KR20100062510A

KR20100062510A - System for providing broadcasting information management in bidirectional digital broadcasting system and method therefor, client and server for broadcasting information management

Info

Publication number: KR20100062510A
Application number: KR1020080121174A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 한덕희
Original assignee: 에스케이 텔레콤주식회사
Priority date: 2008-12-02
Filing date: 2008-12-02
Publication date: 2010-06-10

Abstract

PURPOSE: A system for providing broadcasting information management in a bidirectional digital broadcasting system and a method therefor, a client and a server for broadcasting information management are provided to satisfy various requirements of users by configuring a user-joining broadcasting scheduling table in which broadcasting channels are combined with broadcasting contents. CONSTITUTION: A network interface unit(302) receives a virtual scheduling table from a client group, or provides the virtual information to the client group. A virtual scheduling table receiver(304) receives the virtual scheduling table from the network interface unit. Based on the virtual scheduling table, the virtual scheduling table management unit(306) manages plural virtual channels or virtual contents.

Description

Broadcast Information Management System and Server in Interactive Digital Broadcasting System, Client Terminal for Broadcast Information Management, Broadcast Information Management Method

The present invention relates to a broadcast information management technology in a digital broadcasting system, and in particular, a user can directly participate in the composition of broadcast information, and a broadcast schedule of a virtual channel or virtual contents set by the user is provided. The present invention relates to a broadcast information management system and server, a client terminal for broadcast information management, and a broadcast information management method in an interactive digital broadcast system in which an organic connection of broadcast programs is enhanced by sharing with a third user.

Due to the development of digital technology, two-way digital broadcasting technology, which allows viewers to directly engage in broadcasting information, is widely used. A representative form of such two-way digital broadcasting is IPTV (Internet Protocol Television).

IPTV refers to providing various services such as channel broadcasting, video on demand (VOD), information provision, and T commerce in both directions through a high-speed internet network (IP network). A set-top box connects the high-speed Internet to a TV, not a PC monitor, to watch the desired program.

The spread of IPTV is proceeding very rapidly because the high speed and wide bandwidth of the communication network and the development of image compression technology make it possible to transmit high-definition video through the IP network.

In the general broadcasting system, since the channel number or content for each broadcasting company is allocated, only the broadcasting company can compose and create each channel or content. However, due to the activation of IPTV, the viewers are separated from simply watching the broadcasting program. There is a need for a variety of viewer management environments that can directly participate in broadcast content, such as directly operating or setting broadcast programs and broadcast content.

In accordance with such a necessity, the present invention can improve the service satisfaction by allowing a user to virtually configure a broadcast schedule in which various broadcast information, for example, a broadcast channel or broadcast content is combined, away from the existing uniform broadcast schedule. To establish an interactive digital broadcasting service environment.

In addition, the present invention, by sharing the broadcast schedule of the virtual channel (virtual channel) or the virtual content (virtual content) set by the user to the third user by enabling the configuration of the channel or content to enhance the organic connection of the broadcast program To prepare a digital broadcasting service environment.

In addition, the present invention, to prepare a two-way digital broadcast service environment that can set the priority for each virtual information by managing the actual broadcast information overlapping with time zones for the broadcast schedule including the virtual information shared to multiple users as preference information do.

In addition, the present invention, according to the broadcast schedule created by the user (for example, a virtual content schedule) to download any content before the set time in advance, and immediately playback (viewable) the content upon request of the content by the user By doing so, it is intended to provide an interactive digital broadcasting service environment that can increase the ease of use.

According to one aspect for solving the problems of the present invention, the step of receiving the virtual information table created by the client terminal and when the virtual channel for performing broadcasting by the virtual information table is selected in the client terminal by the virtual information schedule Transmitting the channel and content information to the client terminal and transmitting the change signal to the client terminal when the channel or content information is changed according to the virtual information organization table. The present invention provides a method of managing broadcast information in an interactive digital broadcasting system, the method including changing the information according to an information schedule.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a client group for constructing a virtual information schedule mapped with different broadcast information for at least two or more time zones and delivering the mapped virtual information schedule to the internet protocol network, and from the client group through an internet protocol network. The present invention provides a broadcast information management system in a two-way digital broadcast system including a broadcast information management server for managing sharing and transmitting the virtual information schedule and transmitting the virtual information schedule to all clients belonging to the client group.

According to another aspect for solving the problems of the present invention, a virtual schedule receiving unit for receiving a virtual information schedule provided through the client terminal, a virtual schedule management unit for managing channel or content information based on the virtual information schedule, and the client When a virtual channel for broadcasting by the virtual information schedule is selected in the terminal, the channel or content information according to the virtual information schedule is transmitted to the client, and when the channel is changed according to the virtual information schedule, the channel is transmitted to the client. Or it provides a broadcast information management server in a two-way digital broadcast system including a control unit for transmitting a content change signal to change the actual channel received by the client to match the virtual information schedule.

According to another aspect for solving the problems of the present invention, the control unit and the channel for providing the channel / content change information to the channel / content management unit and the channel / content management unit to perform the actual channel / content change and management according to the virtual information organization table and the virtual Provided is a client terminal for managing broadcast information in an interactive digital broadcasting system including a virtual schedule management unit for managing an information schedule.

According to the present invention, it is possible to configure a user-participated broadcast schedule that combines various broadcast channels and broadcast contents, apart from the existing uniform broadcast schedule, and thus, it is possible to construct information that strengthens organic linkage of broadcast programs. As a result, it is possible to configure a broadcast channel and broadcast content that satisfies various user requirements, and by sharing EPG information, it is possible to receive a program preference ranking for broadcast reservation information. In addition, the present invention, according to the broadcast schedule created by the user (for example, a virtual content schedule) to download any content before the set time in advance, and immediately playback (viewable) the content upon request of the content by the user By doing so, the usability of the interactive digital broadcasting apparatus can be improved.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Prior to the description of the embodiment, the present invention frees the user from the existing uniform broadcast schedule, and the user directly configures a broadcast schedule that combines several broadcast channels or broadcast contents, and prepares a broadcast schedule of virtual information set by the user. 3, to set the priority per virtual channel and virtual content by managing the actual broadcast channel or broadcast content that overlaps with time as the preference information for the broadcast schedule including the virtual information shared among multiple users. Therefore, the object of the present invention can be easily achieved from this technical idea.

1 is a block diagram of a broadcasting information management system in an interactive digital broadcasting system according to an aspect of the present invention, and includes a client terminal group 100, an IP network 200, a broadcasting information management server 300, and client information. DB (Database) 400, EPG information DB (500).

As shown in FIG. 1, the client terminal group 100 includes client terminals connected to the IP network 200, for example, a plurality of broadcast receivers, and broadcast information management server 300 through the IP network 200. Receives the audience rating-based channel and content information transmitted from the) to set the virtual broadcast schedule to transmit to the broadcast information management server 300. In this client terminal group 100, any client terminal, for example, client terminal 1 (100/1) is illustrated in more detail in FIG.

2 illustrates a client terminal 1 (100/1) of the client terminal group 100 applied to the present embodiment, and includes a tuner unit 102, a network interface unit 104, a channel manager 106, and an image / The voice processor 108, the controller 110, the virtual schedule manager 112, a storage 114, and a user interface 116 are included.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tuner 102 plays a role of tuning a broadcast program of a channel or content corresponding to a user input in the input broadcast information.

The network interface unit 104 is connected to the IP network 200 to transfer the virtual program schedule according to the present embodiment to the broadcast information management server 300 or to transmit channel and / or content information from the broadcast information management server 300. It serves to receive.

The channel / content manager 106 changes and manages a channel or content according to the virtual channel or the virtual content according to the present embodiment, and is received from the broadcast information management server 300 or the client terminal 1 (100/1). ) Changes the actual channel or content according to the self-organized programming table.

The video / audio processor 108 is controlled by the channel / content manager 106, and performs video and audio processing on a broadcast program of an arbitrary channel or content and outputs it to the outside.

The controller 110 may provide the user channel / content change information to the channel / content management unit 106 or store the virtual programming table created by the user in the storage unit 114 described later. In addition, the controller may control to download any broadcast content through the IP network 200 before the time set based on the above-described virtual program table. In other words, the broadcast program and the time zone that the user wants to watch in the IP network are set in advance as a virtual schedule, and the broadcast content can be downloaded in advance before the corresponding time. For this reason, since a user can immediately view a video program without a download process at the time of request of the broadcast program, the time for the user to find the corresponding content and the waiting time due to the download will be reduced.

The virtual programming table manager 112 manages a virtual programming table configured by a user. The virtual programming table may be mapped to different channels or contents for at least two or more time zones.

For example, assuming that the broadcast channels received from the broadcast channel management server 300 via the IP network 200 are 5 channels such as 6, 7, 9, 11, and 13, the user requests a user request. When the virtual channel (channel that does not overlap with the currently received broadcast channel) created by the client terminal 1 (100/1) is number 1, the virtual channel number 1 is randomly selected from 0 o'clock to 12 o'clock unlike the schedule of each real channel. From 6, 12 to 24 hours, 7 can be created as an independent schedule by mapping time and channels.

The broadcast schedule table of the virtual channel created as described above may be delivered to the broadcast information management server 300 through the network interface unit 104, and the virtual channel broadcast schedule table created in the client terminal 1 (100/1) may be included. When channel 1 is shared and used by another client terminal, for example, client terminal 2 (100/2), channel 6 is changed from 0 o'clock to 12 o'clock through the client terminal 2 (100/2). By 7 o'clock, the broadcast of channel 7 may be output.

The storage unit 114 is a means for temporarily storing a user virtual programming table created through the user interface unit 116 under the control of the controller 110. For example, a flash memory may be applied.

The user interface unit 116 is an external input means of the client terminal 1 (100/1) or an external input means through a remote controller. The user interface unit 116 processes information input by a user, for example, input information for virtual channel configuration, and controls the controller 110. It serves as a).

Meanwhile, referring back to FIG. 1, the IP network 200 is an information providing network using an Internet protocol. In this embodiment, the IP network 200 is not an IP network providing only Internet services. It means the integrated IP network. Furthermore, multimedia services such as movies, music, shopping, and finance are possible, and these multimedia services include not only one-way services that are simply provided with information from a server or a broadcasting station, but also include two-way digital broadcasting services that allow a client to participate in information. .

The broadcast information management server 300 is a server connected to the client terminal group 100 through the IP network 200 described above and engaged in a bidirectional digital broadcasting service. The broadcast information management server 300 transmits a specific client (for example, the client terminal group 100). Manages and controls other client terminals (eg, client terminal 2 (100/2)) that watch (or share) the corresponding virtual channel or content according to the virtual program table information of client terminal 1 (100/1). .

More specifically, the broadcast information management server 300 aggregates the virtual program schedule information provided from the client terminal group 100 in real time, and periodically transmits the real-time aggregated result to the client terminal group 100 to provide the client terminal group ( Set the virtual channel or virtual content of 100).

The broadcast information management server 300 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3, and the configuration and function of the broadcast information management server 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the broadcast information management server 300 includes a network interface unit 302, a virtual program schedule receiver 304, a virtual program schedule manager 306, a controller 308, and a storage 310. .

First, the network interface unit 302 is connected to the IP network 200 to receive the virtual program table according to the present embodiment from the client group 100 or to provide the client terminal group 100 with virtual information based on the virtual program table. Serves to provide.

As described above, the virtual programming table provided from the client terminal group 100 may be a programming table to which different channels or contents for at least two time zones are mapped as described above. For example, assuming that the broadcast channels received from the broadcast channel management server 300 via the IP network 200 are 5 channels such as 6, 7, 9, 11 and 13, the client group ( If the virtual channel created in (100) (the channel that does not overlap with the currently received broadcast channel) is number 1, unlike the schedule of each real channel, the virtual channel number 1 is 6 times from 0 to 12 hours and 12 to 24 hours arbitrarily selected by the user. By the hour, the time can be written as an independent schedule by mapping time and channel with number 7.

The virtual program schedule receiver 304 receives a virtual program schedule provided through the network interface unit 302 under the control of the controller 308 and transmits the virtual program schedule to the virtual program schedule manager 306.

The virtual schedule management unit 306 manages a plurality of virtual channels or virtual contents based on the virtual schedule of the client terminal group 100 received through the virtual schedule receiving unit 304.

The controller 308 controls the virtual program schedule receiving unit 304 and the virtual program schedule managing unit 306 to store a plurality of virtual channels or virtual contents managed by the virtual program schedule management unit 306 in the storage unit 310.

In this case, the broadcast information management server 300 described above separately manages the client information DB 400 and the EPG information DB 500 as shown in FIG. 1.

Here, the client information DB 400 stores and manages each user information of the client terminal group 100, for example, a user ID, a password, and the like, and the EPG information DB 500 is stored in the storage unit 310. EPG information including virtual information is stored and managed.

Hereinafter, together with the above-described configuration, a broadcasting information management method in a bidirectional digital broadcasting system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, more specifically, a virtual channel schedule created by an arbitrary client is managed by a broadcasting channel management server, and the virtual The process of sharing the channel schedule with other clients will be described in detail with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 4.

First, if any client terminal, for example, client terminal 1 (100/1) creates a virtual channel schedule including virtual channel A, to which at least two different channels for each time zone are mapped, and transmits it to the broadcast channel management server 300, The broadcast channel management server 300 executes the virtual channel A of the client terminal 1 (100/1) (S400).

In this case, the virtual channel programming table provided from the client terminal 1 (100/1), as described above, is characterized in that the programming table is mapped to at least two different channels for each time zone, for example, received from the broadcast channel management server 300 Assuming that the broadcasting channels are 5 channels such as 6, 7, 9, 11, and 13, virtual channel A created in client terminal 1 (100/1) is 0, unlike the schedule of each real channel. It can be written as an independent schedule by mapping time and channels as 6 times from 12 to 12 hours and 7 times from 12 to 24 hours.

Then, the third client, for example, client terminal 2 (100/2) periodically transmits channel information to the broadcast channel management server 300 (S402) (S404), and accordingly, the broadcast channel management server 300 In step S406, a channel change event is generated.

If client terminal 2 (100/2) participates in virtual channel A (client terminal 1 (100/1) and client terminal 2 (100/2) both participate in virtual channel A) (S408), Since the client terminal 2 (100/2) is a corresponding virtual channel, that is, a virtual channel A, the channel currently being viewed is no longer transmitted.

The broadcast channel management server 300 periodically transmits channel information on the virtual channel A to the client terminal 1 (100/1) and the client terminal 2 (100/2) (S410).

As described above, the present embodiment manages a virtual channel schedule created by an arbitrary client terminal in a broadcasting channel management server, and shares the virtual channel schedule with other client terminals to enhance organic linkage of broadcast programs.

On the other hand, according to the present invention, the priority of each virtual channel or virtual content by managing the actual broadcast channel or broadcast content overlapping with time periods for the broadcast schedule including the virtual channel or virtual content shared to multiple users as preference information You can also set

For example, assuming that there are virtual channel 1 and virtual channel 2, there may be a real broadcast channel (program) that is a time zone intersection between the virtual channels, which can be interpreted that the popularity of the virtual channel is high. Therefore, a separate virtual channel having a high intersection frequency for each time slot may be configured based on the viewing reservation rate. That is, when virtual channel 1 includes channels 6 and 7 by time zone and virtual channel 2 includes channels 7 and 9 by time zone, channel 7 is more popular than the rest of the channels. It can be judged high.

On the other hand, the present invention, based on the broadcast schedule created by the user (for example, the virtual content schedule) can be downloaded in advance any content before the set time, the downloaded content is requested when the corresponding content by the user Can be implemented to be immediately replayable. As a result, it is possible to reduce the time for searching for the corresponding content and to reduce the waiting time due to the download, and thus it is expected to maximize the user's convenience of using the IP-based interactive digital broadcasting device.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims below.

Due to the present invention, viewers can be directly involved in preparing a broadcast program schedule, and can share a broadcast program schedule created by various viewers through an IP network, and thus is limited to a uniform program schedule as IPTV becomes active in the future. It is expected that it will be possible to manage broadcast programs that do not participate in user-involved broadcast programs, for example, UCC (User Created Contents) and blogs.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a broadcast information management system in a two-way digital broadcasting system according to the present invention;

2 is a detailed configuration diagram of any client terminal in the client terminal group of FIG. 1;

3 is a detailed configuration diagram of a broadcast information management server of FIG. 1;

4 is a timing chart illustrating a broadcast information management process in an interactive digital broadcast system according to the present invention.

100: client terminal group 200: IP network

300: broadcast information management server 400: client information DB

500: EPG Information DB

Claims

Receiving a virtual information organization table created by a client terminal;

Transmitting channel and content information according to the virtual information schedule to the client terminal when a virtual channel for performing broadcasting by the virtual information schedule is selected in the client terminal; And

When the channel or content information is changed according to the virtual information schedule, transmitting the change signal to the client terminal to change the actual channel or content received by the client terminal to fit the virtual information schedule.

Broadcast information management method in a bidirectional digital broadcasting system comprising a.

The method of claim 1,

Broadcast information management method in a two-way digital broadcasting system allowing the virtual information schedule to be used by a second client terminal different from the client terminal.

The method of claim 2,

And the channel or content information and the change signal are transmitted to all clients using the virtual information schedule.

The method of claim 1,

And receiving the virtual information schedule from one or more client terminals to calculate a frequency included in the virtual information schedule for each broadcast program.

The method of claim 4, wherein

Broadcast information management method in a two-way digital broadcasting system for calculating and transmitting a preference rank of the broadcast program according to the frequency.

The method of claim 1,

When there is one or more broadcast programs overlapping time zones in the virtual information schedule, broadcasting information management in a two-way digital broadcasting system storing one or more of the overlapping broadcast programs in advance and then playing the stored broadcast program after another one is played. Way.

The method of claim 1,

The configuration and transmission of the virtual information schedule is performed in the client terminal broadcast information management method in a two-way digital broadcasting system.

The method of claim 1,

The virtual information scheduling table is broadcast information management method in a two-way digital broadcast system, characterized in that different channel or content information is mapped to at least two time zones.

A client group for constructing a virtual information organization table to which different broadcasting information is mapped for at least two time zones and delivering the same to the Internet protocol network;

A broadcast information management server that manages a virtual information schedule transmitted from the client group through the internet protocol network, and transmits the virtual information schedule to all clients belonging to the client group to allow sharing.

Broadcast information management system in a two-way digital broadcasting system comprising a.

The method of claim 9,

The broadcast information management server,

And a virtual information schedule provided from the client group in real time, and broadcasting information management system in a bidirectional digital broadcasting system periodically transmitting the real-time aggregated result to the client group.

The method of claim 9,

The broadcast information management system,

A client information DB in which user information of the client group is stored and managed;

EPG information DB in which EPG information including the virtual information schedule is stored and managed

The method of claim 9,

And the virtual information schedule comprises a virtual channel schedule and / or a virtual content schedule.

A virtual schedule receiving unit which receives a virtual information schedule provided through a client terminal,

A virtual schedule management unit which manages channel or content information based on the virtual information schedule;

When a virtual channel for broadcasting by the virtual information schedule is selected in the client terminal, the channel or content information according to the virtual information schedule is transmitted to the client, and when the channel is changed according to the virtual information schedule, the client is sent to the client. A control unit which transmits the channel or content change signal to change the actual channel received by the client to conform to the virtual information schedule

Broadcast information management server in a two-way digital broadcasting system comprising a.

The method of claim 13,

And the virtual information schedule is used by a second client terminal different from the client terminal.

The method of claim 13,

And the channel or content information and the channel or content change signal are transmitted to all client terminals using the virtual programming table.

The method of claim 13,

And the control unit receives the virtual information schedule from one or more of the client terminals, and calculates a frequency included in the virtual information schedule for each broadcast program.

The method of claim 16,

Broadcast information management server in a two-way digital broadcasting system for calculating and transmitting a preference rank of the broadcast program according to the frequency.

A channel / content manager that performs actual channel / content change and management according to the virtual information organization table;

A controller for providing channel / content change information to the channel / content manager;

Virtual organization schedule management unit for managing the virtual information organization table

Client terminal for broadcasting information management in a two-way digital broadcasting system comprising a.

The method of claim 18,

In the virtual information scheduling table, if there is one or more broadcast programs overlapping time zones, the controller may store one or more of the overlapping broadcast programs in advance, and then play the stored broadcast program after the other is played. Client terminal for broadcasting information management.

The method of claim 18,

The control unit is a client terminal for managing broadcast information in a two-way digital broadcast system for controlling to download in advance the broadcast content from the broadcast information management server before the time set in accordance with the virtual schedule.