Media contents monitoring apparatus and method thereof

• US 20030088670A1
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Seo, Sang-Il
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

The present invention relates a media contents monitoring apparatus and a method thereof capable of monitoring media contents information displayed through a certain display apparatus even in a remote place, the media contents monitoring apparatus extracts a media contents sample displayed on the object of monitoring according to set extraction setting information by a monitor'"'"'s request, converts the extracted media contents sample into a file format appropriate to a web protocol and transmits it to a monitoring unit in a remote place through the Internet. And, accordingly the monitoring unit in the remote place can check the media contents displayed through the object of monitoring by using the media contents sample received through the Internet.

Claims

1. A media contents monitoring apparatus for providing media contents information displayed to a remote terminal through a certain network, comprising:

an extraction information inputting unit for receiving extraction setting information for extracting a media contents sample;

a microcomputer for controlling each unit according to the extraction setting information;

an extraction cycle setting unit for setting a reference cycle and time for extracting a media contents sample according to the extraction setting information received through the extraction information inputting unit;

a media contents sample extracting unit for extracting a media contents sample displayed on a screen of the object of monitoring according to the reference cycle and time set by the extraction cycle setting unit;

a sample data converting unit for converting the extracted media contents sample into a data format appropriate to a web protocol; and

a media contents sample providing unit for providing the data-converted media contents sample to the monitoring unit according to the extraction setting information through the network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the extraction setting information includes a sample extraction key signal, a sample extraction cycle and time, data conversion information of an extracted media contents sample, providing cycle and time information of the data-converted media contents sample.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media contents sample extracted by the media contents sample extracting unit is screen information capturing one screen displayed on the object of monitoring or one frame information constructing the screen information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote media contents monitoring apparatus is built in the object of monitoring or is constructed as an outer packaging.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a data format unit for data-formatting the media contents sample data-converted by the sample data converting unit into a history arrangement structure; and

a storing unit for storing the media contents sample data-formatted as the history arrangement structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sample data converting unit converts the extracted media contents sample into a JPEG file format or a GIF file format appropriate to a web protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcomputer outputs a password input request signal for user identification confirmation and confirms the user identification by checking a password inputted according to the password request signal when the extraction information inputting unit requests an extraction setting information input.

8. A media contents monitoring method for providing media contents information to a remote terminal through a certain network, comprising the steps of:

receiving media contents extraction setting information (which includes a sample extraction key signal, a sample extraction cycle and time, data conversion information of an extracted media contents sample, providing cycle and time information of the data-converted media contents sample) from a monitor who monitors media contents displayed on the object of monitoring;

monitoring whether media contents are displayed through the object of monitoring;

extracting a displayed media contents sample according to the extraction cycle and time when the media contents are displayed through the object of monitoring;

data-converting the extracted media contents sample into a data format to be transmitted through a network; and

transmitting the data-converted media contents sample to a monitoring unit according to the providing cycle and time information of the media contents sample through the network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

data-formatting the data-converted media contents sample into a history arrangement structure; and

storing the data-formatted media contents sample.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

outputting a password input request signal for checking whether a user is permitted to input the extraction setting information; and

checking the user identification by comparing a preset password with the password inputted by the password input request signal.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the media contents sample extracted by the media contents sample extracting unit is screen information capturing one screen displayed on the object of monitoring or one frame information constructing the screen information.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the sample data converting unit the extracted media contents sample into a JPEG file format or a GIF file format appropriate to a web protocol.