using digital multimedia content, the media can be replaced so as to be suitable for the user's environment. There is an effect that the development of methods and techniques related to the use can be promoted.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to several embodiments, these are merely illustrative of the present invention and the present invention is not limited to these examples. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications to the present invention are possible, although not specifically disclosed herein, they are also within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

In the method for providing digital multimedia content in a user adaptive form in a user adaptive server, Setting up downstream and upstream channels between the user terminal and the user adaptation server through an initialization operation; Receiving user failure information via the upstream channel, and Interpreting the user disability information, generating an alternative media to replace the original content received from the content providing server, and transmitting the alternative media to the user terminal through the downstream channel; Digital multimedia content providing method comprising a. In the method for providing digital multimedia content in a user adaptive form in a user adaptive server, Receiving user failure information from a content providing server, Establishing downstream and upstream channels between the user terminal and the user adaptation server by the initialization operation, and Interpreting the user disability information, generating an alternative media to replace the original content received from the content providing server, and transmitting the alternative media to the user terminal through the downstream channel; Digital multimedia content providing method comprising a. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The method for providing digital multimedia contents in which the alternative media generated in the transmitting step is automatically generated and provided. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative medium generated in the transmitting step provides media which is prepared in advance. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the content providing server and the user adaptation server comprise one server. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the content providing server and the user adaptation server are independently present. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the user disability information comprises a disability information type and substitute information. An apparatus for receiving a digital multimedia content in response to a request from a user terminal to provide a replacement media by processing in a user adaptive form, A processing unit which controls the setting of the downstream and upstream channels with the user terminal and processes the work related to the generation of the replacement media; A storage unit for receiving and storing original content from the content providing server and user failure information from the upstream channel according to the processing unit; A generation unit for generating, in place of the original content received from the content providing server, a replacement media adapted to the user according to a result of the analysis by analyzing the user disability information stored in the storage unit; Alternative media providing device comprising a. An apparatus for receiving a digital multimedia content in response to a request from a user terminal to provide a replacement media by processing in a user adaptive form, A processing unit which controls the setting of the downstream and upstream channels with the user terminal and processes the work related to the generation of the replacement media; A storage unit for receiving and storing original content and user disability information from the content providing server according to an instruction of the processing unit; and A generation unit for generating, in place of the original content received from the content providing server, a replacement media adapted to the user according to a result of the analysis by analyzing the user disability information stored in the storage unit; Alternative media providing device comprising a. The method according to claim 8 or 9, And the generation unit automatically generates and provides replacement media. The method according to claim 8 or 9, And the generation unit to prepare and provide replacement media in advance. The method according to claim 8 or 9, The alternate media providing apparatus forms an apparatus together with the content providing server. The method according to claim 8 or 9, The alternate media providing apparatus is independent of the content providing server. The method according to claim 8 or 9, And the user failure information comprises a failure information type and replacement information.