JP2008193284A - Content selection method in video on-demand system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a content selection method for simply allowing a VOD content to be viewed in a VOD system by similar operation, although in TV broadcast, it is general to check contents of a program currently being broadcast by continuous operation of channel selection called zapping. <P>SOLUTION: A meta-data server 103 generates a list of video contents in which VOD video contents are reordered into a list structure on the basis of prescribed rules, such as ranking, new arrival, and view history. A receiving terminal 200 acquires meta-data on a video content corresponding to the list of video contents by channel up down button operation of a remote controller and continuously reproduces them by turns on the basis of acquired meta-data. Similarly, the receiving terminal 200 acquires meta-data of N-th video content from the list of video contents by number (N-th) button operation and reproduces the N-th video content on the basis of the acquired meta-data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a video-on-demand system in the communication field of an IP (Internet Protocol) network such as the Internet, and more particularly to a technique for simplifying a method for a user to select video content in a receiving terminal capable of remote control operation.

  With the digitalization of broadcasting, multi-channel TV broadcasting such as CS broadcasting and BS broadcasting is progressing. Although introduction of EPG (Electronic Program Guide) has been attempted to make the user's channel selection operation easier, the procedure until the user reaches the TV program that the user wants to watch tends to increase. Improvement of the property is desired.

  As a method for simplifying the procedure for the user to select a program for such a multi-channel TV broadcast, there is a home server that receives and stores the TV broadcast based on user preference information (for example, patents). Reference 1). The TV broadcast viewing system described in Patent Literature 1 determines a TV program to collect and store a profile based on information such as iEPG (Internet Electronic Program Guide) data and broadcast subtitles. Furthermore, the rules for extracting user preference information from multi-channel broadcasting can be updated via the Internet.

JP 2006-203593 A

  However, the increase in programs that can be viewed by the user is not limited to multi-channel broadcasting. With the widespread use of broadband internet networks such as FTTH, viewing of video content by video on demand (hereinafter referred to as VOD) is becoming common. Video contents of VOD are mainly movies, dramas, animations, etc., and the user generally selects a viewing content through a series of selection operations such as genre selection, sub-genre selection, content list display, viewing content selection. Is. Conventionally, viewing of video content has been centered on viewing of TV broadcasts, and users are proficient in viewing video content by selecting TV channels. For such a user, the VOD video content viewing procedure is complicated and difficult to use. In particular, in TV broadcasting, it is common to check the contents of a program that is currently being broadcast by continuous operation of channel selection called zapping, but in order to perform the same operation in VOD, content is selected and viewed. There is a problem that it is necessary to repeat the operation, and the operability of the user is significantly impaired.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to provide a method capable of selecting contents by a simple operation using a remote controller in a receiving terminal capable of receiving a VOD service.

  A content selection method according to a first aspect of the present invention is the VOD system including a VOD server system capable of distributing video content on demand and a receiving terminal capable of receiving video content distributed on demand. The terminal includes input means by a remote controller, the VOD server system rearranges a plurality of video contents into a list structure according to a given rule, and the receiving terminal operates a list structure by operating a channel up / down button of the remote controller. The plurality of video contents are sequentially received and reproduced.

  A content selection method according to a second aspect of the present invention is the VOD system comprising a VOD server system capable of distributing video content on demand and a receiving terminal capable of receiving video content distributed on demand. The terminal includes input means using a remote controller, the VOD server system rearranges a plurality of video contents into a list structure according to a given rule, and the receiving terminal operates a list structure by operating channel number buttons on the remote controller. Receiving and reproducing the video content of the specified sequence number of the plurality of video content.

  According to the content selection method in the VOD system of the present invention, video content of VOD can be easily viewed with a user interface similar to TV broadcasting by operating a remote control channel of the receiving terminal.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment)
In the embodiment of the present invention, a video content selection method using a channel selection method similar to TV broadcast viewing in a VOD system will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configurations of a VOD server system and a receiving terminal VOD system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a distribution center 100 and a receiving terminal 200 are connected via an IP network 300. The distribution center 100 is composed of a VOD server system that provides a VOD service. The distribution center 100 reads video content from the video content file server 101 that stores video content files provided by the VOD service and the video content file server 101 in response to a request from the receiving terminal 200, and transmits the video content via the IP network 300. The distribution server 102 that distributes to the receiving terminal 200 and the metadata server 103 that generates metadata necessary for receiving / reproducing the video content from the video content file 101 and provides the metadata to the receiving terminal 200. For example, the video content file is a file encoded by a codec such as MPEG2, and parameters described in the metadata are the URL of the distribution server 102, the video content codec, the video content bit rate, and the like.

  Further, the metadata server 103 rearranges the video contents based on the rules such as ranking, new arrival, viewing history, etc., and rearranges the metadata of each video content into the list structure and rearranges the list structure in accordance with the rearrangement operation. For this, a video content list generator 104 for assigning sequence numbers is provided. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a video content list generated by the video content list generator 104.

  The receiving terminal 200 has a function of receiving and playing back the VOD service. When the user performs a video content playback start operation using the remote controller 201, a playback start command is notified to the VOD processing unit 204 via the remote control input unit 202 and the control unit 203. The VOD processing unit 204 acquires metadata using a communication protocol such as HTTP. The VOD processing unit 204 acquires parameters described in the metadata, and outputs a video content distribution request command to the communication unit 205 based on the acquired parameters. The video content distribution request command is transmitted from the communication unit 205 to the distribution server 102 of the distribution center 100 via the IP network 300. The distribution server 102 reads the corresponding video content from the video content file server 101 based on the distribution request command, and transmits the read video content to the communication unit 205 of the receiving terminal 200 via the IP network 300. The video content received by the communication unit 205 is input to the video / audio decoder unit 206 via the VOD processing unit 204, and is decoded based on the parameters by the video / audio decoder unit 206. The decoded video content is input to the display unit 207 and displayed as video on the display unit 207.

  Further, the receiving terminal 200 acquires a video content list from the metadata server 103 of the distribution center 100. The acquired video content list is held in the video content list holding unit 208.

  For example, when the video content list shown in FIG. 2 is held in the video content list holding unit 108 and soccer is displayed on the display unit 207, when the user presses the down arrow button of the remote controller 201, the user operation command Is notified to the VOD processing unit 204 via the remote control input unit 202 and the control unit 203. The VOD processing unit 204 reads the video content list from the video content list holding unit 208, and from the read video content list, the distribution server 102 of the ice skate distribution server 102 with the sequence number 3 that is lower than the currently displayed sequence number 2 soccer. The URL, the ice skating video content codec, and the ice skating video content bit rate are acquired, and the video content is requested to the distribution server 102 based on the acquired ice skating distribution server 102 URL. The ice skating video data distributed from the distribution server 102 based on this request is converted into the video / audio decoder unit 206 based on the codec of the ice skating video content and the bit rate of the ice skating video content acquired by the VOD processing unit 204. And is displayed on the display unit 207.

  As described above, according to the embodiment, when the distribution center generates the video content list, the user operates the channel up / down buttons on the remote controller in the same manner as the channel selection method in TV broadcasting, thereby enabling VOD content. Can be easily selected and viewed.

  In the above embodiment, the user selects content using the up and down arrow buttons of the remote control 201. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the content may be selected using the number buttons of the remote control 201. . For example, when the video content list shown in FIG. 2 is held in the video content list holding unit 108 and soccer is displayed on the display unit 207, when the user presses the numeric button “1” of the remote controller 201, the user An operation command is notified to the VOD processing unit 204 via the remote control input unit 202 and the control unit 203. The VOD processing unit 204 reads the video content list from the video content list holding unit 208, the URL of the today's news distribution server 102 with the sequence number 1 designated from the read video content list, and the codec of the video content of today's news And the bit rate of the video content of today's news is acquired, and the video content is requested to the distribution server 102 based on the URL of the distribution server 102 of the acquired today's news. The video data of today's news distributed from the distribution server 102 based on this request is based on the codec of the video content of today's news acquired by the VOD processing unit 204 and the bit rate of the video content of today's news. Decoded by the decoder unit 206 and displayed by the display unit 207.

  As described above, when the distribution center generates the video content list, the user can easily select and view the VOD content by operating the channel number buttons on the remote controller, similarly to the channel selection method in TV broadcasting. It becomes possible.

  In the above embodiment, the video content list is held in the video content list holding unit 208 of the receiving terminal 200. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is held in the metadata server 103 of the distribution center 100. It is good. In this case, when the user performs a channel up / down operation with the remote controller, the receiving terminal 200 transmits a metadata acquisition request for video content based on the user operation command to the metadata server 103. The metadata server 103 acquires the metadata of the corresponding video content from the video content list, and transmits the acquired metadata to the receiving terminal 200.

  The content selection method in the VOD system according to the present invention is useful as a VOD system equipped with a remote-controllable receiving terminal because content can be selected and viewed by a remote control operation method similar to the TV broadcast channel selection method. It is.

The figure which shows the structure of the VOD server system and VOD system of a receiving terminal in embodiment of this invention The figure which shows an example of the video content list produced | generated by the video content list generator 104 of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

100 distribution center 101 video content file server 102 distribution server 103 metadata server 104 video content list generator 200 receiving terminal 201 remote control 202 remote control input unit 203 control unit 204 VOD processing unit 205 communication unit 206 video audio decoder unit 207 display unit 208 video Content list holding unit 300 IP network

Claims (2)

In a VOD system composed of a VOD server system capable of distributing video content on demand and a receiving terminal capable of receiving video content distributed on demand,
The receiving terminal includes input means by a remote control,
The VOD server system sorts a plurality of video contents into a list structure according to a given rule,
The content selection method, wherein the receiving terminal sequentially receives and reproduces a plurality of video contents having a list structure by operating a channel up / down button of the remote controller. In a VOD system composed of a VOD server system capable of distributing video content on demand and a receiving terminal capable of receiving video content distributed on demand,
The receiving terminal includes input means by a remote control,
The VOD server system sorts a plurality of video contents into a list structure according to a given rule,
The content selection method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving terminal receives and reproduces video content of a specified sequence number of a plurality of video content in a list structure by operating channel number buttons on the remote controller.

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