Method and apparatus for discovering internet protocol television service (IPTV) provider and IPTV service by using session initiation protocol

• US 8,838,676 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Mun-jo, Rhim, Eun-hee, Hwang, In-chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US12/323,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,120 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6402 Address allocation for clients address allocation in data networks H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus by which a first entity receives information about one or more Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service providers or information about one or more IPTV services from a second entity by using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of receiving information about one or more service providers in a network comprising a first entity and a second entity, the method comprising:

generating, by the first entity, a first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message for performing a service provider discovery of one or more service providers providing a service;

transmitting the first SIP message to the second entity;

in response to the first SIP message, receiving, by the first entity, a second SIP message including information about the one or more service providers from the second entity,

wherein the service comprises an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service;

wherein the first SIP message comprises a SIP SUBSCRIBE message requesting information about one or more IPTV service providers,

wherein the second SIP message comprises a SIP NOTIFY message comprising information about one or more IPTV service providers,

wherein the SIP SUBSCRIBE message comprises a first header requesting the information about the one or more IPTV service providers providing the service,

wherein the SIP NOTIFY message comprises a second header for providing the information about the one or more IPTV service providers providing the service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first header and the second header are expressed according to a ua-profile event package.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first header comprises information about a domain address of a service provider that the first entity desires to receive a service from.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first header is expressed according to a separate event package defined to express the first header requesting the information about the one or more IPTV service providers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the first SIP message further comprises receiving a SIP 200 OK message from the second entity, wherein the SIP 200 OK message indicates that the first SIP message has been received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the SIP NOTIFY message comprises Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) information about an entity capable of discovering one or more services provided from a service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the SIP NOTIFY message comprises information about at least one from among a protocol and an icon which are used when discovering the one or more services provided from the service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second header is expressed according to a separate event package defined to express the second header for providing the information about the one or more IPTV service providers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the second SIP message further comprises transmitting a SIP 200 OK message to the second entity, wherein the SIP 200 OK message indicates that the second SIP message has been received.

21. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 1.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first entity, a third SIP message for performing a service discovery to a service discovering entity of the service provider according to information about the service provider included in the second SIP message;

in response to the third SIP message, generating a fourth SIP message including the information about the service from the service discovering entity; and

transmitting the fourth SIP message to the first entity.

25. The method of claim 24, the third SIP message comprises another SIP SUBSCRIBE message for performing the service discovery.

10. A method of providing information about one or more service providers to a first entity, wherein the providing is performed by a second entity, the method comprising:

receiving a first SIP message, from the first entity, for performing a service provider discovery of one or more service providers providing a service;

in response to the first SIP message, generating a second SIP message comprising information about the one or more service providers;

transmitting the second SIP message to the first entity;

wherein the service comprises an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service,

wherein the first SIP message comprises a SIP SUBSCRIBE message requesting information about one or more IPTV service providers;

wherein the second SIP message comprises a SIP NOTIFY message comprising information about one or more IPTV service providers,

wherein the SIP SUBSCRIBE message comprises a first header requesting the information about the one or more IPTV service providers, and

wherein the SIP NOTIFY message comprises a second header for providing the information about the one or more IPTV service providers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first header and second header are expressed according to a ua-profile event package.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first header comprises information about a domain address of a service provider that the first entity desires to receive a service from.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first header is expressed according to a separate event package defined to express the first header requesting the information about the one or more IPTV service providers.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving of the first SIP message further comprises transmitting a SIP 200 OK message to the first entity, wherein the SIP 200 OK message indicates that the first SIP message has been received.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the SIP NOTIFY message comprises URI information about an entity capable of discovering one or more services provided from a service provider.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the SIP NOTIFY message comprises information about at least one from among a protocol and an icon which are used when discovering the one or more services provided from the service provider.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the second header is expressed according to a separate event package defined to express the second header for providing the information about the one or more IPTV service providers.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting of the second SIP message further comprises receiving a SIP 200 OK message from the first entity, wherein the SIP 200 OK message indicates that the second SIP message has been received.

22. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 10.

23. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from the first entity, a third SIP message for performing a service discovery to a service discovering entity of the service provider according to information about the service provider included in the second SIP message;

in response to the third SIP message, generating a fourth SIP message including the information about the service from the service discovering entity; and

transmitting the fourth SIP message to the first entity.

19. An information receiving apparatus for receiving information about one or more service providers in a network comprising a first entity and a second entity, the information receiving apparatus comprising:

a message generating unit generating a first SIP message for performing a service provider discovery of one or more service providers providing a service;

a message transmitting unit transmitting the first SIP message to the second entity; and

a message receiving unit receiving a second SIP message comprising information about the one or more service providers from the second entity, in response to the first SIP message,

wherein the service comprises an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service,

wherein the first SIP message comprises a SIP SUBSCRIBE message requesting information about one or more IPTV service providers,

wherein the second SIP message comprises a SIP NOTIFY message comprising information about one or more IPTV service providers,

wherein the SIP SUBSCRIBE message comprises a first header requesting the information about the one or more IPTV service providers, and

wherein the SIP NOTIFY message comprises a second header for providing the information about the one or more IPTV service providers.

20. An information providing apparatus for providing information about one or more service providers in a network comprising a first entity and a second entity, the information providing apparatus comprising:

a message receiving unit receiving a first SIP message for performing a service provider discovery of one or more service providers providing a service

a message generating unit generating a second SIP message comprising information about the one or more service providers, as a response to the first SIP message

a message transmitting unit transmitting the second SIP message wherein the service comprises an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service,

wherein the first SIP message comprises a SIP SUBSCRIBE message requesting information about one or more IPTV service providers,

wherein the second SIP message comprises a SIP NOTIFY message comprising information about one or more IPTV service providers,

wherein the SIP SUBSCRIBE message comprises a first header requesting the information about the one or more IPTV service providers, and

wherein the SIP NOTIFY message comprises a second header for providing the information about the one or more IPTV service providers.