WO2015099421A1 - Method and apparatus for providing a personalized service - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for providing a personalized service are disclosed. An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for providing a personalized service at a broadcast-receiving terminal that includes: (a) transmitting the unique address information of a source terminal, which is connected by pairing, to a service server over a network; (b) collecting broadcast service use information, which relates to a broadcast service used during the period of pairing with the source terminal, and transmitting the broadcast service use information to the service server; and (c) receiving target service information, which corresponds to the unique address information of the source terminal, from the service server.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A PERSONALIZED SERVICE

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing a personalized service, more particularly to a method and an apparatus for providing a personalized service based on a source terminal paired with a broadcast-receiving terminal.

One reason for the increase in multimedia traffic, especially traffic for videos and games, is that there has been a fundamental change in terms of when, where, and how a content is used.

In current times, users own various types of devices having Wi-Fi capabilities. Such Wi-Fi supported devices include smart phones, tablets, laptops, TV sets, game consoles, and the like. Whether at home or in a mobile environment, users may utilize various Wi-Fi devices, where some of the devices may be utilized for storing contents while others may be more suitable for displaying contents.

For example, users may wish to receive a movie streamed to a tablet over the Internet but display the movie on a TV set in the living room.

The Wi-Fi certified MiracastTM, which is an authentication program newly introduced by the Wi-Fi Alliance, was developed with the support of a wide range of businesses in the industry, including chip, mobile device, and electronic product manufacturers, to enable the sharing of a screen such as a graphic video image, an audio content, etc., between Wi-Fi devices without disconnections.

After an initial pairing between two Wi-Fi devices, a user can make a selection to stream a content or mirror a display from one device (a source device) to another device (a display device). By using Miracast, a user can form a direct Wi-Fi connection between two devices, obviating the need for an existing network.

Miracast uses Wi-Fi to provide the user with the freedom to display a content on a desired device while also providing convenience, interoperability between devices of different manufacturers, and the security shared by all Wi-Fi certified products.

Miracast supports the most commonly used codec and video formats and allows users to access audio and video contents from a desired device.

Miracast utilizes most of the elements that have enriched user experience and increase the users' trust for Wi-Fi over the past few years, such as Wi-Fi Certified n (improved throughput and coverage), Wi-Fi DirectTM (inter-device connection), Wi-Fi Protected Access® 2 (WPA2TM) (security), Wi-Fi MultimediaTM (WMM®) (traffic management) Wi-Fi Protected SetupTM, etc. Some Miracast devices are expected to support TDLS (tunneled direct link setup) capable of implementing connections over an infrastructure network. TDLS allows more efficient data transmissions and enables the use of more developed Wi-Fi functions compared to the case in which devices are connected over a legacy infrastructure network.

Miracast is a selective authentication program for a client device that supports video functions, such as a TV set, set-top box, camera, projector, smart phone, tablet, laptop, etc. To utilize Miracast, the display device and the source device must both receive Miracast authentication. Even a device that does not have Wi-Fi capability can use Miracast by using a Miracast authentication adaptor that supports an interface such as HDMI or USB, etc.

As described above, it is possible to transfer contents between paired devices by utilizing Miracast. Up to the present, however, applications have been used only for transferring contents from a source device to a display device, and the applications have not yet expanded to providing additional services in association with the pairing.

Current broadcast-receiving terminals support the log-in function for users, to provide personalized services based on the logged-in user. In order to log in at such a broadcast-receiving terminal, a user may have to input the user name and password by using a remote control. Unlike a keyboard, however, a remote control only has a limited number of key buttons, so that a user may find it inconvenient to input a password.

To resolve the problems in the related art described above, an aspect of the present invention is to propose a method and an apparatus for providing a personalized service that can provide customized services related to a broadcast without a complicated log-in procedure.

Other objectives of the present invention can be derived by the skilled person from the embodiments described below.

To achieve the objective above, an aspect of the present invention provides a method for providing a personalized service at a broadcast-receiving terminal that includes: (a) transmitting the unique address information of a source terminal, which is connected by pairing, to a service server over a network; (b) collecting broadcast service use information, which relates to a broadcast service used during the period of pairing with the source terminal, and transmitting the broadcast service use information to the service server; and (c) receiving target service information, which corresponds to the unique address information of the source terminal, from the service server.

The pairing can be performed by way of a Miracast protocol.

The unique address information can be the MAC address of the source terminal.

The service server can store the collected broadcast service use information such that it is matched with the unique address information of the source terminal.

The method for providing a personalized service can further include: (d) receiving an input of user information corresponding to the unique address information; and (e) transmitting the unique address information and the user information to the service server over a network, where the service server can store the unique address information, the user information, and the broadcast service use information, such that they are matched with one another, and can generate the target service information by referencing the collected broadcast service use information and the user information.

Step (a) can be performed after an authentication process of the source terminal and the broadcast-receiving terminal by the service server is completed.

The broadcast service use information can include at least one of viewed channel history, program purchase history, e-commerce history, and preferred channel information.

The target service information can include at least one of program guide arrangement information, recommended live program information, recommended view-on-demand program information, and recommended product information.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a recorded medium readable by a computer that tangibly embodies a program of instructions for performing the method described above.

Still another aspect of the present invention provides a service server apparatus that is connected with a broadcast-receiving terminal over a network to provide a personalized service, where the service server apparatus includes: a communication unit configured to receive unique address information of a source terminal and broadcast service use information, which is collected by a broadcast-receiving terminal during the period of pairing with the source terminal, from the broadcast-receiving terminal paired with the source terminal; an information registry unit configured to store the unique address information and the broadcast service use information matched with each other; and a target service information generator unit configured to generate target service information for a user of the source terminal by referencing the broadcast service use information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the user currently using a broadcast service can be identified from the pairing, so that the user can be provided with personalized services that draw the user's interest without having to go through a complicated log-in procedure.

Figure 1 illustrates the composition of a system for providing a personalized service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the composition of a broadcast-receiving terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 illustrates the detailed composition of a service server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the overall process for providing a personalized service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As the present invention allows for various changes and numerous embodiments, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the written description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to particular modes of practice, and it is to be appreciated that all changes, equivalents, and substitutes that do not depart from the spirit and technical scope of the present invention are encompassed in the present invention. In describing the drawings, like reference numerals are used for like elements.

Certain embodiments of the present invention are described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates the composition of a system for providing a personalized service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the system for providing a personalized service according to an embodiment of the present invention can include aservice server 100, a broadcast-receiving terminal 102, and asource terminal 104.

Theservice server 100 and the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 andsource terminal 104 can be connected over a network. Here, the network can include any of wired and wireless Internet networks, mobile communication networks, and the like.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and thesource terminal 104 can be connected by near-field pairing. Such pairing can be defined as being achieved based on Wi-Fi through Miracast.

The broadcast-receivingterminal 102 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be a set-top box or a TV set that receives and outputs live programs or view-on-demand programs provided by broadcast companies.

Also, thesource terminal 104 can be a terminal that is capable of pairing with the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and can include any of a mobile communication terminal, a touch pad, a desktop PC, a laptop, etc.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, theservice server 100 can perform an authentication procedure between the paired broadcast-receivingterminal 102 andsource terminal 104.

The authentication procedure can be performed by way of a one-time password. An authentication procedure such as this is to allow a transfer of contents after the pairing between a broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and asource terminal 104 that are owned by the user and located within the same building.

Here, the transfer of contents can be defined as content mirroring or streaming.

When the user activates a pairing module (e.g. Miracast module) in both the broadcast-receiving terminal 102 and thesource terminal 104 and selects another source terminal with which pairing is desired on the UI of the broadcast-receiving terminal 102, unique address information may be shared between the selected terminals and the pairing may be completed.

Likewise, when a broadcast-receiving terminal 102, with which pairing is desired, is selected on the UI of thesource terminal 104, the unique address information may be shared and the pairing may be completed.

After the pairing is complete, each terminal may store the unique address information of the other, paired terminal.

Once the pairing is completed, the content data running on thesource terminal 104 can be mirrored or streamed to the broadcast-receivingterminal 102.

Of course, after the pairing, the user can view a desired program through the broadcast-receiving terminal 102.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102, after the near-field pairing with thesource terminal 104, may store the unique address information of thesource terminal 104 and transmit the unique address information to theservice server 100.

Also, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 according to an embodiment of the invention can collect the user's broadcast service use information and transmit the information relating to broadcast services used while in the paired state to theservice server 100.

Here, the broadcast service use information can include viewed channel history, program purchase history, e-commerce history, preferred channel information, and the like. Furthermore, the broadcast service use information can also include information regarding contents transferred from thesource terminal 104 to the broadcast-receiving terminal 102.

The unique address information received from the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may be stored by theservice server 100, matched with the broadcast service use information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may receive user information as input, concurrently with storing the unique address information of thesource terminal 104, when first pairing with thesource terminal 104.

Preferably, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may output an interface for inputting the user information when the unique address information of aparticular source terminal 104 is first stored, and the user may input the user information on the interface.

Here, the inputted user information can include a user name, age, gender, etc.

The user can input the user information by using a remote control or asource terminal 104.

An interface for inputting the user information can be outputted on thesource terminal 104 according to a control signal of the broadcast-receivingterminal 102, and the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 can also receive the user information from thesource terminal 104.

When the input of the user information is complete, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may transmit the user information over a network to theservice server 100.

Theservice server 100 according to an embodiment of the invention may store the unique address information, user information, and broadcast service use information of the corresponding user, matched with one another, in a database.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, theservice server 100 may provide a personalized service by using the information stored as above.

Theservice server 100 according to an embodiment of the invention may generate target service information by referencing the broadcast service use information collected at the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and the user information.

The target service information can include recommended live program information, recommended view-on-demand program information, recommended product information, and program guide arrangement information, etc., that include programs which the user of thesource terminal 104 is expected to have interest in.

The target service information generated at theservice server 100 can be transmitted to the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 periodically. Also, the target service information corresponding to the unique address information of thesource terminal 104 can be transmitted to the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 at the time of pairing between the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and thesource terminal 104.

In cases where the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 has received and is storing the target service information beforehand, the target services corresponding to the unique address information of the pairedsource terminal 104 can be provided.

Also, in cases where the target service information is received from theservice server 100 at the time of pairing, the procedures for generating a program guide and providing recommendation messages can be performed using the target service information received from theservice server 100.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide personalized services using only the unique address information obtained through a near-field pairing, without a separate log-in procedure by the user, to provide increased convenience for the user.

Figure 2 illustrates the composition of a broadcast-receiving terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in Figure 2, a broadcast-receivingterminal 102 according to an embodiment of the present invention can include apairing unit 200, aserver communication unit 202, a useinformation collection unit 204, a target serviceinformation output unit 206, and acontrol unit 208.

Thepairing unit 200 may configure the connection with asource terminal 104 that is located nearby, through a near-field communication protocol.

As described above, the connection between the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and thesource terminal 104 can be set by way of a Miracast protocol, and thepairing unit 200 may store the unique address information of thesource terminal 104 and receive the content data that is streamed or mirrored by thesource terminal 104.

Theserver communication unit 202 may transmit the unique address information of thesource terminal 104 to theservice server 100 and may receive the target service information corresponding to the unique address information from theservice server 100.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may receive personal information of the user carrying thesource terminal 104 as input when thesource terminal 104 is first paired, and may transmit the inputted user information to theservice server 100 through theserver communication unit 202.

Theservice server 100 may store the unique address information and the user information, with the unique address information and the user information matched with each other.

The useinformation collection unit 204 may collect the user's broadcast service use information relating to the user's use of broadcast services on the broadcast-receivingterminal 102, and may also collect information related to the contents that thesource terminal 104 transfers to the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 while in a paired state.

In describing the present invention, the broadcast service use information may include information on not only broadcast services but also information on contents that are transferred while in the paired state.

Theserver communication unit 202 may transmit the broadcast service use information to theservice server 100.

Theserver communication unit 202 may transmit the unique address information of the pairedsource terminal 104, as well as the broadcast service use information collected while in the paired state, to theservice server 100. Theservice server 100 may store the unique address information, user information, and the corresponding broadcast service use information such that the unique address information, user information, and corresponding broadcast service use information are matched with one another.

The target serviceinformation output unit 206 may output the target service information received from theservice server 100.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the target service information can include program guide arrangement information, recommended live program information, recommended view-on-demand program information, and recommended product information.

Preferably, the target serviceinformation output unit 206 according to an embodiment of the present invention can output a program guide with programs which are expected to draw the interest of the user of the currently pairedsource terminal 104.

For example, if thesource terminal 104 is a terminal carried by a parent, the target serviceinformation output unit 206 can output a program guide on the very first page that includes live programs mainly viewed by parents and view-on-demand programs of a genre mainly preferred by parents.

Also, if thesource terminal 104 is a terminal carried by a minor, the target serviceinformation output unit 206 can output a program guide that includes animations, music programs, and educational programs.

Thus, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 according to an embodiment of the present invention can provide customized services to the user of the currently pairedsource terminal 104.

Thecontrol unit 208 may provide control for the overall operations of pairing, communicating with the server, and outputting target service information.

Figure 3 illustrates the detailed composition of a service server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in Figure 3, aservice server 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can include acommunication unit 300, aninformation registry unit 302, a target serviceinformation generator unit 304, and anauthentication unit 306.

Thecommunication unit 300 may receive unique address information and user information from the broadcast-receivingterminal 102.

Theinformation registry unit 302 may store the unique address information and the user information in a database (not shown) with the unique address information and user information matched with each other.

Also, thecommunication unit 300 may receive the unique address information of the pairedsource terminal 104 as well as the broadcast service use information regarding the broadcast services used by the user of thesource terminal 104 while in the paired state.

Theinformation registry unit 302 may store the broadcast service use information in a database, with the broadcast service use information matched with the unique address information and the user information.

The target serviceinformation generator unit 304 may generate the target service information by using the user information and the broadcast service use information.

Theservice server 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, while managing the schedule information for programs provided by broadcasting companies, can generate target service information for each user periodically or when there is a request from the broadcast-receivingterminal 102.

The target service information thus generated may be transmitted to the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 through thecommunication unit 300.

Preferably, in cases where the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 is paired with a previously registeredsource terminal 104, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 can request the target service information from theservice server 100, and theservice server 100 can transmit the target service information, which may have been generated beforehand or may be generated at the time of the request, through thecommunication unit 300 to the broadcast-receivingterminal 102.

Theauthentication unit 306 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform an authentication procedure between the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and thesource terminal 104 during the pairing process.

As described above, the authentication procedure can be performed to enable pairing and other services between the user’s broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and source terminal 104 located within the same building, and can entail an OTP method or determining whether or not the terminals were registered beforehand at theservice server 100.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the procedures for transmitting the unique address information, etc., can be performed after the authentication procedure by theservice server 100 is completed.

Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the overall process for providing a personalized service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 4, an initial pairing may be performed between the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and the source terminal 104 (operation 400).

During the pairing process, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and thesource terminal 104 may share the other terminal's unique address information (e.g. MAC address). Here, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may store the unique address information of the source terminal 104 (operation 402).

When thesource terminal 104 and the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 are paired for the first time, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may request for input of user information, and receive the input of user information (operation 404).

The broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may transmit the unique address information of thesource terminal 104 and the user information to the service server 100 (operation 406).

Also, the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may collect the user’s broadcast service use information (operation 408) and may transmit it to the service server 100 (operation 410).

Theservice server 100 may store the unique address information, user information, and broadcast service use information transmitted from the broadcast-receivingterminal 102, with the unique address information, user information, and broadcast service use information matched with one another (operation 412).

Figure 4 illustrates the case of theservice server 100 providing target service information when a pairing is performed again at a later time after the information is registered as described above.

When the pairing is completed between the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and thesource terminal 104 at a later time (operation 414), the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may transmit the unique address information of the currently pairedsource terminal 104 to the service server 100 (operation 416).

Theservice server 100 may generate the target service information by referencing the user information and the broadcast service use information corresponding to the unique address information of the source terminal 104 (operation 418), and may transmit this to the broadcast-receiving terminal 102 (operation 420).

While the descriptions above refer to the target service information being generated and transmitted by theservice server 100 at the time of pairing, the present invention is not limited thus, and the target service information can also be generated periodically based on the user information and the broadcast service use information received from the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 and can also be transmitted to the broadcast-receivingterminal 102 beforehand.

The broadcast-receivingterminal 102 may output the target service information received from the service server 100 (operation 422).

The embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in the form of program instructions that may be performed using various computer means and can be recorded in a computer-readable medium. Such a computer-readable medium can include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium can be designed and configured specifically for the present invention or can be a type of medium known to and used by the skilled person in the field of computer software. Examples of a computer-readable medium may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, etc., optical media such as CD-ROM's, DVD's, etc., magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, etc., and hardware devices such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. Examples of the program of instructions may include not only machine language codes produced by a compiler but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer through the use of an interpreter, etc. The hardware mentioned above can be made to operate as one or more software modules that perform the actions of the embodiments of the invention, and vice versa.

While the present invention has been described above using particular examples, including specific elements, by way of limited embodiments and drawings, it is to be appreciated that these are provided merely to aid the overall understanding of the present invention, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments above, and various modifications and alterations can be made from the disclosures above by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the spirit of the present invention must not be limited to the embodiments described herein, and the scope of the present invention must be regarded as encompassing not only the claims set forth below, but also their equivalents and variations.

Claims (12)

1. A method for providing a personalized service at a broadcast-receiving terminal, the method comprising:

   (a) transmitting unique address information of a source terminal to a service server over a network, the source terminal connected by pairing;

   (b) collecting broadcast service use information relating to a broadcast service used during a period of pairing with the source terminal and transmitting the broadcast service use information to the service server; and

   (c) receiving target service information from the service server, the target service information corresponding to the unique address information of the source terminal.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pairing is performed by way of a Miracast protocol.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique address information is a MAC address of the source terminal.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service server stores the collected broadcast service use information matched with the unique address information of the source terminal.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

   (d) receiving an input of user information corresponding to the unique address information; and

   (e) transmitting the unique address information and the user information to the service server over a network,

   wherein the service server stores the unique address information, the user information, and the broadcast service use information matched with one another, and generates the target service information by referencing the collected broadcast service use information and the user information.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) is performed after an authentication process of the source terminal and the broadcast-receiving terminal by the service server is completed.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast service use information includes at least one of viewed channel history, program purchase history, e-commerce history, and preferred channel information.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target service information includes at least one of program guide arrangement information, recommended live program information, recommended view-on-demand program information, and recommended product information.
9. A recorded medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions for performing the method of claim 1.
10. A service server apparatus for connecting with a broadcast-receiving terminal over a network to provide a personalized service, the service server apparatus comprising:

    a communication unit configured to receive unique address information of a source terminal and broadcast service use information collected by a broadcast-receiving terminal during a period of pairing with the source terminal, from the broadcast-receiving terminal paired with the source terminal;

    an information registry unit configured to store the unique address information and the broadcast service use information matched with each other; and

    a target service information generator unit configured to generate target service information for a user of the source terminal by referencing the broadcast service use information.
11. The service server apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication unit further receives user information relating to a user of the source terminal from the broadcast-receiving terminal, and

    the target service information generator unit generates the target service information by referencing the broadcast service use information and the user information.
12. The service server apparatus of claim 10, wherein the target service information generator unit generates the target service information periodically or when there is a request from the broadcast-receiving terminal.

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