KR20150035369A - Apparatus for Receiving Broadcasting and Control Method Thereof, Control Method of Apparatus for Providing Information, and Computer-readable Recording Medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a broadcasting receiver, a method of controlling the same, a method of controlling information providing an apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium. A broadcasting receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged to provide linear services broadcasting linear events related to a predetermined time and non-linear services broadcasting static events regardless of time. The broadcasting receiver includes: a receiver to receive a plurality of linear services each including a plurality of linear events broadcast at the predetermined times; a discovery information receiver to receive event discovery information including event type information for identifying a type of static event related to discovery information defining a plurality of static events; a processor to control a display unit to display a channel guide including the linear services and the non-linear services; and a user input receiver to receive user input for selecting one of the static events of the non-linear services from the channel guide, wherein the processor performs one of a plurality of predetermined actions corresponding to the type of static event selected by the user input.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving apparatus and a control method of the apparatus, a control method of the information providing apparatus, and a computer readable recording medium.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving apparatus, a control method of the apparatus, a control method of the information providing apparatus, and a computer readable recording medium. More particularly, A receiving apparatus, a control method of the apparatus, a control method of the information providing apparatus, and a computer readable recording medium.

A broadcast receiver can be used to receive and display content of, for example, TV or radio broadcast programs on a plurality of channels received via a broadcast stream. The channel guide displays a list of broadcast channels so that the user can review the available programs and select one of the programs for viewing, and displays information about programs broadcast in any time window. The channel guide may also be referred to as an electronic program guide (EPG).

A conventional EPG is generated using metadata supplied through a broadcasting station. Various functions can be performed through the channel guide. For example, the channel guide can be used to instantly select the content for viewing, current or future recording, and can also be used for setting up reminders for future broadcast programs. In addition, modern broadcast receivers often provide additional functions such as accessing VOD content or browsing the Internet.

However, when more functions are added, the user interface must be searched for various menu screens in order to find and select a desired function.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a broadcast receiving apparatus that provides a channel guide including a plurality of linear services as well as a nonlinear service, a method of controlling the apparatus, a method of controlling the information providing apparatus, and a computer readable recording medium. have.

A broadcast receiving apparatus for providing a linear service for broadcasting a linear event and a non-linear service for broadcasting a static event related to a time related to a set time, the broadcast receiving apparatus comprising: A receiver for receiving a plurality of linear services each of which includes a plurality of linear event broadcasts; an event detection unit for detecting an event including event type information for identifying a type of a static event related to discovery information defining a plurality of static events; A processor for controlling a display unit to display a channel guide including the linear service and the nonlinear service, and a user input for selecting one of the static events of the nonlinear service from the channel guide, Receiving user It includes a power receiving unit, wherein the processor executes one of a plurality of predetermined operation corresponding to the type of the static event selected by the user input.

Wherein the plurality of static events includes a content group static event for selecting a group of content items and a content search unit for searching at least one content source for identifying a plurality of available content items from the group of content items Wherein the processor is further configured to, as the predetermined operation, display a content selection menu for selecting one of the available content items in accordance with a user input for selecting the content group static event, From the menu, the selected content item can be acquired and played according to another user input for selecting one of the available content items.

The event discovery information defining the content group static event may include at least one source identifier for identifying at least one content source to be searched.

Wherein the discovery information receiving unit receives service discovery information for identifying the nonlinear service, and the processor is configured to receive, from the channel guide, content identified in the channel guide according to an input of a user navigating the nonlinear service Can be reproduced.

The service discovery information includes content location information that defines a location where content can be acquired, and the broadcast receiving apparatus can acquire the content from a location identified by the content location information.

Wherein the service discovery information includes loop information indicating whether the content related to the nonlinear service is looped and the processor includes loop information indicating that the content is looped, The identified content is reproduced from the beginning, and if the content includes loop information indicating that the content is not looped, the identified content may be reproduced only once in the channel guide.

The processor may display identification information of each of the linear services in the channel guide, and may display identification information of the nonlinear service differently from identification information of each of the linear services.

Wherein the identification information of the nonlinear service includes at least one of a service identifier, a textual description of the service, an image corresponding to the service, and a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) included in the discovery information And may include web pages.

Wherein the processor displays the identification information of the nonlinear service in accordance with at least one display setting, the display setting including a navigation mode setting defining a navigation method applied when the user navigates the channel guide, A color setting for defining a color to be displayed on the channel guide, a numerical setting for defining the size of an area in which the identification information is displayed on the channel guide, and an animation setting for displaying the identification information on the channel guide Or animation settings that define the animation settings.

At least one of the service discovery information and the event discovery information may include display information defining the at least one display setting.

Wherein the event discovery information further includes script information for identifying a predetermined condition and a predetermined operation for changing the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide, wherein the processor displays the channel guide on the basis of the predetermined condition Is satisfied, and if the predetermined condition is satisfied, execute the predetermined condition to change the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide.

The discovery information receiving unit receives LCN (Logical Channel Number) service discovery information for nonlinear services for each of a plurality of nonlinear services, and some of the plurality of nonlinear services can share the same LCN.

The predetermined operation comprising: connecting to a server for receiving and playing at least one of on-line audio and video content; connecting to a local source for receiving and playing at least one of local audio and video content; An operation to launch a web browser application to display a web page identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) included in the information, an operation to launch an application at the receiver, an operation to display a banner on the channel guide, Setting a reminder for any one of the events of the linear service being broadcast at a predetermined time, switching an input source of a display that reproduces the content from another source, selecting at least one linear service and at least one linear service One nonlinear service Selecting at least one of, and it is possible to include at least one of the second guide channel operation of the display to distinguish the selected linear service and at least one previous channel guide display of the service in the non-linear.

The non-linear service may further include at least one linear event.

The broadcast receiving apparatus may include a DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) receiving apparatus.

A control method of a broadcast receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a control method of a broadcast receiving apparatus that provides a linear service for broadcasting a linear event and a non-linear service for broadcasting a static event related to a time, The method comprising: receiving event discovery information including event type information identifying a type of the static event associated with discovery information defining a plurality of static events; displaying the channel guide comprising the linear service and the non-linear service And executing one of a plurality of predetermined actions corresponding to the type of the selected static event in accordance with a user input for selecting one of the static events in the non-linear service from the displayed channel guide.

Wherein the plurality of static events comprises a content group static event for selecting a group of content items, the method comprising: retrieving at least one content source to identify a plurality of available content items from the group of content items; Displaying a content selection menu for selecting one of the available content items in accordance with a user input for selecting a content group static event and for selecting one of the available content items from the displayed content selection menu And acquiring and reproducing the selected content item according to the user input.

The event discovery information defining the content group static event may include at least one source identifier for identifying the at least one content source that has searched for.

The control method of the broadcast receiving apparatus may further comprise: receiving service discovery information for identifying the content related to the nonlinear service; and reproducing the content identified in the channel guide according to a user input navigating the non- The method comprising the steps of:

Wherein the service discovery information includes content location information that defines a location where content can be acquired and the control method of the broadcast receiving apparatus includes the step of acquiring the content from the location identified by the content location information .

Wherein the service discovery information includes loop information indicating whether or not the content related to the nonlinear service is looped and wherein the step of playing includes loop information indicating that the content is looped, If the content is looped again after the reproduction is completed and if the content includes loop information indicating that the content is not looped, the identified content may be reproduced only once in the channel guide.

Displaying the channel guide including the linear service and the nonlinear service, the displaying step comprising the steps of: displaying identification information of each of the linear services; and displaying identification information of the nonlinear service For example.

Wherein the identification information of the nonlinear service includes a web page at a location identified by at least one of an identifier of the service, a text description of the service, an image corresponding to the service, and a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) can do.

Wherein the identification information of the non-linear service is displayed in accordance with at least one display setting, the at least one display setting includes a navigation mode setting for defining a navigation method to be applied when the user navigates the channel guide, A color setting for defining a color to be displayed on the channel guide, a numerical setting for defining the size of an area where the identification information is displayed on the channel guide, and an animation to be applied when displaying the identification information on the channel guide , And animation settings for performing animation.

At least one of the service discovery information and the event discovery information may include display information defining the at least one display setting.

Wherein the event discovery information further comprises script information for identifying a predetermined condition and a predetermined operation for changing the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide and displays the channel guide, Determining whether the condition is satisfied, and if the predetermined condition is satisfied, executing the predetermined condition to change the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide.

Wherein the control method of the broadcast receiving apparatus further comprises receiving LCN (Logical Channel Number) service discovery information for nonlinear services of each of the number of nonlinear services, wherein some of the plurality of nonlinear services can share the same LCN have.

Wherein the plurality of predetermined operations comprise: connecting to a server for receiving and playing at least one of on-line audio and video content; connecting to a local source for receiving and playing at least one of local audio and video content; Activating a web browser application to display a web page identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) included in the event discovery information, activating an application at the receiver, displaying a banner on the channel guide, Setting a reminder for one of the linear events broadcast at a future predetermined time, switching an input source of a display that reproduces the content from another source, selecting at least one linear service and at least one linear service Nonlinear service among Also may select one, and comprising at least one of the second channel of the guide in operation to display separately and selected linear service and at least one previous channel guide display in one service in a non-linear.

The non-linear service may further include at least one linear event.

The broadcast receiving apparatus may include a DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) receiving apparatus.

A control method of an information providing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a control method of an information providing apparatus for providing discovery information for defining a static event to be broadcast regardless of time, Acquiring event discovery information including event type information identifying a type of a related static event, and transmitting the acquired event discovery information to a broadcast receiving apparatus.

The control method of the information providing apparatus may further include obtaining service discovery information for identifying contents related to the nonlinear service including the plurality of static events and transmitting the service discovery information to the broadcast receiving apparatus .

Meanwhile, a computer-readable recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium including a program for executing a control method of a broadcast receiving apparatus, Comprising: receiving event discovery information including event type information identifying a type of the static event associated with discovery information defining a plurality of static events that are to be broadcasted without a display; displaying the channel guide comprising the linear service and the non- Executing one of a plurality of predetermined actions corresponding to the type of the selected static event in accordance with a user input for selecting one of the static events in the nonlinear service from the displayed channel guide .

1 is a diagram illustrating a user interface for displaying a channel guide including a linear service and a nonlinear service according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a digital broadcasting receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
3 is a flowchart for explaining a method of accessing recorded contents through a channel list according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of reproducing contents related to a nonlinear service in a channel guide according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of using script information to change the form of a nonlinear service in a channel guide according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing discovery information to a receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
7 is a diagram illustrating a system including a digital broadcast receiver and a server for providing discovery information to a receiver in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating a user interface for displaying a channel guide including a linear service and a non-linear service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Like the conventional channel guide, the channel guide 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention allows a user to review and select broadcast contents from a plurality of channels.

The channel guide 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a channel list 110. [ The channel list 110 includes a plurality of linear services listed according to Logical Channel Numbers (LCNs), and the LCNs can be assigned by a broadcast station. A linear service can generally be referred to as a channel, and each linear service includes a plurality of linear events. Each linear event represents a single broadcast program. Here, 'linear' means that events in the service are broadcasted in a straight line. That is, the events in the linear service are broadcast in a specific order and a specific time sequence. The linear service may be, for example, a radio frequency (RF) broadcast service, a satellite broadcast service, or an Internet Protocol (IP) broadcast service.

As shown in FIG. 1, the channel list 110 displays six linear services (channel A to channel F) listed with a plurality of LCNs 101, 102, 104, 113, 114 and 128. A specific channel name and LCN are merely illustrative. In another embodiment of the present invention, the number of different channels may be displayed in the channel list, and any channel name and LCN may be assigned to the channel.

In the channel list 110, channel identifiers such as "channel A "," channel B ", for the displayed channels are listed in the first direction according to the channel LCN. Linear event broadcasts within certain time windows are listed along a second direction that represents time adjacent to the channel identifiers. The width of each linear event in the channel list 110 is related to the time between the broadcast start time and the end time of the event, that is, the continuous time of the event. In another embodiment, different layouts may be used in the channel list 100, but the first direction and the second direction in the above embodiment are respectively the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction.

As shown in Fig. 1, a linear event broadcast of a linear service within a certain time window is displayed. Here, " displaying " the linear service in the channel list 110 means that an area where the linear event can be selected is displayed. The area in which the linear event is selected may be referred to as a 'selection area'. In each selection area, for example, the name of the broadcast program is displayed as the event identifier of the linear event. The channel identifier and the event identifier are defined, for example, by metadata that can be received via a broadcast stream or IP. Such metadata also defines a plurality of LCNs for linear services, broadcast times of linear events, and textual descriptions of linear events.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the channel list 110 displays linear events that are broadcast within the time window from 17:00 to 19:00. In channel B, for example, three linear events 111A, 111B and 111C are broadcast between 17:00 and 19:00. The first linear event 111a is broadcast until 17:30, the second linear event 111b is broadcast from 17:30 to 18:30, the third linear event 111c is broadcast from 18:30 Broadcast.

To view the program currently being broadcast on a particular channel, the user navigates through the channel list to the desired event. Any type of interface may be used to navigate the channel guide 100, for example via a typical remote control or motion recognition interface. In the embodiment of the present invention, the currently selected linear event is displayed by highlighting the current selection area. In an embodiment of the present invention, a second linear event 111b on channel B is selected.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the channel guide 100 includes a preview window 120 and an event information display area 130. If the currently broadcast linear event is selected as the first user input, the visual content of the linear event may be displayed in the preview window 120 and information about the linear event, such as, for example, a text description of the program, Area 130 is displayed. If the same linear event is selected by the second user input, the currently broadcasted video content of that linear event may be displayed in full screen mode. If the visual content is not available, for example, if the linear event is a radio program, the preview window 120 may not be used. Therefore, in some embodiments, the preview window 120 and the event information display area 130 may be omitted completely.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the channel list 110 further includes two static channels indicated by a static channel # 1 and a static channel # 2. Although two static channels are shown in an embodiment of the invention, embodiments of the invention in general can include any one or more static channels in the channel list, i. E. Non-linear services. Here, the 'static' channel is a channel that includes a plurality of events that are always accessible. Such an event may be referred to below as a " static event " to be contrasted with a conventional linear event accessible only at a predetermined broadcast time. That is, a linear event disappears from the channel list after it has been broadcasted, whereas a static event remains in a predetermined position, since it is not related to a particular broadcast time. Each static channel may be referred to as a " non-linear service ", analogous to a conventional broadcast channel, which is a linear service.

As described above, the width of each linear event in the channel list 110 is determined according to the duration of the linear event. However, since static events are not related to a particular broadcast time, the receiver must otherwise determine the width of each static event. In an embodiment of the invention, event discovery information is received for each static event. The event discovery information includes a width attribute that defines the width of the static event as a percentage or percentage of the total width of available screen areas in the channel list. This is not required, but preferably the width of all static events in a given non-linear service should be 100% in total. For example, if the sum of the widths is less than 100%, the receiver can fill the space between static events or increase the width of each static event accordingly. And, in some embodiments, the receiver may automatically determine the width by setting all static events for non-linear service with the same width, instead of the width defined by the event discovery information, for example.

If the user's input to select a linear event currently being broadcast is selected from the channel list 110, the receiver selects the selected channel in the broadcast stream and plays the received audio and / or video content to connect to the selected linear event. On the other hand, if the user selects a linear event that is not currently accessible, for example, selecting a future event that is not currently broadcasted, the receiver may execute another action, such as setting a reminder or scheduling a selected event for recording . However, as described above, the static event is not related to a specific broadcast time. Thus, depending on the user input selecting any one of the static events from the channel list 100, the receiving unit can directly access the static event regardless of the time the static event was selected.

Unlike the linear event, the static event in the channel guide 100 is not limited to the multimedia contents. Static events can be used to select various receiver functions in addition to accessing and playing audio / video content. In an embodiment of the present invention, various types of static events are shown. As shown in Figure 1, the second static channel 112 includes three static events 112a, 112b, and 112c. Depending on the user input selecting the first static event 112a or 'DVD' on the second static channel 112, the receiver is configured to switch the input source of the display from the broadcast stream to the connected DVD player. In response to user input to select a second static event 112b or 'browser internet' on the second static channel 112, the receiver is configured to launch a web browser application for access to the Internet via an appropriate network connection. Depending on the user input to select the third static event 112c or 'VOD' on the second static channel 112, the receiver may include a video-on-demand (VOC) And is configured to display a selection menu.

Also shown in Figure 1 is another static event labeled " My Video " and " My Music " on the first static channel. These static events can be used to browse content that is grouped by type. In response to a user input selecting any one of these static events, the receiver is configured to display information about each of the video file or music file stored as the current user profile. For example, a video file or music file may be stored locally on a hard disk drive or other storage, or may be remotely stored, for example, in a cloud-based storage device.

The static event is not limited to the above-described operation. Other actions performed according to a particular static event selected include contacting the server to receive and play on-line audio and / or video content (e.g., when a static event is associated with a particular VOD content item) Accessing a local source for receiving and playing audio and / or video content (e.g., when a static event is associated with a particular item of locally recorded content), including in the event discovery information of the selected static event , Launching a web browser application to display a particular web page identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) being rendered, launching an application at the receiver, displaying a banner on the channel guide (e.g., An advertisement of a program to be broadcast soon on the channel) Setting a reminder of a linear event, and the like. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited thereto.

Another example of a function that can be selected as a static event is to launch an individual channel guide, which activates an individual channel guide, which may be referred to as a " sub-guide ". Here, one or more linear services and / or one or more non-linear services may be selected and displayed according to predetermined criteria. For example, the 'News' sub-guide can only select and display news channels, and the 'Sports' sub-guide can only select and display sports channels.

The use of static events has the advantage that heterogeneous content sources can be included together in a single content list. For example, VOD content and locally recorded content can be added to the channel list in addition to conventional broadcast content. In contrast, a channel list in a conventional broadcast receiver can only display broadcast content, meaning that the user must navigate from a channel list to access other types of content (e.g., VOD content) do. The need to go through an additional menu screen to access non-broadcast content is that the conventional receiver interface is slow to navigate and consumes more resources because of the power used in creating and displaying additional menu screens and additional processing time .

2 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a digital broadcast receiver (or a broadcast receiving apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the reception unit receives event detection information for defining a plurality of static events (S301). The event discovery is a known process for identifying a service available in the receiver, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted. For example, a DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) receiver performs Service Discovery and Selection (SD & S) processing at startup. The SD & S process requests service discovery information from one or more entry point servers at an address that can be pre-programmed in the receiver or signaled via a broadcast stream. Each entry point server provides service provider discovery information that specifies a linear service available from each service provider (SP). The reception unit obtains the service discovery information of each linear service and the event detection information of the event in each linear service.

In a DVB system, another type of discovery information is provided as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) record, and the type of discovery information is signaled by a payload identifier (ID). In DVB of an embodiment of the present invention, the new payload type is defined for a static event to signal that the discovery information is associated with a static event, as opposed to a linear event. Table 1 shows payload ID values for DVB embodiments.

Payload ID value

Record type
0x01

Service provider discovery information
0x02

Broadcast Discovery Information
0x05

Package discovery information
0x06

BCG Discovery Information
0xF0

Static event discovery information

In the embodiment of the present invention, the payload ID value 0xF0 indicates static event discovery information, but the present invention is not limited to this specific value. In another embodiment, an unused payload ID value may be defined as static event discovery information.

The acquired event discovery information includes event type information that identifies a type of a static event associated with the discovery information (S202). When a static event is selected by the user's input, the event type determines the operation of the receiver. The format of the event discovery information may be defined in the broadcast specification, and the specification may define another type of static event. In general, a number of different static event types may be defined. Examples of static event types include VOD static events, web page static events, recorded content static events, sub-guide static events, and the like. The receiving unit can be programmed to perform predetermined operations different for each type of static event, as described above with reference to Fig.

After receiving the event discovery information of the static event in the non-linear service, in step S202, the receiver proceeds to generate a channel guide such as the guide shown in Fig. 1 based on the obtained discovery information of the linear service and the non-linear service , The channel guide is displayed. According to an embodiment, the channel guide may be displayed on a display integral with the receiver or on a physically separate display. For example, the receiving unit may be a set top box (STB) built in a TV or connected to a TV.

After displaying the channel guide, the receiver waits for a user input to select an event from the channel guide (S203). Here, if a user input for selecting a linear event is received, the receiver can start playback of the content from the selected linear event, or if the selected linear event is not currently broadcast, You can set the schedule. However, if a user input for selecting a static event is received in step S203, the receiver proceeds to select one of a plurality of preset operations corresponding to the type of the selected static event and execute the selected one (S204). The types of the receiver operation corresponding to the static event have been described above with reference to FIG. 1, and thus repetitive description will be omitted.

The service provider can control which static event is inserted in the channel list by changing the event detection information by using the event discovery information for the static event to configure the channel list in the receiver.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of accessing recorded contents through a channel list according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method of FIG. 3 may be used by a broadcast receiver that displays a channel list containing static events related to recorded content, such as static events of 'my video' or 'my music' shown in FIG. 1 . In particular, the method of FIG. 3 may be used when the channel guide includes a static event related to a particular group of content items. Such a static event may be referred to as a " content group static event ".

The content items can be grouped according to the metadata associated with each content item. For example, a content item may be a content item (e.g., 'news', 'sports', 'movie', 'documentary' (E.g., "My Music", "John's Video", "Andrew's Movie", etc.). The group may be defined by event discovery information of the content group static event, for example, defining one or more selection criteria for selecting the content contained in the group.

First, the receiver searches one of one or more content sources for the content item in the group defined by the event discovery information (S301). The event discovery information may include one or more source identifiers for identifying one or more sources to be searched. For example, the event discovery information needs to search for one or more of a cloud-based storage device associated with a user profile that the receiver is currently signed into (Signed in to), a local store within the receiver, and a home media server on the local network Lt; / RTI >

The receiver creates a record of usable content items found in the searched content source (S302). The record for each available content item includes a content identifier for identifying the content item and a location identifier for identifying the location of the content item of the corresponding content source. In some embodiments, this recording may be updated periodically to detect changes in available content. For example, the content may be recorded, moved or deleted after the last time the recording was made / changed, or the content source may be connected or disconnected.

The receiving unit waits for the user to select the content group static event (S303). Depending on the user input selecting the content group static event, the receiver displays a content selection menu for selecting one of the available content items, for example, by displaying a scrollable list of all available content items in the content group ( S304). The content selection menu can be displayed in the upper part of the window of the channel guide and can be displayed instead of (i.e., in place of) the channel guide.

Next, the receiver waits for the user to select one of the content items from the displayed content selection menu (S305). In response to a user input selecting one of the available content items from the content selection menu, the receiving unit identifies the location of the selected content item from the location identifier stored in the record of the available content item and acquires the selected content item from the location And plays the selected content item (S306).

As shown in FIG. 3, in an embodiment of the present invention, the receiver identifies content items available in the group of content items before a static event is selected from the channel list. Preferably, the receiver searches for available content items as soon as event detection information is received, even before displaying the channel guide. However, in a particular embodiment, steps S301 and S302 may be performed only in accordance with a user input that selects a corresponding static input. This may result in a delay while the receiver is searching for available content, but in the event that the user is not interested in a static event, it is possible to avoid wasting time and resource waste.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of reproducing contents related to a nonlinear service in a channel guide according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, during service discovery, the receiver can acquire the service discovery information of the non-linear service in addition to the event discovery information of the static event included in the non-linear service. The service discovery information may define static events included in nonlinear services and may also include metadata for controlling how nonlinear services are displayed in the channel guide. In an embodiment of the present invention, the service discovery information includes an associated content identifier that identifies the content associated with the non-linear service. For example, the service location information may include content location information that specifies the location of the content in the form of a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that directly links to the content or in another suitable format. Alternatively, instead of specifying the exact location, the content location information may specify a general location where the content can be obtained (e.g., the IP address of the server), and the service location information may include content requested from the location (E. G., A content reference identifier (CRID)) that can be used for < / RTI >

The receiving unit obtains service discovery information that identifies the content related to the non-linear service (S401). The types of content that can be signaled by the service discovery information include, for example, video, audio, text, and hypertext markup language (HTML) or extensible markup language (XML) May be included.

The receiving unit waits for a user input to select a service from the channel guide (S402). Here, the user input may select either linear service or non-linear service.

According to the user input for selecting the linear service, instead of the non-linear service, the receiver may perform the same method as the conventional receiver (S402). In particular, the receiver may start receiving and playing content for linear events currently being broadcast on the selected linear service. Depending on the embodiment, the content may be played back in full-screen mode, or in a preview window, as shown in FIG. Even if the linear service is composed of a plurality of linear events, it is simple that only one event is broadcast at a certain time, and therefore the reproduction of the connectable linear event, in which the receiver is currently broadcasting the program.

On the other hand, in step S402, the receiving unit proceeds to step S403 according to a user input for selecting a non-linear service. The receiving unit acquires the content from the position identified by the content position information (S403). In some embodiments, the receiver obtains the content as soon as the service discovery information is received, and stores the content locally. A local copy of the content is searched if necessary in step S403. In another embodiment, the content is not previously stored, and may be downloaded if necessary in step S403.

Thereafter, the receiving unit reproduces the identified content in the channel guide (S404). For example, if the identified content is visual content, the identified content may be reproduced in a preview window as shown in FIG.

In some embodiments, the method may end in step S404. For example, if the content is static, such as a still image or a web page, the static content may be displayed in the preview window until the user selects one of the static events or selects another service. However, if the content has a limited duration, for example a video or an audio clip, the service discovery information further includes loop information indicating whether the content related to the non-linear service is looped.

In this embodiment, the receiver checks whether the information indicates that the content is looped (S405). According to the loop information indicating that the contents are looped, the identified contents can be reproduced again from the beginning after the reproduction of the identified contents is completed. The loop information may also indicate whether the content should be looped indefinitely or a limited number of times.

On the other hand, according to the loop information indicating that the content is not looped, the identified content is reproduced only once in the channel guide.

The receiving unit may use a method as shown in Fig. 4, which displays the content related to the nonlinear service when the nonlinear service is selected in the channel list. The operation of the receiver when a non-linear service is selected is contrasted with the operation when the linear service is selected.

On the other hand, when a user selects a non-linear service that includes a plurality of static events, all static events can be made accessible simultaneously. Thus, in an embodiment of the present invention, instead of initiating playback of content from one specific static event, the receiver begins playback of the content identified by the service discovery information, and the service discovery information includes information about the overall non- General information can be provided. This approach enables the service provider to customize the operation of the receiver when a non-linear service is selected. Here, selecting non-linear service means that the user's input selects a non-linear service without identifying any specific static event for that service. For example, a user may enter an LCN of a nonlinear service through a remote controller, and the remote controller identifies the nonlinear service without identifying a specific static event.

In another embodiment, the receiver may not take any action if the nonlinear service is selected, but may wait for the user to select a particular static event from the nonlinear service. In this embodiment, the receiver may not perform any of the steps shown in Fig.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of using script information to change the shape of a nonlinear service in a channel guide according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the event discovery information and / or service discovery information includes script information that applies some form of animation to the non-linear service. The script information can be used to dynamically change the type of nonlinear service in the channel guide, for example, to draw attention to nonlinear services or to enable distinguishing nonlinear services from linear services.

Event discovery information including script information is received (S501). The script information identifies predetermined conditions and predetermined operations that change the type of nonlinear service in the channel guide. In the embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined condition is a fixed fixed period (for example, 10 seconds), and the predetermined operation is to change the order of the static event in the non-linear service.

The receiving unit waits until the predetermined condition is satisfied (S502). In the embodiment of the present invention, the receiver waits until a period of 10 seconds elapses from the start point, and the start point is the time when the receiver starts displaying the channel guide or the time when the predetermined action is applied to the nonlinear service have.

Thereafter, as the predetermined condition is satisfied, the receiving unit performs a predetermined operation for changing the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide (S503). In an embodiment of the present invention, the receiver changes the order in which static events are displayed for nonlinear services within the channel guide. For example, if the service includes three static events EV1, EV2, EV3, the first order may be EV1, EV2, EV3, and after the first 10 seconds have elapsed, , EV1 may be used, and the order may be EV3, EV1, EV2, etc. after the second 10 second period has elapsed.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing discovery information to a receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The service discovery server may use the method of FIG. 6 to provide service discovery information and event discovery information for a non-linear service to a digital broadcast receiver.

The server acquires event discovery information including event type information for identifying a type of static event associated with the event discovery information, for each of a plurality of static events (S601). In an embodiment of the present invention, the server also obtains service discovery information that identifies content related to non-linear services, such as service discovery information described above with reference to Fig.

Thereafter, the server transmits event discovery information and service discovery information to the digital broadcast receiver (S602).

2 to 6 can be embodied in the form of computer program instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium (or recording medium), and when the above instructions are executed in a processor, have.

7 is a diagram illustrating a system including a digital broadcasting receiver and a server for providing discovery information to a receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7, a system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a digital broadcasting receiver 700, a discovery information server (or information providing apparatus) 710, a broadcasting station 701a, a display unit 703a, A controller 704a, and a content source 705a. The digital broadcast receiver 700 may execute the method described above with reference to Figure 2 to display a channel guide comprising a plurality of linear and non-linear services.

The digital sending receiver 700 includes a receiving unit 701, a discovery information receiving unit 702, a processor 703, a user input receiving unit 704, and a content searching unit 705. The receiving unit 701 receives a plurality of linear services from the broadcasting station 701a through, for example, a terrestrial or satellite RF stream or IP. The discovery information receiving unit 702 receives event discovery information from the discovery information server 710. [

In an embodiment of the present invention, the digital broadcast receiver 700 is embodied as an STB, and the display 703a is a TV connected to the STB. That is, the digital broadcasting receiver 700 and the display unit 703a are physically separated. As described above, the processor 703 controls the display unit 703a to display a channel guide including a plurality of linear services and non-linear services, as shown in Fig. However, in another embodiment, the digital broadcast receiver 700 and the display unit 703a may be physically embodied as a single device. Depending on the user input to select any one static event in the nonlinear service from the channel guide, the processor 703 performs any one of a plurality of predetermined actions corresponding to the type of static event selected by the user input.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, the user input receiving unit 704 receives user input from a remote controller 704a, for example, an infrared (IR) link. However, the present invention is not limited to receiving user input in this way. In another embodiment, the user input may be received differently. For example, the user input receiving unit 704a may be a motion tracking, eye tracking, or voice recognition interface for directly detecting a user input, or may be a key-based user interface .

The content retrieval unit 705 can retrieve one or more content sources 705a through an appropriate connection to enable the receiver 700 to perform the method shown in FIG. In an embodiment of the present invention, the content source 705a is shown as being separate from the digital broadcast receiver 700. [ For example, the content source 705a may be a home media server. In another embodiment, the content source 705a may be included in a digital broadcast receiver 700, such as, for example, an internal hard disk drive.

The discovery information server 710 includes a discovery information generation unit 711 and a transmission unit 712 that communicates with the discovery information reception unit 702. [ 6, the discovery information generating unit 711 can generate event and service discovery information. After that, the event and the service discovery information are transmitted to the digital broadcast receiver (not shown) through the transmitting unit 712 700). In the embodiment of the present invention, the event and service discovery information may be transmitted through the IP, and the transmitting unit 712 and the discovery information receiving unit 702 may be appropriate network interfaces. The link between the transmitting unit 712 and the discovery information receiving unit 702 may be bidirectional so that the digital broadcasting receiver 700 can request event discovery information and service discovery information from the discovery information server 710. [

Embodiments of the present invention include a non-linear service that includes a plurality of static events that are events that are connectable at any time, rather than just a predetermined time. In some embodiments, the non-linear service further includes one or more linear events in addition to static events. In this embodiment, since the linear event is associated with a specific broadcast time, if the channel guide is displaying a time window in which the linear event is broadcast, the linear event is displayed adjacent to the nonlinear service identifier along with the static event . If the channel guide is displaying a different time window outside the broadcast time of the linear event, the channel guide may display only static events.

Embodiments of the present invention are described as linear services and non-linear services included in the channel list. As shown in Fig. 1, a non-linear service may be assigned a unique LCN, which may be an unused LCN, i.e. it may be an LCN that is not being used by another service. The LCN may be assigned by the receiver or may be defined by LCN information included in the service discovery information. In some embodiments, the LCN may not be assigned to a non-linear service, but may be inserted between two linear services in the channel list. In this case, the service discovery information can identify in which location the nonlinear service should be inserted in the channel list. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of linear services may share the same LCN that may be defined by the service discovery information.

In addition, in some embodiments, the identification information of the linear service and the non-linear service can be displayed differently in the channel guide, using different display settings for linear and non-linear services. This makes it easy for the user to distinguish between linear and nonlinear. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the channel identifier of each nonlinear service can be displayed in bold text, while the channel identifier of each linear service can be displayed in plain text. Other examples of identifying information include a textual description of the service, an image corresponding to the service, and a web page (e.g., a location identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) included in the service discovery information). The display settings for the nonlinear service can be pre-programmed in the receiver, can be set according to the user's preference, and can be defined through the discovery information. Examples of the display setting include a navigation method setting (for example, fixing an event position when scrolling a channel list or fixing a focus when an event is moved) defining a navigation method to be applied when the user navigates the channel guide, A color setting defining the color to be displayed, a numerical setting defining the size of the area where the identification information is displayed in the channel guide, and an animation setting defining the animation applied when displaying the identification information in the channel guide do.

An embodiment of the present invention is described as being related to a digital broadcast receiver. Although the invention is not limited to a DVB system, the receiver may be a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) receiver. For example, another embodiment of the present invention may use an Open IPTV Forum system, a Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) system, an Advance Television Systems Committee (ATSC) system, or an Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB) System can be applied.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. That is, within the scope of the present invention, all of the components may be selectively coupled to one or more of them. In addition, although all of the components may be implemented as one independent hardware, some or all of the components may be selectively combined to perform a part or all of the functions in one or a plurality of hardware. As shown in FIG. The codes and code segments constituting the computer program may be easily deduced by those skilled in the art. Such a computer program may be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium readable by a computer, readable and executed by a computer, thereby implementing an embodiment of the present invention.

Here, the non-transitory readable recording medium is not a medium for storing data for a short time such as a register, a cache, a memory, etc., but means a medium that semi-permanently stores data and can be read by a device. Specifically, the above-described programs can be stored in non-volatile readable recording media such as CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM, and the like.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein with reference to the drawings, it will be appreciated that many changes and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

100: channel guide 110: channel list
120: Preview window 130: Event information display area
700: Receiver 701: Receiver
701a: a broadcasting station 703a:
704a: Remote controller 705a:
702: Discovery information receiving unit 703:
704: user input receiving unit 705:
710: Discovery information server 712:
714: Discovery information generating section

Claims (33)

A broadcast receiving apparatus for providing a linear service for broadcasting a linear event related to a set time and a non-linear service for broadcasting a static event related to a time,
A receiver for receiving a plurality of linear services each including a plurality of linear event broadcasts broadcasted at the set time;
A discovery information receiving unit that receives event discovery information including event type information for identifying a type of a static event related to discovery information that defines a plurality of static events;
A processor for controlling the display unit to display a channel guide including the linear service and the nonlinear service; And
And a user input receiver for receiving a user input for selecting one of the static events of the nonlinear service from the channel guide,
The processor comprising:
Wherein the control unit executes one of a plurality of predetermined operations corresponding to the type of the static event selected by the user input. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of static events include a content group static event for selecting a group of content items,
Further comprising: a content retrieval unit to retrieve at least one content source to identify a plurality of available content items from the group of content items,
The processor comprising:
Displaying a content selection menu for selecting one of the available content items in accordance with a user input for selecting the content group static event as the predetermined operation,
Wherein the control unit acquires and plays the selected content item according to another user input for selecting one of the available content items from the displayed content selection menu. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the event discovery information defining the content group static event includes at least one source identifier for identifying at least one content source to be searched. The method according to claim 1,
The discovery information receiving unit receives the service discovery information for identifying the non-linear service,
The processor comprising:
And reproduces the content identified in the channel guide according to an input of a user navigating the nonlinear service in the channel guide. 5. The method of claim 4,
The service discovery information includes content location information that defines a location where content can be acquired,
The broadcast receiving apparatus includes:
And acquires the content from a position identified by the content position information. The method according to claim 4 or 5,
Wherein the service discovery information includes loop information indicating whether the content related to the nonlinear service is looped,
The processor comprising:
When the loop information indicating that the content is looped is included, the identified content is reproduced from the beginning after the reproduction of the identified content is completed,
And if the loop information indicates that the content is not looped, the identified content is reproduced only once in the channel guide. 5. The method of claim 4,
The processor comprising:
Wherein the display unit displays identification information of each of the linear services in the channel guide and displays identification information of the nonlinear service differently from identification information of each of the linear services. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the identification information of the nonlinear service includes at least one of a service identifier, a textual description of the service, an image corresponding to the service, and a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) included in the discovery information And a web page. 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8,
The processor displays the identification information of the non-linear service in accordance with at least one display setting,
The display setting may include:
A navigation method setting for defining a navigation method applied when the user navigates the channel guide,
The identification information including a color setting for defining a color to be displayed on the channel guide,
A numerical setting for defining the size of an area in which the identification information is displayed in the channel guide, and
An animation setting for defining an animation applied when displaying the identification information on the channel guide,
The broadcast receiving apparatus comprising: 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein at least one of the service discovery information and the event discovery information includes display information defining the at least one display setting. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the event discovery information further includes script information for identifying a predetermined condition and a predetermined operation for changing the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide,
The processor comprising:
Characterized in that it is determined whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied while displaying the channel guide and the predetermined condition is executed to change the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide when the preset condition is satisfied . The method according to claim 1,
The discovery information receiving unit,
Receiving nonlinear service LCN (Logical Channel Number) service discovery information for each of a plurality of nonlinear services,
Wherein some of the plurality of nonlinear services share the same LCN. The method according to claim 1,
The predetermined operation may include:
Accessing a server for receiving and playing at least one of online audio and video content,
Accessing a local source for receiving and playing at least one of local audio and video content,
Activating a web browser application to display a web page identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) included in the event discovery information,
An operation for starting an application at the receiver, an operation for displaying a banner on the channel guide,
Setting a reminder for any one of the events of the linear service to be broadcast at a future predetermined time,
An operation of switching an input source of a display reproducing contents from another source,
Selecting at least one of at least one linear service and at least one nonlinear service according to a predetermined criterion and selecting at least one of linear service and nonlinear service selected in the second channel guide from a previously displayed channel guide Operation,
The broadcast receiving apparatus comprising: The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the nonlinear service further comprises at least one linear event. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus comprises a DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) receiving apparatus. A method for controlling a broadcast receiving apparatus that provides a linear service for broadcasting a linear event related to a set time and a non-linear service for broadcasting a static event related to the time,
Receiving event discovery information including event type information identifying a type of the static event associated with discovery information defining a plurality of static events;
Displaying a channel guide including the linear service and the nonlinear service; And
Executing one of a plurality of predetermined actions corresponding to the type of the selected static event according to a user input for selecting one of the static events in the nonlinear service from the displayed channel guide;
And controlling the broadcast receiving apparatus. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the plurality of static events comprise a content group static event for selecting a group of content items,
Retrieving at least one content source to identify a plurality of available content items from the group of content items;
Displaying a content selection menu for selecting one of the available content items according to a user input for selecting the content group static event; And
Acquiring and playing a selected content item according to a user input for selecting one of the available content items from the displayed content selection menu;
And controlling the broadcast receiving apparatus. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the event discovery information defining the content group static event includes at least one source identifier for identifying the at least one content source that has searched for. 17. The method of claim 16,
Receiving service discovery information that identifies content related to the non-linear service; And
Reproducing the content identified in the channel guide according to a user input navigating the nonlinear service in the channel guide;
Further comprising the steps of: 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the service discovery information includes content location information that defines a location where content can be acquired,
In the control method,
Obtaining the content from the location identified by the content location information;
Further comprising the steps of: 21. The method according to claim 19 or 20,
Wherein the service discovery information includes loop information indicating whether the content related to the nonlinear service is looped,
The method of claim 1,
When the contents include the loop information indicating that the contents are looped, playing back the contents after the reproduction of the identified contents is completed,
And if the content includes loop information indicating that the content is not looped, the identified content is reproduced only once in the channel guide. 20. The method of claim 19,
Displaying a channel guide including the linear service and the non-linear service,
Wherein the displaying comprises:
Displaying identification information of each of the linear services; And
Displaying the identification information of each non-linear service different from the identification information of each linear service;
And controlling the broadcast receiving apparatus. 23. The method of claim 22,
Wherein the identification information of the nonlinear service includes a web page at a location identified by at least one of an identifier of the service, a text description of the service, an image corresponding to the service, and a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) And a control unit for controlling the broadcast receiving apparatus. 24. The method according to claim 22 or 23,
Wherein the identification information of the non-linear service is displayed according to at least one display setting,
Wherein the at least one display setting comprises:
A navigation method setting for defining a navigation method applied when the user navigates the channel guide,
The identification information including a color setting for defining a color to be displayed on the channel guide,
Wherein the identification information is a numerical value defining a size of an area displayed on the channel guide,
An animation setting for defining an animation applied when displaying the identification information on the channel guide,
The method comprising the steps of: 25. The method of claim 24,
Wherein at least one of the service discovery information and the event discovery information includes display information that defines the at least one display setting. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the event discovery information further includes script information for identifying a predetermined condition and a predetermined operation for changing the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide,
Displaying the channel guide,
In the control method,
Determining whether the predetermined condition is satisfied;
Executing the preset condition to change the form of the nonlinear service in the channel guide if the preset condition is satisfied;
Further comprising the steps of: 17. The method of claim 16,
Further comprising receiving LCN (Logical Channel Number) service discovery information for nonlinear services of each of a plurality of nonlinear services,
Wherein a part of the plurality of nonlinear services share the same LCN. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the plurality of predetermined operations include:
Accessing a server for receiving and playing at least one of online audio and video content,
Accessing a local source for receiving and playing at least one of local audio and video content,
Activating a web browser application to display a web page identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) included in the event discovery information,
An operation for starting an application in the receiver,
Displaying the banner on the channel guide,
Setting a reminder for one of the linear events to be broadcast at a future predetermined time,
An operation of switching an input source of a display reproducing contents from another source,
Selecting at least one of at least one linear service and at least one nonlinear service according to a predetermined criterion and selecting at least one of linear service and nonlinear service selected in the second channel guide from a previously displayed channel guide Operation,
The method comprising the steps of: 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the nonlinear service further comprises at least one linear event. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus includes a DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) receiving apparatus. A control method of an information providing apparatus for providing discovery information defining a static event to be broadcast regardless of time,
Obtaining event discovery information including event type information identifying a type of static event associated with event discovery information of each of a plurality of static events; And
Transmitting the acquired event discovery information to a broadcast receiving apparatus;
The information providing apparatus comprising: 32. The method of claim 31,
Obtaining service discovery information identifying content related to a non-linear service including the plurality of static events; And
Transmitting the service discovery information to the broadcast receiving apparatus;
Further comprising the steps of: A computer-readable recording medium containing a program for executing a control method of a broadcast receiving apparatus,
The control method of the broadcast receiving apparatus includes:
Receiving event discovery information including event type information that identifies a type of the static event associated with discovery information that defines a plurality of static events that are broadcast regardless of time;
Displaying a channel guide including the linear service and the nonlinear service; And
Executing one of a plurality of predetermined actions corresponding to the type of the selected static event according to a user input for selecting one of the static events in the nonlinear service from the displayed channel guide;
A computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

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