System and method for television portrait service using set-top box

Television image service method and system using set-top box

1 is an exemplary view of a service using a conventional set-top box.

2 is a block diagram of a system according to the present invention;

3 is a flowchart of a process for preparing an image service provision;

4 is a flowchart of an image service provision and use process;

5 is an exemplary view of an image service menu selection screen;

6 is an exemplary diagram of an image service screen;

*** Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing ***

10 : set-top box 12 : camera

14 : Microphone 16 : Memory

18 : remote control

20 : TV 22 : Menu selection window

24 : Image service window

30 : server

<background-art><p>The present invention relates to a TV video service method and system using a set-top box. More specifically, the set-top box, that is, a satellite broadcast receiver, is provided with a video service function, and a network between satellite broadcast subscribers is configured to provide a TV video service between subscribers. It relates to a method and system.</p><p>The main function of a satellite broadcast receiver is to process broadcast signals. However, as technology advances, processing technology for external input signals in addition to broadcast signals has been developed.</p><p>A conventional satellite broadcast receiver, that is, a set-top box will be described as follows. There are four types of conventional set-top boxes.</p><p>First, there is a cable TV type set-top box. In the case of cable broadcasting, there are about 100 channels, and tuning is required to search for each channel, and the set-top box provides this function. The above function is realized through a method such as decryption, in which a converter in each household with a cable TV sends a signal to the center center, which decrypts the signal and transmits it back to the converter. This is done in this way, which is called scrambling. Here, the function of the converter is performed by the set-top box.</p><p>Second, there is an Internet TV-type set-top box. This is to support the Internet TV to serve as a monitor when a subscriber of a high-speed communication network uses the Internet. In this case, the user must be using both the high-speed communication network and the Internet TV, and when accessing the Internet, the Internet screen is displayed on the TV. However, in this case, you cannot watch TV and use the Internet at the same time, and you have to change the mode for each.</p><p>Third, there is a digital (Digital) satellite broadcasting type set-top box. A signal input to the TV uses an analog signal. In the case of digital satellite broadcasting, the analog signal is converted into a digital signal and input. Accordingly, a digital signal is input to the TV, which is input in the compressed form of MPEG II. Therefore, it is necessary to decompress and convert a digital signal to an analog signal, and the set-top box provides this function. This function is performed by CAS (Conditional Access System) mounted on the set-top box.</p><p>Finally, there are digital set-top boxes. This is an input signal that can process other external signals in addition to digital input signals, and the external signals include audio or video signals. In this case, an external signal is separated from the TV signal, and a function for processing this is provided. That is, the broadcast signal and the digital signal are simultaneously processed.</p><p>The conventional set-top box has been examined by type, but in the prior art, a technology for implementing a set-top box as a single network terminal and a business model applying the same were not materialized.</p><p>1 is an exemplary diagram of a service using a conventional set-top box. As shown in Figure 1, the conventional set-top box had a problem limited to TV viewing and network service.</p></background-art><tech><p>The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a television image service system using a set-top box. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for providing an image service function to a set-top box by applying an image processing technology in the set-top box to a network configuration between the set-top boxes.</p><p>Another object of the present invention is to provide a TV image service method using a set-top box.</p><p>In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a television image service system using a set-top box is provided, which constitutes a network between subscribers of satellite broadcasting, and provides a video service using a TV and a set-top box owned by the subscriber. A television image service system using a box, comprising: one or more clients using the image service system; and the client, a camera installed in the set-top box, converting the subscriber's image information into image data, and inputting it into the set-top box; a microphone for converting the subscriber's voice information into voice data and inputting it into the set-top box; a set-top box that receives and processes image data, audio data, and broadcast signals input and transmitted from outside, and transmits image data and audio data; A video service control module that provides functions for video services so that subscribers can use video services: and a TV that displays signals and data processed in the set-top box, and connects the set-top boxes of a plurality of subscribers, and each set-top box It is characterized in that it comprises a server for processing the image data and audio data transmitted from the box to transmit to each set-top box.</p><p>In addition, in order to achieve another object, a TV image service method using a set-top box includes a connection step of connecting between subscribers who have requested a video service; A data input step of inputting image and audio data of a subscriber from a camera and a microphone installed in the set-top box to the set-top box; a data transmission step in which the set-top box processes and transmits image and audio data; a receiving step of receiving image and audio data from the set-top box; A transmission step of transmitting the video and audio data to the set-top box of the subscriber who requested the video service; and a display step in which the set-top box displays the image and audio data through the television.</p><p>Hereinafter, the features, advantages and preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.</p></tech>

<p>2 is a block diagram of a system according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2 , an image service system according to the present invention includes a set-top box 10 that processes and relays a broadcast signal and a signal by the image service according to the present invention, and converts user's image information into image data to form a set-top box Camera 12 to transmit to (10), microphone 14 to convert the user's voice information into voice data and deliver it to the set-top box 10, and image and voice transmitted through the camera 12 and the microphone 14 A memory 16 for storing data, a TV 20 for displaying a signal processed by the set-top box 10, and each user's set-top box 10 are connected, and images and audio transmitted from each set-top box 10 are connected. A configuration including a server 30 for transmitting data to another set-top box (10).</p><p>The set-top box 10 according to the present invention processes a broadcast signal by over-the-air broadcasting or satellite broadcasting, and transmits it to the TV 20, and the user's image and voice data transmitted through the camera 12 and the microphone 14 is processed through the built-in image processing program. In addition, the image and audio data are stored in the memory 16 and then transmitted to the server 30 . It also processes other users' image and audio data transmitted from the server 30 , and transmits the processed data to the TV 20 .</p><p>The above image processing program is a module for encoding image and audio data in a form suitable for transmission in transmitting the image and audio data to the server 30 , and decoding the image and audio tether transmitted from the server 30 . includes</p><p>In addition, the set-top box 10 according to the present invention includes a video service control module that provides a function for the video service so that the user can use the video service. The function for the video service means, for example, a function of changing a mode when a user wants to request a video service while watching a broadcast or when a video conversation request is received from another user.</p><p>The camera 12 and the microphone 14 according to the present invention may be built into the set-top box 10 or may be installed outside.</p><p>The memory 16 according to the present invention stores an image processing program and image and audio data. Here, the storage of the image and audio data means temporary storage in a step before transmission to the server 30 , in which the memory serves as a buffer.</p><p>The television 20 according to the present invention displays a signal transmitted through the set-top box 10 .</p><p>The server 30 according to the present invention receives image and audio data transmitted from each set-top box 10 and transmits it to other users. That is, when a video conversation is started between users who use the video service, each user is relayed.</p><p>3 is a flowchart of an image service provision preparation process. Referring to FIG. 3 , the image service provision preparation process has the following flow.</p><p>A dedicated image service server is built (step 110). The image service dedicated server is the server 30 according to the present invention, which means a server capable of providing an image service according to the present invention.</p><p>The image processing program and the memory 16 are installed in the set-top box 10. (Step 120) The image processing program is installed in the memory 16, and is transmitted through the camera 12 and the microphone 14 according to the present invention. image and audio data to be processed. The memory 16 also temporarily stores image and audio data.</p><p>The image service menu is added (step 130). That is, a menu for selecting an image service is added in addition to the basic menu provided by the set-top box 10 .</p><p>The camera 12 and the microphone 14 are mounted (step 140). As described above, the camera 12 and the microphone 14 may be installed inside or outside the set-top box 10 .</p><p>The set-top box 10 and the server 30 are connected (step 150). Each is connected for data transmission and reception between the set-top box 10 and the server 30 .</p><p>4 is a flowchart of a process of providing and using an image service. In FIG. 4 , two image service users are set for convenience of explanation. Referring to FIG. 4 , the process of providing and using an image service has the following flow.</p><p>The user A turns on the function menu (step 205). That is, the menu selection window 22 is activated. The function menu means a menu for a service provided by the set-top box 10 , and includes a menu for an image service in addition to the basic menu.</p><p>The user A selects the image service menu (step 210). When the image service menu is selected, a plurality of sub-menus provided by the image service are displayed. For example, there is a video chat menu, a video service user inquiry menu, or a capture menu of images and voices.</p><p>User A selects a sub-menu (step 215). Here, the sub-menu means a sub-menu for image service as described above.</p><p>User A requests a video conversation (step 220). Some users of the video service users are specified to request a video conversation. At this time, a plurality of specified users is possible. That is, group conversations between multiple users are possible.</p><p>The above-mentioned menu selection and input of other input items may be input through the remote controller 18 connected to the set-top box by wire or wireless.</p><p>The server 30 transmits the data of the user who requested the conversation in step 220 and the signal that the conversation is requested to the set-top box 10 of the corresponding user (user B) (step 225).</p><p>User B receives the data and signal transmitted in step 225, and determines whether to respond to the conversation request (step 230).</p><p>230 When the conversation request is approved in step 235 , a corresponding signal is transmitted to the server 30 .</p><p>The server 30 transmits a conversation acknowledgment signal to user A according to the signal transmitted in step 235 (step 240).</p><p>User A's set-top box 10 displays a message on TV 20 indicating that the conversation request has been approved (step 245).</p><p>The server 30 connects the set-top box 10 of the user A and the user B (step 250).</p><p>A picture service window 24 is activated on the televisions 20 of users A and B. (255, 260 steps)</p><p>The set-top boxes 10 of the user A and the user B transmit image and audio data to the server 30 (steps 265 and 270). The user's image and audio data collected through the camera 12 and the microphone 14 is transmitted to the server 30 via the memory 16 in the set-top box 10 .</p><p>The server 30 receives and processes the image and audio data of users A and B transmitted through steps 265 and 270, and transmits them to each user (step 275).</p><p>The set-top boxes 10 of the user A and the user B receive the image and audio data transmitted in step 275 and display it on the TV 20 (steps 280 and 285).</p><p>265 While the series of processes from steps 285 to 285 are repeated, user A and user B have a video conversation.</p><p>If the user B rejects the conversation request in step 230 (step 290), a conversation rejection signal is transmitted to the server 30 .</p><p>The server 30 transmits a conversation rejection signal to the set-top box 10 of the user A (step 295), and the set-top box 10 of the user A displays a message indicating that the conversation request is rejected on the TV 20. ( 300 steps)</p><p>5 is an exemplary diagram of an image service menu selection screen. As shown in FIG. 5 , the user may select a menu of services provided through the set-top box 10 .</p><p>The user can select an image service in addition to the basic menu provided by the set-top box 10 through the menu selection window 22 displayed on the television 20 . As described above, the user may use the service by selecting one of a plurality of sub-menus accompanying the image service.</p><p>6 is an exemplary diagram of an image service screen. As shown in FIG. 6 , the video service window 24 is activated on the screen of the TV 20 , and the user can conduct a video conversation with each user connected through the server 30 . In this case, an existing service, for example, watching a broadcast or other Internet service, continues.</p><p>Each user's image and audio data collected through the camera 12 and the microphone 14 mounted on the set-top box 10 are processed by an image processing program in the set-top box 10 and transmitted to the server 30 . . The server 30 receives and processes the image and audio data transmitted from the set-top box 10 , and transmits it to the set-top box 10 of each user. Each user's set-top box 10 receives the other user's image and audio data transmitted from the server 30 , and displays it through the TV 20 .</p><p>As described above, in the video service according to the present invention, not only video chat between two users but also video chat between a plurality of users is possible. That is, group conversations between multiple users are possible.</p><p>In addition, a video conversation between a user who uses a video service through the set-top box 10 and a user who subscribes to a satellite broadcast service and uses the video service through a personal computer is also possible. That is, video conversation between satellite broadcasting subscribers is possible regardless of whether the medium for video conversation is the set-top box 10 or a personal computer. Therefore, when a plurality of users conduct a video conversation as described above, some of the users connect using the set-top box 10 , and other users connect using a personal computer to conduct a video conversation.</p><p>In the present invention, video conversation is presented as a representative example of a video service, but it can be extended to various video services such as video lectures and video conferences. That is, interactive and interactive services are possible.</p><p>For example, in the case of a video lecture, as in the video conversation described above, a lecturer and a student may activate a video service window and conduct a lecture in real time. In this case, lecture satisfaction can be increased because lecturers and students in remote locations are connected in real time to conduct lectures.</p><p>Also, in the case of a video conference, it can be conducted in the same way as the video conversation or video lecture described above.</p>

<p>As described above, the present invention has a remarkable effect in that it can provide various image services in addition to the conventional satellite broadcasting viewing or Internet use using a set-top box and a TV.</p><p>The user can use the above service more conveniently by making it possible to use a video service such as a video conversation using a personal computer, but also through a TV.</p><p>In addition, it is easy to extend to various interactive and interactive video services in addition to video conversation, and it is possible to provide services such as video lectures and video conferences.</p><p>In addition, since the service can be used only with a set-top box and a TV, and a high level of knowledge or skill is not required for use, even a beginner can easily use the service.</p><p>Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, it is understood that such descriptions are for the purpose of description only, and that various changes and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims. it should be</p>