KR20100009899A - Method for providing and sharing of contents, and controlling apparatus thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for providing and sharing contents, and a controlling apparatus thereof are provided to supply the information of an IPTV or a VDD service. CONSTITUTION: A contents DB(101) stores the contents. A table DB(124) stores a table capable of the input of the view information. A controller(110) indicates the table from table DB, when regeneration of the contents reproduced is completed. A request unit requests in the controller in order to indicate the table while the contents is playing.

Description

METHOD FOR PROVIDING AND SHARING OF CONTENTS, AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS THEREOF}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the use of content, and more particularly, to a content providing and sharing method for providing viewing information of content viewed on an IPTV or VOD service, which can be shared among service users, and a control apparatus thereof.

Recently, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) or Video Online Demand (VOD) in a digital broadcasting environment is being serviced so that contents such as movies and music can be viewed in real time regardless of time and place. .

The IPTV and VOD services support bidirectional services.

Therefore, a digital system configuration different from the existing analog system configuration is required. That is, an IPTV broadcasting module for transmitting pre-stored contents or TV broadcasting programs to an IP network, and an IPTV set-top box for receiving contents or TV broadcasting programs from the IP network and outputting the contents or TV broadcasting programs to a display device.

The operation in this system configuration is as follows.

When the IPTV set-top box is connected to the IPTV broadcasting module, the display apparatus displays a main menu for content search. While checking the main menu, the service user searches the contents DB of the IPTV broadcasting module for the contents he / she wants to watch by using a remote controller, and selects the contents among them.

When the content is selected, the IPTV broadcasting module transmits the selected content to the IPTV set-top box using a predetermined transmission band. The IPTV set-top box buffers the transmitted content information at regular intervals and delivers the buffered content to a display device for playback.

This interactive service allows service users to select the latest movies or popular dramas they want to watch at the desired time.

On the other hand, in order for a service user to select content, information about the content is required. Some of the service users select content by obtaining information about the content offline, but most of them obtain the content information through the online medium.

A representative example of an online medium is to provide content information in a portal site. The service user acquires a plot of the content and the like from the portal site and uses it as a judgment material for content selection.

However, the above-described content information is not provided to the IPTV or VOD service that supports the interactive service and can easily view various contents. Of course, when the content is selected in the IPTV or VOD service, the basic information about the content, such as the content genre and the playing time, is provided, but the basic information does not accurately know what the content is.

That is, in selecting content, the popularity of the content, the workability, the degree of recommendation of other service users, and the viewing ratings felt by other service users when viewing the content may be important factors, and the IPTV or VOD service may use such content evaluation information. It is not provided.

Therefore, even if the content was selected, it was inevitable to watch the content without knowing the plot, box office, and workability. This is pointed out as a very big disadvantage in the IPTV or VOD service supporting the interactive service.

For example, even though it is a service that allows users to select and watch content, it is still treated as a unidirectional service because no specific information about the content is provided, which acts as a limitation of the overall system use, which reduces efficiency. Cause problems.

By recognizing this as a unidirectional service, there is a contradiction in which users of IPTV or VOD services separately search for content information on a portal site and then select content based on the content information.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a content providing method and a control apparatus for providing the viewing information for the content viewed on IPTV or VOD service.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a content sharing method and a control apparatus for allowing service users to share content viewing information of an IPTV or VOD service.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, the step of accessing the content DB, the content is stored; Playing the retrieved content of interest; Providing a table capable of inputting viewing information when the content of interest is played back; Inputting viewing information about the content of interest into the table; And processing and storing the table in which the viewing information is input.

In the table, at least one of box office, work performance, recommendation degree, and observation rating of the content of interest is input.

In the mode of entering the box office, the work performance, the recommendation degree, and the observation rating, the content reproduction unit formed in the table plays the content.

The content is played either video or still image.

According to another feature of the invention, the method comprising the steps of: searching for content; Requesting at least one table into which viewing information corresponding to the searched content is input; Selecting content of interest based on the requested table; And playing the selected content of interest.

In the step of selecting the content of interest, the content reproduction unit provided in the table stops playing the content.

According to another feature of the invention, the content DB for storing the content; A table DB for storing a table capable of inputting viewing information; The control unit may include a control unit which extracts and displays a table from the table DB when playback of the content being played is completed according to a reproduction request.

And a request unit for requesting to display the table while the content is being played.

According to another feature of the invention, the content DB for storing the content; A viewer DB for storing a table in which viewing information is input for each content; The controller may be configured to control the viewer DB to access and display a table corresponding to the searched content whenever the stored content is searched.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an IPTV broadcasting module including a content DB for storing content, a table DB for storing a table capable of inputting viewing information, and a viewer DB for storing a table in which viewing information is input for each content; When any one of the contents stored in the content DB is played, the table capable of inputting viewing information is extracted from the table DB and displayed. When the content stored in the content DB is searched, the searched content is searched. And an IPTV set-top box having a control unit for extracting and displaying a table corresponding to the viewer from the DB.

The table may include a basic information providing unit for providing basic information of the content; An input unit to input viewing information of the content; A unique number input unit for automatically recording a device unique number of the IPTV set-top box when the table is provided from the IPTV broadcasting module to the IPTV set-top box; And a content reproducing unit for reproducing the content according to a predetermined mode.

The content reproducing unit may include: a reproducing mode in which the content is reproduced when viewing information is input to the table; And a standby mode in which the reproduction of the content is stopped when the table on which the viewing information is input is displayed.

According to the content providing and sharing method of the present invention having such a configuration, and a control apparatus thereof, the following effects are obtained.

First, while watching or ending the content provided by the IPTV or VOD, the viewing information of the content is entered into a table provided by the IPTV broadcasting module, for example, the plot, the box office, the work, the degree of recommendation, and the observational information. This can be stored in the IPTV broadcasting module.

In addition, the table for the content stored as described above can be shared by other service users, it can be used as information that other service users can select a specific content, it is easy to check the information about the content.

Hereinafter, a content providing and sharing method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and a control device thereof will be described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of a system for providing content providing and sharing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an exemplary diagram of a table structure provided in this embodiment.

First, referring to FIG. 1, a content DB 101 in which a plurality of contents are stored, and a TV broadcast program 102 are provided.

IPTV broadcasting module 100 for providing the content stored in the content DB 101 via the Internet or the TV broadcast program 102 through the Internet is provided. The IPTV broadcasting module 100 includes a web server 103 for providing a web service, an electronic program guide (EPG) server 104 for guiding a broadcast program, a subscriber management server 106 for managing subscribers, and billing for The charging server 108 is provided.

In addition, the IPTV broadcasting module 100 includes a control unit 110 for controlling the operation of the web server 103, the EPG server 104, the subscriber management server 106, and the charging server 108 together with the transmission control of the content. ) Is provided.

In particular, the IPTV broadcasting module 100 is provided with a management server 120 for storing / managing information posted by the service user (hereinafter referred to as 'viewing information'). The viewing information refers to the information after the service user views the predetermined content, that is, the box office, the workability, the degree of recommendation, the observation rating, and the like.

Thus, the management server 120 includes a table DB 124 storing a table having a predetermined format so that the viewing information can be input, and a viewer DB 122 storing a table into which the viewing information is input. . The table does not take one standardized format and can be changed into various formats by an administrator. Although tables are stored in the table DB 124 in various forms, not all tables are used at the same time, and it is preferable that only one table selected by an administrator is used.

An example of such a table is shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, the table 130 controls the display device to display a basic information providing unit 130a for providing basic information of the content, an input unit 130b for inputting viewing information of the content, and displaying the table on a display device. A terminal number, i.e., a unique number input unit 130c for recording a device unique number of the IP set-top box 140 to be described later, and a content reproducing unit 130d for reproducing the content.

Specifically, the basic information providing unit 130a displays information such as title, genre, playing time, and rating of the content.

The input unit 130b is a part that can be directly input by the service user, such as showability, workability, recommendation degree, and observation rating. When entering the box office, the work, the degree of recommendation, etc. may also enter a score and a specific shape.

The unique number input unit 130c refers to a device unique number of the IPTV set-top box 140. The device unique number is for identifying which IPTV set-top box is connected to the IPTV broadcasting module 100, and the IPTV set-top box 140 is connected to the IPTV broadcasting module 100 and has its own device unique number. It can be seen because the transmission to the IPTV broadcasting module 100. The device unique number is automatically recorded in the unique number input unit 130c when transmitted from the IPTV broadcasting module 100 to the IPTV set-top box 140. Even if a real name of a service user is required due to the device ID number recording, it is not necessary to perform an authentication procedure such as inputting an ID.

The content reproducing unit 130d is a part in which a part of the content of the watched content is reproduced. The content reproduction unit 130d has a reproduction mode and a standby mode. The play mode refers to a mode in which content is played when a service user directly inputs information. This is to input the information more accurately by referring to the content reproduced by the content reproducing unit 130d at the time of information input. The standby mode refers to a mode in which playback of content is stopped. This is a case of simply referring to a table in which viewing information is input to select content, and is not necessarily required to reproduce the content. That is, in the case of referring to the table, the content does not need to be played back because only the information created by other service users is referred to. However, the content may be played even if the table is referred to only.

Such a table is transmitted from the management server 120 to the IPTV set-top box 140 at the time when the content is finished playing (that is, when the viewing ends) and is displayed on the display apparatus 150.

Referring back to FIG. 1, an IPTV set top box 140 connected to the IPTV broadcasting module 100 is provided. The IPTV set-top box 140 buffers the content when the IPTV broadcasting module 100 transmits the content in a predetermined bandwidth, and plays the buffered content on the display device 150. The display device includes a cathode-ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP) TV or a monitor.

The remote control 160 is connected to the IPTV set-top box 140 is provided. The remote control 160 is provided with various function buttons. As a function button, a button for requesting a table for inputting viewing information (hereinafter referred to as a 'first request button') 160a, and a button for requesting a table for inputting viewing information for predetermined content (hereinafter, ' Second request button) 160b, a play button 160c for requesting content playback, and a completion button 160d for completing input of viewing information.

Reference numeral 170 denotes a keyboard. The keyboard 170 is for the service user to enter the box office, the work, the degree of recommendation, the viewing rating of the content.

Hereinafter, a method for sharing content and inputting content according to the present invention having the configuration as described above, and a control apparatus thereof will be described in detail.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of selecting content while referring to a table in which viewing information of content is recorded according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the main menu of the IPTV is displayed on the display apparatus 150 (s200).

Then, the service user moves to a desired content menu, for example, a movie menu, from the main menu by using the remote controller 160 or the like, and searches for the desired content to watch (S202). If the content is found, the searched content is displayed on the display device 150. The content search may be searched by a keyword method, or may be searched by manipulating an up / down key (not shown) or the like of the remote control 160 in a sorted list mode.

When the content is searched, the service user requests a table in which viewing information about the searched content is input by operating the second request button 160b. The request signal is transmitted from the IPTV set top box 140 to the IPTV broadcasting module 100, and the control unit 110 of the IPTV broadcasting module 100 searches for a table corresponding to the searched content in the viewer DB 122. (s206). Since the table search includes basic information such as content title in the request signal, the same content title is searched among tables stored in the viewer DB 122 based on the basic information. Of course, even if the second request button 160b is not operated, only the content is searched, and the table corresponding thereto may be searched.

When the table for the content is found, the controller 110 transfers the found table to the IPTV set-top box 140. In response, the IPTV set-top box 140 displays the transferred table on the display device 150 (s208). In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, the table may display a table in which viewing information is input for a predetermined content as it is, or may be displayed in a processed form for each menu of the table as shown in FIG. 4B. . When the table is displayed, the controller 110 maintains the standby mode so that the content is not played by the content reproducing unit 130d. That is, when referring to a table for selecting content, since only the information created by other service users is referred to, the content does not need to be reproduced at this time. However, playback of the content does not necessarily need to be stopped. The content of the currently retrieved content can be reproduced according to the request of the service user.

As such, while checking the tables in which the viewing information directly input by the plurality of service users for the predetermined content is recorded, it is determined whether the searched content is viewed (S210). As a result of the determination, when the user wants to watch the content, that is, when the play button 160c of the remote controller 160 is operated, the play request signal is transmitted from the IPTV set-top box 140 to the IPTV broadcast module 100.

The IPTV providing module 100 accesses the corresponding content from the content DB 101 and then transfers the corresponding content to the IPTV set-top box 140 in a streaming manner.

Then, the IPTV set-top box 140 buffers the content at regular intervals and delivers the buffered content to the display apparatus 150 to be played (S212).

In this way, the service user can provide information on the content watched in the IPTV or VOD service, and the information provided in this manner helps to select the content according to the sharing of other service users.

In addition, service users may refer to a table input by themselves and may recommend it to others or to revisit content that they have seen later.

On the other hand, if the viewer information of the content found in step 210 is not satisfied, other content is continuously searched. When other content is searched, the process of displaying a table in which viewing information is recorded with respect to the searched content as described above is repeatedly performed.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of inputting and providing viewing information after viewing content according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, the controller 110 of the IPTV broadcasting module 100 controls the content selected by the service user (that is, the content of interest) in the IPTV set-top box 140 to be played on the display apparatus 150 (S300). While the content is being played, the controller 110 continuously checks whether playback of the content is finished.

When the reproduction of the content being played is completed in step 302, the controller 100 accesses the table 130 illustrated in FIG. 2 from the table DB 124 and transmits the same to the IPTV set-top box 140. If the playback of the content is not completed, the content continues to be played. However, the table 130 can be accessed from the table DB 124 even during content reproduction. This process will be described later.

The IPTV set-top box 140 displays the table 130 on the display device 150 (s304). The displayed table 130 is in a state in which no information is inputted, so that viewing information can be input by the service user.

In operation 306, the service user inputs viewing information of the content viewed by the service user. In the input unit 130b of the table 130, there are input menus such as showability, workability, recommendation degree, and observation rating. Information is input to the menu as shown in FIG. 4A. Information input can be entered in various ways as well as text and score. In addition, while the viewing information is input, the controller 110 reproduces a video or a still image of the watched content in the content reproducing unit 130d. That is, the content to be played should be the same content as the content that the control unit 110 has finished playing, and the control unit 110 extracts all or part of the content from the content DB 101 to play it. Alternatively, if a still image is stored in the content DB 101 corresponding to the content, the controller 110 extracts and reproduces the still image. This is because even if the service user has watched the content, there may be a case where the content of the content cannot be memorized correctly. In this case, incorrect viewing information may be input. Thus, when the viewing information is input, it is possible to see the predetermined portion of the content once again through the content being played so that the correct information is input.

On the other hand, when the table 130 is transmitted to the IPTV set-top box 140, the device unique number of the IPTV set-top box 140 is automatically recorded in the unique number input unit 130c of the table 130. Thus, even if only the viewing information is input without a separate authentication procedure, it is possible to know who the service user inputs the viewing information.

As such, when the viewing information is input and the completion button 160d is operated by the service user (s308), the table in which the viewing information is input is transmitted from the IPTV set-top box 140 to the IPTV broadcasting module 100.

The controller 110 of the IPTV broadcasting module 100 stores the transmitted audience information table in the viewer DB 122 (s310). When the table is stored, a table generated by a plurality of service users for one content is stored. However, the viewing information in the table may be processed and stored according to the box office, the work, the recommendation, and the review. In other words, Figure 4, Figure 4a shows that the table that the service user inputs and transmits each of the predetermined content is stored as it is, Figure 4b is processed into one table only for the box of success for one content is stored It can be seen that. Not only the box office, but also the workability, the highest frequency of recommendation, can be processed and stored for the observation rating is natural.

The table stored in this way is used as reference information when the service user selects content.

Meanwhile, even when the content is being played, the viewing information can be input.

For example, there may be times when the content you are watching is not fun and you no longer want to watch it. In this case, the service user manipulates the first request button 160a of the remote controller 160. Then, the request signal of the first request button 160a is transmitted from the IPTV set top box 140 to the IPTV broadcasting module 100. Accordingly, the control unit 110 of the IPTV broadcasting module 100 accesses the table 130 capable of inputting viewing information from the table DB 124 according to the request signal and displays it on the display apparatus 150.

When the table 130 is displayed, the service user inputs viewing information about the content currently viewed, and is stored in the viewer DB 122 when input of viewing information is completed.

Then, the viewer DB 122 stores the viewing information input by a plurality of service users, and such viewing information can be shared by the service users. Therefore, it is usefully used as the content selection information as described in FIG.

Although described with reference to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention as described above, this is merely exemplary, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will be apparent that other embodiments may be modified and equivalent. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a system apparatus for providing and sharing content according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an exemplary diagram of a table configuration provided in this embodiment.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of selecting content with reference to the content according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4A and 4B are exemplary views showing a storage form of a table to which viewing information is input according to the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of inputting and providing viewing information after viewing content according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

100: IPTV broadcasting module 110: control unit

120: management server 122: viewer DB

124: Table DB 140: IPTV Set Top Box

150: display device 160: remote control

Claims (13)

Searching for content of interest by accessing a content DB in which content is stored; Playing the retrieved content of interest; Providing a table capable of inputting viewing information when the content of interest is played back; Inputting viewing information about the content of interest into the table; And, And processing and storing the table in which the viewing information is input. The method of claim 1, At least one of the box office, the work, the degree of recommendation, and the observation rating of the content of interest is input to the table. The method of claim 2, The content providing method, characterized in that the content reproduction unit formed in the table to play the content in the mode of entertaining, workability, recommendation degree, watching ratings. The method of claim 3, The content providing method, characterized in that any one of a video, a still image is played. Searching for content; Requesting at least one table into which viewing information corresponding to the searched content is input; Selecting content of interest based on the requested table; And, And playing the selected content of interest. The method of claim 5, In the step of selecting the content of interest, the content reproducing unit provided in the table, characterized in that to stop the content playback. A content DB for storing content; A table DB for storing a table capable of inputting viewing information; And, And a controller for extracting and displaying a table from the table DB when the playing of the content being played is completed according to a playing request. The method of claim 7, wherein And a request unit for requesting to display the table while the content is being played. A content DB for storing content; A viewer DB for storing a table in which viewing information is input for each content; And, And a control unit which controls to access and display a table corresponding to the searched content in the viewer DB whenever the stored content is searched. An IPTV broadcasting module having a content DB for storing content, a table DB for storing a table capable of inputting viewing information, and a viewer DB for storing a table in which viewing information is input for each content; And, When any one of the contents stored in the content DB is played, the table capable of inputting viewing information is extracted and displayed in the table DB, and each time the content stored in the content DB is searched, the corresponding content is found. And an IPTV set-top box having a control unit for extracting and displaying a table from the viewer DB. The method of claim 10, wherein the table, A basic information provider which provides basic information of the contents; An input unit to input viewing information of the content; A unique number input unit for automatically recording a device unique number of the IPTV set-top box when the table is provided from the IPTV broadcasting module to the IPTV set-top box; And, And a content player for playing the content according to a predetermined mode. The method of claim 11, wherein the content playback unit, A playback mode in which the content is played when the viewing information is input to the table; And, And a standby mode in which the reproduction of the content is stopped when the table on which the viewing information is input is displayed. The method of claim 10, And a request unit for requesting to display the table while the content is being played.

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