Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
  • H04N21/254—Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/478—Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
  • H04N21/61—Network physical structure; Signal processing
  • H04N21/6106—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
  • H04N21/6125—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network involving transmission via Internet
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
  • H04N21/61—Network physical structure; Signal processing
  • H04N21/6156—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network
  • H04N21/6175—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network involving transmission via Internet

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for ensuring an access of subscriber to network data and network services using a terminal attachment, a system of ensuring an access of subscriber to network data and network services using a terminal attachment, and computer-readable media having programs for implementing said method.
• the first aspect of the present invention provides a method for ensuring an access of subscriber to network data and network services using a terminal attachment, which method includes following steps. Supplementing the terminal attachment by: a storage means configured for storing a software intended for respective controlling an operation of the terminal attachment; a processor means configured for controlling the operation of the terminal attachment under commands of the software; a controlling means configured for ensuring an interaction of the subscriber with the terminal attachment; a communication means configured for ensuring an access to at least one telecommunication network with network data and network services through the terminal attachment.
• a first software which ensures, while executing in the processor means, a process of controlling the terminal attachment, when a subscriber's request for desired network data and/or network services is sent from the terminal attachment of this subscriber to a special-purpose server in the at least one telecommunication network.
• a second software which ensures, while executing in the special-purpose server, delivering to the subscriber the requested network data and/or network services by performing substeps of: requesting the desired network data and/or network services from the special-purpose server, obtaining the requested network data and/or network services at said special-purpose server, compressing the obtained network data and/or network services at the special-purpose server in order for reducing the amount of the data being transmitted, and transmitting the compressed network data and/or network services from the special-purpose server to the terminal attachment. After receiving in the terminal attachment, converting the compressed network data and/or network services into signals intended for displaying video and/or audio signals at a respective displaying means.
• a peculiarity of the proposed method in accordance with the present invention consists in that the step of delivering the network data and/or network services could be carried out in compliance with the standard access protocols selected from a group comprised of at least the following protocols: www, http, https, pop3, imap, smtp, ftp, wap.
• One more peculiarity of the proposed method in accordance with the present invention consists in that the step of delivering at least some of the network data and/or network services could be carried out in the absence of the subscriber's request.
• network data and/or network services could be selected from a group comprised of at least the following: information, communication, media, social, advertizing services and data.
• One more peculiarity of the proposed method in accordance with the present invention consists in that the step of displaying the video and audio signals could be carried out by means of a television receiver or a display, each being connected to the terminal attachment.
• controlling means in the terminal attachment could be a physical input means selected from a group comprised of a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, track-ball, manipulator; or this controlling means could be a virtual keyboard displayed at the screen of the television receiver or display using the software.
• the communication means in the terminal attachment could be a wireless communication means or wire communication means.
• the second aspect of the present invention provides a system of ensuring an access of subscriber to network data and network services using a terminal attachment, the system comprising the terminal attachment and at least one telecommunication network with the network data and network services, which at least one telecommunication network including a special-purpose server, the terminal attachment being supplemented by a storage means, a processor means, a controlling means, and a communication means, the storage means being configured for storing a software intended for respective controlling an operation of the terminal attachment, the processor means being configured for controlling the operation of the terminal attachment under commands of the software, the controlling means being configured for ensuring an interaction of the subscriber with the terminal attachment, and the communication means being configured for ensuring an access to at least one telecommunication network with network data and network services through the terminal attachment for receiving network data and/or network services desired for the subscriber through the special- purpose server requesting and obtaining the desired network data and/or network services, compressing thereof for reducing the amount of the data being transmitted, and transmitting
• the displaying means could be a television receiver or a display, each being connected to the terminal attachment.
• the controlling means in the terminal attachment could be a physical input means selected from a group comprised of a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, track-ball, manipula- tor; or this controlling means could be a virtual keyboard displayed at the screen of the television receiver or display using the software.
• the communication means could be a wireless communication means or wire communication means.
• the terminal attachment could further comprises a tuner configured for receiving the television and/or radio signals for converting thereof into signals intended for displaying the video and/or audio signals at the displaying means.
• the third aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable medium intended for the direct use in an operation of the terminal attachment employed in the system according to the second aspect of the present invention in order for ensuring an access of subscriber to network data and network services using the terminal attachment, this computer-readable medium comprising a software recorded thereon, which software ensures, while executing in the processor means, such a process of controlling the terminal attachment, when a subscriber's request for desired network data and/or network services is sent from this terminal attachment to the special-purpose server in the at least one telecommunication network, and, after receiving, in the terminal attachment, the network data and/or network services compressed by the special-purpose server in order for reducing the amount of the data being transmitted, converting thereof into signals intended for displaying video and/or audio signals at a respective displaying means.
• the fourth aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable medium intended for the direct use in an operation of the special-purpose server employed in the system according to the second aspect of the present invention in order for ensuring an access of subscriber to network data and network services using a terminal attachment, this computer-readable medium comprising a software recorded thereon, which software ensures, while executing in the special-purpose server, a process of carrying out steps of: receiving the subscriber's request for desired network data and/or network services from the terminal attachment belonging to this subscriber; requesting the desired network data and/or network services from the special-purpose server; obtaining the requested network data and/or network services at the special-purpose server; compressing the obtained network data and/or network services at the special-purpose server in order for reducing the amount of the data being transmitted; and transmitting the compressed network data and/or network services from the special-purpose server to the terminal attachment.
• Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram explaining the system construction in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the terminal attachment in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 3 represents a flow chart of operation of the system in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 4 shows an example of the menu of available services.
• the present invention can be implemented in a system which schematic block diagram is shown in Fig. 1.
• this system comprises a plurality of terminal attachments 11, which configuration is described in details below.
• Each of those ter- minal attachments 11 can receive television and/or radio broadcasting programs from respective broadcasting stations 12.
• Such broadcasting stations 12 could be any stations transmitting conventional broadcasting television and/or radio broadcasting programs, for example, the stations of the central or local television, radio stations in the FM band ("radio-FM"), etc.
• the broadcasting stations 12 are not limited only to existing stations, but could be also future digital broadcasting stations, and, in principle, any broadcasting stations transmitting broadcasting programs using electromagnetic waves.
• each of the terminal attachments 11 is connected to at least one telecommunication network 13, each of those telecommunication networks 13 transmits various network data and/or network services.
• the telecommunication networks 13 can be both wire and wireless and include both local networks (LANs) and global networks (WANs) including the Internet.
• LANs local networks
• WANs global networks
• server 14 is provided, which purpose is disclosed below. The particular embodiment of the server 14 is of no significance, it is only important that it could carry out those steps described below in rendering the operation of the system implementing the method in accordance with the present invention.
• the block diagram of the terminal attachment 11 is shown in Fig. 2.
• the terminal attachment 11 comprises a processor means 21, storage means 22, controlling means 23, displaying means 24, communication means 25, and also a tuner 26. All components of the terminal attachment 11 are interconnected with a bus 27.
• an interface means 28 for example, the USB port or the drive for a floppy disk or optical disk
• an external storage medium 29 could be, correspondingly, a flash memory, floppy disk, or optical disk.
• any appropriate processor unit could be used, which allows to control the operation of the terminal attachment 11 under commands of respective software recorded into the storage means 22.
• any appropriate storage device is suited, which ensures a long-term storage of the software recorded thereon, for example, a read-only memory (ROM) of any type (a programmable ROM, erasable ROM, etc.), or a hard-disk drive.
• the storage means 22 could be implemented as well in the form of volatile memory, for example, as a random access memory (RAM), if the software is recorded into such a memory at every moment of powering on the terminal attachment 11. Such recording could be carried out both from the telecommunication network 13 using the communication means 25, and from the external storage medium 29 through the interface means 28.
• any means that ensures a connecting to a respective telecommunication network 13 could be used as the communication means 25.
• a communication means 25 could be made of appropriate modem, for example, used in the STRIM equipment.
• a communication means 25 could be also made of modem, but specially adapted for transmitting and receiving signals in accordance with the 3G technology, GPRS technology, WiFi technology, WiMAX technology, or LTE technology, or in accordance with any other known or future wireless communication technology.
• the displaying means 24 could be implemented in the form of separate display of any type for displaying video signals.
• the displaying means in the form of the display could be embedded into the terminal attachment 11.
• the displaying means 24 can include, e.g., headphones or loud-speakers for reproducing audio signals.
• the displaying means 24 could be a television receiver, if the terminal attachment 11 is the set-top box.
• the controlling means 23 can have various implementations. For example, it could be a physical input means, such as a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, trackball, or manipulator.
• the controlling means 23 could be a remote console coupled with the terminal attachment 11 by means of an infrared, radio-frequency or ultrasonic communication line.
• the controlling means 23 could be implemented using respective software programs in the form of a virtual keyboard displayed at the screen of the displaying means 24 (i.e., a television receiver or a display) using the respective software.
• the process of controlling such a virtual keyboard could be carried out using the remote console coupled with the terminal attachment 11 by means of an infrared, radio- frequency or ultrasonic communication line.
• the tuner 26 is intended for receiving broadcasting programs from broadcasting stations 12.
• the particular embodiment of the tuner 26 is defined by the purpose thereof: the tuner 26 must ensure a process for receiving signals from those broadcasting stations 12, for which the terminal attachment 11 has been designed. If the terminal attachment 11 is a conventional set-top box connected to a television receiver, then the tuner 26 is already embedded therein. If the terminal attachment 11 is intended for receiving signal from radio broadcasting stations 12, the tuner 26 will be a radio receiving device ensuring the receiving of such signals. In the case that the terminal attachment 11 must receive signals from both television and radio broadcasting stations 12, the tuner 26 will have a respective implementation ensuring the receiving of all those signals.
• the method in accordance with the present invention is intended for obtaining an access to network data and/or network services using a terminal attachment of the type of a set-top box in the absence of a computer.
• the existing set-top boxes, for which usage is oriented the method in accordance with the present invention do not permit for ⁇ c ⁇ essin telecommunication networks. Therefore, it is necessary first to improve such set-top boxes.
• Such an improvement consists in that at least following means are embedded into the set-top box (terminal attachment) (step 31 in Fig. 3):
• a storage means configured for storing a software intended for respective controlling an operation of the terminal attachment;
• a processor means configured for controlling the operation of the terminal attachment under commands of the software;
• controlling means configured for ensuring an interaction of the subscriber with the terminal attachment
• a communication means configured for ensuring an access to at least one telecommunication network with network data and/or network services through the terminal attachment.
• a terminal attachment 11 existing or being developed is supplemented by (see Fig. 2) a processor means 21, storage means 22, controlling means 23, displaying means 24, and communication means 25.
• the terminal attachment 11 is intended for receiving signals only from some of required broadcasting stations 12, the terminal attachment 11 is equipped with the respective tuner 26, or the tuner 26 just presented therein is updated or replaced with respective tuner ensuring the receiving of signals of all those broadcasting stations 12, for operating with which is intended the terminal attachment 11.
• the step 31 could be carried out both by means of a real updating the existing terminal attachment 11, and through designing and manufacturing a new terminal attachment 11, and then this step 31 is performed during manufacturing such a new terminal attachment 11.
• a first software is recorded into the storage means 22, which software ensures later a process for controlling the terminal attachment 11, when network data and/or network services are delivered to the terminal attachment 11 through the communication means 25.
• a step of recording the software into the storage means 22 coukLbe carried out both once, e.g., during a process of manufacturing or updating, and at every moment of powering on the terminal attachment 11 by downloading from the telecommunication network 13 or from the external storage medium 29.
• a subscriber performs the operation mode selection. If the subscriber selects the first operation mode, "Receiving broadcasting programs", the terminal attachment 11 in the step 34 carries out the receiving of the broadcasting program of interest to the subscriber and outputting the signals being received to the displaying means 24, i.e., to the respective screen and/or head-phones (loud-speakers), as is used in conventional television or radio receivers.
• the terminal attachment 11 in the step 35 carries out a process for replaying the respective record either from the storage means 22, or from the external storage medium 29 to the displaying means 24, i.e., to the respective screen and/or head-phones (loud-speakers), as is used in a conventional process of replaying the record using a video recorder and DVD or MP3 players.
• the terminal attachment 1 1 in the step 36 carries out a process for connecting to the telecommunication network(s) 13.
• the subscriber can see such a menu of available services as shown in Fig. 4 at the screen of his/her displaying means 24 (television receiver or separate display).
• the subscriber has an opportunity to use various sections, such as Entertainment, Tuning, Payments, News, Advertisements, etc.
• Such a "use” is as near as possible (although in a simplified form) to a conventional use of a computer connected to the Internet: News, Weather, Payment, etc.
• the step of delivering network data and/or network services could be carried out forcedly in the absence of the subscriber's request.
• the information service "Displaying weather” could be displayed at the screen of the displaying means 24 at the moment of powering on the terminal attachment 11 without the subscriber's request.
• weather could be displayed for that geographic region or location where this terminal attach- ment 11 is situated, if it is registered in the telecommunication network 13 in a fixed location. It is also possible to display the advertisement of local articles or services at the screen of the displaying means 24.
• a set of available network services or network data can be other one.
• a window of the search engine such as Yandex, Google or Yahoo, can be output to the screen, and the subscriber can print in this window a name of data or services of interest to the subscriber.
• the subscriber performs the request by selecting the service of interest to him/her in the shown menu or by inputting the respective name into the search window.
• the subscriber can use the real keyboard of the controlling means 23. If the virtual keyboard is created on the screen of the displaying means 24, the subscriber can type his/her request by "pressing" the necessary keys using the mouse or by touching directly the images of these virtual keys, is such a virtual keyboard is created at the touch screen.
• the terminal attachment 11 in the step 38 sends the formed subscriber's request for the desired network data and/or network services to the special-purpose server 14 and/or special-purpose site in the telecommunication network 13.
• he special-purpose site is an image, being created at the screen of the terminal attachment 11 by the special-purpose server 14. I.e., the subscriber can send his/her request both to the site of that special -purpose server 14, and directly to the special-purpose server 14 in the absence of the image of that site at the screen of the terminal attachment 11, so to say, "blindly".
• This has no impact on the further operation of the system in accordance with the present invention, therefore, in the following, only the special-purpose site of the server 14 will be mentioned, although in this case it could be meant both addressing to this special-purpose site by simply indicating the address thereof in the request, and addressing to the site created by this special-purpose server 14.
• the request formed by the subscriber is transmitted from the terminal attachment 11 to the special-purpose server 14 (special-purpose site in the telecommunication network 13).
• a special-purpose server 14 has a second software which allows performing the following operations.
• the network data and/or network services desired for the subscriber are requested from the special-purpose server in accordance with the address in the network, which has been indicated in the subscriber's request.
• these requested network data and/or network services are obtained at the special-purpose server.
• the obtained network data and/or network services are compressed at said special-purpose server in order for reducing the amount of the data being transmitted.
• Such a process of compressing could be carried out using both the specially developed program, and similarly to the technique in which the known software application "Opera mini" is used.
• the particular kind of the software or the type of compressing have no impact onto the implementation of the method in accordance with the present invention and do not included in the scope of the legal protection thereof.
• the network data and/or network services compressed someway or other are transmitted from the special-purpose server to the terminal attachment, thereupon, in the step 43, a conversion of the delivered data is carried out.
• the first software recorded to the storage means 22 of the terminal attachment 11 can be stored on a computer-readable medium intended for the direct use in the operation of system according to the present invention for ensur- ing an access of subscriber to network data and network services using the terminal attachment 11.
• This first software ensures, while executing in the processor means 21, such a process of controlling the terminal attachment 11, when a subscriber's request for desired network data and/or network services is sent through the communication means 25 of the terminal attachment 11 to the special-purpose server 14 in the at least one telecommunication network, and, after receiving, in the terminal attachment 11 through the communication means 25 thereof, the network data and/or network services compressed by the special- purpose server 14 in order for reducing the amount of the data being transmitted, converting thereof into signals intended for displaying video and/or audio signals at a respective displaying means 24.
• the second software used in the special-purpose server 14 can also be stored on a computer-readable medium intended for the direct use in an operation of this special-purpose server 14.
• This second software ensures, while executing in the special-purpose server 14, a process of performing by this special- purpose server 14 the operations carried out in the steps 39 to 42 in the flow chart in Fig. 3.
• the method and system, as well as the computer-readable media in accordance with the present invention ensure versatility in obtaining an access to network data and/or network services using the terminal attachment of the type of a set-top box in the absence of a computer.
• Versatility consists in a possibility to use a finished set-top box improved so as to exclude the necessity for connecting thereto additional devices of the type of mobile telephone, as is done in the above-mentioned US ⁇ 7363O02 B.
• versatility- also in that the data are requested not directly but through the special-purpose server and transmitted therefrom to the set-top box in the compressed from, whereby a significant reduction of the load on the communication channel is achieved, in contrast to the above-mentioned CN 101505364 A.
• the present invention broadens an arsenal of technical means designed for obtaining an access to network data and/or network services using a terminal attachment of the type of a set-top box in the absence of a computer.

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Citations (4)

• 2010
  • 2010-11-01 RU RU2010144357/08A patent/RU2010144357A/ru unknown
• 2011
  • 2011-10-28 WO PCT/RU2011/000837 patent/WO2013062433A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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