KR20110037670A - A method for providing seach service and an iptv receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A search service offer method and IPTV receiver are provided to supply a search function and a reply function to a user while watching TV. CONSTITUTION: A search service request command which requests a search service is received(S1120). A graphic user interface including a search function indicating area is displayed on a display device(S1130). The search function by which the selected domain is indicated is offered(S1150).

Description

A method for providing seach service and an IPTV receiver}

The present invention relates to a search service providing method and an IPTV receiver, and more particularly, to a search service providing method and an IPTV receiver for providing a search service.

Conventional broadcast receivers are serviced in such a manner that content produced by a broadcaster is transmitted through a radio wave transmission medium such as terrestrial, cable, or satellite broadcasting, and a user views the receiver through a receiver capable of receiving the respective delivery media. .

However, as digital-based digital broadcasting technology has been developed and commercialized in existing analog broadcasting, real-time broadcasting, contents on demand, games, and news using Internet networks connected to homes in addition to existing radio waves or wired cable media. It is now possible to provide a variety of content services to the user.

An example of providing a content service using the Internet network is IPTV (Internet Protocol TV). The IPTV transmits various information services, video contents, and broadcasts through an internet network and provides them to the receiver of the user. The Internet network may be implemented on various types of networks such as an optical cable network, a coaxial cable network, a fiber to the home (FTTH), a telephone network, and a wireless network based on an Internet Protocol (IP).

In the case of the service using the Internet network as described above, unlike general terrestrial broadcasting, the interactivity may be added, and the user may watch a content service that he / she wants to see at a convenient time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a search service providing method and an IPTV receiver for providing a more convenient search service to a user on an IPTV receiver.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a search service providing method and an IPTV receiver for providing a search service simultaneously with a received broadcast service.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing a method on a computer.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the search service providing method according to the present invention comprises: receiving a search service request command for requesting a search service in a method of providing a search service in an IPTV receiver receiving a broadcast service; Displaying a graphical user interface including an area indicating at least one search function in a partial station of a screen on which the received broadcast service is displayed; and when one of the areas indicating the at least one search function is selected, And providing a search function indicated by the selected area. Here, the received broadcast service may include at least one of a real time broadcast service and a contents on demand (COD) service. The search function may include at least one of a direct search, a broadcast related search, a popular search, and a comment view.

The providing of the search function may include: receiving a comment from a server when the search function indicated by the selected area is a comment view, and displaying the received comment on a partial area of the screen; Has

Preferably, in the step of receiving the comment, the comment may be received in real time.

Preferably, the displaying may further include displaying a graphic user interface for receiving a comment.

Preferably, the providing of the search function includes displaying broadcast information associated with the displayed broadcast service in a partial area of the screen when the search function indicated by the selected area is a broadcast related search. The broadcast information may include at least one of stored broadcast information and broadcast information received in real time.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an IPTV receiver according to the present invention is an IPTV receiver for receiving a broadcast service, the display unit displaying the received broadcast service on a screen, and a search service request command for requesting a search service. And control to display a graphical user interface including an area indicating at least one search function in a partial station of a screen on which the received broadcast service is displayed, and displaying one of the areas indicating the at least one search function. In the case where the user selects the external device, the control unit is provided to control to provide a search function indicated by the selected area. The received broadcast service may include at least one of a real time broadcast service and a contents on demand (COD) service. The search function may include at least one of a direct search, a broadcast related search, a popular search, and a comment view.

Preferably, when the search function indicated by the selected area is a comment view, the controller may control to receive a comment from a server and to display the received comment in a partial area of the screen.

Preferably, the controller may control to further display a graphic user interface for receiving a comment.

Preferably, when the search function indicated by the selected area is a broadcast related search, the controller may control to display broadcast information related to the displayed broadcast service in a partial area of the screen. Here, the broadcast information may include at least one of stored broadcast information and broadcast information received in real time.

According to the search service providing method and the IPTV receiver according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a search service simultaneously with a received broadcast service, and to provide a user with a broadcast related information search function and a comment view function for a received broadcast service. have.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention that can specifically realize the above object will be described. At this time, the configuration and operation of the present invention shown in the drawings and described by it will be described as at least one embodiment, by which the technical spirit of the present invention and its core configuration and operation is not limited.

The terms used in the present invention have been selected as general terms widely used as possible in consideration of the functions in the present invention, but may vary according to the intention or custom of a person skilled in the art or the emergence of a new technology. In addition, in certain cases, there is also a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the general contents of the present invention rather than the names of the simple terms.

Hereinafter, a search service providing method and an IPTV receiver according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

An Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) system, which is an example of a system that can provide various contents using the Internet network, can be largely divided into a server, a network, and a receiver.

The servers of the IPTV are servers that perform various functions such as service discovery and selection server, streaming server, contents guide information server, customer information server, and payment information server. It can be configured as.

Among the servers, the streaming server transmits video data encoded in the stored Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) 2, MPEG4, etc. to the user through a network. As a protocol for the transmission, a Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP), a RTP Control Protocol (RTP), or the like may be used.

In case of using Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), video stream playback can be controlled to some extent through a function called network trick play such as pause, replay, and stop. . The protocols are one example and other real time transmission protocols may be used depending on the implementation.

The content guide information server is a server that provides information on the various contents provided. The content guide information is information corresponding to electronic program guide (EPG) information and includes various information about content. The content guide information server stores content guide information data, and provides the stored data to the receiver.

The information server related to service discovery and selection among the servers provides the receiver with access information and playback information for servers providing various content services such as broadcasting, contents on demand (COD), and games.

The network system consists of an internet based network and gateways. The Internet-based network may use various types of networks such as an optical cable network, a coaxial cable network, a fiber to the home (FTTH), a telephone network, a wireless network, and the like based on IP. In addition to general data transfer, the gateway may perform multicast group management and quality of service (QoS) management using protocols such as Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

A receiver of an IPTV is a receiver capable of receiving data transmitted through an internet network and providing the same to a user. The receiver includes an IPTV settop, a homenet gateway, an IPTV embedded TV, and the like.

The receiver of the IPTV also includes a broadcast receiver capable of providing Internet services to the viewer. The Internet service includes content services such as CoD (Content's on Demand), YouTube service, weather, news, local information and search, entertainment services such as games and karaoke, TV mail, TV SMS (Short Message Service), etc. It means a service that can be provided through the Internet, such as a communication service. In addition, the broadcast service may include an internet service as well as a real-time broadcast service.

In the case of a hybrid IPTV system, various types of contents of the Internet as well as various types of existing broadcasting contents may be provided. That is, the user can provide various broadcasting contents such as terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, personal broadcasting, various internet video contents, data contents other than video, and the like. The contents may be provided in real time or may be provided on demand.

1 is a diagram schematically showing an IPTV system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In terms of providing a content service, the IPTV system may be divided into a content provider (CP), a service provider (SP), a network provider (NP), and a user.

The content provider produces and provides various contents. As shown in FIG. 1, the content provider includes a terrestrial broadcaster, a cable SO, or a MSO, a satellite broadcaster, and an internet broadcaster. (Internet broadcaster) and the like.

The service provider provides a service package of contents provided by the content provider. For example, the service provider of FIG. 1 packages a first terrestrial broadcast, a second terrestrial broadcast, a cable MSO, satellite broadcast, various Internet broadcasts, and provides the same to a user.

The service provider provides a service to the user side using a unicast or multicast scheme. 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams for multicast and unicast schemes, respectively. The unicast method is a method of transmitting data 1: 1 between one sender and one receiver. For example, in the unicast scheme, when a receiver requests data from a server, the server transmits data to the receiver according to the request. Multicasting is a method of transmitting data to a plurality of recipients of a specific group. For example, the server can send data to multiple pre-registered receivers at once. The Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) protocol may be used for the multicast registration.

The network provider provides a network for providing the service to the user. The user may build a home network end user (HNED) to receive the service.

Conditional access, content protection, or the like may be used as a means for protecting the content transmitted from the IPTV system. As one example for the above-mentioned restriction reception or content protection, a method such as a cable card or a downloadable conditional access system (DCAS) may be used.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a hierarchical structure for broadcasting a Content Download Service (CDS) of IPTV.

Referring to FIG. 4, the service provider delivers data contents for CDS to an IPTV receiver using a transport protocol. The delivered data content for CDS is stored in the storage of IPTV. The stored data contents for CDS can be executed at the request of the user or the like. The transport protocol may be a File Delivery over Unidi-rectional Transport (FLUTE) mounted on ALC / LCT over IP / UDP, and may include DVB-STP, DVB data / object carousel, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), HTTP ( hypertext transfer protocol), and the above-described protocol may be used as another example.

If FLUTE is used as the transport protocol, the presence or absence of the CDS service can be known to the IPTV receiver through service discovery and selection (SD & S), and details of the content can be found in metadata in the TV Anytime format. ).

Data contents for CDS may include various types of contents such as A / V contents, data contents, and game contents.

As such, the broadcast receiver of the present invention including the IPTV may be provided with various contents, and may output the provided contents to a display screen according to a user's selection.

5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the digital broadcast receiver 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a separate tuner to receive terrestrial broadcast, cable broadcast, satellite broadcast, and the like. However, in the present invention, for the convenience of description, the description will be made mainly on the part of processing the content transmitted using the Internet network.

The digital broadcast receiver 500 includes a network interface unit 502, an IP manager 504, a service delivery manager 506, a demultiplexer 508, a data decoder 510, a decoder 512, a display unit 516, an application. It includes a manager 518, a service information database unit 522, a service discovery manager 524, a service control manager 526, a metadata manager 528, and a content database unit 530.

The network interface unit 502 receives packets received from the network and transmits the packets to the network. That is, the network interface unit 502 receives an IP packet for transmitting broadcast data from a service providing server through a network. The broadcast data includes content, update messages indicating whether to update the content, metadata, service information data, and software code. In addition, the service information may include service information for the real-time broadcast service and service information for the Internet service.

The IP manager 504 is involved in packet transmission from the source to the destination for the packet received by the digital broadcast receiver 500 and the packet transmitted by the digital broadcast receiver 500. The IP manager 504 classifies the received packet to correspond to an appropriate protocol, and classifies the packet into a service delivery manager 506, a service discovery manager 524, a service control manager 526, and a metadata manager 528. Outputs For example, when the IP manager 504 receives the update message, the IP manager 504 may output the received update message to the service control manager 526. In addition, the IP manager 504 may deliver a message for requesting the update message output by the service control manager 526 to the service provider.

The service delivery manager 506 is responsible for controlling the received service data. For example, when controlling real-time streaming data, RTP / RTCP (Real-Time Transport Protocol / RTP Control Protocol) may be used. When transmitting the real-time streaming data using RTP, the service delivery manager 506 parses the received data packet according to the RTP and transmits it to the demultiplexer 508 or the control of the service manager 520. In accordance with the above, it is stored in the content database unit 530. The service delivery manager 506 controls the network reception information to be fed back to the server that provides the service using RTCP.

The demultiplexer 508 demultiplexes the received packet into audio, video, PSI (Program Specific Information) data, and the like, and transmits the demultiplexer 508 to the decoder 512 and the data decoder 510, respectively.

The data decoder 510 decodes service information such as program specific information (PSI). That is, the data decoder 510 receives and decodes the demultiplexed PSI section, the Program and Service Information Protocol (PSIP) section, or the Service Information (DVB-SI) section from the demultiplexer 508.

In addition, the data decoder 510 decodes the received sections to create a database of service information, and stores the database of the service information in the service information database unit 522.

The decoder 512 decodes the video data and the audio data received by the demultiplexer 508. The decoder 512 includes an audio decoder 513 and a video decoder 504 for this purpose. The audio data decoded by the audio decoder 513 is provided to the user through a speaker (not shown), and the video data and content decoded by the video decoder 504 are provided to the user through the display unit 516.

The application manager 518 manages the overall state of the digital broadcast receiver 500, provides a user interface, and manages other managers. For this purpose, the application manager 518 includes a user interface manager 519 and a service manager 520.

The user interface manager 519 provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for a user using an OSD (On Screen Display), etc., and receives a key input from a user to perform a receiver operation according to the input.

For example, the user interface manager 519 receives a content channel setting input for predetermined content from a user. In addition, the user interface manager 519 transmits the key input signal to the service manager 520 when the user receives a key input related to a channel change. In addition, when a key input regarding a specific content channel or a key input regarding a request for update information for a specific content channel is received from the user, the key input signal is transmitted to the service manager 520.

In addition, the user interface manager 519 controls to output a virtual keyboard or a virtual keypad on the screen. The user may select and input a specific virtual key on the output virtual keyboard or the virtual keypad by using the arrow keys and the numeric keys of the remote controller. For example, the user interface manager 519 may be configured to receive a user ID and password from a user and transmit the input user ID and password to a corresponding content provider.

The content database unit 530 allocates a content channel to content, determines index data corresponding to the content, and stores the index data in association with the allocated content channel information.

For example, when the content is video or audio data "grown video" stored in the internal memory of the broadcast receiver, the content database unit 530 may allocate 'D / video / grown video ...' which is a directory of the content. Store in association with channel 'ch 1'.

In addition, for example, when the content is video or audio data stored in a networked server '11 King Sejong ', the content channel database unit assigns the network address' 198.7 // Great King Sejong / de // 11 times' of the corresponding content. It can be stored in association with the content channel 'ch 3'.

Also, for example, when the content is an Internet site 'Yahoo Widget', the content channel database unit assigns the web address' http //: yahoo // wizet // ... 'of the corresponding Internet site to the content channel' ch 2. You can save about

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment, when the broadcast receiver receives a change command of the content channel from the user, the broadcast receiver determines the index data corresponding to the changed content channel and outputs the corresponding content.

In this case, when the change command of the content channel is an increase or decrease command of the channel, the index data corresponding to the content of the next or previous order of the content channel stored in the content channel database unit is read, and the read next or previous order The content can be output.

In addition, the content database unit 530 may store the authentication information for the Internet service list and the server account. Here, the Internet service list is a list including information about a content provider or a service provider that provides an Internet service. For example, the Internet service list may include at least one of a name of a server, access information of the server, and guide information about a service provided by the server. The access information of the server may be any one of an internet address and a uniform resource locator (URL).

When the application manager 518 receives an output command of the content channel from the user, the application manager 518 reads index data stored in the content channel database unit and outputs the content.

When the application manager 518 receives a change command of the content channel from the user, the application manager 518 reads the index data of the changed channel and outputs the content.

At this time, if the channel change command is a channel increase or decrease input, the broadcast receiver reads index data corresponding to the contents of the next or previous sequence of content channels stored in the contents database unit, and reads the contents of the read next or previous sequence. Output

When the user selects a content channel mode and selects an output command of the content channel, the application manager 518 may read the index data stored in the content database unit 530 and output the content.

In addition, the application manager 518 determines whether the channel selected by the user is a content channel or a general broadcast channel, and if it is determined as a content channel, reads index data stored in the content database unit 530 and outputs the content. can do.

In addition, when the user selects a content channel mode and receives a change command of the content channel, the application manager 518 may read index data corresponding to the changed content channel and output the content command.

In this case, the content is video or audio data stored in the internal memory of the broadcast receiver, the index data may be a directory of the content, the content is video or audio data stored in a server connected to the broadcast receiver, the index The data may be a network address of the content, the content may be a predetermined internet site, and the index data may be a web address of the internet site.

When the application manager 518 receives a predetermined key input (for example, a menu command) from among the outputs of the contents, the application manager 518 may output a higher folder of the directory or folder including the contents.

In addition, the application manager 518 may output the update information or the change information when new content is updated in a directory or folder including content, or when the content is changed in the directory or folder.

When the application manager 518 receives a user internet service mode request command, the application manager 518 may control to display information included in the internet service list. That is, the application manager 518 may control to display at least one of a name of a server included in the Internet service list, access information of the server, and guide information about a service provided by the server. In this case, the access information may be displayed as a link for accessing the corresponding server. That is, the user can click the access information displayed on the screen to allow the digital broadcast receiver to access the corresponding server. In addition, a specific picture or icon may be displayed for each server name included in the Internet service list. Here, the user internet service mode request command may be input through a hot key on the remote controller, may be input through a virtual key on a virtual keypad or a virtual keyboard, and may be input through a specific menu displayed on a screen.

When the application manager 518 receives the user Internet service request command, the application manager 518 connects to the server associated with the received user Internet service request command and controls to display a screen for requesting authentication information about the account of the connected server. Here, when the user clicks the access information displayed on the screen, a user internet service request command may be input, and when the user clicks a picture or icon of the corresponding server displayed on the screen, the user internet service request command may be input. Can be entered.

The display unit 516 outputs the content on the display screen. In addition, the display unit 516 displays an image generated by the browser on the screen.

The service manager 520 controls a manager associated with a service, such as a service delivery manager 506, a service discovery manager 524, a service control manager 526 and a metadata manager 528, and an IG-OITF client.

In addition, the service manager 520 creates a channel map of a general broadcast and selects a channel using the channel map according to a key input received from the user interface manager 519. The service manager 520 receives the service information of the channel from the data decoder 510 and sets the audio / video packet identifier (PID) of the selected channel to the demultiplexer 508.

The service manager 520 may also execute a browser to process the received service. The browser may display the service information and control the content to be played back. The browser can also run applications, applications associated with content. In addition, the browser may process and display a web page provided by the server on the screen. The service information may be provided in the form of a web page from the server.

The service discovery manager 524 provides information necessary to select a service provider that provides a service. Upon receiving a signal regarding channel selection from the service manager 520, the service discovery manager 524 uses the information to find a service.

The service control manager 526 is responsible for selecting and controlling a service. For example, if a user selects a live broadcasting service like the conventional broadcasting method, IGMP or RTSP is used. If a user selects a service such as VOD (Video On Demand), RTSP is used to select and control the service. Perform The RTSP protocol may provide a trick mode for real time streaming. In addition, the service control manager 926 may initialize and manage a session through the IMC gateway using an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) or a session initiation protocol (SIP). The protocols are one embodiment, and other protocols may be used according to implementations.

The metadata manager 528 manages metadata associated with a service and stores the metadata in the service information database unit 522.

The service information database unit 522 stores service information decoded by the data decoder 510, metadata managed by the metadata manager 528, and information necessary to select a service provider provided by the service discovery manager 524. . In addition, the service information database unit 522 may store setup data for the system.

The service information database unit 522 and the content database unit 530 may be implemented using nonvolatile memory (NVRAM) or flash memory, respectively, and are two logically separated areas on the same storage area. Can be implemented.

The content database unit 530 may store content controlled to be stored by a PVR manager (not shown). The PVR manager collects metadata related to the stored content and generates additional information (thumbnail images, etc.) used for user use.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a screen on which a broadcast service is displayed.

Referring to FIG. 6, the application manager 518 controls the display unit 516 to display the received broadcast service on the screen 600. The broadcast service area 610 in which the received broadcast service is displayed may occupy the entire screen 600 in a full screen manner, and may occupy a part of the screen 600 according to the aspect ratio of the screen. . In addition, the size of the broadcast service area 610 may be adjusted according to the user's setting. The received broadcast service may be any one of a real time broadcast service and a COD service.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a screen displaying a graphical user interface for providing a search service.

Referring to FIG. 7, when a search service request command is input while the received broadcast service is displayed on the screen 600, the application manager 518 may search for a graphical user interface 620 on a portion of the screen 600. ) Is displayed. For example, the search graphical user interface 620 may be displayed to cover a portion of the broadcast service region 610. In addition, as another example of the form in which the search graphical user interface 620 is displayed, the broadcast service area 610 and the separation may be displayed in the form. In this case, the application manager 518 may control the size of the broadcast service area 610 to be displayed automatically so that the broadcast service area 610 does not overlap with the search graphical user interface 620.

The user may adjust the size of the search graphical user interface 620 to a desired shape. In this case, the user may adjust the size by dragging the outer portion of the search graphical user interface 620 using the spatial remote controller and select the menu displayed on the screen to adjust the size. In addition, when the size of the search graphical user interface 620 is adjusted by the user, the application manager 518 may use the broadcast service region 610 so that the broadcast service region 610 does not overlap the search graphical user interface 620. The size of the display 610 may be automatically adjusted to be displayed.

The search graphical user interface 620 includes areas 621, 623, 625, and 627 that indicate a search function. The search function may include at least one of a direct search, a broadcast related search, a popular search, and a comment view. That is, area 621 indicates a direct search, area 623 indicates a broadcast related search, area 625 indicates a popular search, and area 627 indicates a comment view.

When the user selects the areas 621, 623, 625, and 627 indicating the search function by using the remote controller, the application manager 518 controls to provide the search function indicated by the selected area. Here, the user may position the indicator in a specific area by using the arrow keys of the remote controller and select a specific area by pressing a select key of the remote controller.

If the user selects the area 621, the application manager 518 controls to provide the direct search service indicated by the area 621. In addition, when the user selects the region 623, the application manager 518 controls to provide a broadcast related search service indicated by the region 623. In addition, when the user selects the area 625, the application manager 518 controls to provide the popular search service indicated by the area 625. If the user selects the area 627, the application manager 518 controls to provide a comment viewing service indicated by the area 627.

The search graphical user interface 620 may be provided by the manufacturer of the IPTV receiver or may be provided by the service provider. The service provider may provide a graphical user interface in the form of a web page such as HTML or XML, and provide a graphical user interface to a Java application. If a graphical user interface is provided in the form of a web page, the application manager 518 may execute a browser and control the executed browser to display the graphical user interface provided by the service provider.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a screen displaying a graphic user interface for providing a broadcast related search service.

Referring to FIG. 8, when the user selects the area 623, the application manager 518 controls the display unit 516 to display the broadcast information area 630 on a part of the screen 600. The broadcast information area 630 may be displayed to overlap the broadcast service area 610 and the search graphical user interface 620 or may be displayed as a separate area. In addition, the broadcast information area 630 may be displayed in some areas of the graphical user interface 620.

The broadcast information area 630 displays broadcast information associated with the displayed broadcast service in the broadcast service area 610. The broadcast information associated with the displayed broadcast service may be information detected from information stored in the service information database 522 or information detected from broadcast information received in real time. In addition, the broadcast information may be information detected from EPG metadata or BCG metadata.

When the user selects a specific word among the broadcast information displayed in the broadcast information area 630, the application manager 518 controls to request a search for the specific word from the server. The application manager 518 controls to receive and display a search result for a specific word from the server. The server may be a server that provides a broadcast service or may be a different server from a server that provides a broadcast service. In addition, the server may be any one of the IPTV server.

FIG. 9 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a screen on which a graphical user interface for providing a comment service is displayed.

Referring to FIG. 9, when the user selects the area 627, the application manager 518 controls to receive a comment on the broadcast service displayed from the server. The server may be a server that provides a broadcast service or may be a different server from a server that provides a broadcast service. In addition, the server may be any one of the IPTV server. Comments can also be received in real time. That is, when a comment is transmitted to the server in real time through the Internet, the comment sent to the server is received in real time. At this time, the comment may be transmitted by the multicast method described in FIG.

The application manager 518 controls the display unit 516 to display the comment area 640 on a portion of the screen 600. The comment area 640 may be displayed to overlap the broadcast service area 610 and the search graphical user interface 620 or may be displayed as a separate area. The comment area 640 may also be displayed in some areas of the graphical user interface 620.

The comment area 640 displays a comment received in real time. Comments 642, 644, 646 may be displayed in a manner that is moved upwards when other comments are displayed. That is, the comment 644 is moved upward and displayed as the comment 646 is displayed. In addition, the comments 642, 644, and 646 may be displayed together with the user IDs 641, 643, and 645 that posted the comments to the server, respectively.

10 is a diagram illustrating a packet format for transmitting comment data.

Referring to FIG. 10, the application manager 518 may control to further display a graphic user interface 650 for comment to receive a comment in the comment area 640. When the user inputs a comment in the graphical user interface 650 for commenting, the application manager 518 may display the input comment in the comment area 640 and transmit the comment to the server.

To send the comment to the server, the application manager 518 may generate a comment transmission data format. The comment transmission data format may include a user ID field 1010, a service identification field 1020, and a comment data field 1030. The application manager 518 may control the comment transmission data to be packetized into an IP packet and transmitted to the server. In addition, the comment transmission data may be transmitted in the unicast method shown in FIG.

The user ID field 1010 includes a user ID for posting a comment to the server. The user adid can be displayed with the comment, as shown in FIG. 9.

The service identification field 1020 includes service identification information for identifying a broadcast service. For example, the service identification field 1020 may include service identification information of the currently displayed broadcast service.

The comment data field 1030 includes comment contents.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method for providing a search service according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, the IPTV receiver 500 receives a broadcast service from a server (S1100). The server may be a content provider or a service provider. Also, the received broadcast service may include at least one of a real time broadcast service and a contents on demand (COD) service.

The IPTV receiver 500 displays the received broadcast service on the screen (S1110). Here, the received broadcast service may be displayed on the entire screen or may be displayed on a partial area of the screen.

The IPTV receiver 500 checks whether a search service request command has been received (S1120). Here, the search service request command is a user command for requesting a search service. In addition, the user may input a search service request command by using a hotkey of the remote controller and may input by clicking a menu displayed on the screen.

When the search service request command is received, the IPTV receiver 500 displays a graphic user interface on a part of the screen on which the broadcast service is displayed (S1130). Here, the graphical user interface may be the search graphical user interface 620 shown in FIG. 7, and may be displayed simultaneously with the broadcast service area in which the received broadcast service is displayed in the same manner as the search graphical user interface 620. .

The IPTV receiver 500 checks whether one of the areas indicating the search function included in the graphic user interface is selected (S1140). The search function may include at least one of a direct search, a broadcast related search, a popular search, and a comment view. In addition, the user may position the indicator in the area indicating the search function by using the direction key of the remote controller and select an area indicating the search function by pressing the select key of the remote controller.

When one of the areas indicating the search function is selected, the IPTV receiver 500 provides a search function indicated by the selected area (S1150).

12 is a flowchart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method for providing a broadcast related search service according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, the IPTV receiver 500 displays a graphic user interface in operation S1200. Here, the graphical user interface may be the search graphical user interface 620 shown in FIG. 7, and may be displayed simultaneously with the broadcast service area in which the received broadcast service is displayed in the same manner as the search graphical user interface 620. .

The IPTV receiver 500 checks whether an area for instructing broadcast related search included in the graphic user interface is selected (S1210). Here, the user may position the indicator in the area indicating the broadcast-related search by using the direction key of the remote controller and select an area indicative of the broadcast-related search by pressing the select key of the remote controller.

If a region indicating a broadcast related search is selected, the IPTV receiver 500 detects broadcast information associated with the displayed broadcast service in operation S1220. The broadcast information associated with the displayed broadcast service may be detected from information stored in the service information database unit 522, and may be detected from broadcast information received in real time. In addition, broadcast information associated with the displayed broadcast service may be detected from EPG metadata or BCG metadata.

The IPTV receiver 500 displays the detected broadcast information in operation S1230. In this case, the broadcast information may be displayed in the broadcast information area 630 shown in FIG. 8. When the user selects a specific word from the displayed broadcast information, the IPTV receiver 500 controls the server to request a search for the specific word. The IPTV receiver 500 may receive and display a search result for a specific word from a server. The server may be a server that provides a broadcast service or may be a different server from a server that provides a broadcast service. In addition, the server may be any one of the IPTV server.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method for providing a comment service according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the IPTV receiver 500 displays a graphic user interface in operation S1300. Here, the graphical user interface may be the search graphical user interface 620 shown in FIG. 7, and may be displayed simultaneously with the broadcast service area in which the received broadcast service is displayed in the same manner as the search graphical user interface 620. .

The IPTV receiver 500 checks whether an area indicating the view of the comment included in the graphical user interface is selected (S1310). Here, the user may position the indicator in the area for indicating the comment by using the direction key of the remote controller and select an area for instructing the comment by pressing the select key of the remote controller.

When the area indicating the comment view is selected, the IPTV receiver 500 receives a comment on the broadcast service displayed from the server (S1320). The server may be a server that provides a broadcast service or may be a different server from a server that provides a broadcast service. In addition, the server may be any one of the IPTV server. Comments can also be received in real time. That is, when a comment is transmitted to the server in real time through the Internet, the comment transmitted to the server is received by the IPTV receiver 500 in real time. At this time, the comment may be transmitted by the multicast method described in FIG.

The IPTV receiver 500 displays the received comment on the screen (S1330). Here, the IPTV receiver 500 may display the comment in the comment area 640 shown in FIG. 9. Here, the IPTV receiver 500 may further display a graphic user interface for receiving a comment. In this case, the IPTV receiver 500 may display a graphic user interface for commenting in the comment area 640. In addition, the graphical user interface for comments may be a graphical user interface 650 for comments by the user illustrated in FIG. 9.

The IPTV receiver 500 checks whether a comment is input (S1340). Here, the user may input a comment using a screen keyboard or a remote controller.

When a comment is input, the IPTV receiver 500 transmits the input comment to the server (S1350). The input comment may be transmitted in the unicast method illustrated in FIG. 3, or may be transmitted in the comment data transmission format illustrated in FIG. 10. In addition, the IPTV receiver 500 may display the input comment.

The present invention can also be embodied as computer-readable codes on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by a computer apparatus is stored. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like, and may be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission via the Internet) . The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed to networked computer devices so that computer readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above, and the present invention belongs to the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and such changes are within the scope of the claims.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above, and the present invention belongs to the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and such changes are within the scope of the claims.

1 is a diagram schematically showing an IPTV system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 schematically shows a multicast scheme,

3 is a schematic diagram of a unicast scheme,

4 is a diagram illustrating a hierarchical structure for broadcasting a Content Download Service (CDS) of IPTV;

5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a screen on which a broadcast service is displayed;

FIG. 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a screen displaying a graphical user interface for providing a search service; FIG.

FIG. 8 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a screen displaying a graphical user interface for providing a broadcast related search service; FIG.

FIG. 9 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a screen displaying a graphical user interface for providing a comment service; FIG.

10 is a diagram illustrating a packet format for transmitting comment data;

11 is a flowchart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a search service providing method according to the present invention;

12 is a view showing a process of performing an embodiment of a method for providing a comment service according to the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method for providing a broadcast related search service according to the present invention.

Claims (15)

In the method for providing a search service in an IPTV receiver receiving a broadcast service, Receiving a search service request command requesting a search service; Displaying a graphical user interface including an area indicating at least one search function in a partial station of a screen on which the received broadcast service is displayed; And And if one of the areas indicating the at least one search function is selected, providing a search function indicated by the selected area. The method of claim 1, And the received broadcast service comprises at least one of a real time broadcast service and a contents on demand (COD) service. The method of claim 1, The search function may include at least one of a direct search, a broadcast related search, a popular search, and a comment view. The method of claim 1, Providing the search function, If the search function indicated by the selected area is a comment view, receiving a comment from a server; And And displaying the received comment in a partial area of the screen. The method of claim 4, wherein In the step of receiving the comment, Search service providing method, characterized in that for receiving the comment in real time. The method of claim 4, wherein In the displaying step, A method of providing a search service, characterized by further displaying a graphic user interface for receiving a comment. The method of claim 1, Providing the search function, If the search function indicated by the selected area is a broadcast related search, displaying the broadcast information associated with the displayed broadcast service on a partial area of the screen. The method of claim 7, wherein And the broadcast information includes at least one of stored broadcast information and broadcast information received in real time. In the IPTV receiver for receiving a broadcast service, A display unit which displays the received broadcast service on a screen; And Receiving a search service request command requesting a search service, and controlling to display a graphic user interface including an area indicating at least one search function in a partial station of a screen on which the received broadcast service is displayed; And a control unit for controlling to provide a search function indicated by the selected area when one of the areas indicating the search function is selected. The method of claim 9, And the received broadcast service comprises at least one of a real time broadcast service and a contents on demand (COD) service. The method of claim 9, The search function includes at least one of a direct search, a broadcast related search, a popular search, and a comment view. The method of claim 9, The control unit, And when the search function indicated by the selected area is a comment view, controlling to receive a comment from a server, and to display the received comment on a part of the screen. The method of claim 12, The control unit, IPTV receiver characterized in that the control to further display a graphical user interface for receiving a comment. The method of claim 9, The control unit, And when the search function indicated by the selected area is a broadcast related search, controlling to display broadcast information related to the displayed broadcast service in a partial area of the screen. 15. The method of claim 14, And the broadcast information comprises at least one of stored broadcast information and broadcast information received in real time.

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