Method and System for Obtaining Viewing Information in Broadband Video System

• US 20080148326A1
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Bingshan, Qin, Gang
• Application Number:
  US11/579,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20080148326A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/41 for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and a system for obtaining viewing information in broadband video system; the present invention takes full advantage of the corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups in broadband video system to obtain user terminal information and then determine the viewing information of programs in each multicast group with the user terminal information. The system for obtaining viewing information in broadband video system provided in the present invention includes: at least a video flow user distribution device, adapted to obtain user terminal information in accordance with its stored corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups and transmit the user terminal information to a viewing acquisition and analysis center; the viewing acquisition and analysis center, adapted to determine the viewing information of programs in each multicast group in accordance with the received user terminal information.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining viewing information in broadband video system, comprising

obtaining user terminal information in accordance with a corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups in the broadband video system, and determining the viewing information of programs in each multicast group in accordance with said user terminal information.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups is a corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups based on Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises

setting a Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute of each user terminal.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein said method further comprises determining the corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups in accordance with the Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute of each user terminal.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein said method further comprises

setting the Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute in a user terminal in accordance with the Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute of the user terminal obtained by a video flow user distribution device.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein said video flow user distribution device obtains the Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute of the user terminal through the following steps:

obtaining, by a viewing acquisition and analysis center, information of the Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute of the user terminal, carrying said information in an attribute setting request, and sending said attribute setting request to the video flow user distribution device corresponding to the user terminal;

or

obtaining and storing, by the viewing acquisition and analysis center, the information of the Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute of the user terminal;

obtaining, by the video flow user distribution device, the information of the Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute of the corresponding user terminal at a predetermined time interval from the information stored by said viewing acquisition and analysis center.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein said attribute setting request is an attribute setting request based on a dedicated acquisition protocol or a network management protocol, or an attribute setting request in the form of command line of the video flow user distribution device.

8. The method as in claim 6, wherein said method further comprises

obtaining, by said video flow user distribution device, the user terminal information in accordance with the corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups stored by said video flow user distribution device, and transmitting the user terminal information to said viewing acquisition and analysis center;

determining, by said viewing acquisition and analysis center, the viewing information of programs in each multicast group in accordance with the received user terminal information.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein said method further comprises

transmitting, by said viewing acquisition and analysis center, a viewing information acquisition request to at least one video flow user distribution device as required;

after receiving said request, obtaining, by each of said video flow user distribution devices, the user terminal information in accordance with the corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups stored by the video flow user distribution device and transmits said user terminal information to said viewing acquisition and analysis center.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein said method further comprises

transmitting, by said viewing acquisition and analysis center, the viewing information acquisition request to said at least one video flow user distribution device at a predetermined time interval.

11. The method as in claim 9, wherein said viewing information acquisition request is a viewing information acquisition request based on a dedicated acquisition protocol or a network management protocol.

12. The method as in claim 8, wherein said method further comprises

obtaining, by said video flow user distribution device, the user terminal information at a predetermined time interval in accordance with the corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups stored by said video flow user distribution device, and transmitting the user terminal information to said viewing acquisition and analysis center.

13. The method as in claim 8, wherein said method further comprises

b1. determining, by said viewing acquisition and analysis center, the number of viewers of programs in each multicast group at a predetermined time or in a predetermined period in accordance with the number of user terminals corresponding to each multicast group transmitted by said video flow user distribution device;

b2. obtaining, by said viewing acquisition and analysis center, the total number of user terminals that have subscribed the broadband video service, as well as the number of user terminals that are predetermined to be neglected;

b3. determining, by said viewing acquisition and analysis center, the rating of programs in each multicast group at a predetermined time or in a predetermined period respectively in accordance with the number of viewers of programs in each multicast group, the total number of user terminals that have subscribed the broadband video service, and the number of user terminals that are predetermined to be neglected.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said number of user terminals that are predetermined to be neglected includes the number of user terminals of which the Permit Viewing Information Statistics attribute is set to “

Disabled”

.

15. The method as in claim 13, wherein said method further comprises

determining, by said viewing acquisition and analysis center, the rating of programs in each multicast group at a determined time or in a determined period for user terminals in each type of registration information in accordance with the number of viewers of programs in each multicast group, the total number of user terminals that have subscribed the broadband video service, the number of user terminals that are predetermined to be neglected, and the registration information of user terminals.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein said registration information comprises gender, age, occupation, educational level, and income.

17. A system for obtaining viewing information in broadband video system, comprising

at least a video flow user distribution device, adapted to obtain user terminal information in accordance with its stored corresponding relation between user terminals and multicast groups, and transmit the user terminal information to a viewing acquisition and analysis center;

the viewing acquisition and analysis center, adapted to determine the viewing information of programs in each multicast group in accordance with the received user terminal information.

18. The system as in claim 17, wherein said video flow user distribution device is a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS), a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM), or a Local Areal Network (LAN) Switch.

19. The system as in claim 17, wherein said viewing acquisition and analysis center is arranged separately or in a network management equipment.