TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter, in general, relates to a DTH system, and in
particular, to management of the DTH system.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A direct to home (DTH) system is a satellite-aided television (TV)
broadcast system that enables individual users to receive satellite programming directly at their TVs. A typical DTH system includes a broadcast source, which sends program signals to a satellite orbiting the earth; various electronic equipments that code and decode the signals, modulate the signals, etc.; and DTH receivers, such as a dish and a set-top box (STB) installed at the user's place.
[0003] In recent years, technical advancement of the satellites and reception dishes
have made the use of DTH much more widespread. The technical advancement has also helped DTH service providers to provide better and advanced DTH services to the users. For example, the DTH service providers provide video recording, game ordering, pay-per-view facilities, package selection and renewals, etc. The user can schedule the video recording through the STB.
[0004] The user can view a guide, such as an electronic program guide, on one's
own TV set and select a schedule for a program, to be aired in the recent future, which the user intends to watch. The user can scan through the guide and select the desired program. If desired, the user can also record a program for viewing at a later, convenient time. For this, the STB can be scheduled to record the desired program using a remote control device. Scheduling the recording using the remote control makes it necessary for the user to be physically present near the STB.
SUMMARY
[0005] The subject matter described herein relates to a system and method for
management of a direct to home (DTH) system from a remote location. The DTH system
includes a DTH application network to provide remote access to a user for recording of a television program. The application network includes an access server configured to provide a program guide to a communication device over a communication network. The program guide provides a list of television programs from which the user can select the television program for recording.
[0006] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject
matter will be better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] The above and other features, aspects and advantages of the subject matter
will be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where:
[0008] Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary network environment implementing a system
and method for remote management of a DTH system, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0009] Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary DTH application network for remote
management of a DTH system, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[00010] Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary method for implementing remote
management of a DTH system, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00011] Internet protocol television (IPTV) and direct to home (DTH) television are
two television broadcast systems prevalent in the telecommunication industry. The DTH is a satellite-aided television broadcast system that enables individual users to receive television programs directly at their televisions using DTH receivers, such as a reception
dish and a set-top box (STB) installed at the user's place. The DTH is a high speed broadcasting system capable of transmitting multiple program signals, corresponding to multiple channels, at various frequencies at a time. A typical DTH system includes a broadcast source having various electronic equipments that code the signals, multiplex the signals, etc. to send program signals to a satellite orbiting the earth. Once received at the satellite, the program signals are modulated and transmitted, over a DTH network, to a reception dish installed at each user's place. The program signals received at the reception dishes are provided to the STB, over the DTH network, that de-multiplexes the signal, decodes the signal, etc. for display on a television.
[00012] The IPTV, on the other hand, is a digital television broadcast system that
enables individual users to receive the television programs at their televisions through a high speed internet connection. In IPTV system, the television signals are encoded in IP format and delivered as IP packets to the user's television. A typical IPTV system includes a head end where television signals and other content like videos are received, stored, and encoded in IP format; a delivery network, such as a broadband or a landline network, provided by a telecom operator; and the STB installed at the user's place.
[00013] The head end receives the television signals from a broadcast source and
converts the television signals into IP packets, i.e., small IP packet data like any other form of online traffic, such as an email or a web page, usable by a computer. The IP packets are then transmitted to servers of the telecom operator, which then transmits, to the user, the IP packets corresponding to the channel being watched by the user. However, streaming the IP packets to the STBs requires internet connections with high bandwidth, for example, up to 5 gigabit per second (Gbps). Thus, the IPTV system cannot be used in places where internet connections with high bandwidth are not available, for example, in developing countries, such as India where a large population still resides in rural and remote areas and have either no internet connections or access low bandwidth internet. In addition, even if the internet connections are available in such rural and remote areas they are still not affordable for most of the population.
[00014] Further, as wireless internet connections in developing countries, such as
India, do not support high bandwidth, thus the IPTV system can only be accessed using wired internet connections provided by a landline telecom operator. Using the wired internet connection involves a lot of hardware and infrastructure support and limits the use of the IPTV system to people having landline telephone connections. Similarly, broadcasters using the IPTV system either need to setup telephone connections or use the services of a telecom operator to provide IPTV services, thus increasing the cost of the IPTV services. On the other hand, the DTH being a satellite based service does not require an internet or telephone connection and can be easily accessed at all places and is cost effective.
[00015] Further, due to unavailability of such high bandwidth, IPTV broadcasters
generally transmit IP packets corresponding only to a single channel, i.e., the channel being currently watched by a viewer. Thus, when the viewer switches to a different channel, the STB sends a request to the servers for transmitting IP packets of channel requested by the viewer. The server then interrupts the IP packets of the channel that was being viewed and starts delivering the IP packets corresponding to the requested channel. The above process causes a delay in switching between two channels in the IPTV system, thus causing inconvenience to the users.
[00016] In contrast, the DTH system transmits multiple channels at a same time
using time-division multiplexing (TDM). The multiplexed multiple channels are then phase shift keying (PSK) modulated and broadcasted to the DTH receivers. Using the TDM and PSK schemes helps in providing multiple channels at the same time, due to which the user can easily switch between different channels without any delay. When the user switches to a new channel, the STB switches to the frequency of the new channel and starts transmitting the new channel instantaneously.
[00017] In addition, the IPTV system, being based on IP format, is prone to errors
and faults, such as IP packet loss, impulse noise, jitter, and network overloading associated with internet. Thus, the DTH is preferred over IPTV for television broadcasting.
[00018] Owing to the aforementioned reasons and the recent technical advancement
in the DTH systems, DTH services have gained immense popularity in recent years. The DTH service providers typically provide DTH services, for example, game ordering, pay-per-view facilities, package selection or renewals and scheduling video recording of a selected program through the STB. The DTH service providers generally provide a guide, such as a service guide, to the users for selecting a desired service from the DTH services. The user can access the service guide on one's own television or on a communication device, such as a mobile phone or a computer to request for DTH services, such as game ordering, pay-per-view facilities, and package selection or renewals. Similarly, the user can view a program guide on one's own television set and scan through the program guide to select a program, which the user intends to watch. If desired, the user can also record a program for viewing at a later, convenient time. For this, the STB can be scheduled to record the desired program using a remote control device. However, scheduling the recording using the remote control makes it necessary for the user to be physically present near the STB.
[00019] To this end, a system and method for management of a DTH system from a
remote location is disclosed. The present system and method gives the user the convenience of accessing the program guide from any remote location using a communication device, such as a mobile phone or an internet-enabled computing device, such as a computer or a laptop to schedule recording of a program without being physically present near the STB. The DTH system further provides numerous other interactive DTH services, such as package renewal, package updation, and applications downloading through the communication device.
[00020] One implementation of the present subject matter provides a user with three
different mediums of accessing the DTH services, i.e., an STB, a mobile handset, and an internet-enabled computing device, such as a computer or a laptop. For example, the user may use a cellular data service, such as a general packet radio service (GPRS) over a cellular communication network or an IP communication network to access the DTH services through a cell phone or a laptop. The user may be presented with a guide, such as
the program guide or the services guide on the mobile handset and the computing device for the selection of a DTH service by the user. The user may select any of the DTH services from the guide. For example, the user may select a schedule of a program for recording. Availability of the program guide at the mobile handset and the computing device thus helps the user in scheduling the recording of a program without being physically present near the STB. Similarly, availability of the service guide at the mobile handset and the computing device helps the user in accessing various other DTH services, such as package renewal, package updation, and applications downloading from a remote location, i.e., without being physically present near the STB. Thus, the user experiences a seamlessly integrated system that is independent of the medium of access.
[00021] The present invention provides the user with the flexibility to access various
DTH services such as viewing account balance, ordering or removal of top-ups, package change or renewal, ordering games, ordering movies, cancel an ordered movie, refer friends, lodge complaints, request series recording, live video recording & raising complaints or requests, opting for change in registered telephone number.
[00022] While aspects of described systems and methods for remote management of
a DTH system can be implemented in any number of different computing systems, environments, and/or configurations, the embodiments are described in the context of the following exemplary system(s).
[00023] Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary network environment 100 implementing a
system and method for management of a DTH system from a remote location. The network environment 100 includes a mobile device 102-1, a computing device 102-2, and a DTH system 103. The DTH system 103 includes an STB 104 interacting with the mobile device 102-1 and the computing device 102-2 through a DTH application network 106. The devices 102-1 and 102-2 may be implemented as any of a variety of communication or computing devices, such as a mobile phone, a server, a desktop PC, a notebook, a portable computer, a workstation, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile computing device
etc. The devices 102-1 and 102-2 may be collectively referred to as communication device(s) 102.
[00024] The communication devices 102 communicate with the DTH application
network 106 over communication networks. For example, the communication device 102, in case of a cell phone, may communicate with the DTH application network 106 over a cellular communication network 108-1 by using, for example, GPRS. Similarly, the communication device 102, in case of an internet enabled laptop or computer, may communicate with the DTH application network 106 over an IP communication network 108-2.
[00025] The IP communication network 108-2 may be a wireless network, wired
network, or a combination thereof and having no bandwidth restrictions. The IP communication network 108-2 can also be an individual network or a collection of many such individual networks, interconnected with each other and functioning as a single large network, e.g., the Internet or an intranet. The cellular communication network 108-1 and the IP communication network 108-2 may be collectively referred to as communication network(s) 108. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the communication devices 102 may be individually interacting with one or more components of the DTH application network 106.
[00026] The DTH application network 106 is a DTH application architecture that
provides a remote user the flexibility of accessing an electronic guide and requesting a DTH service, such as video recording from a remote location, package renewal, and package updation etc. and responds to the request so made. The DTH application network 106 interacts with the STB 104 over a DTH network and includes an application server 110, a user relationship management (URM) server 112, an access server 114, an authentication server 116, and an enterprise service bus (ESB) 118. The ESB 118 consists of a software architecture, which provides fundamental services for complex architectures via an event-driven and standards-based messaging-engine such as a bus. Servers of the DTH application network 106 use the ESB 118 to interact with one another. For example,
the application server 110 may interact with the URM server 112 using the ESB 118. Further, one or more modules (not shown in this figure) of the servers (110, 112, 114, and 116) may also interact with each other, independently, through the ESB 118. As will be appreciated to those skilled in the art, any integration framework, such as enterprise application integration (EAI), capable of providing integration of systems and applications across networks may be used in place of the ESB 118.
[00027] The application server 110 receives a service request sent by the user
through the communication devices 102 for accessing and using one or more of the DTH services. The application server 110 identifies the communication device 102 used by the user to record the features of the communication device 102 in a database. The application server 110 then sends a request to the authentication server 116 to authenticate the user for accessing the DTH system 103. The authentication server 114 checks for log-in credentials of the user to verify whether the user is a registered user.
[00028] If the user is a registered user, the user is allowed to access the DTH
services; otherwise, the user is asked to register for accessing the DTH services. The user may register from a remote location by requesting the application server 110 through the communication device 102. For example, the user may register himself with a DTH service provider for the first time through a mobile phone. The log-in credentials, such as user identification number and password, used by the user during the first time registration may be availed by the user for every subsequent access to the DTH services. Similarly, where a user has registered earlier with the DTH service provider by using a registration application hosted on a web portal of the DTH service provider, the same credential may be used for requesting DTH service through the mobile phone. The integration of the various mediums of accessing DTH services eliminates the requirement of registering each time an access is made through a different media. Also, elimination of multiple registration process allows user to have a common log-in credential irrespective of the medium.
[00029] In one embodiment, the application server 110 is configured to present a
user with a guide, such as a program guide or a services guide hosted by the access server
114, for the selection of a DTH service by the user. The user may select any of the DTH services from the guide. Further, the application server 110 is configured to receive updated guides periodically from the access server 114. In said embodiment, the application server 110 receives service requests from the mobile device 102-1 through the cellular communication network 108-1. Upon receipt of the service request from the mobile device 102-1, the application server 110 indicates the receipt of the service request to the URM server 112. In turn, the URM server 112 requests the authentication server 116 to authenticate the user.
[00030] In another embodiment, the URM server 112 may, through the IP
communication network 108-2, directly receive the service request from the computing device 102-2 without the intervention of the application server 110. In one example, the computing device 102-2 may access the URM server 112 through broadband service provided by any IP service provider. The user, through the computing device 102-2, may access the guide through a web application hosted on a web page.
[00031] Upon receiving the service requests from the computing device 102-2, the
URM server 112 requests the authentication server 116 to authenticate the user. On authentication, the user can directly view the guide hosted by the access server 114. The user may select the desired DTH service from amongst the services available in the guide.
[00032] When a user selects an option from the guide presented by the application
server 110 or the URM server 112, a DTH service request is invoked. On invocation of the DTH service request, the URM server 112 determines a service type, i.e., whether the DTH service is a financial service, such as a package renewal, or a non-financial service, such a video recording. Based on the service type, the URM server 112 may initiate execution of the required DTH service. Alternatively, the URM server 112 may invoke the access server 114 to execute the DTH service requested by the user. The access server 114 interacts with the STB 104 through a satellite 120 and a dish antennae 122 to schedule and control the DTH services. In one embodiment, the DTH system 103 implementable by a DTH service
provider includes the DTH application network 106, the STB 104, the satelUte 120, and the dish antennae 122.
[00033] Where the URM server 112 executes the DTH service request, the access
server 114, upon execution of the same, indicates the execution of the DTH service. For example, in case of execution of a financial DTH service, such as the package renewal, the access server 114 updates a user account of the user, based on service charges corresponding to the financial service, to indicate execution of the DTH service. The access server 114 indicates the execution to the STB 104.
[00034] In another example, when the user initiates a command for a non-financial
DTH service, such as the video recording of a television program listed on the program guide, the URM server 112 schedules the video recording of the television program by invoking the access server 114. The access server 114, in turn, schedules the video recording at the STB 104 by providing schedule commands to the STB 104 via the satellite 120 and the dish antennae 122 over the DTH network. The STB 104, based on the schedule command, initiates and records the video recording of the television program on a recording device, such as a digital video recorder (not shown in the figure) associated with the STB 104. As will be appreciated by a personal skilled in the art, the digital video recorder may be internal or external to the STB 104.
[00035] Fig. 2 illustrates the DTH application network 106, according to an
embodiment of the present subject matter. As described previously, the DTH application network 106 provides remote access for recording of a television program The DTH application network 106 includes the application server 110, the URM server 112, the access server 114, the authentication server 116, and the ESB 118.
[00036] Although the DTH application network 106 of a DTH system has been
described with reference to four servers for performing various functionalities of the DTH application network 106, however it will be appreciated that the DTH application network 106 may have less or greater than four servers for performing the same functionalities. Further, the DTH application network 106 may be implemented as a single server having
various modules performing the same functionalities as the four servers of the present embodiment.
[00037] Each of the servers (110, 112, 114, and 116) include one or more
processor(s) (not shown in the figure), I/O interface(s) (not shown in the figure), and memory (not shown in the figure). The processor(s) can be a single or multiple processing units. The processor(s) can be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor(s) are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions and data stored in the memory.
[00038] The I/O interfaces may include a variety of software and hardware
interfaces, for example, interface for peripheral device(s) such as a keyboard, a mouse, an external memory, a printer, etc. Further, the interfaces may enable the servers (110, 112, 114, and 116) to communicate with one another, using the ESB 118, or with other computing devices, such as web servers and external databases. The I/O interfaces may facilitate multiple communications within a wide variety of protocols and networks, such as the communication networks 108, including wired networks, e.g., LAN, cable, etc., and wireless networks, e.g., WLAN, cellular, satellite, etc. For the purpose, the I/O interfaces may include one or more ports for connecting to a number of computing devices.
[00039] The memory can include any computer-readable medium known in the art
including, for example, volatile memory (e.g., RAM) and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash, etc.).
[00040] The application server 110 further includes a database 202, a remote device
identification (RDI) module 204, a program guide host 206, and a service guide host 208. The application server 110, as explained in Fig. 1, receives the service request, from the user, through the communication devices 102. The RDI module 204 then identifies the communication device 102 used by the user to send the service request. The RDI module 204 identifies various features, such as model number, or any other identification number
of the communication device 102. In one example, the RDI module 204 may identify information such as model number and IMEI number for the mobile device 102-1. The application server 110 records the features of the mobile device 102-1 in the database 202 to register an unregistered mobile device 102-1, i.e., when the user uses the mobile device 102-1 to send the service request for the first time. The database 202, in one implementation may be outside the application server 110.
[00041] On registration of the mobile device 102-1, the application server 110
transmits a mobile application to the mobile device 102-1 using which the user may access the DTH system 103. For example, a user who wants to access the DTH services may send an access request from the mobile device 102-1 to the application server 110 over the cellular communication network 108-1 using, for example, a short message service (SMS). The application server 110 on receiving the access request registers the mobile device 102-1 and transmits the mobile application to the mobile device 102-1 over the cellular communication network 108-1. Once the mobile application is installed on the mobile device 102-1, the user may use the mobile application to send the service request every time the user wants to access the DTH services.
[00042] The application server 110 on receiving the service request sends a request
to the authentication server 116 to authenticate the user for accessing the DTH system 103. The authentication server 116 includes a registration module 210 and an authentication module 212. The authentication module 212 checks for log-in credentials of the user to verify whether the user is a registered user. The authentication module 212 verifies the user by asking for a user identification (ID) and a password. The authentication module 212 checks whether the user ID and the password as entered are valid and registered with the DTH service provider. For the purpose, the authentication module 212 may access a database internal or external to the authentication server 116. If the user is a registered user, he is allowed to access the DTH services; otherwise, the user is asked to register for accessing the DTH services. The user may register from a remote location by requesting the application server 110 through the communication device 102. For example, the user when accessing the DTH service for the first time through the mobile device 102-1 may
register through a sign up option available in the mobile application on his mobile device 102-1. Similarly the user when accessing the DTH service for the first time through the computing device 102-2 may register through a sign up option available in a web application hosted on a web page accessible through the computing device 102-2.
[00043] On receiving a registration request from the user, the registration module
210 provides the user with an online form asking the user to fill details such as user's name, DTH user ID, address, and other details essential for identifying the user. The registration module 210 records the details entered by the user during the registration and assigns the log-in credentials to the user. The registration module 210 prompts the user to enter the log-in credentials, i.e., the user ID and password, recorded during the registration, to allow the user to access the DTH services from the communication devices 102. In one embodiment, the user can access the DTH services from any of the communication devices 102 using the same user ID and password, thus preventing the user from the hassle of going through a registering process each time the user uses a new communication device.
[00044] After confirmation of the authenticity of the user, the user is provided with
a guide, such as a program guide 214 or a services guide 216 hosted by the access server 114. In one embodiment, the application server 110 interacts with the access server 114 to provide the registered user with the guide. For the purpose, the program guide host 206 and the service guide host 208 of the application server 110 interact with the program guide 214 and the services guide 216, respectively. In another embodiment, the program guide 214 or the services guide 216 may be directly accessed by the registered user without intervention of the application server 108.
[00045] The program guide 214, in one example, includes a schedule or a list of
various television programs, i.e., a program schedule to be broadcasted by the DTH service provider. The services guide 216, in one example, includes a menu of DTH services available to the user. In one embodiment, the program guide 214 and the services guide 216 are in an XML format.
[00046] The user may select any scheduled television program from the program
guide 214 and invoke the command to record the same. For example, the mobile application provided on the mobile device 102-1 may generate the DTH service request for scheduling of the recording of a television program selected by the user. In one embodiment, the program guide host 206 provides the user with the program schedule of two days, i.e., the present day and the next day. Further, the program guide host 206 may interact with the program guide 214 to update the program schedule everyday.
[00047] Similarly, in one embodiment, the service guide host 208 is used to provide
a menu of the DTH services on the communication device 102. The user may select any DTH service from the service guide host 208. In one embodiment, the service guide host 208 may interact with the services guide 216 to update information related to the DTH services.
[00048] Upon selection of a DTH service by the user, the application server 110
invokes the URM server 112. The URM server 112 includes a user database 218 and a billing module 220. As explained in Fig. 1, the URM server 112 determines the service type of the DTH service selected by the user. On determination of the service type, the URM server 112 checks the user database 218 to verify whether the user can access the selected DTH service. The user database 218 stores account related information of the user, for example, account details, such as package type, list of DTH services available to the user, prepaid account balance, and package validity date, the URM server 112 checks the account details before invoking the requested DTH service. For example, if the user selects a financial service, such as package renewal, the URM server 112 may check whether a prepaid account of the user has enough balance or not. For a non-financial service, such as video recording service, the URM server 112 may verify whether the user's package entitles him for availing the video recording service or not.
[00049] Where the user demands a financial service, the URM server 112 invokes
the billing module 220 to initiate the financial service. For example, for package renewal, the billing module 220 deducts an appropriate amount from the user's prepaid account. In
one embodiment, the billing module 220 may interact with external systems, such as an Internet payment gateway, for accessing the user's prepaid account. For a non-financial service, such as video recording, the URM server 112 invokes the access server 114 to execute the DTH services requested by the user. Further, as described previously, the URM server 112 is configured to directly receive the DTH service from the communication device 102 over the EP communication network 108-2. The user may access the program guide 214 through the web application hosted on the web page over the communication device 102. Further, if the video recording service is a paid service then the billing module 220 may deduct appropriate charges from the user's account before the URM server 112 invokes the access server 114.
[00050] The access server 114 includes the program guide 214, the service guide
216, a recording module 222, and a service response module 224. The service guide 216, as explained earlier, includes the menu having a list of a plurality of the DTH related services available to the user while the program guide 214 includes the program schedule to be broadcasted by the DTH service provider. In one embodiment, the program guide 214 is an electronic program guide (EPG). In another embodiment, the program guide 214 may be an interactive program guide (IPG). When the user initiates a command for the video recording of a television program listed on the program guide 214, the recording module 222 schedules the video recording.
[00051] The recording module 222 maintains a schedule of the television programs
requested by the user for video recording. For example, the schedule may include name, date, and time of telecast of the television program, the channel on which the television program is to be broadcasted, etc. The recording module 222 interacts with the STB 104 to schedule and control the video recording of the scheduled program. In one embodiment, the STB 104 and the access server 114 may be configured to prevent the video recording to be stopped by a user other than the one who requested for the video recording. For the purpose, the access server 114 may provide a password to the user for accessing a scheduled video recording.
[00052] Upon scheduling of the video recording, the service response module 224 is
invoked to update the user's account. The service response module 224 updates the user's account to indicate the execution of the desired DTH service. For example, the service response module 224 updates the user's account to indicate the scheduling of a video recording initiated by the user. The response module 224 also updates the user's account to indicate the execution of a financial service following execution of the DTH service, for example, by indicating the updated prepaid account balance or details related to package renewal.
[00053] The access server 114 transmits details of the updated account to the STB
104 via the satellite 120 and the dish antennae 122. In one embodiment, the details of the updated account may also be transmitted to the communication device 102 used by the user to request the DTH service. The details may be sent to the user through various services, such as short messages service (SMS) on a mobile phone, or an email service.
[00054] Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary method 300 for implementing remote
management of a DTH system, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. The exemplary method 300 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, functions, and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The method may also be practiced in a distributed computing environment where functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, computer executable instructions may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.
[00055] The order in which the method is described is not intended to be construed
as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method, or an alternate method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method is not restricted to the present DTH
system 103 and can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.
[00056] At block 302, a server of an DTH application network, for example, the
DTH application network 106, receives a service request from a user. In one embodiment, the service request may be received by the application server 110 from a mobile device, such as the mobile device 102-1 that generally operates on cellular communication network using a mobile data service such as a general packet radio service (GPRS). In another embodiment, the service request may be received by the URM server 112 from the computing device 102-2 through an IP communication network 108-2, for example, by using a Broadband service.
[00057] At block 304, a determination is made to ascertain whether the user is a
registered user or not. In one embodiment, where the application server 110 receives the service request, the application server 110 sends a request to the authentication server 116 to authenticate the user for accessing the DTH system 103. In another embodiment, where the URM server 112 receives the service request, the URM server 112 sends a request to the authentication server 116 to authenticate the user for accessing the DTH system 103. The authentication server 116 checks for log-in credentials of the user to verify whether the user is a registered user. If the authentication server 116 determines that the user is a registered user then the method proceeds to block 308, i.e., it takes the 'Yes' path from the block 304.
[00058] In case it is determined that the user is not a registered user, which is the
'No' path from the block 304, the user is asked to get registered for accessing the DTH services, at block 306. The user may register from a remote location by requesting the application server 110 or the URM server 112 through the mobile device 102-1 and the computing device 102-2, respectively. On receiving the request, the user is asked to provide certain information using which the authentication server 116 registers the user. Once the user is registered, the method proceeds to the block 308.
[00059] At block 308, a guide is provided to the user for selecting a DTH service. In
one embodiment, a guide, such as a program guide or a service guide, hosted by the access server 114, is presented to the user for selection of a DTH service desired by the user. The user may request any DTH service presented to him in the guide.
[00060] At block 310, a determination is made to ascertain a service type of the
request, i.e., whether the requested DTH service is a financial service or a non-financial service. In one embodiment, the URM server 112 determines whether the requested DTH service is a financial service or a non-financial service. If the URM server 112 determines that the requested DTH service is a non-financial service, which is the 'No' path from the block 310, it invokes the DTH service at block 312. In one example, when the user initiates a command for video recording of a television program listed on the program guide, the URM server 112 schedules the video recording by invoking the access server 114. From the block 312, the method proceeds to block 316.
[00061] In case it is determined that the requested service is a financial service,
which is the 'Yes' path from the block 310, a billing module is invoked at block 314. In one embodiment, the billing module 220 is invoked to initiate the financial service. For example, for package renewal, the billing module 220 deducts an appropriate amount from the user's prepaid account. Once the financial service is initiated, the method proceeds to the block 316.
[00062] At block 316, execution of the service request is indicated to the user. In
one embodiment, the access server 114 indicates the execution of the service request to the user by interacting with the STB 104 or the communication device 102 used by the user to generate the service request. For example, the service response module 224 updates the user's account to indicate the scheduling of a video recording by the user. Similarly, on execution of a financial service, the response module 224 may also update the user's account to indicate the execution of the financial service, for example, by indicating the updated prepaid account balance or package renewal details.
[00063] Although embodiments for remote management of a DTH system have
been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as exemplary implementations for remote management of the DTH system.

I/We claim:
1. A direct to home (DTH) system (103) comprising a DTH application network (106) to
provide remote access for recording of a television program, the DTH application network (106) comprising:
an access server (114) configured to provide a program guide (214) to a communication device (102) over a communication network (108), wherein the program guide (214) provides a list of television programs selectable for remote recording.
2. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an application server
(110), wherein the application server (110) interacts with the access server (114) to provide the program guide (214) to a mobile device (102-1) over a cellular communication network (108-1).
3. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an application server
(110), wherein the application server (110) is configured to receive a DTH service request from a mobile device (102-1) over a cellular communication network (108-1) for scheduling the remote recording of the television program.
4. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the program guide (214) is
provided through a mobile application installed on the mobile device (102-1).
5. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the program guide (214) is
provided through a web application hosted on a web page, and wherein the web application can be accessed from the communication device (102) over an Internet Protocol communication network (108-2).
6. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access server (114) interacts
with a set-top box (104) to schedule the remote recording of the television program.
7. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication device (102)
is selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, a server, a desktop PC, a notebook, a portable computer, a workstation, a personal digital assistant, and a mobile computing device.
8. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an authentication
server (116) configured to authenticate a user for accessing the program guide (214).
9. A DTH system (103) comprising a DTH application network (106) to provide remote
access for recording of a television program enlisted in a program guide (214), the DTH application network (106) comprising:
an access server (114) configured to schedule the recording of the television program based on a DTH service request received over a communication network (108), wherein the program guide (214) provides a list of television programs selectable over the communication network (108) for remote recording.
10. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 9 further comprising an application server (110), wherein the application server (110) interacts with the access server (114) to provide a program guide (214) to a mobile device (102-1) over a cellular communication network (108-1), and wherein the application server (110) is configured to receive the DTH service request for scheduling the remote recording of the television program from the mobile device (102-1) over the cellular communication network (108-1).
11. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the program guide (214) is provided through a mobile application installed on the mobile device (102-1).
12. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the DTH service request is generated by the mobile application.
13. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the program guide (214) is provided through a web application hosted on a web page, and wherein the web application can be accessed from a communication device (102) over an Internet Protocol communication network (108-2).
14. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a user relationship management (URM) server (112) configured to receive the DTH service request for scheduling the remote recording of the television program from the communication device (102) over the Internet Protocol communication network (108-2).
15. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the URM server (112) is further configured to update a user account based on service charges corresponding to a financial DTH service.
16. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a set-top box (STB) (104) interfacing with the DTH application network (106), wherein the STB (104) is configured to initiate recording of the television program based on the scheduling.
17. A DTH system (103) comprising:
a DTH application network (106) configured to schedule recording of a television program based on a DTH service request received over a communication network (108); and
a set-top box (STB) (104) interfacing with the DTH application network (106), wherein the STB (104) is configured to initiate recording of the television program based on the scheduling.
18. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the DTH service request is generated by a mobile application provided on a mobile device (102-1), wherein the mobile application is provided to the mobile device (102-1) over a cellular communication network (108-1), and wherein the mobile device (102-1) sends the DTH service request over the cellular communication network (108-1).
19. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 18, wherein the mobile device (102-1) is a mobile phone.
20. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the DTH service request is generated by a web application hosted on a web page accessible over a computing device (102-2), and wherein the computing device (102-2) sends the DTH service request over an Internet Protocol communication network (108-2).
21. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the DTH application network (106) comprises an application server (110) configured to receive the DTH service request.
22. The DTH system (103) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the DTH application network (106) is further configured to provide a service guide (216) to a user over the communication network (108), and wherein the service guide (216) provides a list of a plurality of DTH services for selection of a DTH service from among the plurality of DTH services.
23. A DTH application network (106) for a DTH system (103) configured to:
provide a program guide (214) to a communication device (102) over a communication network (108), wherein the program guide (214) is configured to provide a list of television programs selectable by a user for remote recording;
receive a DTH service request, based on a user selection, over the communication network (108) for recording of a television program; and
schedule the remote recording of the television program based on the DTH service request.
24. The DTH application network (106) as claimed in claim 23 further configured to authenticate the user for accessing the program guide (214).
25. A set-top box (STB) (104) configured to:
receive, a schedule command, based on a DTH service request, over a DTH network, for recording a television program; and
initiate recording of the television program based on the scheduling.
26. The STB (104) as claimed in claim 25 further configured to record the television program on a recording device associated with the STB (104).
27. A method comprising:
providing a mobile application having a program guide for installation on to a mobile device over a communication network;
receiving a DTH service request from the mobile device for recording of a television program, wherein the DTH service request is generated by the mobile application; and
scheduling the recording of the television program based on the DTH service request.
28. The method as claimed in claim 27 further comprising:
recording the television program based on the scheduling; and indicating the recording of the television program to the user.
29. The method as claimed in claim 27 further comprising:
registering a unregistered mobile device;
assigning log-in credentials to a user of the unregistered mobile device, such that the user can use the log-in credentials to access the program guide over any communication network; and
authenticating the user based on the log-in credentials.
30. A method of implementing a DTH system comprising:
implementing a program guide, wherein the program guide enlists a schedule of a plurality of television programs;
providing a user an access to the program guide over a communication network, wherein the user may select a television program from among the plurality of television programs; and
scheduling recording of the selected television program.
31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the scheduling comprises receiving a
DTH service request for the recording of the television program from a mobile device
(102-1) over a cellular communication network (108-1).
32. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the scheduling comprises receiving a
DTH service request for the recording of the television program over an Internet
Protocol communication network (108).
33. The method as claimed in claim 30 further comprising:
providing a service guide to the user over the communication network, wherein the service guide enables the user to select a DTH service from among a plurality of DTH services;
receiving a DTH service request for the DTH service; and
initiating the DTH service by deducting service charges corresponding to a financial DTH service, from a prepaid account of the user.