JP7170155B1 - Channel management system, channel management method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

A channel management system, a channel management method, and a program capable of easily and reliably managing channels while securing the degree of freedom of channel setting in an IP distribution service are provided. A channel management system provides a receiver X, which is a television receiver, with a distribution server 110 (110A, 110B, ...) of a distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, ...) that provides an IP distribution service. Provided key ID assigning unit 111 (111A, 111B, . . . ), service ID assigning unit 112 (112A, 112B, . . . ), service ID changing unit 113 (113A, 113B, . and a collection server 300 for collecting viewing log data from the receiver X. [Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to a channel management system for managing channels in IP distribution services.

Conventionally, this type of IP broadcasting system includes a broadcasting station that provides IP broadcasting, a distribution network that distributes IP broadcasting to areas A and B, and a first IP broadcasting system in area A, as shown in Patent Document 1 below. A node that constitutes a network, a node that constitutes a second IP network in area B, a receiving terminal device that receives IP broadcast in area A or area B, and an IP broadcast service that is connected to the node and is discovered in area B. and a channel information management device for managing IP broadcast channel information.

JP 2007-068129 A

In such a system, even if the receiving point for receiving the content is changed, it is possible to provide the user with information on the content that can be received at the changed receiving point.

However, prior to the problem of the distribution network set for each area, the IP distribution service has the problem that an infinite number of channels can be set in the first place, making it difficult to manage channel information.

On the other hand, since the IP distribution service is characterized by increasing or decreasing the number of channels freely to some extent, limiting the number of channels may halve its appeal.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a channel management system, a channel management method, and a program capable of easily and reliably managing channels while ensuring flexibility in channel setting in IP distribution services. and

A channel management system of a first invention is a channel management system for managing channels in an IP distribution service,
Configured as a distribution service company that provides the IP distribution service,
a key ID assigning unit that assigns a unique key ID to the new channel;
a service ID assigning unit that assigns a temporary service ID to the channel;
a service ID changing unit that changes the service ID given by the service ID giving unit;
a distribution management unit configured in a distribution management server that manages the key ID and service ID of the distribution service company, and that creates a program guide based on the service ID changed by the service ID change unit;
an aggregating unit configured in an aggregating server that acquires and aggregates viewing logs from receivers that have received distribution of the IP distribution service;
with
In the distribution service company, a key ID assigning step of assigning the key ID by the key ID assigning unit is executed, a service ID assigning step of assigning the service ID by the service ID assigning unit, and the assigned key ID assigning step. A service ID changing step for changing the service ID is executed,
In the distribution management server, the key ID provided by the key ID provision unit of the distribution service company and the service ID provision unit assigned by the distribution management unit
executing a distribution management step of acquiring the service ID given and changed by the service ID changing unit, and creating a program table from the acquired service ID;
In the aggregation server, an aggregation step of acquiring and aggregating the viewing log including the key ID is executed by the aggregating unit,
The key ID is fixed .

According to the channel management system of the first invention, first, the key ID assigning unit of the distribution service company assigns a unique key ID to a new channel in the key ID assigning step, and the service ID assigning unit assigns the service ID. A temporary service ID is given in the process .

Then, for example, at the time of distribution, the service ID changing unit of the distribution service company executes the service ID changing step, thereby changing the service ID corresponding to channel switching. Therefore, even if the number of channels is freely increased or decreased, it can be dealt with only by changing the service ID.

Here, even when the service ID is changed due to channel replacement or the like, the key ID is fixed, so the channel can be specified by the key ID.

As described above, according to the channel management system of the first invention, it is possible to easily and reliably manage channels while securing the degree of freedom in channel setting in IP distribution services.

Further, according to the channel management system of the first invention, for example, at the time of distribution, the distribution management unit of the distribution management server executes the distribution management process based on the service ID changed by the service ID change unit, thereby to create

Therefore, even if the channel is changed while securing the degree of freedom of channel setting, it is possible to create a program table that reflects the contents of the change, thereby improving convenience for both the distributor and the viewer.

As described above, according to the channel management system of the first invention, even when the degree of freedom in setting channels is secured in IP distribution services, high convenience can be ensured, and channels can be managed simply and reliably. .

Furthermore, according to the channel management system of the first invention, the aggregation unit of the aggregation server executes the aggregation step to aggregate the viewing log from the receiver using the key ID, thereby changing the service ID by changing the channel or the like. Even in such a case, since the key ID is fixed, it is possible to specify the channel by the key ID and perform accurate aggregation without duplication or omission.

As described above, according to the channel management system of the first invention, it is possible to easily and reliably manage channels including tabulation while securing the degree of freedom in channel setting in IP distribution services.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an overview of a channel management system according to this embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing contents in the channel management system of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of processing in the channel management system of FIG. 1;

The channel management system of this embodiment is a channel management system that manages channels in an IP distribution service, and is a distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B) that provides an IP distribution service to receiver X, which is a television receiver. , . . ) provided in the distribution server 110 (110A, 110B, . . . ), the service ID assignment unit 112 (112A, 112B, . (113A, 113B, . (corresponding to the aggregation part of ).

Note that the receiver X may be configured to be capable of receiving broadcasts from the TV broadcasting station Y that transmits broadcast streams, as in this embodiment, or may be a dedicated device for IP distribution services.

In addition, the transmission path from TV station Y to receiver X is not limited to terrestrial broadcasting, but satellite broadcasting, cable television, and even IP retransmission and multicast as long as they are managed by TV broadcasting station Y. good.

A distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ) is an IP broadcasting station that transmits IP streams via a network (unicast is preferable, but unicast or multicast is also possible).

The distribution service companies 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ) can determine the display order by adding, inserting, and deleting channels within their own companies.

A key ID assigning unit 111 (111A, 111B, . . . ) assigns a unique key ID to a new channel set by the distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ).

The service ID assigning unit 112 (112A, 112B, . . . ) assigns a temporary service ID to a new channel set by the distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ).

The service ID changing unit 113 (113A, 113B, . . . ) changes the provisional service ID assigned to the new channel in the distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ).

The distribution management server 200 manages key IDs and service IDs in the distribution service companies 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ).

That is, the distribution management server 200 first sets key IDs and service IDs to be assigned in advance (key ID space and service ID space).

For example, the distribution management server 200 sets the key ID space and the service ID space in the 100s for the distribution service company A100A, and sets the key ID space and the service ID space in the 200s for the distribution service company B100B. .

Also, the distribution management server 200 obtains the key ID and service ID set by the distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, . Create a program guide for the service company 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ).

The aggregation server 300 acquires viewing information from the receiver X and analyzes it.

Specifically, the aggregation server 300 acquires a viewing log including a receiver ID generated by the receiver X along with channel selection, a viewing time, and a key ID, and performs viewing analysis.

The above is the configuration of the channel management system of this embodiment. In the above configuration, each processing unit of the distribution server 110 (110A, 110B, . ), RAM (random access memory), etc., a program for executing various processes described later is stored in a memory (not shown), and the program is executed to execute various processes. It functions as an arithmetic unit (sequencer).

Further, the channel management system of this embodiment is realized by distributed processing by the distribution servers 110, 200, and 300. Each function processing unit (111A, 111A, 111B, . . . ) in the distribution server 110 (110A, 110B, . 112A, 113A, 111B, 112B, 113B, .

Next, the processing contents of the channel management system will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the distribution service companies 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ) assign key IDs by key ID assigning units 111 (111A, 111B, . . . ) when setting new channels for each company (STEP 11A, 111B, . A service ID is assigned by the service ID assigning unit 112 (112A, 112B, . . . ) (STEP 112A, 112B, . . . ).

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, distribution service company A100A assigns key IDs (upper Shaded 101 to 104 in the table are given (STEP 111A), and service IDs (unshaded 101 to 104 in the upper table in the figure) are given (STEP 112B).

Here, the distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ) may, for example, rearrange (add/delete) channels in the process of distribution.

In that case, the service ID changing unit 113 (STEP 113A, 113B, . . . ) changes the service ID (STEP 113A, 113B, . . . ).

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, distribution service company A100A sets the application start date to January 1, 2022, and adds and deletes channels as shown in the table below in FIG.

(1) As a channel addition, the service name "Anime3" is added to the service ID 103, and the previous channel is deleted.

That is, the service ID 103 is changed from the service name "enka" and the key ID 103 in the table above to the service name "Anime3" and the key ID 105. FIG.

At this time, since the service ID is changed in accordance with the addition/deletion of channels, the service ID is reassigned, but the key ID is the key ID 105 uniquely assigned to the service name "Anime3".

Accordingly, the service name "enka" of the key ID 103 has no service ID, and is substantially deleted.

(2) Similarly, as a channel addition, the service name "JPOP" is added to the service ID 104, and the channel is moved down.

That is, the service ID 104 is changed to the service name “JPOP” and the key ID 106 .

Along with this, the service name "Railroad" of the previous service ID 104 is moved down to the service ID 105. FIG.

At this time, since the service ID is changed according to the addition/deletion of channels, the service ID is reassigned, but the key ID remains the key ID 106 uniquely assigned to the service name "JPOP". The key ID 104 uniquely assigned to the service name "Railway" remains unchanged.

(3) The service name may be changed together with the addition and deletion of channels.

Specifically, the service name 'Anime1' of the service ID 101 and the key ID 101 may be changed to 'New Anime'.

In this case, neither the service ID nor the key ID are changed.

As described above, when a channel is added, deleted, or otherwise changed, the distribution management server 200 creates a program guide for each distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ) according to the application start date (STEP 200 ).

Specifically, the distribution management server 200 checks that the key IDs and service IDs acquired from the distribution service companies 100 (100A, 100B, . . . ) do not overlap (within the same distribution service company or between other distribution service companies). After confirmation, a program list is created in which the obtained service IDs are arranged in order according to the application start date.

At this time, the channel is deleted and the service name without the service ID is excluded from the program table. Moreover, even if the service ID is changed, the key ID uniquely assigned to the service name is maintained. Therefore, even if it straddles the switching time (application start date), the tabulation described later is facilitated.

After that, the distribution service company 100 (100A, 100B, . , a viewing log (including receiver ID, user ID, household ID, viewing time and key ID) corresponding to the IP distribution used is generated by the receiver X and transmitted from the receiver X to the aggregation server 300 . Here, the user ID is input to the receiver X by the user, and the household ID is issued for each household in the tabulation server and assigned to the receiver X. FIG.

Based on the viewing logs collected by the aggregation server 300 from the plurality of receivers X in this manner, the aggregation server 300 performs various analyzes of the viewing status including the audience rating (STEP 300).

For example, the tabulation server 300 tabulates exposure to programs and exposure to advertisements for each household, user, and receiver as an analysis of viewing conditions.

Here, the aggregation server 300 aggregates the viewing log from the receiver X using the key ID, so that even when the service ID or service name is changed due to channel switching, etc., the key ID is fixed. Even if the period (application start date) is straddled, the channel can be identified by the key ID, and precise aggregation without duplication or omission can be performed.

As described above in detail, according to the channel management system and the channel management method of the present embodiment, in an IP distribution service, channel management including aggregation can be performed easily and reliably while securing the degree of freedom in channel setting. can be done.

In the present embodiment, a case where key IDs and service IDs are assigned to channels has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and management is performed by assigning key IDs and service IDs for each program. may

100, 100A, 100B... IP delivery service company, 110, 110A, 110B... delivery server, 111A, 111B... key ID assigning unit, 112A, 112B... service ID assigning unit, 113A, 113B... service ID changing unit, 200... delivery Management server (distribution management section), 300 -- Aggregation server (aggregation section), X -- Receiver, Y -- Broadcasting station.

Claims (1)

A channel management system for managing channels in an IP distribution service,
Configured as a distribution service company that provides the IP distribution service,
a key ID assigning unit that assigns a unique key ID to the new channel;
a service ID assigning unit that assigns a temporary service ID to the channel;
a service ID changing unit that changes the service ID given by the service ID giving unit;
a distribution management unit configured in a distribution management server that manages the key ID and service ID of the distribution service company, and that creates a program guide based on the service ID changed by the service ID change unit;
an aggregating unit configured in an aggregating server that acquires and aggregates viewing logs from receivers that have received distribution of the IP distribution service;
with
In the distribution service company, a key ID assigning step of assigning the key ID by the key ID assigning unit is executed, a service ID assigning step of assigning the service ID by the service ID assigning unit, and the assigned key ID assigning step. A service ID changing step for changing the service ID is executed,
In the distribution management server, the key ID provided by the key ID provision unit of the distribution service company and the service ID provision unit assigned by the distribution management unit
executing a distribution management step of acquiring the service ID given and changed by the service ID changing unit, and creating a program table from the acquired service ID;
In the aggregation server, an aggregation step of acquiring and aggregating the viewing log including the key ID is executed by the aggregating unit,
A channel management system, wherein the key ID is fixed.

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