METHOD FOR SWITCHING DIGITAL TV PROGRAM AND DIGITAL TV DEVICE

• US 20090204990A1
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• 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: Shi, Ying, Xiong, Anyuan
• Application Number:
  US12/427,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method for switching a digital TV program and a digital TV device are provided. The method includes: retrieving a prestored identifier of a target VOD program and a prestored presentation position associated with the identifier of the target VOD program when a program switching from a current live program to the target VOD program is required; and performing the program switching by using the identifier of the target VOD program and the presentation position.

Claims

1. A method for switching a digital television (TV) program, comprising:

retrieving a prestored identifier of a target Video On Demand (VOD) program and a prestored presentation position associated with the identifier of the target VOD program when a program switching from a current live program to the target VOD program is required; and

performing the program switching by using the identifier of the target VOD program and the presentation position.

2. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing an identifier of a VOD program, a presentation position at which presentation of the VOD program is stopped, and correspondence relationship between the both, after receiving a command for stopping the presentation of the VOD program.

3. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 2, wherein the performing the program switching by using the identifier of the target VOD program and the presentation position further comprises:

presenting the target VOD program starting from the presentation position.

4. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing an identifier of a VOD program, a segment of the VOD program with a predetermined length backward and/or forward from the time at which current presentation of the VOD program is stopped, an end presentation position of the stored segment of the VOD program, and correspondence relationship between them, after receiving a command for stopping the presentation of the VOD program.

5. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 4, wherein performing the program switching by using the identifier of the target VOD program and the presentation position further comprises:

presenting prestored segment of the target VOD program with the predetermined length and associated with the identifier of the target VOD program, and

presenting the target VOD program from the end presentation position immediately after the presentation of the prestored segment of the target VOD program.

6. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 2, further comprising:

prompting a user, via a selecting interface, to select whether to store the information and the correspondence relationship after receiving the command for stopping the presentation of the VOD program; and

storing the information and the correspondence relationship when receiving a positive response for performing the storing from the user.

7. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 3, further comprising:

prompting a user, via a selecting interface, to select whether to start presenting the target VOD program from the prestored presentation position, before presenting the target VOD program; and

sending a presentation request including the identifier of the target VOD program and the presentation position when receiving a response for presenting the VOD program from the prestored presentation position from the user.

8. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command for stopping presentation of a VOD program and switching to a live program; and

maintaining connection to the VOD program.

9. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 8, before retrieving a prestored identifier of a VOD program and a prestored presentation position associated with the identifier of the target VOD program, further comprising:

sending a request for resuming presentation if a connection to the target VOD program is maintained currently.

15. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 4, further comprising:

prompting a user, via a selecting interface, to select whether to store the information and the correspondence relationship after receiving the command for stopping the presentation of the VOD program; and

storing the information and the correspondence relationship when receiving a positive response for performing the storing from the user.

16. The method for switching a digital TV program according to claim 5, further comprising:

prompting a user, via a selecting interface, to select whether to start presenting the target VOD program from the prestored presentation position, before presenting the target VOD program; and

sending a presentation request including the identifier of the target VOD program and the presentation position when receiving a response for presenting the VOD program from the prestored presentation position from the user.

10. A digital television (TV) device, comprising:

a first storing unit adapted to store an identifier of a Video On Demand (VOD) program, a presentation position at which presentation of the VOD program is stopped, and correspondence relationship between the both after receiving a command for stopping the presentation of the VOD program;

a first looking up unit adapted to look for an identifier of a target VOD program and a presentation position associated with the identifier of the target VOD program from VOD program identifiers and presentation positions stored by the first storing unit after receiving a command for switching to the target VOD program; and

a first sending unit adapted to send a presentation request including the identifier of the target VOD program and the presentation position associated with the identifier of the target VOD to a VOD server when the first looking up unit finds the identifier of the target VOD program and the presentation position associated with the identifier of the target VOD.

11. The digital TV device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a connection maintaining unit adapted to maintain connection to a VOD program after receiving a command for switching from the VOD program to a live program; and

a connection determining unit adapted to determine whether connection to a VOD program is maintained currently after receiving a command for switching to the VOD program;

wherein the sending unit is further adapted to send a request for resuming presentation of the VOD program to the VOD server after the connection determining unit determines that the connection to the VOD program is maintained currently.

12. A digital television (TV) device, comprising:

a second storing unit adapted to store an identifier of a Video On Demand (VOD) program, a segment of the VOD program with a predetermined length backward and/or forward from the time at which the current presentation of the VOD program is stopped, an end presentation position of the stored segment of the VOD program, and correspondence relationship between them, after receiving a command for stopping the presentation of the VOD program;

a second looking up unit adapted to look for an identifier of a target VOD program, a segment of the target VOD program with the predetermined length and associated with the identifier of the target VOD program, and an end presentation position of the prestored segment of the target VOD program from the contents stored by the second storing unit, after receiving a command for switching to the target VOD program; and

a second sending unit adapted to send a presentation request including the identifier of the target VOD program and the end presentation position associated with the identifier of the target VOD to a VOD server when the second looking up unit finds the identifier of the target VOD program and the end presentation position associated with the identifier of the target VOD.

13. The digital TV device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a presenting unit adapted to present the prestored segment of the target VOD program with the predetermined length and associated with the identifier of the target VOD program, and present the target VOD program from the end presentation position immediately after the presentation of the prestored segment of the target VOD program.

14. The digital TV device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a prompting unit adapted to prompt the user, via a selecting interface, to select whether to store the information and the correspondence relationship, and/or prompt the user to select whether to start presenting the target VOD program from the end presentation position.

17. The digital TV device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a prompting unit adapted to prompt the user, via a selecting interface, to select whether to store the information and the correspondence relationship, and/or prompt the user to select whether to start presenting the target VOD program from the end presentation position.