KR20210109484A - Internet-based content service device for providing over the top service and method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an Internet-based content service technology for providing an OTT service. In detail, the technology provides the Internet-based content service based on a selection signal input to a broadcast receiving device by being connected through a separate communication interface between the broadcast receiving device and a broadcast outputting device.

Description

INTERNET-BASED CONTENT SERVICE DEVICE FOR PROVIDING OVER THE TOP SERVICE AND METHOD OF THE SAME

The present invention relates to an Internet-based content service technology that provides an OTT service, and more particularly, is connected through a separate communication interface between a broadcast receiving device and a broadcast output device based on a selection signal input to the broadcast receiving device. It is related to the technical idea of providing Internet-based content service.

Recently, as high-definition content and over-the-top (OTT) services have been expanded, related technologies have been developed and the requirements for content security have greatly improved.

Nevertheless, the specifications required by the premium OTT content service and the limitations of the already developed and distributed set-top box are mainly as follows.

As a limit on security enhancement for 4K content, there are limitations on adding DRM and strengthening security. For example, DRM such as PlayReady (MicroSoft), Widevine (Google), FaitPlay (Apple), etc. are added or the security level is strengthened, but DRM that does not contain authentication information that DRM swears, such as encryption key and serial number, is required during production. OTT service cannot be added.

In addition, there is a limit to the secure video decoding path (Secure Video Path). Since high-definition content is almost original, in order to prevent distribution by hacking or leakage, the set-top box must provide a secure video decryption path required by distributors.

However, it is impossible to expand the functions of set-top boxes released without considering high-definition content.

There are limitations to TV connection resolution and security enhancement.

HDMI and HDCP technology are used to securely connect the set-top box to the TV. In order to transmit 4K video and high-quality audio to a TV, it is necessary to implement the latest versions of HDMI and HDCP.

In addition, there is a limit to the enhancement of the performance of the OTT service app, and there is a problem in the user reaction speed increase.

Major OTT services such as Netflix and YouTube require very fast user response and are verified through product certification. For this, the performance of the central processing unit and graphics must be continuously improved, but the performance of the existing set-top box already released does not satisfy the latest OTT requirements, so additional services cannot be loaded.

There is also the problem of increased memory usage.

Major OTTs increase the amount of memory used by the central processing unit and graphics performance significantly. Although the amount of memory used by one OTT service increases, the memory continues to increase to additionally load other OTT services. Set-top boxes released with limited memory without considering this in advance cannot add OTT service through upgrade.

In addition, there is a problem related to the web browser upgrade.

When the web-type OTT service is installed, the latest web technology is used, so the web browser must also be upgraded. Because web browsers also continuously improve central processing unit performance and increase memory usage, it may not be easy to upgrade an already released set-top box.

In conclusion, it is almost impossible to add OTT service and Internet service through software upgrade of already released set-top box. Therefore, hardware and software expansion have been attempted by using a USB-type dongle or memory card as an additional device. it is possible.

Korea Patent No. 100836751 "Data processing apparatus and method of multi-stream set-top box" Korean Patent Registration No. 10101306 "A system in which an IPTV operator or a broadcast program provider transmits a real-time broadcast to a broadcast receiver terminal through the premises broadcasting network of an apartment house" Korean Patent No. 10206736 "Real-time group streaming content processing method and device"

An object of the present invention is to solve the specifications required by the premium OTT content service and the limitations of the already developed and distributed set-top box.

An object of the present invention is to add an OTT service and an Internet service through software upgrade of an already released set-top box for an OTT content service in an Internet-based content service.

An object of the present invention is to enhance security for high-definition content in an Internet-based content service.

An object of the present invention is to overcome a limitation of a secure video path in an Internet-based content service.

An object of the present invention is to expand a function of a set-top box released without considering high-definition content in an Internet-based content service through upgrade.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the limitations of TV connection resolution and security enhancement in an Internet-based content service.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the limitations of enhancing the performance of the OTT service app in the Internet-based content service.

An object of the present invention is to overcome problems related to an increase in user reaction speed, an increase in memory usage, and problems related to upgrading a web browser in an Internet-based content service.

An apparatus according to an embodiment is an Internet-based content service device that is connected between a broadcast reception device and a broadcast output device through a separate communication interface and provides an Internet-based content service based on a selection signal input to the broadcast reception device may include.

According to one embodiment, it is possible to solve the specifications required by the premium OTT content service and the limitations of the already developed and distributed set-top box.

According to an embodiment, in the Internet-based content service, for the OTT content service, an OTT service and an Internet service may be added through software upgrade of an already released set-top box.

According to an embodiment, in the Internet-based content service, security for high-definition content may be enhanced.

According to one embodiment, in the Internet-based content service, it is possible to overcome the limitation of the secure video decoding path (Secure Video Path).

According to an embodiment, in an Internet-based content service, a set-top box released without considering high-definition content may expand its functions through upgrade.

According to one embodiment, in the Internet-based content service, it is possible to overcome the limitations of TV connection resolution and security enhancement.

According to one embodiment, in the Internet-based content service, it is possible to overcome the limitation of the performance enhancement of the OTT service app.

According to an exemplary embodiment, in the Internet-based content service, problems related to an increase in user reaction speed, an increase in memory usage, and problems related to upgrading a web browser can be overcome.

1 is a view for explaining an entire system to which an Internet-based content service apparatus according to an embodiment is applied.
2 is a diagram illustrating an Internet-based content service apparatus according to an embodiment.
3 is a view for explaining a broadcast receiving apparatus according to an embodiment.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a service method by a broadcast receiving apparatus and an Internet-based content service apparatus.

Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention disclosed herein are only exemplified for the purpose of explaining the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention, and the embodiment according to the concept of the present invention These may be embodied in various forms and are not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Since the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention may have various changes and may have various forms, the embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention to specific disclosed forms, and includes changes, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first or second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another element, for example, without departing from the scope of rights according to the concept of the present invention, a first element may be named as a second element, Similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it is understood that the other component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that no other element is present in the middle. Expressions describing the relationship between elements, for example, “between” and “between” or “directly adjacent to”, etc. should be interpreted similarly.

The terminology used herein is used only to describe specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate that the described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof exists, and includes one or more other features or numbers, It should be understood that the possibility of the presence or addition of steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof is not precluded in advance.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present specification. does not

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the patent application is not limited or limited by these examples. Like reference numerals in each figure indicate like elements.

1 is a view for explaining an entire system 100 to which an Internet-based content service apparatus according to an embodiment is applied.

The entire system 100 discloses hardware and software technology that implements OTT and Internet services as separate additional devices and can be viewed as a single device by interworking with an existing set-top box.

To this end, the existing set-top box is not a main device connected to the TV, but an additional device for OTT service as a main device connected to the TV, and the existing set-top box can be configured to be connected to the additional device.

Hereinafter, the structure of the entire system 100 will be described in more detail. In addition, for general-purpose interpretation of terms, a set-top box is defined as a broadcast receiving device, a TV is a broadcast output device, and an additional device for OTT service is defined as an Internet-based content service device and the invention is described.

In general, the broadcast output device 110 is connected to the broadcast reception device 130 to receive and output broadcast content provided by the broadcast reception device 130 .

However, in the overall system 100 according to the present invention, the Internet-based content service device 120 is located between the broadcast output device 110 and the broadcast reception device 130 , and selectively transmits OTT to the broadcast output device 110 . service can be provided.

For example, the Internet-based content service device 120 may provide a service according to a user request received by the broadcast receiving device from the user through the HDMI selector.

For example, the user request is a service that can be provided by the existing set-top box, and can be divided into a first request for a general broadcast service and a second request for an OTT service that can be provided by the OTT attachment device.

The Internet-based content service device 120 provides a service corresponding to the first request for the first request using the HDMI selector, and provides an HDMI service corresponding to the first request received from the broadcast receiving device 130 . The output signal of the selector may be transmitted to the broadcast output device 110 .

Also, the Internet-based content service device 120 may provide a service corresponding to the second request in response to the second request by using the HDMI selector. Specifically, in response to the second request, the Internet-based content service device 120 may receive, decode, and transmit a video and audio signal of the service to the broadcast output device 110 .

The HDMI selector mechanism of the Internet-based content service device 120 generated at the time of the first request and the second request is different from each other.

For example, the HDMI selector of the Internet-based content service device 120 releases the HDMI connection to the broadcast receiving device 130 upon a second request, and the broadcast receiving device 130 while a service corresponding to the second request is provided. The RCU signal received by may be transmitted to the Internet-based content service device 120 through USB.

When the service corresponding to the second request is terminated, a command may be transmitted to the broadcast receiving device 130 .

According to an embodiment, the broadcast receiving device 130 returns to the existing service state, the Internet-based content service device 120 enters a standby mode, and the RCU signal received by the broadcast receiving device 130 is transmitted to the broadcast receiving device ( 130) can be processed.

The Internet-based content service device 120 according to an embodiment may receive a network connection from the broadcast receiving device 130 .

Also, the Internet-based content service device 120 according to an embodiment may receive an OTT/IP-based media stream through a network connected from the broadcast receiving device 130 .

In this embodiment, it is described that the Internet-based content service device 120 utilizes a network to which the broadcast receiving device 130 can connect, but the Internet-based content service device 120 directly accesses a separate network such as WIFI or Ethernet. It may be provided with a module for

The Internet-based content service device 120 may support at least one of standards, authentication, and technology requirements that the broadcast receiving device 130 cannot support. For example, OTT/IP-based content, 4K content, etc. not supported by the broadcast receiving device 130 may be collected through a network and provided to the broadcast output device 110 .

To this end, the main menu provided by the broadcast receiving device 130 may display a menu for first selecting whether to select the first request or the second request.

For example, when the graphic of the existing device needs to be superimposed on the screen while the service corresponding to the second request is provided, the broadcast receiving device 130 may send a display command/graphic data to be displayed on the broadcast output device 110 .

To this end, the Internet-based content service device 120 must have an HDMI input, and the HDMI output of the broadcast output device 110 is connected to the HDMI input of the Internet-based content service device 120 . In this way, there is no problem in that the Internet-based content service device 120 having the high version and security receives the video of the existing broadcast output device 110 having the low version and security and transmits the video to the broadcast output device 110 .

Also, the Internet-based content service device 120 may receive a network connection from the existing broadcast receiving device 130 through USB. Through this network, the Internet-based content service device 120 may receive media streams of 4K and OTT services. Since the supplied media stream is an encrypted and compressed media stream before decryption, there is no problem with receiving it via USB. The media stream delivered through USB is decoded inside the Internet-based content service device 120 and delivered to the broadcast output device 110 through HDMI/HDCP of the 4K standard, so there is no problem in content security.

If the broadcast receiving device 130 is a product that cannot be connected to a network, the Internet-based content service device 120 may have a separate network connection such as WIFI or Ethernet, and may be selectively applied according to the existing broadcast receiving device 130 . have.

On the other hand, although the OTT service is started in the existing broadcast receiving device 130 having the main menu, the actual operation may be performed in the Internet-based content service device 120 . Since all these operations are performed by the UI and remote control of the existing device, it is seen that the operation is performed in one broadcast receiving device 130 . In addition, after the service operation is transferred to OTT, all remote control signals input to the existing broadcast receiving device 130 are transmitted to the Internet-based content service device 120 through USB, so it looks as if OTT is operated with one remote control. lose

In addition, remote UI is supported for cases where menus of existing devices need to be overlapped on the OTT service screen. On the OTT service screen, since the HDMI output to the broadcast output device 110 is switched to the OTT device, the UI of the existing broadcast output device 110 is not visible.

Therefore, a remote UI-related technology is provided so that the limited UI of the existing broadcast output device 110 is overlapped and displayed on the screen of the Internet-based content service device 120 . Alternatively, the HDMI output may be adjusted so that the screen of the existing device is superimposed on the Internet-based content service device 120 .

2 is a diagram illustrating an Internet-based content service apparatus 200 according to an embodiment.

The Internet-based content service apparatus 200 according to an embodiment is connected between a broadcast receiving device and a broadcast output device through a separate communication interface, and provides an Internet-based content service based on a selection signal input to the broadcast receiving device. can do.

To this end, the Internet-based content service apparatus 200 according to an embodiment may include a resource sharing processing unit 210 , a media stream receiving unit 220 , a decoding processing unit 230 , and an image/audio signal transmission unit 240 . have.

First, the resource sharing processing unit 210 may process to share the resource with the broadcast receiving device.

Also, the media stream receiver 220 may receive a media stream from an Internet-based content service server by utilizing a resource of a broadcast receiving device among shared resources.

Resources are resources that devices can use, and may include a communication network, a memory, a processing unit, and the like, and may be interpreted as a communication network in this embodiment.

Next, the decoding processing unit 230 may generate a video/audio signal by decoding the received media stream.

Also, the video/audio signal transmission unit 240 may provide the generated video/audio signal to the broadcast output device.

In addition, the Internet-based content service apparatus 200 according to an embodiment may further include a selection unit 250 for switching to select at least one of a broadcast service for a broadcast receiving device and an Internet-based content service.

When it is switched to select a broadcast service for the broadcast receiving device, the selection unit 250 may bypass the broadcast content to the broadcast output device so that the broadcast content provided by the broadcast receiving device is output from the broadcast output device.

Also, when switching to select the Internet-based content service, the selection unit 250 may control the broadcast receiving device so that the media stream receiving unit 220 routes the media stream using the network of the broadcast receiving device.

Also, the selection unit 250 may control the decoding processing unit 230 to decode the received media stream to generate an image/audio signal, and may process the generated image/audio signal to be provided to a broadcast output device.

Also, the Internet-based content service apparatus 200 according to an embodiment may process to be connected to a network through a broadcast receiving apparatus.

The communication processing unit 260 according to an embodiment may control the network communication module of the broadcast receiving device through a wired cable connected to the USB port of the broadcast receiving device to receive the media stream through the network.

Meanwhile, the communication processing unit 260 according to another exemplary embodiment may control the mounted network module to connect to the network, and may request a media stream through the connected network.

The broadcast receiving apparatus according to an embodiment may provide a main menu for an Internet-based content service, and may transmit a selection signal received according to the provided main menu to the media stream receiver 220 . Also, the broadcast receiving apparatus may route the media stream provided from the Internet-based content service server to the media stream receiving unit 220 according to the request of the media stream receiving unit 220 .

The control unit identified by reference numeral 370 may be in charge of overall controlling the components of the Internet-based content service apparatus 200 .

3 is a view for explaining a broadcast receiving apparatus 300 according to an embodiment.

The broadcast receiving apparatus 300 according to an embodiment may include a service determining unit 310 and a service processing unit 320 .

First, the service determiner 310 according to an embodiment may identify a user request and determine a service to be provided from among a broadcast service or an Internet-based content service.

Next, when the broadcast service is determined, the service processing unit 320 may deliver the broadcast content to the Internet-based content service device. Also, when the Internet-based content service is determined, the service processing unit 320 may provide a resource to the Internet-based content service device and process the media stream to be routed to the Internet-based content service device.

Meanwhile, the Internet-based content service device interworking with the broadcast reception device 300 is connected through a separate communication interface between the broadcast reception device and the broadcast output device, and based on a selection signal input to the broadcast reception device, Internet-based content service can be provided.

Also, the Internet-based content service device interworking with the broadcast receiving device 300 may support at least one of standards, authentication, and technical requirements not supported by the broadcast receiving device.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a service method by a broadcast receiving apparatus and an Internet-based content service apparatus.

The broadcast receiving device may provide a broadcast service during the normal operation 401 , and the Internet-based content service device may output the HDMI input from the existing device as it is to the TV output.

Next, the broadcast receiving device may determine whether to start OTT (402), and when the OTT service is started, using the UI, a start signal for OTT services such as YouTube and Netflix may be transmitted to the Internet-based content service device (403) ).

The broadcast receiving device may send a signal to start the corresponding OTT service to the Internet-based content service device through the USB and enter a standby state.

In the standby state, the broadcast receiving device may determine whether to terminate the OTT service by by-passing all remote control signals to the OTT device through USB (404), and determining whether to terminate the OTT (405).

Meanwhile, the Internet-based content service device that has received the start signal for the OTT service may determine whether to start the OTT after the standby operation 406 ( 407 ).

According to the method of operation of a broadcast receiving apparatus, a service to be provided is determined from among a broadcast service or an Internet-based content service by identifying a user's request, and when the broadcast service is determined, the broadcast content is delivered to the Internet-based content service apparatus, and the Internet When the base content service is determined, the resource may be provided to the internet-based content service device to route the media stream to the internet-based content service device.

Next, when it is determined that the Internet-based content service device has received the OTT start signal and the OTT service is started, the Internet-based content service device may start the corresponding OTT service ( 408 ).

To this end, the operating method of the Internet-based content service device receives the OTT start signal transmitted from the broadcast receiving device, activates the corresponding OTT service, and converts the HDMI output from the HDMI input to which the existing broadcast receiving device is connected to the internal OTT screen (409) .

The operation method of the Internet-based content service device may process to share resources with the broadcast receiving device in order to provide an OTT service.

In particular, the Internet-based content service apparatus may switch to select at least one of a broadcast service for a broadcast receiving apparatus and an Internet-based content service based on an input selection signal.

In addition, the operating method of the Internet-based content service apparatus bypasses the broadcast content to the broadcast output apparatus so that the broadcast content provided by the broadcast reception apparatus is output from the broadcast output apparatus when the broadcast service for the broadcast receiving apparatus is switched. can

In addition, when switching to select the Internet-based content service, the media stream may be routed to the Internet-based content service apparatus using the network of the broadcast receiving apparatus.

Afterwards, all remote control signals transmitted from the broadcast receiving device are used for the OTT screen (410).

In addition, when a remote UI-related request is transmitted from the broadcast receiving device, the Internet-based content service device overlaps and displays the OTT service screen.

When the user terminates the OTT service, the Internet-based content service device notifies the broadcast receiving device of the OTT termination signal (413) and enters the standby state while switching the HDMI output to the HDMI input to which the existing device is connected (414).

The existing broadcast receiving device receives the OTT service end signal, switches from the standby state to the normal state, and returns to the existing broadcast service screen. After that, the remote control signals are all used by the existing device.

After all, by using the present invention, it is possible to solve the specifications required by the premium OTT content service and the limitations of the already developed and distributed set-top box. In addition, for OTT content service, OTT service and Internet service can be added through software upgrade of already released set-top box, and security for high-definition content can be strengthened. In addition, in Internet-based content services, limitations on the secure video path can be overcome, and set-top boxes released without considering high-definition content can expand their functions through upgrades, Limitations on connection resolution and security enhancement can be overcome. In addition, in the Internet-based content service, it is possible to overcome the limitations of enhancing the performance of the OTT service app, and overcome the problems of increasing the user reaction speed, the problem of increasing the memory usage, and the problems related to upgrading the web browser. .

The device described above may be implemented as a hardware component, a software component, and/or a combination of the hardware component and the software component. For example, devices and components described in the embodiments may include, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable array (FPA), It may be implemented using one or more general purpose or special purpose computers, such as a programmable logic unit (PLU), microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. The processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to execution of the software. For convenience of understanding, although one processing device is sometimes described as being used, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the processing device includes a plurality of processing elements and/or a plurality of types of processing elements. It can be seen that can include For example, the processing device may include a plurality of processors or one processor and one controller. Other processing configurations are also possible, such as parallel processors.

The software may comprise a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more thereof, which configures a processing device to operate as desired or is independently or collectively processed You can command the device. The software and/or data may be any kind of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or device, to be interpreted by or to provide instructions or data to the processing device. , or may be permanently or temporarily embody in a transmitted signal wave. The software may be distributed over networked computer systems, and stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored in one or more computer-readable recording media.

The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the embodiment, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magnetic media such as floppy disks. - includes magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with reference to the limited drawings, various modifications and variations are possible from the above description by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or the described components of the system, structure, apparatus, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components Or substituted or substituted by equivalents may achieve an appropriate result.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (1)

An Internet-based content service device that is connected between a broadcast reception device and a broadcast output device through a separate communication interface, and provides an Internet-based content service based on a selection signal input to the broadcast reception device.

Images