METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING NETWORK CONTENT

• US 20080256085A1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Moon-sang, Lee, Hwa-kyung
• Granted Patent: US 8,763,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reproducing network content are provided. An apparatus for reproducing network content includes a first content list queue storing a content list received from content providing servers; a content list queue management module changing a content list stored in the first content list queue according to a user'"'"'s command to change the content list; a second content list queue storing the content list changed by the content list queue management module; a content pre-fetch module pre-fetching at least one element of content from the content providing servers based on the second content list queue and storing the content in a local storage unit; and a content reproduction module seamlessly reproducing the at least one element of content stored in the local storage unit.

Claims

10. An apparatus for reproducing network content comprising:

a first content list queue storing a content list received from content providing servers;

a content list queue management module changing a content list stored in the first content list queue according to a user'"'"'s command to change the content list;

a second content list queue storing the content list changed by the content list queue management module;

a content pre-fetch module pre-fetching at least one element of content from the content providing servers based on the second content list queue and storing the content in a local storage unit; and

a content reproduction module seamlessly reproducing the at least one element of content stored in the local storage unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a user command receiving module receiving a user'"'"'s command to change a content reproduction order.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the network content is video content.

13. A system for reproducing network content comprising:

at least one content providing server;

a digital TV receiving at least one element of content from the content providing servers and reproducing the content; and

a site-channel mapping server mapping sites of the content providing servers and channels of the digital TV.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein when the channels of the digital TV are changed, the digital TV is automatically connected to one of the content providing servers of one of the sites mapped to the channels.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the digital TV receives content lists from the content providing servers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the digital TV receives at least one element of content from the content providing servers according to the content lists and seamlessly reproduces the content.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the content lists are edited by the user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the digital TV comprises a display displaying one main screen and two or more sub-screens.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein one of the sub-screens displays the content in a moving picture format, and another displays the content in a still image format.

20. A site-channel mapping method comprising:

selecting a site that is to be mapped from at least one content providing site;

searching for a channel available for mapping on a digital TV; and

mapping the selected site and the found channel on the digital TV.

1. An apparatus for reproducing network content comprising:

a content list queue storing a content list received from content providing servers;

a content pre-fetch module pre-fetching at least one element of content from the content providing servers based on the content list queue and storing the content in a local storage unit; and

a content reproduction module seamlessly reproducing the at least one element of content stored in the local storage unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user configuration database storing mapping information between sites of the content providing servers and channels of a digital TV.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user configuration database storing information used for editing the content list stored in the content list queue.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a controller editing the content list received from the content providing servers based on the editing information stored in the user configuration database.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the information used for editing the content list, which is stored in the user configuration database, is configured by a user in advance.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network content is video content.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local storage unit comprises at least one buffer memory.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the content pre-fetch module buffers at least one element of content in the local storage unit in order to seamlessly reproduce a plurality of elements of content.

9. A digital TV comprising an apparatus for reproducing the network content of claim 1.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

inputting content list editing information.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the content list editing information comprises at least one of a content uploading period, content quality, a content reproduction period, and a content downloading number.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the selected site and the found channel of the digital TV are automatically mapped to each other.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the selected site and the found channel of the digital TV are manually mapped to each other.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the manual mapping comprises:

displaying at least one mapping-available channel; and

user selection of one of the available channels to be mapped.

25-1. The method of claim 20, wherein a user device connected to a site-channel mapping server is used to perform the method.

27. A method of reproducing network content comprising:

a digital TV accessing a content providing server based on site-channel mapping information;

receiving a content list from the content providing server;

receiving at least one element of content from the content providing server according to the content list; and

seamlessly reproducing the at least one element of content.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving site-channel mapping information from the site-channel mapping server.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

editing the content list.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the seamless reproducing of the at least one element of content comprises:

inserting a logo image or an advertisement image between content.

31. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for executing a site-channel mapping method, the method comprising:

selecting a site that is to be mapped from at least one content providing site;

searching for a channel available for mapping of a digital TV; and

mapping the selected site and the found channel of the digital TV.

32. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for executing a method of reproducing network content, the method comprising:

accessing a digital TV to a content providing server based on site-channel mapping information;

receiving a content list from the content providing server;

receiving at least one element of content from the content providing server according to the content list; and

seamlessly reproducing the at least one element of content.