WO2008074753A1

WO2008074753A1 - Method of reproducing audiovisual documents by an apparatus possessing a particular characteristic, apparatus and server for implementing the method

Info

Publication number: WO2008074753A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/064011
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pierre Houeix; Helmut Burklin
Original assignee: Thomson Licensing
Priority date: 2006-12-18
Filing date: 2007-12-14
Publication date: 2008-06-26
Also published as: FR2910215A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of reproducing a plurality of audiovisual documents at the level of a receiver so as to present a user with a list of documents suited to his tastes. Firstly, receivers transmit the profile of their users to a server. The server computes chronological display lists for audiovisual documents, corresponding to the various user profiles and transmits them to the reproduction apparatus through a broadcasting network. The list comprises at least one attribute identifying the receiver, identifiers of documents associated with a determined source and with a reproduction time. The receiver selects the list corresponding to its attribute. Next, when requested by the user, the apparatus displays the document of the list which corresponds to the present time. According to an improvement, documents are transmitted before the time of their reproduction and recorded in the apparatus. These recorded documents are extracted from the memory and reproduced at the time specified by the display list. The invention also relates to a terminal and a server for implementing the method.

Description

Method for reproducing audiovisual documents by an apparatus having a particular characteristic, apparatus and server for implementing the method

The invention relates to a method for reproducing audiovisual documents in a device connected to a network, an apparatus implementing the method, and a server for transmitting documents to the terminals. The invention applies more particularly when the choice of audiovisual documents depends on a device specific characteristic.

The context of the present invention is that of audiovisual servers capable of providing on demand audiovisual documents, and any home device capable of viewing audiovisual documents received by any network whether terrestrial, wireless or satellite and interacting with a server using a broadcast network. The audiovisual documents are transmitted to a receiver either by a unidirectional broadcast network or by a point-to-point link. Electronic Program Guides (EPGs for short) provide users with a catalog of audiovisual documents, including films. The user chooses in this catalog a document and after payment of the right of access, it receives the means to view it in the clear. The document is broadcast encrypted on the broadcast network, and the receiver decrypts the document with a previously received code. Another way is to establish a communication with the document provider server, to query its catalog, and to download the document after a payment.

Some devices are equipped with a hard disk or any other means of document storage (cassette, cartridge, DVD-RAM, ...). The download of a document through the network can then be made directly to the hard disk, in compressed form, regardless of viewing constraints. The document can then be sent to any time, without the user intervening, for example at a time that does not bother him, as during the night. The document is stored as and when received. When the user controls the viewing of the document, the device extracts it from the storage means, decompresses it and sends the audiovisual signals to a screen.

To select an audiovisual document, the user can give his preferences and the presentation menu chooses the available documents according to his preferences. Another more automatic solution is to develop a user profile internally. This profile is based on the behavior of the user with regard to audiovisual programs whose attributes are transmitted by the network. A user profile is for example a list of the attributes of the programs most often and / or the longest watched by the user. For example, if the user is used to selecting and / or frequently downloading adventure movies, the receiver will specify "adventure movie" prominently in the list of favorite attributes of that user. Advantageously, the profiles of many users can be transmitted to the broadcast server which can use it to choose audiovisual documents suitable for a certain number of subscribers. But if the number of subscribers is very large, the user profiles are very diverse and it is almost impossible to satisfy them all.

Document US 2006/174269 - HANSEN-TURTON relates to the provision of EPG data in a receiver, the data defining broadcast ranges for given audiovisual programs. The receiver takes into account the preferences of the user to select the programs identified in the EPG data. The receiver thus offers the user a virtual channel reproducing programs selected by the receiver. This system requires the receiver to analyze the programs available on the entire network and to develop its own list of documents.

Document US 2002/157107 KITSUKAWA TADAMASA relates to the transmission of contents through a bidirectional network such as Internet. In this way, by connecting to a specific site, a user can watch either a television channel or a virtual channel adapted to his preferences.

US 2003/135605 - PENDAKUR RAMESH discloses a bidirectional communication system between a reproducing apparatus and a server. The device stores information about audiovisual programs that match the user's preferences. Then, the device proposes to visualize these programs in the form of a virtual channel where the programs are adapted to the preferences of the user. This system also requires the receiver to analyze the programs available on the entire network and to develop its own list of documents.

One of the aims of the present invention is to provide a user with documents adapted to his preferences by avoiding certain data processing on the side of the reproduction apparatus.

The present invention relates to a method of reproducing a plurality of audiovisual documents at a reproduction apparatus; characterized in that it comprises:

a step of transmitting to a server at least one attribute particular to the apparatus and characteristic of the preferences of the user of said apparatus,

a step of creating at least one display list of several audiovisual documents, said list comprising document identifiers associated with a given source and at a reproduction moment,

a step of transmission by a broadcast network of at least one display list; a step of selection by the reproduction apparatus (1) of a list transmitted according to the particular attribute transmitted by the apparatus, a step of reproducing the plurality of documents identified by the selected display list, each document being reproduced at the moment specified in this list and extracted from the source specified in this list. Thus, the apparatus is capable at all times of providing a user with various audio-visual documents from identified sources. The device receives from the broadcast network several lists of documents to be reproduced and selects the one that corresponds to the information that it has already sent to the server. Then, the documents in the list are automatically played back at the specified times in the selected list.

According to an improvement, the method comprises a step of transmitting an audiovisual document identified in the display list and transmitted at a time other than the reproduction moment, and a storage step in the apparatus, the list then specifying parameters allowing the transmission of the document from the determined source, the reproduction step then comprises a step of reading the document of said storage means. In this way, the documents can be transmitted before the time slot specified in the list in order to be available at the right time in the viewing apparatus. According to another improvement, the source indicated in the parameters for the transmission of the document to be memorized is a channel of a broadcast network. In this way, it is possible to receive a first document that is immediately reproduced and to receive another document to memorize it in order to reproduce it later.

According to another improvement, the display list includes a visual characteristic of the transition between a document and the following document. In this way, according to the documents it is possible to set the passages from one document to another. According to another improvement, the method comprises a step of sending by the device to a broadcast server a list of attributes particular to this device, this list of attributes allowing the server to develop the display list intended for this device According to another improvement, if the display list does not mention documents intended to be viewed at the present time, then the reproducing apparatus reproduces the audiovisual document of a broadcast channel chosen by the user. In this way, the user does not remain in front of a black screen, he always has the possibility to see by default the channel he has selected himself.

The present invention also relates to a reproduction apparatus comprising audiovisual document display means, a unidirectional communication means for receiving data from a broadcast network, and a bidirectional communication means for transmitting data to a server. , characterized in that the bidirectional communication means transmits to said server at least one attribute particular to the apparatus and characteristic of the user's preferences of said apparatus, the unidirectional receiving means receives at least one display list of a plurality of audiovisual documents, received lists comprising at least one attribute, document identifiers associated with a given source and a reproduction moment, the apparatus selecting the display list having at least one attribute in common with the attribute transmitted by the apparatus, the reproducing means being adapted to reproduce the plurality of documents at the specified time in the selected display list, each document being extracted from the source specified in the selected list.

The present invention also relates to a server comprising a database containing at least audiovisual document attributes, the server being provided with a bidirectional communication means for establishing a link with reproduction devices, characterized in that the communication means bidirectional receives a particular attribute to each device and feature of the user's preferences of each device, and a means for generating multiple display lists of a plurality of audiovisual documents, said lists comprising at least one attribute identifying at least one apparatus, document identifiers associated with a given source and a reproduction moment, said lists being transmitted to the reproduction apparatuses through a broadcast network.

The present invention will now appear in more detail in the context of the following description of exemplary embodiments given by way of illustration with reference to the appended figures among which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an audiovisual receiver for implementing the invention,

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the different elements of a server according to the invention,

FIG. 3 illustrates the main communications between the server and a receiver viewing the documents of the display list; FIG. 4 illustrates the main steps of the method of distributing and viewing documents,

- Figure 5 shows a screen appearance for viewing the display list.

Firstly, with the help of FIG. 1, the operation of an audiovisual receiver 1 connected to a display device 20 will be described. In a variant, the screen is integrated in the apparatus 1, for example in a PDA. The receiver, in the remainder of the document, will use the word "decoder" but this is only an example, includes a central unit 3 connected to a memory 12 program (ROM) and work (RAM), and a interface 5 for bidirectional communication with a network 6. This network is for example an IEEE 1394. The decoder can also receive audio / video data from a broadcast network through a receiving antenna associated with a demodulator 4. L antenna can also be replaced by a physical connection to any type of high-speed local digital bus for transmitting audio / video data in real time, such as a cable access point or a connection DSL. The decoder 1 also comprises an infrared signal receiver 7 for receiving the signals of a remote control 8, a storage means 9 for the storage of audiovisual documents, and an audio / video decoding logic 10 for the generation of the audiovisual signals sent to 20. The audiovisual documents being digitally encoded, the storage means 9 is preferably a hard disk (HDD), it can also be a recordable optical disk drive (DVD-RAM).

The user has a command introduction means, an example of which is the remote control 8 which is provided with keys such as "PLAYLIST", "Content List" which we will see the use later in the description. The decoder also has a clock (not shown) to wake the device when a document to be recorded is about to be downloaded. The decoder also includes a circuit 11 for displaying data on the screen, often called OSD circuit, of the English "On Screen Display" (literally meaning "display on the screen"). The OSD circuit 11 is a text and graphics generator which makes it possible to display on the screen menus, pictograms (for example, a number corresponding to the channel displayed), or which makes it possible to mix two audiovisual contents. The OSD circuit is controlled by the Central Unit 3 and a program called "Charger" which is resident in the memory 12. The charger typically consists of a program module written in ROM and parameters stored in working memory. The charger can also be realized in the form of a specialized circuit of the ASIC type for example. This circuit can be equipped with security functions to make a payment following the decision of a user to view a paid document.

The decoder receives identification data audiovisual documents of the network 6 or the broadcast network. These data include viewable elements, the title for example or an image of the trailer. Thus, the user can, using an EPG and keys on its remote control, select one or more documents to receive them and save them to the hard disk 9.

The server 2 described in FIG. 2 comprises a central unit 2.1, a program memory 2.2, a memory containing a database 2.3 preferably made by a hard disk and a communication interface providing a bidirectional link 2.4 across the bidirectional network. with the decoders described previously. Database 2.3 contains the catalog of available documents. The server is also in contact with the broadcast network manager through an interface (not shown). In particular, it communicates to the manager orders for the distribution of documents at specified times and dates.

After describing the various elements of the invention, we will now explain how they cooperate.

An example of the main communications viewed from the decoder 1 is illustrated in FIG. 3. During a first communication (communication 3.1), the decoder 1 transmits its user profile to the server. Then, the decoder receives the display list (communication 3.2). If this display list includes documents to download and record, bidirectional communication is established to perform the download (communication 3.3). When the user starts the visualization of audiovisual documents defined by the display list, the decoder settles on the channel specified in the list and receives the broadcast document (communication 3.4) in order to view it. Optionally, if the list specifies a program previously downloaded, the decoder reads it in its memory and visualizes it.

FIG. 4 represents an example of a flowchart of the main steps for the implementation of the invention. In step 4.1, a decoder 1 develops a user profile. According to techniques known per se, the user profile is determined according to the behavior of the user, including its selection choices for certain programs. A user profile is for example a list of the attributes of the documents most often and / or the longest viewed by the user. At a certain time, the decoder 1 transmits a user profile to a server 2 (step 4.2). The server 2 has lists of audiovisual documents broadcast on the different channels over a period of time, typically the next twenty-four hours. These documents are also associated with attributes for classification into specific themes and sub-themes. Here is an example of a list of themes and subthemes that can be associated with audiovisual documents: theme: film, information, documentary, sport, game / show; sub-theme:

• film: {adventure, drama, erotic, detective, fiction, others};

• information: {newspaper, radio, weather, stock market, sport, other};

• documentary: {general, nature, culture, social, history};

• game / show: {general, variety, circus, TaIk Show}; • sport: {general, football, tennis, basketball, athletics, nautical};

The broadcast server 2 searches for the audiovisual documents that will be broadcast in the next twenty four hours and which have attributes identical to that of the user profile. In step 4.3, the server generates, hour by hour, a chronological list of audiovisual documents known as "display list" (or "playlist" in English) whose contents correspond to the tastes of a user. If several documents have attributes in the same time slot, the one with the most attributes corresponding to the user profile is chosen. In a first simple embodiment, the selected documents have no temporal overlap, that is to say there is a free moment between them. In a particularly simple manner, during the free moment, the decoder extracts the audiovisual document from the channel chosen by the user and displays it on the screen 20. A variant is that the server fills this free moment with unintended audiovisual content. for broadcast at this time. This content must be transmitted to the decoder 1 before the scheduled time for its display, this moment being specified in the display list. According to this variant, the display list contains documents identified by their title for example, and associated with a viewing time slot and a source, this source being either a broadcast channel or the decoder memory. Typically, this list covers the next twelve hours, but this duration may vary. In step 4.4, the display list thus produced is sent to the decoder. According to a preferred embodiment, the list is transmitted over a bidirectional link following a communication request from the server. It is also possible to download this list by the broadcast network, in which case the decoder for which the list is intended is clearly identified. The list transmitted over the network is put in a service data packet, identified by a specific header.

If the display list contains documents that will not be broadcast at the scheduled time in the list for their visualizations, then these documents are transmitted in step 4.5 before that time. The decoder analyzes the list transmitted by the server and deduces the documents that it must first download. The download can be made either from the broadcast server 2 or from another server. According to a preferred embodiment, the decoder 1 initiates the download procedure with the server at a time when its resources are used the least, for example at night. The audiovisual document is then transmitted over a bidirectional channel, typically the digital network 6, the Internet for example. In some cases, the server 2 warns the decoder of the download time. This download is advantageous in the case where the server transmits the same document to several decoders, in "multicast" mode. Each decoder responds with an acknowledgment and memorizes the document received in the hard disk 9 as and when received. If the decoder 1 is not in a state to record the document to receive, it informs the server. The server is then free to propose another moment for transferring said document, provided that this moment is earlier than that specified in the display list. According to one variant, documents intended to be stored can be downloaded from the broadcast network. If, for example, two audiovisual documents specified in the list are broadcast at the same time and intended to be viewed at different times, and if the decoder 1 has the means to receive two audiovisual documents at the same time, then one is viewed in real time while the other is recorded for later viewing.

Suppose that at some point, the user decides to view the document defined in his favorite list. He then presses a "PLAYLIST" button on his remote control 8 (step 4.6). The decoder 1 then reads the contents of the registered list and extracts the document to be reproduced which corresponds to the present moment (step 4.7) of the source indicated in the list. If it is marked that the document is on a broadcast channel, the decoder is positioned on this channel. If the display list specifies that the document is in memory, the decoder tests its presence and if so, reads it and displays it. If no list is available, or if in the list no audiovisual document is indicated at the present time, the decoder is set to the channel that was previously chosen by the user. When the audiovisual document being viewed ends, the decoder automatically searches for the next one in the display list. Thus the user sees a succession of documents defined by the server and corresponding to his profile.

According to a refinement, the user can see the content of the display list received from the server 2. He then presses the "Contents of the List" button on the remote control, or any other means of entering a command. , the chronological elements of the display list developed by the server 2 are then sent on the display screen 20. FIG. 5 shows an example of a screen appearance of a display list. Audiovisual documents are chronologically presented, indicating:

- the viewing time, - the title of the audiovisual document,

the broadcast or download channel (an Internet address for example), - the type (document distributed, or document downloaded and memorized)

- the state of memorization or not if it is a downloaded document, in the figure the presence of a ( ^* ) means that the document is not in memory.

In the example of Figure 5, we see that the user profile contains attributes relating to themes "history" and "TV news".

Audiovisual documents are not always broadcast exactly at the times specified in the service data, so that there may be a time lag at the time of broadcast. As a result, the document may be cut off from the first minutes or the user may see the end of the previous document that has nothing to do with the one in the display list. To avoid this drawback and according to an improvement, the decoder uses its memory 9 to create a time shift, called "time shift" in English, a few minutes between the documents broadcast and their visualizations. This time shift makes it possible to offset staggered broadcasts, by imposing an offset of 10 minutes, for example, from the beginning of the display of the documents in the list. This time makes it possible to make up for shifts forward or backward in time. For example, if the user turns on his decoder 1 at a list time corresponding to a recorded document, this document will be reproduced from a time located 10 minutes earlier in time. When the moment of switching to a broadcast document occurs, said document is first stored in the memory and reproduced maintaining this 10-minute offset. In this way, if this document is not distributed at the right time but within ten minutes before or after the scheduled time, this offset is catching up.

According to another improvement, the display list includes a visual characteristic of the transition between a document and its next. For example, the server may specify a sudden transition from one document to another, or a crossfade, or any other visual effect to accommodate an audiovisual transition. Advantageously, the source from which the document viewed is extracted is displayed for one minute by example, from the transition. According to an exemplary embodiment, an icon representing a hard disk appears at a corner of the screen if the document is read from the memory 9, and an icon representing a satellite antenna appears if the document is received in real time from the broadcast network (even with a time shift).

According to another improvement, the server transmits display lists on the broadcast network by identifying the lists so that the decoders 1 can easily select them. According to a simple embodiment, the decoder 1 transmits to the server 2 a particular attribute that is characteristic of the preferences of the user and the decoder selects the broadcast list that includes this attribute. According to one variant, the server 2 elaborates categories of decoders. These categories correspond to the main themes that appear in the user profile. Once the profile is transmitted, the decoder 1 receives from the server 2 a category identifier. Then, the decoder 1 then searches in the stream of service data transmitted on the broadcast network, the display list corresponding to its category. In this way, the decoder no longer needs to make individual contact with a server 2 to receive a display list, it selects it from the broadcast network.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the particular embodiments illustrated, it is not limited by these embodiments, but only by the appended claims. It will be noted that changes or modifications may be made by the person skilled in the art.

Claims

A method of reproducing a plurality of audiovisual documents at a reproduction apparatus (1); characterized in that it comprises:

a step of transmission (4.2) to a server of at least one attribute particular to the apparatus (1) and characteristic of the preferences of the user of said apparatus,

a step of creating (4.3) at least one display list of several audiovisual documents, said list comprising document identifiers associated with a given source and at a reproduction moment,

a step of transmission (4.4) by a broadcast network of at least one display list; a step of selection by the reproduction apparatus (1) of a transmitted list according to the particular attribute transmitted. by the device,

a step of reproducing (4.7) the plurality of documents identified by the selected display list, each document being reproduced at the time specified in this list and extracted from the source specified in this list.

2. Reproduction method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a step of transmitting an audiovisual document identified in the display list and transmitted at a time other than the reproduction time, and a memory step in a storage means (9) of the apparatus, the list specifying the parameters allowing the transmission of the document from a given source, the reproduction step comprising a step of reading the document of said storage means.

3. Reproduction method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a step of displaying an identifier of the source of the document currently being reproduced.

4. Reproduction method according to any one of the claims

1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a step of transmission by the apparatus (1) to a broadcast server (2) of a list of attributes particular to this apparatus, this list of attributes enabling the server to develop the display list for this device (1).

5. Reproduction method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that if the display list does not mention a document to be viewed at the present time, then the reproduction device reproduces the audiovisual document of a broadcast channel chosen by the user.

A reproducing apparatus (1) comprising audiovisual document display means (10), unidirectional communication means (4) for receiving data from a broadcast network and bidirectional communication means (5, 6) for data transmission with a server; characterized in that the bidirectional communication means (5, 6) transmits to said server at least one attribute particular to the apparatus and characterized by the preferences of the user of said apparatus (1), the unidirectional receiving means (4) receives at least one least one display list of a plurality of audiovisual documents, the received lists comprising at least one attribute, document identifiers associated with a given source and at a reproduction moment, the apparatus (1) selecting the list of display having at least one attribute in common with the attribute transmitted by the apparatus (1), the reproducing means (10) being adapted to reproduce the plurality of documents at the time specified in the selected display list, each document being from the source specified in the selected list.

7. Reproduction apparatus (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises means for downloading (4; 5, 6) the source specified in the selected list of a document identified in the selected list, the document being stored in a storage means (9), the reproducing means (10) reproducing the document stored at the time specified in the selected list.

8. Reproduction apparatus (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it comprises means (10) for displaying an identifier of the source of the document currently being reproduced.

9. Reproduction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the bidirectional communication means (5,6) transmits to the server (2) a list of attributes specific to the apparatus (1) and characteristic of the preferences of its user,

10. Reproduction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that if the display list does not mention a document intended to be displayed at the moment, then the reproduction means (10) reproduces the audiovisual document of a broadcast channel chosen by the user.

11. Server (2) comprising a database (2.3) containing at least audiovisual document attributes, the server being provided with bidirectional communication means (2.4) for establishing a link (6) with reproduction devices ( 1), characterized in that the bidirectional communication means (2.4) receives a particular attribute for each apparatus and characteristic of the user's preferences of each apparatus, and a means (2.2, 2.1) for generating several lists of displaying a plurality of audiovisual documents, said lists comprising at least one attribute identifying at least one device, document identifiers associated with a given source and at a time of reproduction, said lists being transmitted to the reproduction apparatus (1) through a broadcast network.