TWI467990B - Application of network protocol television service design channel method - Google Patents

Description

Service design channel method applied to network protocol television

The invention relates to an internet protocol television (INTERNET PROTOCOL TELEVISION, IPTV) service, in particular to a set-top box, which integrates various common IPTV services such as information service, video on demand, serial drama, etc. In the most common TV channel service, the user can switch to the channelized IPTV service while switching channels, and directly perform the channel-related service related functions, such as video content browsing, preview, subscription, and playback.

The biggest difference between IPTV and traditional TV is that it provides a variety of novel features, creating new service types and new consumption models. However, most of the current IPTV systems use the text menu method. Under the concept of providing various novel service functions, the list of various functions and even multiple levels of sub-service menu browsing, which will inevitably lead to the difficulty of users looking for services. Invisibly greatly reduces the user's willingness to use IPTV.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the conventional IPTV TV channel playing and function menu. Traditionally, the TV channel module includes a channel playing module 410 to provide television program playback; the function menu module 500 provides menu operations, each operating independently, and the user needs to The remote control is complicated to select between functions.

Figure 3 shows the service-level menu design of IPTV. One service may contain multiple sub-services, and the sub-menu may contain sub-menus. As in the tree structure, there are multiple sub-nodes under the root node, and there may be more sub-nodes. The grandchild node, and the leaf node is the last content item of the menu. As shown in the figure below, the user needs to use the remote control to click the operation multiple times before the service C-3-3-1 can be used; the switching between different services causes user confusion, such as service A-1-2. To service C-3-3-1.

It can be seen that there are still many shortcomings in the above-mentioned methods of use, which is not a good design, and needs to be improved. In view of the shortcomings derived from the above-mentioned methods, the inventor of the present invention has improved and innovated, and after painstaking research, finally successfully developed and completed the IPTV service channelization.

The invention is applied to the service design channel method of the network protocol television, in order to improve the usage mode of the IPTV service and improve the service utilization rate. Through the connection setting of the channel and the service, the user can use the switching channel mode to enter the popular theme service when viewing the television channel, which is convenient for the user to use.

In addition to improving the use of services, service channelization also improves the service menu screen, adopts graphical interface presentation, replaces traditional text as the main axis, and must frequently switch between service menus and channels, resulting in cumbersome and difficult to find. Disadvantages.

Service channelization puts popular services into the graphical interface and presents them in the TV channel function, which can achieve more intuitive and easy-to-understand operation characteristics. In the commonly used familiar TV viewing function, users can browse various services provided by IPTV by switching channels, eliminating the need for complicated menu button selection, reducing interface complexity to provide users with a pleasant use environment, thereby improving service utilization. .

Service channelization is an innovative design concept that improves the way users enter the service function. While viewing the TV channel directly, the remote control can be used to switch channels to browse various IPTV service functions. In addition, the service channelization improves the operation mode of the original layered text menu and replaces it with a graphical interface.

The method for designing a channel for the above-mentioned invention applied to the network protocol television uses the attributes of the channel to be related to the service, and usually adds a channel and joins the channel in the channel list, but the content of the channel is channelized. service.

By setting a channel-related attribute value, SCFlag is used as the identification of the service channelization. If the attribute value represents service channelization, the service channel related module is started; another attribute value serviceType represents the corresponding service content, including the service. All sub-services or movie content. The way in which such channel attributes are related to service settings ensures that the original TV channel is not played, and the channel is free to set the corresponding service, providing a flexible association setting mechanism.

The service channel design method also includes replacing the text menu with graphics, improving the slower understanding of text reading, and the disadvantage of the interface being complex and not intuitive. The graphic design concept is just like the traffic sign design principle. Users can quickly understand the reaction by seeing the icon, thereby creating a friendly IPTV usage environment and improving the service utilization rate.

The graphical interface consists mainly of the following figure: (1) Channel number and service name 610. Display channel number and service name for user identification, memory common, favorite function service. Both are displayed in the upper left corner of the screen; (2) Service icon 620, whether it is a sub-service or a video content, replace the text interface with a simple and easy-to-understand icon; (3) Currently select project prompt 630, according to different layout design, The user is prompted with the eye-catching color to select the current item; (4) The remote control button prompt 640 is displayed at the bottom of the screen to guide the user's operation function; (5) The current page number prompt and the total number of pages prompt 650, display At the bottom right of the screen. Figure 5, for the graphical interface of the video on demand, replace the service content icon with the content still, and include the following description information (6) rating icon 660, indicating the classification of the content film; (7) content name 670, The full name of the option is displayed; (8) the subscription icon 680 is convenient for the user to identify whether the subscription has been subscribed to and (9) the price lease description 690, indicating the price and rental period of the item, and if the user has subscribed, the rental period is expired. Day and time to watch.

In addition to the above innovations, the service channel is also equipped with componentized dynamic access data and only redraws the display technology of the data update area to realize a simple and fast IPTV service channel design method.

The service channelization utilizes integration and integration into the TV channel function, which reduces the frequent use of remote control switching between users in each function menu, resulting in difficulty in service usage. Conversely, service channelization provides easier, direct and efficient service usage, and includes its sub-features, with a graphical interface to provide a more user-friendly environment for a wide range of TV ages. Service channelization makes channel playback no longer just a one-way program viewing, but expands into a two-way diversified interaction.

The channel design of the IPTV service provided by the present invention has the following advantages when compared with other conventional technologies:

1. Channel playback is the most familiar function for users, and IPTV is characterized by a variety of novel services. The invention integrates and integrates various services to the most commonly used and most familiar channel playing of the user, and eliminates the complicated button operation, and the user can quickly and conveniently enjoy various services provided by the IPTV by using the remote control above and below the left and right buttons.

2. The traditional menu is mainly based on tree structure, complex horizontal and direct menu contents, users need to click to enter the layer sub-menu; the menu switching of different services requires multiple button operations, which is troublesome for users. Reduce the willingness to use. The service channel design includes all sub-service functions under a service, and the service extraction module 420 performs the query to obtain the content of the sub-service, so that the service function is free from the inconvenience caused by the layer selection menu, and provides a direct and convenient operation environment.

3. The traditional menu is displayed in text mode, and the picture is more complicated and difficult to read. The design graphic mode of the invention replaces the text menu, emphasizes the intuitive design concept, and quickly recognizes various functions.

4. Corresponding to different service types, provide two kinds of graphic interfaces, including: (1) channel number and service name (2) service icon (3) current selection item prompt (4) remote control button prompt (5) current page number and Total page number hint map (6) Graded icon (7) Content name (8) Subscription icon (9) Price lease description and other functions. In order to provide a user-friendly operating environment and improve service utilization.

5. Service channelization can be applied to enhance the promotion and promotion of specific services, and put key services in the function of TV channels, which will undoubtedly greatly increase the exposure of the service, provide flexible marketing for operators, enhance users' willingness to use, and create a win-win situation.

The detailed description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The patent scope of this case.

To sum up, this case is not only innovative in terms of technical thinking, but also has many of the above-mentioned functions that are not in the traditional methods of the past. It should be fully in line with the statutory invention patent requirements of novelty and progressiveness. The bureau approved the application for the invention patent, in order to invent the invention, to the sense of virtue.

The present invention uses the attributes of the channel to make settings related to the service. Add a channel and set the SCFlag, serviceType and displayType attribute values of the channel. When the TV channel module plays the channel, the channel is determined to be the service channelization by the attribute SCFlag value SC, and the service channel related module is started; the corresponding service content is found by the serviceType attribute value, including all the sub-services under the service. Content, if the service is on-demand video, all videos under the service are included; and the appropriate graphical interface is determined by setting the displayType attribute value of the channel.

As shown in Figure 6, channel X is the original general TV channel. Channel Y has an SCFlag attribute value of SC, which is represented as service channelization. The traffic information service entry is provided according to the serviceType attribute value, and the service channelized graphical interface is used according to the displayType attribute value. The SCFlag attribute value SC of the channel Z indicates that the channel is also service channelized, and the on-demand movie service is provided according to the serviceType attribute value, and the displayType attribute value is used to use the on-demand video graphic interface.

In addition to the use of channel play, the invention also includes the technical enhancement of the TV play module 400, and newly invented the menu module and the graphical interface module. The service channelization module shown in FIG. 7 includes: a television 100, a set-top box 200, a remote controller 300, a television channel module 400, a function menu module 500, a graphical interface module 600, and a database 700.

The TV channel module 400 includes a channel play module 410, a service extraction module 420 and an integration module 430. The channel playing module 410 plays a general television channel to provide a user's television viewing demand. The service extracting module 420 is configured to query the service content set by the channel, and obtain a sub-service or a content of the video content included in the service. In the tree structure, any node and all its grandchild nodes data, that is, any service and its sub-function options can be presented on the TV channel to play; the integration module 430 statistically summarizes the content obtained by the query, and integrates with the menu module. . In addition, when the user operates the menu, the present invention performs the screen redrawing with the graphical interface module 600, dynamically matches the data update menu page, and instantly responds to the updated data.

The flow of the invention is shown in Figure 1, and includes:

A. When the user enters the service channelization page, the TV channel module 400 determines that the channel is set to a normal TV channel or a service channel according to the channel SCFlag attribute. Play as a normal TV channel. If the service is channelized, the service extraction module 420 is called.

B. The service extraction module 420 queries the service menu content according to the channel serviceType attribute value, and checks whether the service has a sub-menu function, and if so, repeats the query until all sub-service functions of the service are queried, so that the menu is The sub-service content under the service can be presented in the service channel.

C. Then integrate the module to obtain the service data obtained by the query, and calculate the relevant required information, such as the number of pages.

D. The menu module uses the channel displayType attribute value to nest into the corresponding graphical interface, and brings the data presentation service channelization of the previous process.

E. If the user performs a menu operation, the graphical interface module calls the integrated module to summarize the content, redo the page, and update the menu data in real time.

F. The user clicks on the service channelization function or switches the channel to leave the channel service. Complete service channelization.

Service channelization is a method of associating one or more services with a channel number as described above, in addition to providing users with the ability to switch channels in the past, and providing graphical means to access and use various IPTV services, flexible Application to promotion and marketing activities of IPTV services.

In addition to designing the service for channel playback, the present invention may further include designing a function menu module 500 to provide an easy-to-recognize operating environment for the user. Figure 8 shows the general IPTV function menu, which is usually based on text and has a layer-by-layer menu. This makes the interface complex and difficult to identify. The invention designs a graphical interface, and each service is directly provided on the channel playing screen, and provides a user with a simple icon to quickly identify various functions. Compared with the text menu, the user can greatly reduce the learning and memory usage mode.

The service channelization method adds a new channel number to this specific service, and treats the channelization service as a channel, which is included in the traditional TV channel table. Its attributes and operation methods are the same as those of traditional TV channels. With the experience of the same operating channel in the past, you can access the channelized service. When you switch or directly press its channel number, you can see the channelized content of this particular service.

The difference between service channelization and traditional TV channels is that the content presented is only the service content itself and not the channel content, so the service content is designed to be presented in the foreground. As for the channel content in the background, it is optional or only audio. No video.

Figure 9 shows a service channelization example. An additional channel is added to play the background audio content. This channel is added to the channel list to provide users with the ability to switch channels. The screen presents the channelized service (taking Service 2 in Figure 8 as an example), including the sub-service content under the service. The channel number and service name are displayed in the upper left corner of the screen, which is convenient for the user to recognize the memory; the various services in the screen use the icon to replace the traditional text menu, and the selection prompt is currently selected to facilitate identification; the remote control button function prompt is provided at the bottom of the screen. In the lower right corner of the screen, the current page number and total number of pages are displayed.

Service channelization integrates services into TV channel functions, including on-demand video content display, preview, subscription and playback. As shown in FIG. 10, the service channelization application is applied to the on-demand movie as an example. The user selects the channel by using the remote controller to use the on-demand movie function, and the movie selection provides a loop selection architecture in a carousel manner. The user selects the right button and selects the item from 1, 2, 3...N to reply to the 1 item. If you use the left button to select, select items from 1, N, N-1...1. The screen displays the channel number and service name, the movie still picture, the selected item prompt, the remote control button prompt, the current page number and the total page number item information, and the selected movie, including the selected movie's hierarchical icon, content name, and join. My favorite, new film tips and rental price and other related information. Users can preview and subscribe to the video with the confirmation button. As shown in Figure 11, the user enters the preview subscription function screen to get relevant information such as movie length, actor, fan evaluation, story introduction, etc., and use the left and right button to select to preview or subscribe. film. As shown in Figure 12, if the user has purchased the subscription video and is within the time limit, the lease expiration date and remaining time are detailed to prompt the user. You can use the watch button to directly watch the movie.

100. . . TV

200. . . Set-top box

300. . . remote control

400. . . TV channel module

410. . . Channel play module

420. . . Service extraction module

430. . . Integration module

500. . . Function menu module

600. . . Graphical interface module

610. . . Channel number and service name

620. . . Service icon

630. . . Currently select project prompts

640. . . Remote button prompt

650‧‧‧ Current page number and total number of pages

660‧‧‧Grade

670‧‧‧Content name

680‧‧‧Subscription icon

690‧‧‧Price lease description

700‧‧‧Database

Please refer to the detailed description of the present invention and its accompanying drawings, and the technical contents of the present invention and its effects can be further understood; the related drawings and the attached tables are:

Figure 1 is a flow chart of the IPTV service channelization operation.

Figure 2 shows the architecture of the conventional IPTV system.

Figure 3 is a structural diagram of the conventional IPTV menu.

Figure 4 shows the channel design of the IPTV service.

Figure 5 shows the IPTV service channelization applied to the on-demand video design.

Figure 6 shows the case table for channel attribute and service association setting.

Figure 7 shows the architecture of the IPTV service channelization system.

Figure 8 is a diagram of the conventional IPTV text menu.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of IPTV service channelization application.

Figure 10 is an example of the IPTV on-demand video service channelization application (not subscribed).

Figure 11 is an example of a channelized preview subscription for IPTV on-demand video services.

Figure 12 is an example of the application of IPTV on-demand video service channelization (subscribed).

Claims (7)

A service design channel method applied to network protocol television, which integrates various services provided by IPTV into a television channel function in a graphical manner, which is convenient for clicking and using, and the user can switch channels and browse and use each Service. For example, the service design channel method applied to the network protocol television according to the first application of the patent scope is to provide service channelization by means of association between the attributes of the channel and the service. The service design channel method for network protocol television as described in claim 1 of the patent application, which includes all sub-function services in a service. For example, the service design channel method applied to the network protocol television according to the first application of the patent scope is: (1) judged to be a general television channel or channel service; (2) query service and sub-service menu content (3) the service data obtained by the reconciliation query; (4) nested into the graphical interface; (5) determining whether the user performs the menu operation for page redrawing; and (6) the user clicking the service channelization function, or switching The channel leaves the service. The service design channel method for network protocol television as described in claim 1 of the patent scope includes: A TV channel module, which displays the general TV channel and expands the integration of the service menu content into the channel service, which means that the service function page is displayed in a channelized manner with the icon; a menu module is integrated with the query. The service content is graphically replaced by a text menu on the TV channel; and a graphical interface module, when the user selects a page change in the service channelization, the screen material is updated in real time. The method for designing a service channel for a network protocol television as described in claim 5, wherein the television channel module comprises: a channel playing module, which is responsible for a television channel playing function; and a service extracting module. Responsible for querying service content data, including all sub-service menu data included under a service; and an integration module, which is responsible for summarizing the menu content data queried by the service extraction module, including the service and all sub-service contents, and matching the menu mode The graphical interface of the group is presented in the TV channel. The service design channel method for network protocol television as described in claim 5, wherein the menu module is applied to each service, including: a channel number and a service name, displaying the current channel number and service name, and providing It is similar to the TV channel playing environment, and it is convenient for the user to remember the favorite service channel number and improve the service usage rate.