EP1770881A1

EP1770881A1 - Method and system for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network

Info

Publication number: EP1770881A1
Application number: EP05292039A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Karine Alborna; Celia Martinie; Dwight R. Smith; Faouzy Soilihi
Original assignee: Motorola Inc
Current assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
Priority date: 2005-09-30
Filing date: 2005-09-30
Publication date: 2007-04-04
Also published as: CN101273562A; TW200729823A; AR056112A1; WO2007040910A1; JP2007102782A

Abstract

A method and system for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network (106) is disclosed. The communication network includes a plurality of electronic devices. The method includes retrieving metadata corresponding to a broadcast service. The metadata contains broadcast service information pertaining to the broadcast service. The method also includes formatting the metadata into a service description file. Moreover, the method includes sharing the service description file with at least one of the plurality of electronic devices.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to communication networks, and more specifically, to sharing broadcast service information in a communication network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A communication network includes a plurality of electronic devices that are capable of communicating with each other. Examples of a communication network include a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, the Internet, a Local Area Network (LAN), and a Wide Area Network (WAN). Examples of an electronic device include a mobile phone, a set top box, a computer, a laptop computer, a satellite phone, and so forth. Electronic devices may be broadcast-capable devices. A broadcast-capable electronic device can access a broadcast service by using service information pertaining to the service. The service information includes a description of the broadcast service. However, the service description or references to the broadcast service cannot be sent in a message to other broadcast-capable electronic devices, to enable them to access the broadcast service. Further, the service information cannot be shared with non-broadcast-capable electronic devices. A non-broadcast-capable electronic device cannot access a broadcast service. Further, the service description or references to a broadcast service cannot be shared among a plurality of electronic devices via SMS, MMS or using other services provided by a telecommunication network.
Various methods exist that allow a specific action to be performed when a message is received. One such method includes launching a software application in an electronic device when the electronic device receives a Short Message Service (SMS). Another method includes performing a specific action by using an electronic device when a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is received. In another method, a MIDlet, a program or code written in Java, can be launched, based on a notification from the communication network.
However, these methods have one or more of the following limitations. First, the methods do not enable the sharing of a description or references to a broadcast service among a plurality of electronic devices via SMS, MMS, or by using other services provided by a telecommunication network. Second, they do not enable the sharing of the service description with non-broadcast-capable electronic devices. Third, the methods do not enable the launch of a broadcast service, using data contained in an SMS or an MMS.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:
FIG. 1 is an exemplary environment illustrating communication between a plurality of electronic devices and a broadcast service provider, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a exemplary block diagram illustrating components of the electronic device, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating another method for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network, in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for utilizing broadcast service information in a communication network, in accordance with the present invention.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before describing in detail the particular method and system for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the present invention resides primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to method and system for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
The present invention describes a method and a system for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network. The method includes retrieving metadata corresponding to a broadcast service from a broadcast service provider. The metadata is formatted into a service description file, which is shared with one or more electronic devices in the communication network.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary environment illustrating the communication between a plurality of electronic devices and a broadcast service provider 102 in accordance with the present invention. The plurality of electronic devices includes an electronic device 104, an electronic device 106, an electronic device 108, and an electronic device 110. Examples of an electronic device include, but are not limited to, a mobile phone, a set top box, a computer, a laptop computer, and a satellite phone.
The broadcast service provider 102 relays one or more broadcast services. Examples of a broadcast service include, but are not limited to, television and radio programs. The electronic device 106 retrieves metadata corresponding to the broadcast service broadcasted by the broadcast service provider 102. The metadata contains information related to the content, quality, condition and location of the corresponding broadcast service. The metadata is transferred via a communication network 112. Examples of the communication network 112 include, but are not limited to, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), an Internet, a Local Area Network (LAN), and a Wide Area Network (WAN). The communication network 112 enables transfer of data among the plurality of electronic devices. Examples of data include, but are not limited to, audio data, text data, video data, and graphics data. In an embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast service provider 102 relays a plurality of broadcast services via the communication network 112.
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown an exemplary block diagram illustrating components of the electronic device 106, in accordance with the present invention. The electronic device 106 includes a retrieving module 202, a format module 204, a processor 206, a sharing module 208, an extracting module 210, a detection module 212, a capabilities check module 214, a service consumption module 216, a display module 218, and a scheduling module 220. The retrieving module 202 retrieves metadata corresponding to a broadcast service from the broadcast service provider 102. Once the metadata is retrieved, the format module 204 formats the metadata in a service description file. The service description file includes broadcast service information corresponding to the metadata in a pre-defined format. The pre-defined format enables the viewing of at least a part of the broadcast service information on a non-broadcast- compatible electronic device. A non-broadcast-compatible electronic device is not capable of accessing a broadcast service. Examples of non-broadcast-compatible electronic devices include, but are not limited to, a non-Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) mobile phone and a non-DVB set-top box. DVB is a set of standards governing the broadcast of digital services. Further, the pre-defined format also enables it to access the broadcast service from broadcast-compatible electronic devices. A broadcast- compatible electronic device is capable of accessing a broadcast service. Examples of broadcast-compatible electronic device include, but are not limited to, a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) mobile phone and a DVB set-top box.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the retrieving module 202 retrieves metadata corresponding to a broadcast service from the broadcast service provider 102. The retrieving module 202 includes the extracting module 210. The extracting module 210 extracts one or more fields from the metadata. The one or more fields contain the description and information regarding the broadcast service. Examples of the one or more fields include, but are not limited to, a title, a preview, the time of the broadcast of the broadcast service, the logo of the broadcast service provider 102, the name of the performing artist, channel information of the broadcast service, action to be taken and a service identifier. In another embodiment of the present invention, the field includes the address of the broadcast service provider 102 in the communication network 112, to enable an identification of the broadcast service provider 102. For example, when the broadcast service is a music program, the fields extracted may include the name of the singer or artist performing in the program.
Further, the processor 206 enables the format module 204 to format the service description file in the pre-defined format. The processor 206 processes the service description file in the pre-defined format. The sharing module 208 shares the service description file with one or more electronic devices. The fields extracted by the extracting module 210 are displayed to users of the one or more electronic devices. Displaying the fields to the users enable them to make a decision regarding the broadcast service, prior to accessing it.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the detection module 212, in the electronic device 106, detects a service description file containing metadata. The capabilities check module 214 checks whether the electronic device 106 is capable of accessing a broadcast service corresponding to the metadata. A broadcast compatible electronic device is an electronic device that is capable of accessing a broadcast service. An electronic device requires specific hardware and software components to access the broadcast service. The specific hardware and software components enable data being sent and received to and from the broadcast service provider 102. The specific hardware and software components also enable data sent by the broadcast service provider 102 to be processed. If the electronic device 106 is a broadcast-compatible electronic device, the service consumption module 216 accesses the broadcast service, which is accessed by using the metadata contained in the service description file. The display module 218 in the service consumption module 216 displays the broadcast service to the user of the electronic device 106. The display module 218 can also display the preview of the broadcast service. In an embodiment of the present invention, the scheduling module 220 sets a pre-defined time after which a broadcast service is to be accessed. After the pre-defined time, the service consumption module 216 accesses the broadcast service. For example, a set-top box may receive a service description file at 05:00 a.m. The service description file corresponds to a music concert that is to be relayed at 11:00 a.m. The scheduling module 220 may schedule the service consumption module 216 to access the music concert at 11:00 a.m. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, after receiving a service description file, the electronic device 106 notifies the sharing module 208 to share the service description file with one or more electronic devices from the plurality of electronic devices. Further, the display module 218 in the service consumption module 216 displays the broadcast service to the user of the electronic device 106. The display module 218 also displays the fields extracted from the metadata that the service description file contains. Examples of the display module 218 include, but are not limited to, a thin film transistor (TFT) screen, a cathode ray tube (CRT) screen, and a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen. In various embodiments of the present invention, the components of the electronic device 104, the electronic device 108, and the electronic device 110 are similar to those of the electronic device 106.

Referring to FIG. 3 there is shown an exemplary flow chart illustrating a method for sharing broadcast service information in the communication network 112, in accordance with the present invention. After initiating the process at step 302, metadata is retrieved from the broadcast service provider 102 by the electronic device 106 at step 304. The metadata corresponds to a broadcast service relayed by the broadcast service provider 102. In an embodiment of the present invention, the retrieving module 202 retrieves the metadata from the broadcast service provider 102. At step 306, the metadata is formatted into a service description file. In an embodiment of the present invention, the format module 204 formats the metadata into the service description file, which has a specific Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type. A MIME type defines the content and format of a file. Examples of a MIME type include text/html, image/gif, audio/mp3, video/dat, and so forth. An application recognizes and handles a file, based on the specific MIME type of the file. In an embodiment of the present invention, the service description file is a specific MIME type represented as Text/Html and Broadcast Service/Xml. Text/Html signifies that the content of the service description file is of type text and is in the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format. Broadcast Service/Xml signifies that the content of the service description file is a broadcast service content and is in XML format. The broadcast service content includes the name of the broadcast service provider, the episode number, the action to be taken on receiving the service description file, the time of the broadcast, and the duration of the program. The XLM content is executed when a broadcast-compatible electronic device receives the service description file. This enables access to the broadcast service from the broadcast- compatible electronic device. When a non-broadcast-compatible electronic device receives the service description file, then the HTML content is executed and information about the broadcast service is displayed to the user of the non-broadcast compatible electronic device. Referring to Table 1, an exemplary MIME type is shown, in accordance with the present invention.

Table 1

<html>

Program InfoSpace AdventureSeason Premier Introduces the cast for this new series based on work of Mr. Smith

<<!-

BCAST_SERVICE_PROVIDER:=ScienceFictionProvider

BCAST_EPISODE:=0001

BCAST_ACTION:=WATCH

BCAST_STARTTIME:=1300CST-23FEB2005

BCAST_DURATION:=100

BCAST_RIGHTS_URL:=http://www.ScienceFictionProvider.com/purchase?pr=Space-Adventure,ep= 1

//-->

</html>

When a broadcast-compatible electronic device receives the above-mentioned MIME type, it can access the broadcast service by executing the XML content. The HTML content is executed when a non-broadcast-compatible electronic device receives the specific MIME type. The information displayed to the user includes "Program Info", "Space Adventure", "Season Premier", and "Introduces the cast for this new series based on work of Mr. Smith". The specific MIME type enables the service description file to be recognized and handled by existing applications, which executes MMS in mobile phones.
At step 308, the service description file is shared with one or more electronic devices from the plurality of electronic devices. In an embodiment of the present invention, the sharing module 208 may share the service description file with one or more electronic devices. While sharing the service description file, its format and content are preserved. This also enables the sharing of the service description file among the plurality of electronic devices. For example, when the communication network 112 is a cellular network, the service description file may be sent via MMS, the Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) Get or the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Push. The service description file is sent as an attachment in an MMS and contains the title, the name of the author, and the text description of the broadcast service, which are displayed in a text component of the MMS. In another embodiment, the service description file may be sent to one or more electronic devices via a wireless medium. Examples of wireless medium include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth, infrared, WiFi, and radio waves. In yet another embodiment, the service description file may also be sent to the one or more electronic devices via a data cable. Thereafter, the process terminates at step 310.
Referring to FIG. 4 there is shown an exemplary flowchart illustrating another method for sharing broadcast service information in the communication network 112, in accordance with the present invention. After initiating the process at step 402, metadata corresponding to a broadcast service is retrieved from the broadcast service provider 102 at step 404. In an embodiment of the present invention, the retrieving module 202 retrieves the metadata from the broadcast service provider 102. At step 406, one or more fields are extracted from the metadata. In an embodiment of the present invention, the extracting module 210 extracts the one or more fields. At step 408, the metadata is formatted into a service description file. In an embodiment of the present invention, the format module 204 formats the metadata into the service description file. In an embodiment of the present invention, the service description file contains one or more action fields. An action field contains actions that are to be performed at the electronic device 106. An empty action field indicates that no specific action has to be performed.
At step 410, the service description file is shared with one or more electronic devices in the network. In an embodiment of the present invention, the sharing module 408 enables sharing of the service description file. At step 412, the one or more fields, extracted from the metadata, are displayed to users of the one or more electronic devices. In an embodiment of the present invention, the display module 218, in the one or more electronic devices, displays the one or more fields to the users. The display of the fields enables the users to access information corresponding to the broadcast service prior to accessing the broadcast service. At step 414, the one or more electronic devices are instructed by a user of the electronic device 106 to perform the one or more actions. The one or more electronic devices can be instructed by the user of the electronic device 106 to perform actions such as accessing, scheduling and recording the broadcast service. The actions are based on the preferences of the user and the capabilities of the one or more electronic devices. The capabilities of the one or more electronic devices include whether the electronic device is a broadcast-compatible electronic device. For example, if the broadcast service is an educational program being relayed, parents may want their children to watch it, even if they are away, and may instruct a DVB-compatible set-top box at home to access and record the educational program. The service-consumption module 216 in the DVB-compatible set-top box 216 accesses the educational program and displays it by using the display module 218. The educational program can also be recorded, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. If it is being relayed at a particular time, the parents may instruct the DVB-compatible set-top box at home to schedule access to the educational program at that particular time. The scheduling module 220 in the DVB-compatible set-top box instructs the service consumption module 216 to access the educational program at that particular time. The parents may also instruct a DVB-compatible personal video recorder at home to record the program in a memory, for future reference. In an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic device 106 sends the control information to the one or more devices for performing one or more actions that are contained in a service description file to one or more electronic devices, for instance, if a service description file does not contain any control information. In this case, no action is performed. In another example, the user of the electronic device 106 may instruct the one or more electronic devices to simultaneously record and access the broadcast service. Thereafter, the process terminates at step 416.
Referring to FIG. 5 there is shown an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for utilizing broadcast service information in a first electronic device, in the communication network 112, in accordance with the present invention. The first electronic device receives a service description file from a second electronic device. After initiating the process at step 502, the service description file is detected at a first electronic device at step 504. In an embodiment of the present invention, the detection module 212 in the first electronic device detects the service description file. For example, if the first device receives an MMS, the detection module 212 checks whether the attached file is a service description file. In an embodiment of the present invention, every time the first electronic device receives a file, the detection module 212 checks whether the file is a service description file. If the file is a service description file, a user of the first device is intimated. Further, at step 506, the first electronic device performs an action on broadcast service information. The action is performed, based on one or more action fields contained in the service description file. The action is based on the preferences of a user of the second electronic device and the capabilities of the first electronic devices. The capabilities of the first electronic device include its capability to access a broadcast service. Thereafter, the process terminates at step 508.
For example, a first mobile phone may send a service description file to a second mobile phone. The broadcast service corresponding to the service description file may be a TV program broadcasted as a streaming video. A user of the first mobile phone may instruct the second mobile phone to perform one or more actions on the streaming video. The capabilities check module 214 checks whether the second mobile phone is Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) compatible, so as to ensure that the second mobile phone is capable of performing the one or more actions. When the mobile phone is not DVB- compatible, the user of the first mobile phone may be intimated about its inability to perform the one or more actions. The second mobile device may send an SMS or an MMS to intimate the user of the first mobile phone about its inability to perform the one or more actions. The user of the first mobile phone may also be intimated by using WAP Push or HTTP Get. When the second mobile phone is DVB-compatible, the one or more actions may be performed on it.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast service provider 102 may send a message via WAP. The message may contain one or more Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). A URL defines an address of a particular content on the World Wide Web (WWW). Each of the one or more URLs may refer to a location of a particular broadcast service. The message may also contain a description of each of the broadcast services. Clicking on the one or more URLs may enable the transfer of the corresponding service description file to an electronic device.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the service description file may be sent to an electronic device that supports WAP Push functionality via WAP.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, an online program guide or an advertising banner may contain one or more references to a plurality of broadcast services. The online program guide or advertising banner may contain the titles and description of one or more broadcast services. A user of an electronic device may click on the one or more references, which may enable the transfer of a corresponding service description file to the electronic device.
The present invention provides a method and system for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network. The method and system enables the sharing of broadcast service information with one or more electronic devices in the communication network.
In this document, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising", "includes", "including", or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, system or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by "comprises ... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, system, or apparatus that comprises the element.
It will be appreciated that the modules described herein may be comprised of one or more conventional processors and unique stored program instructions that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the modules described herein. The non-processor circuits may include, but are not limited to, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, signal drivers, clock circuits, power source circuits, and user input devices. As such, these functions may be interpreted as steps of a method for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been described herein.
In the foregoing specification, the invention and its benefits and advantages have been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.

Claims

A method for sharing broadcast service information in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of electronic devices, the method comprising:
retrieving metadata, the metadata comprising the broadcast service information corresponding to a broadcast service;

formatting the metadata into a service description file; and

sharing the service description file with at least one of the plurality of electronic devices in the communication network.
The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the service description file comprises preserving the format and content of the service description file.
The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the service description file comprises sending the service description file via a mode selected from a group comprising MMS, HTTP Get, WAP Push, bluetooth, infrared and WiFi.
The method of claim 1 further comprising extracting one or more fields in the metadata from a group comprising a title, a logo, a preview, channel information of the broadcast service, action to be taken and a service identifier.
The method according to claim 1 further comprising displaying the title of the broadcast service to a user of at least one of the plurality of devices.
The method according to claim 1, wherein sharing the service description file comprises sending the service description file to at least one of the plurality of electronic devices.
The method according to claim 1, wherein sharing the service description file comprises sending a message, the message comprising the service description file.
The method of claim 1 further comprising instructing at least one of the plurality of devices to perform an action.
A method for utilizing broadcast service information on a first electronic device in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of electronic devices, the broadcast service information being sent by a second electronic device in the communication network, the method comprising:
detecting a service description file comprising the broadcast service information; and

performing an action on the broadcast service information based on a user preference and capability of the first electronic device.
The method according to claim 9, wherein performing the action comprises accessing a broadcast service by utilizing the broadcast service information.
The method according to claim 9, wherein performing the action comprises scheduling the access to the broadcast service.
The method of claim 9 further comprising checking the device capability before performing an action on the broadcast service information.
A system for sharing a broadcast service information in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of devices, the system comprising:
a retrieving module for retrieving metadata, the metadata comprising the broadcast service information corresponding to a broadcast service;

a format module for formatting the metadata in a service description file, wherein the service description file has a specific Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type;

a processor for processing the service description file; and

a sharing module for forwarding the service description file to at least one of the plurality of devices.
The system of claim 13, wherein the service description file comprises the broadcast service information corresponding to the broadcast service.
The system of claim 13, wherein the service description file is shared via a mode selected from a group comprising of MMS, HTTP Get, WAP Push, bluetooth, infrared and WiFi.
The system according to claim 13, wherein the retrieving module further comprises an extracting module for extracting one or more fields of the metadata, wherein the one or more fields are selected from a group comprising a title, a logo and a preview of the broadcast service.
The system according to claim 13 further comprising a detection module for detecting the service description file.
The system according to claim 13 further comprising a capabilities check module for checking the capability of the device.
The system according to claim 13 further comprising a service consumption module for accessing a broadcast service.
The system according to claim 13, wherein the service consumption module further comprises a display module for displaying the broadcast service.
The system according to claim 13 further comprising a scheduling module for setting a pre-defined time for accessing a broadcast service.