System and method for providing cloud based user interfaces

• US 9,912,996 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altimedia Corp. (KT Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alticast Corporation
• Inventors: Song, Moon Kyu, Jung, Hyun Il, Kim, Woo Hyuck
• Primary Examiner(s): Madamba, Glenford
• Application Number:
  US14/646,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/637 Control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components
• 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

Abstract

Provided is a method and system for providing cloud based user interface (UIs) that may store video content and a UI resource in a storage separate from a server, and may control the video content and the UI resource to be synthesized at a subscriber terminal device, thereby significantly decreasing load of a UIs providing server. The method and system for providing cloud based UIs may provide consistent UIs to various set-top boxes and media devices and may easily perform a change and a test of UIs.

Claims

1. A remote application server comprising:

a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to,

collect state information about at least one subscriber terminal device,

analyze the state information received from the at least one subscriber terminal device,

generate a control command comprising at least one of

a rendering control command for controlling a rendering at the at least one subscriber terminal device with respect to at least one of content and a user interface (UI) resource, and

a terminal control command for controlling the at least one subscriber terminal device, based on the analyzed state information,

transmit the rendering control command to control the at least one subscriber terminal device to enable the at least one subscriber terminal device to request a media storage for at least one of the content and the UI resource, the media storage being separate from the remote application server, and

enable the at least one subscriber terminal device to determine whether a session connection is normal, and generate a hybrid control command based on the analyzed state information for controlling resources for the rendering if the session connection is not smooth,

wherein the at least one subscriber terminal device includes a first subscriber terminal device and a second subscriber terminal device,

each of the first subscriber terminal device and the second subscriber terminal device is configured to receive the content and the UI resource using a different protocol method, and

if the content is real-time broadcasting content, the media storage is configured to acquire the real-time broadcasting content, divide the acquired broadcasting content using a predetermined method, and store the divided broadcasting content.

2. The remote application server of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit the rendering control command to the at least one subscriber terminal device over a network.

3. The remote application server of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit the rendering control command to the at least one subscriber terminal device to extract a local UI resource from a local UI storage included in the at least one subscriber terminal device in response to the rendering control command, and render at least one of the content, the UI resource, and the extracted local UI resource.

4. The remote application server of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the rendering control command to the at least one subscriber terminal device over a network to enable the at least one subscriber terminal device to perform at least one of a terminal initialization, a software upgrade, a session connection, and a session block in response to the terminal control command.

5. The remote application server of claim 1, wherein

the state information comprises at least one of resolution information of a display device interacting with the at least one subscriber terminal device, display screen rotation information, device information of an input device interacting with the at least one subscriber terminal device, and service subscription information, and

the one or more processors are further configured to transmit a state information request to the at least one subscriber terminal device, and receive the state information transmitted from the at least one subscriber terminal device in response to the state information request.

6. At least one subscriber terminal device comprising:

a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to,

generate state information in response to a state information request received from a remote application server or a state information provided by a user,

send a request to a media storage for at least one of a user interface (UI) resource and content, and t receive at least one of the UI resource and the content in response to the state information request, the media storage being separate from the remote application server,

control the request to the media storage in response to a control command received from the remote application server,

receive and render at least one of the content and the UI resource; and

determine whether a session connection with the remote application server is normal, and

generate a hybrid control command for controlling a rendering at the renderer if the session connection is not smooth,

wherein the at least one subscriber terminal device includes a first subscriber terminal device and a second subscriber terminal device,

each of the first subscriber terminal device and the second subscriber terminal device is configured to receive the content and the UI resource using a different protocol method, and

if the content is real-time broadcasting content, the media storage is configured to acquire the real-time broadcasting content, divide the acquired broadcasting content using a predetermined method, and store the divided broadcasting content.

7. The at least one subscriber terminal device of claim 6, further comprising:

a local UI storage configured to store and manage a local UI resource,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive the local UI resource from the local UI storage and render the received local UI resource.

8. The at least one subscriber terminal device of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to extract the local UI resource from the local UI storage in response to the control command, and render at least one of the received content, the received UI resource, and the extracted local UI resource.

9. The at least one subscriber terminal device of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate the hybrid control command based on the state information, and control the rendering at least one of the content and the UI resource based on the generated hybrid control command.

10. A method of providing cloud based user interfaces (UIs) using a remote application server, the remote application server including a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions and one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, the method comprising:

collecting, by the one or more processors, state information about at least one subscriber terminal device;

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the collected state information;

generating, by the one or more processors, a control command based on the collected state information, the control command including at least one of

a rendering control command for controlling a rendering at the at least one subscriber terminal device with respect to at least one of content, and

a UI resource and a terminal control command for controlling the at least one subscriber terminal device;

transmitting, by the one or more processors, the rendering control command to control the at least one subscriber terminal device to enable the at least one subscriber terminal device to request a media storage for at least one of the content and the UI resource, the media storage being separate from the remote application server; and

enabling, by the one or more processors, the at least one subscriber terminal device to determine whether a session connection is normal, and generate a hybrid control command based on the analyzed state information for controlling a resource rendering if the session connection is not smooth,

receiving, by each of a first subscriber terminal device and a second subscriber terminal device included in the at least one subscriber terminal, the content and the UI resource using a different protocol method, and

in response to the content being real-time broadcasting content, acquiring, by the media storage, the real-time broadcasting, content, dividing the acquired broadcasting content using a predetermined method, and storing the divided broadcasting content.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program, which when executed by a computer, configures a computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 10 and 11.

11. A method of providing cloud based user interfaces (UIs) associated with at least one subscriber terminal device, the at least one subscriber terminal device including a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions and one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, the method comprising:

generating, by the one or more processors, state information in response to a state information request received from a remote application server;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a control command corresponding to the state information from the remote application server;

controlling a request to a media storage for at least one of a UI resource and content in response to the received control command, the media storage being separate from the remote application server;

rendering, by the one or more processors, at least one of the content and the UI resource associated with the request to the media storage;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether a session connection with the remote application server is normal;

generating, by the one or more processors, a hybrid control command based on the state information for controlling a resource rendering if the session connection is not smooth; and

rendering, by the one or more processors, a resource associated with the hybrid control command,

receiving, by each of a first subscriber terminal device and a second subscriber terminal device included in the at least one subscriber terminal, the content and the UI resource using a different protocol method, and

in response to the content being real-time broadcasting content, acquiring, by the media storage, the real-time broadcasting content, dividing the acquired broadcasting content using a predetermined method, and storing the divided broadcasting content.