Data processing apparatus in a time-based billing video-on-demand system and method therefor

• US 20010025316A1
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ji Soo Oh
• Original Assignee: Ji Soo Oh
• Inventors: Oh, Ji Soo
• Application Number:
  US09/814,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025316A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Diversified user interfacing environment is provided in a time-based billing VOD system. Also disclosed is a database apparatus for providing the diversified user interfacing environment. A data processing method for transmitting video movie data having a plurality of frames from a server of a video movie provider to a user terminal in response to a request of the user in a VOD (Video-On-Demand) system, comprises the steps of: (a) determining whether the user is an authorized member; (b) if the user is the authorized member, transmitting information for movie selection to the user terminal; (c) when the user selects a particular movie, transmitting data for a play screen on which the user can operate the frames of the movie remotely and recording the time at which the data for the play screen is transmitted as a login time; (d) setting a value of a frame counter that counts the number of the currently transmitted frame as an initial value; and (e) when the user selects one of buttons including a play button, a stop button, a rewind button and a fast forward button, performing the function corresponding to the selected button.

Claims

1. A data processing method for transmitting video movie data having a plurality of frames from a server of a video movie provider to a user terminal in response to a request of the user in a video-on-demand system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the user is an authorized member;

(b) if the user is determined to be the authorized member, transmitting information for movie selection to the user terminal;

(c) when the user selects a particular movie, transmitting data for a play screen on which the user can operate the frames of the movie remotely and recording the time at which the data for the play screen is transmitted as a login time;

(d) setting a value of a frame counter that counts the number of the currently transmitted frame as an initial value; and

(e) when the user selects one of buttons including a play button, a stop button, a rewind button and a fast forward button, performing the function corresponding to the selected button.

2. The data processing method as recited in

claim 1

, wherein, at said step (e), when the play button is selected, transmitting the video movie data from the frame corresponding to the value of the frame counter and recording the time at which the play button is selected;

when the play button is stopped, recording the frames that moved while the play button is selected;

when the stop button is selected, stopping data transmission of the movie data;

when the rewind button is selected, changing the value of the frame counter to a previous frame by the number as the user requests and recording the time at which the rewind button is selected and the frames that are moved; and

, when the fast forward button is selected, changing the value of the frame counter to a post frame by the number as the user requests and recording the time at which the fast forward button is selected and the frames that are caused to move.

3. The data processing method as recited in

claim 2

, wherein, at said step (b), if the user selects preview for a movie, preview data of the selected movie is transmitted to the user terminal.

4. The data processing method as recited in

claim 3

, wherein, at said step (e), if the user selects screen capture on the play screen, information for the frame at that time is recorded in the server.

5. The data processing method as recited in

claim 4

, further comprising the step of using the captured screen as a screen saver.

6. The data processing method as recited in

claim 4

, further comprising the step of using the captured screen as a background image.

7. The data processing method as recited in

claim 4

, further comprising the step of using the captured screen as an attached file for mailing.

8. The data processing method as recited in

claim 1

, wherein the server is provided with data concerning the movie evaluation score given by the users who have tried previously the movie and the score is provided to the user on the movie selection screen at said step (b).

9. The data processing method as recited in

claim 1

, wherein the database server has a list of movies that the user has tried previously, and said step (c) includes the step (c1) of comparing the selected movie with the movies in the list and then notifying the user of the fact that the user have tried the selected movie previously, if such is the case.

10. The data processing method as recited in

claim 9

, wherein the step (c) further includes the step (c2) of notifying the user of the buttons that are operated during just previous trial and the frames that are moved by the button operation in the sequence of button operation time and allowing the user to select one of the operated buttons after the step (c1), said step (d) stopped while said step (c2) is carried out.

11. The data processing method as recited in

claim 10

, wherein, at said step (c2), when it is determined by a determination process that the movie selected has not been completely watched by the user, a special rate fee is applied to the user.

12. The data processing method as recited in

claim 11

, wherein the determination process is adapted to determine the frames that are played by use of the play button as the frames that the user has watched.

13. The data processing method as recited in

claim 1

, wherein, the web server provides chatting function for enabling a plurality of the users to watch a movie and chat simultaneously.