Video-on-demand system and related managing method

• US 20060253871A1
• Filed: 07/14/2003
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ge Gesitone Sistemi Sri, GS Gestione Sistemi S.r.l.
• Original Assignee: Ge Gesitone Sistemi Sri
• Inventors: Berti, Umberto
• Application Number:
  US10/543,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A video-on-demand system of the type comprising a plurality of local user-units in communication with a central distribution unit apt to transmit to each local user-unit a video selected by the latter unit from a menu stored at local level, wherein each local user-unit comprises local unit for updating the menu, apt to process a menu-verification require for the central distribution unit.

Claims

1. A video-on-demand system of the type comprising a plurality of local user-units and a central distribution unit apt to transmit videos to said local user-units, wherein each of said local user-units comprises:

—

means for storing a video menu;

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means for selecting a video from said menu;

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means for communicating with said central distribution unit, apt to send to the latter a request for transmission of the selected video and to receive such video; and

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local updating means for updating said menu, apt to work out a menu-verification request for said central distribution unit and to send said request by means of said communication means, which request is in the form of a data string containing an identifier of the menu version stored at local level, and wherein said central distribution unit, in turn, comprises;

—

central updating means for updating the local menus, apt to send to each local user-unit, in reply to said menu-verification request, data for updating the local menu.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data string worked out by said local updating means comprises a first portion containing said identifier of the menu version stored at local level and a second portion containing an identifier of the local user-unit.

3. The systems according to claim 2, wherein said second string portion contains an identifier of the firmware residing in the local user-unit.

4. The systems according to claims 1, wherein said communication means comprises a SIM card to send said menu-verification request to said central distribution unit.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein said second string portion contains an identifier of said SIM card of the local user-unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each local user-unit comprises a decoder.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein said second string portion contains an identifier of said decoder of the local user-unit.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein said data string worked out by said local updating means comprises an additional portion containing an identifier of the related telephone use.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said communication means comprises a module of the wireless type to send said menu-verification request to said central distribution unit.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless module is selected in a group comprising GSM, GPRS and UMTS modules.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said local updating means is apt to determine the sending of said menu-verification request to said central distribution unit automatically upon each activation of said local user-unit.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said communication means, in order to send said video request and to receive the video from said central distribution unit, bases upon a communication network of the digital terrestrial television (DTT) type.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said communication means of each local user-unit and said central distribution unit allow the transmission of videos in the streaming mode.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein each local user-unit comprises means for storing and filing the videos received by means of said communication means.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said central distribution unit comprises means for inserting advertising in a video to be transmitted to local user-unit.

16. A managing method of a video-on-demand system of the type comprising a plurality of local user-units in communication with a central distribution unit apt to transmit videos to said local user-units so that each local user-unit allows to select a video from a video menu stored at local level, to send a request for transmitting the selected video to the central distribution unit and to receive the selected video, which method, in turn, comprises a procedure for updating the menu of each local user-unit which, in turn, provides the steps of:

(i) working out, at the level of local user-unit, a menu-verification request, which request is in the form of a data string containing an identifier of the menu version stored at local level;

(ii) transmitting the menu-verification request from the local user-unit to the central distribution unit;

(iii) comparing, at the level of central distribution unit, the menu version identified in the verification request with the latest version available;

(iv) in case of difference between the compared menu versions, transmitting data for updating the menu from the central distribution unit to the local user-unit.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said data string of said menu-verification request comprises a first portion containing said identifier of the version stored at local level and a second portion containing an identifier of the local user-unit.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said second string portion contains an identifier of the firmware residing in the local user-unit.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step (ii) provides the use of a SIM card residing in the local user-unit.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said second string portion contains an identifier of the SIM card of the local user-unit.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein said second string portion contains an identifier of a decoder of the local user-unit.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein said data string comprises an additional portion containing an identifier of the related telephone use.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step (ii) provides the use of a module of the wireless type to send said menu-verification request to said central distribution unit.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step (ii) provides the use of a module of the wireless type selected in a group comprising GSM, GPRS, UMTS modules and modem.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step (ii) provides the automatic dispatch of said menu-verification request to the central distribution unite upon each activation of the local user-unit.

26. The method according to claim 16, wherein said data for updating the menu of said step (iv) are processed by the local user-unit in the form of a file in the text format.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein the video transmission from the central distribution unit to the local user-units bases upon a communication network of digital terrestrial television (DTT) type.

28. The method according to claim 16, wherein the video transmission from the central distribution unit to the local user-units takes place in the streaming mode.

29. The method according to claim 16, wherein each local user-unit allows storing and filing the received videos.

30. The method according to claim 16, wherein said video menu stored at local level comprises a frequent-updating menu portion and an occasional-updating menu portion.

31. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step (i), in turn, comprises a first step of analyzing the files on board a local decoder, a second step of coding the list of the present files, a third step of coding the amount of employed memory and of the memory available at local level and a fourth step of generating said data string.

32. The method according to claim 16, wherein said central distribution unit, before transmitting a video to a local user-unit, inserts advertising in the video to be transmitted.