Apparatus and method for processing an interactive service

• US 9,038,097 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Sejiin, Park, Byungsun, Moon, Kyoungsoo, Thomas, Gomer, An, Seungjoo, Lee, Jinwon, Kim, Jinpil, Kim, Kyungho, Ji, Aettie
• Primary Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US13/925,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20130347030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A method of processing an interactive service and an apparatus thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes generating a trigger, wherein the trigger contains a first identifier and a parameter, wherein the first identifier identifies an application to be launched, wherein the parameter contains a media time stamp and a content identifier, wherein the media time stamp indicates a current point in the playout of a content, wherein the content identifier identifies the content currently being viewed, wherein the trigger is passed into the application after the application is launched, and wherein the application delivers the content identifier to a server in order to identify the content currently being viewed; generating a broadcast signal including the trigger; and transmitting the broadcast signal.

Claims

1. A method of processing an interactive service, the method comprising:

generating a broadcast content;

transmitting the generated broadcast content to a receiver;

generating a trigger for the interactive service related to the broadcast content;

transmitting the generated trigger to the receiver that playing the broadcast content, wherein the trigger includes a first identifier and a parameter, wherein the first identifier identifies an application to be launched in the receiver, wherein the parameter includes a media time stamp and a content identifier, wherein the media time stamp indicates current media time of the broadcast content currently being viewed in the receiver relative to a segment, thereby establishing a time base for providing the interactive service synchronized with the broadcast content currently being viewed,

wherein the content identifier identifies the broadcast content currently being viewed,

wherein the trigger is passed into the application after the application is launched,

wherein the content identifier is delivered to a back-end server by the application in order to identify the broadcast content currently being viewed and to communicate with the back-end server to get instructions for providing the interactive service synchronized with the broadcast content currently being viewed,

wherein the application provides the interactive service as directed by the back-end server based on the established time base;

transmitting a first subsequent trigger, wherein the first subsequent trigger includes a locator part identifying an application parameter table, wherein the application parameter table includes metadata about applications of the segment and interactive events targeted to the applications; and

transmitting the application parameter table identified by the locator part in the first subsequent trigger,

wherein the application parameter table includes an application element including information about a second application, wherein the application element includes an application identifier identifying the second application and an event element,

wherein the event element includes information about an interactive event targeted to the second application, wherein the event element includes an event identifier identifying the interactive event targeted to the second application.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first identifier is consist of a first part and a second part, the first part references a registered interne domain name and the second part identifies a directory path under control and management of an entity who owns rights to identified domain name.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the trigger has maximum length of 52 bytes.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the application is to be downloaded if the application is not pre-installed or already cached, and wherein the application is identified by the first identifier.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the application is a Declarative Object, a Triggered Declarative Object, a Non-Real Time Declarative Object or an Unbound Declarative Object.

6. A method of processing an interactive service, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast content;

displaying the received broadcast content;

receiving a trigger for the interactive service related to the broadcast content, wherein the trigger includes a first identifier and a parameter, wherein the first identifier identifies a first application to be launched, wherein the parameter includes a media time stamp and a content identifier, wherein the media time stamp indicates current media time of the broadcast content currently being viewed relative to a segment, wherein the content identifier identifies the broadcast content currently being viewed;

establishing a time base for providing the interactive service synchronized with the broadcast content currently being viewed, by using the media time stamp;

launching the first application indicated by the first identifier, wherein the trigger is passed into the first application after the first application is launched;

sending the content identifier to a back-end server by using the first application in order to identify the broadcast content currently being viewed;

receiving an instruction for providing the interactive service, from the back-end server;

providing the interactive service related to the broadcast content according to the received instruction, wherein the interactive service is synchronized with the broadcast content currently being viewed by using the established time base;

receiving a first subsequent trigger, wherein the first subsequent trigger includes a locator part identifying an application parameter table, wherein the application parameter table includes metadata about applications of the segment and interactive events targeted to the applications; and

receiving the application parameter table identified by the locator part in the first subsequent trigger,

wherein the application parameter table includes an application element including information about a second application, wherein the application element includes an application identifier identifying the second application and an event element,

wherein the event element includes information about an interactive event targeted to the second application, wherein the event element includes an event identifier identifying the interactive event targeted to the second application.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein the first identifier is consist of a first part and a second part, the first part references a registered interne domain name and the second part identifies a directory path under control and management of an entity who owns rights to identified domain name.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further includes:

receiving a second subsequent trigger, wherein the second subsequent trigger includes a locator part identifying the same application parameter table, wherein the second subsequent trigger includes an appID, an eventID, and an activation time information,

wherein the appID matches the application identifier to identify the second application, wherein the eventID matches the event identifier to identify the interactive event targeted to the second application;

providing the interactive service related to the broadcast content, by activating the interactive event targeted to the second application at media time that the activation time information indicates.

9. The method of claim 6,

wherein the application is to be downloaded if the application is not pre-installed or already cached, and wherein the application is identified by the first identifier.

10. An apparatus for processing an interactive service, the apparatus comprising:

a first receiving module that receives a broadcast content;

a displaying module that displays the received broadcast content;

a second receiving module that receives a trigger for the interactive service related to the broadcast content, wherein the trigger includes a first identifier and a parameter, wherein the first identifier identifies an application to be launched, wherein the parameter includes a media time stamp and a content identifier, wherein the media time stamp indicates current media time of the broadcast content currently being viewed relative to a segment, wherein the content identifier identifies the broadcast content currently being viewed;

a time base module that establishes a time base for providing the interactive service synchronized with the broadcast content currently being viewed, by using the media time stamp;

an application launching module that launches the application indicated by the first identifier, wherein the trigger is passed into the application after the application is launched;

a network interface module that sends the content identifier to a back-end server by using the application in order to identify the broadcast content currently being viewed;

wherein the network interface module receives an instruction for providing the interactive service, from the back-end server;

an interactive service providing module that provides the interactive service related to the broadcast content according to the received instruction, wherein the interactive service is synchronized with the broadcast content currently being viewed by using the established time base,

wherein the second receiving module receives a first subsequent trigger, wherein the first subsequent trigger includes a locator part identifying an application parameter table, wherein the application parameter table includes metadata about applications of the segment and interactive events targeted to the applications; and

a third receiving module that receives the application parameter table identified by the locator part in the first subsequent trigger,

wherein the application parameter table includes an application element including information about a second application, wherein the application element includes an application identifier identifying the second application and an event element,

wherein the event element includes information about an interactive event targeted to the second application, wherein the event element includes an event identifier identifying the interactive event targeted to the second application.