STATUS CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD
FOR SUPPORTING TIME SHIFTED TV
SERVICE
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a status control system and method for supporting time shifted TV service, in particular, to a status control system and method of interactive TV that transmits video via IP network, which enables a user to obtain definite service status information based on an identification of time- shifted TV service.
BACKGROUND
[0002] As the increasing spreading of cable digital TV in the world, the digital TV has attracted increasing users because of its higher resolution than traditional analog TV3 numerous TV channels, as well as new service of playing TV programs on demand. The prevalence percentage of the digital TV among TV users keeps increasing.
[0003] However, with the rapid development of digital video technology,- during the industrialization of digital broadcasting, operators in the broadcasting and TV system firstly need to pay for the expensive costs of infrastructure construction and service promotion, and these costs finally will be transferred unavoidably to users of the digital TV. This is why, during the industrialization of the digital TV and the service promotion, relatively high monthly renting fee is commonly to be charged to users by the nationwide operators in the broadcasting and TV system. However, this increases unavoidably the economic burden of TV users, which in turn prevents the spreading and development of the digital TV industry. Furthermore, since only a few of the current digital TV broadcasting services are charged, it is impossible to form, in a short period, a force to support the rapid development of the digital TV industry at the preliminary stage of its promotion. Thus, at the preliminary stage of the digital

TV industry, it is usually necessary for the government to provide allowance so as to facilitate the accomplishment of the industrial layout.
[0004] The time-shifted TV service is one of the charged services that the digital TV operators have great regard to, but under the present technical condition, it is necessary for the operators who want to provide time-shifted TV service to have a disk memory space with large volume and high-speed parallel streaming media service, all of which need a great investment of device, therefore unavoidably result in an increase of service cost. This results in that the expensive service fee for the provision of the time shifted TV service charged by the operators in the broadcasting and TV system, whether charged yearly or monthly, is always unaccepted by typical digital TV users. Thus, the problem involving the amount of the service fee has become a bottleneck for the operators to develop the time-shifted TV service. However, because of a problem that the costs during the preliminary investment of the operators must be regained gradually in the subsequent TV service project, it is not feasible to break out the bottleneck for the development of the time-shifted TV service project in the manner of decreasing the amount of the service fee at present stage.
[0005] Therefore, it is an issue having significant meaning to develop a novel status control system and method for supporting the time-shifted TV service so as to both satisfy the digital TV users' desire of accepting the time-shifted TV service in a more economical manner, and compromise the relatively high bottom line of service cost of the operators in the broadcasting and TV system.
SUMMARY
[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a status control system 'and method for supporting time-shifted TV service, which can perfectly support the time-shifted TV service which is charged based on duration of audience, therefore is advantageous for the operators to promote the time-shifted TV service and widen the source of their earning.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a status control system and method for supporting the time-shifted TV service, which enables a user who is watching a time shifted TV channel to know clearly that he/she is using the time shifted TV service provided by the system, therefore to manipulate the amount of consumption clearly and freely, as well as enables the time-shifted TV service charged on duration of time, when being promoted by the operators, to be accepted more easily by the TV users.
[0008] The above objects of the present invention are realized with the following technical solution. According to one aspect of the present invention, a status control system for supporting time-shifted TV service is provided, the system comprising a terminal processing module, a video service module and an accounting module. The video service module provides streaming media service to a terminal via the terminal processing module and supports an inclusion of time shifted status confirmation information in information interchanged with a client; the terminal processing module supports video processing and information interchange with the video service module, presents the time shifted TV service by means of a TV in response to an operation instruction from the user, determines whether the time shifted TV service is being accepted by the user, and displays an identification of the time shifted TV service on the TV; and the accounting module receives and performs an instruction for initializing and terminating accounting transmitted from the video service module, and creates a record of consumption of the time shifted TV service.
[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, a status control method for supporting time shifted TV service is provided, the method comprising: receiving with a terminal processing module an operation signal transmitted from a user and displaying a video by means of a TV, and when the user transmits an operation signal requesting for the time shifted TV service and the current channel has a time shifted function, a request for the time shifted TV service is transmitted to a video service module by the terminal processing module, along with the responding video being displayed on the TV; once receiving from the terminal processing module the request for the service, the video service module transmitting an instruction for initializing accounting to an accounting module; the accounting module initializing

the accounting upon receiving the instruction for initializing the accounting, and sending a signal of initializing the accounting back to the video service module for confirmation; upon receiving and confirming the initialization of the accounting, the video service module initializing provision of the time shifted TV serviceA : and displaying an identification of the time shifted TV service; when receiving a terminating request transmitted from the terminal processing module, the video service module transmitting an instruction for terminating the accounting to the accounting module; the accounting module terminating the accounting upon receiving the instruction for terminating the accounting, creating a raw record of the consumption of the time shifted TV service, and returning a signal of terminating the accounting to the video service module for confirmation; upon receiving and confirming the termination of the accounting, the video service module terminating the provision of the time shifted TV service, and hiding the identification of the time shifted TV service.
[0010] The solution of the present invention can be integrated into various interactive digital TV systems such as iTV and IPTV, etc, and makes the system have a perfect status control function for the time shifted TV service.
[0011] The effect of the present invention is that it provides a complete control system and method for supporting control over service status of the time shifted TV service via the information interchange among a terminal processing module, a video service module and an account module, which can perfectly support the time shifted TV service charged on the duration of audience, and is advantageous for the operators to promote the time shifted TV service. Furthermore, along with the displaying and hiding of an identification of the time shifted TV service in a video, a user who is watching a time shifted TV channel is able to know clearly that he/she is using the time shifted TV service provided by the system, thus can manipulate the amount of consumption clearly and freely, as well as have his/her requirement of clear consumption being satisfied.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
[0013] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a status control system for supporting the time-shifted TV service according to the present invention; and
[0014] Figure 2 is a flow diagram of a status control method for supporting the time-shifted TV service according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0015] As shown in Figure 1 , the status control system for supporting the time-shifted TV service provided by the present invention includes a terminal processing module 10, a video service module 20, and an accounting module 30. The video service module 20 provides streaming media service to a terminal (TV) via the terminal processing module 10 (a set-top box processing module, for example), and supports an inclusion of time shifted status confirmation information in information interchanged with a client. The terminal processing module 10 supports video processing and information interchange with the video service module 20, presents the time shifted TV service by means of a TV in response to an operation instruction from the user, determines whether the time shifted TV service is being accepted by the user, and displays an identification of the time shifted TV service on the TV. The accounting module 30 receives and performs an instruction for initializing and terminating accounting transmitted from the video service module 20, and creates a record of consumption of the time shifted TV service.
[0016] More specifically, in the technical solution of the present invention, the terminal processing module 10 presents via the TV the time shifted TV service provided by the video service module 20, that is, the terminal processing module 10

accepts the operation instructions transmitted from the user, and then displays video by means of the TV. When the user transmits a "backward" operation instruction, and the current channel watched by the user has a time-shifted function, the terminal processing module 10 transmits a video service requesting for "backward" to the video service terminal 20, and along with display of responding video on the TV, an identification of the time shifted TV service is displayed on the TV. What the user is watching is the channel content that has been played, and when the user goes forward to catch up with the content being played currently, the time shifted TV service is terminated, and the identification of the time shifted TV service is hidden. Furthermore, when the user turns away from the channel that is currently providing the time shifted TV service, the identification of the time shifted TV service is also hidden.
[0017] When the video service module 20 receives a request for initiating the service from the terminal processing module 10, and starts to provide the time shifted TV service, an instruction for initiating accounting is transmitted to the account module 30, which initializes the accounting. When the video service module 20 receives a request for terminating the service from the terminal processing module 10, or when the video service module 20 hasn't received a status synchronization from the terminal processing module 10 for a long time, the time shifted TV service is terminated, and an instruction for terminating the accounting is transmitted to the accounting module 30. The accounting module 30 terminates the accounting, and then creates a raw record of consumption of the time shifted TV service.
[0018] Figure 2 shows a flow of the status control method for supporting the time-shifted TV service according to the present invention. As shown at 100, when the user is watching TV, a signal requesting for the time shifted TV service is transmitted from the terminal processing module 10 to the video service module 20. As shown at 1105 after the video service module 20 receives the signal requesting for the service, an instruction for initializing accounting is transmitted to the accounting module 30. As shown at 120, upon receiving the instruction for initializing the accounting, the accounting module 30 initializes the accounting function, and the accounting is initialized. Then as shown at 1305 the accounting module 30 sends information for
confirming the initialization of accounting back to the video service module 20. Then, as shown at 140, the video service module 20 supplies the requested video service to the terminal processing module 10.
[0019] As shown at 150, the terminal processing module 10 receives the requested video information transmitted from the video service module 20, displays the information as well as an identification of the time shifted TV service on a screen of the TV.
[0020] As shown at 160, in the status of the time shifted TV service, the user can watch normally, and also can perform operations such as forward and backward. And the terminal processing module 10 has to transmit its own synchronization status to the video service module 20 at a certain time interval so as to determine that the set-top box is online and receives the service normally.
[0021] As shown at 170, when the user wants to terminate the time shifted TV service, the user can perform operations such as going forward to the content being played currently, turning away from the current channel, or turning off the TV, so as to make the terminal processing module 10 transmit a signal requesting for termination of the service to the video service module 20.
[0022] As shown at 180, when the video service module 20 receives the signal requesting for the termination of the service, or when the terminal processing module 10 hasn't sent its own synchronization status for a long time, the video service module 20 will carry out processing in the manner of terminating the current time shifted TV service, and transmit an instruction for terminating accounting to the accounting module 30.
[0023] As shown at 190, upon receiving the accounting termination signal, the accounting module 30 terminates the accounting.
[0024] Then, as shown at 200, the accounting module 30 sends a message for confirming the termination of accounting back to the video service module 20.
[0025] As shown at 210, upon receiving the accounting termination information, the video service module 20 terminates the time shifted TV service , and transmits 1 the signal of terminating the time shifted TV service to the terminal processing module 10.
[0026] As shown at 220, upon receiving the signal of terminating the time shifted TV service transmitted from the video service module 20, the terminal processing module 10 hides the identification of the time shifted TV service, and the time shifted TV service is terminated.
[0027] It will be appreciated that the present invention provides a complete control system and method for supporting control over service status of the time shifted TV service via the information interchange and status control among a terminal processing module, a video service module and an accounting module, which can perfectly support the time shifted TV service charged on the duration of audience, and is advantageous for the operators to promote the time shifted TV service. Furthermore, along with the displaying and hiding of an identification of the time shifted TV service in a video, a user who is watching a time shifted TV channel is able to know clearly that he/she is using the time shifted TV service provided by the system, thus can manipulate the amount of consumption clearly and freely, as well as have his/her requirement of clear consumption being satisfied.
[0028] In an embodiment of the status control system and method for supporting the time shifted TV service provided by the present invention, when a user accepts the time shifted TV service, upon his/her operation of backward, what is to be watched is time-shifted TV content, and the TV displays an icon indicating that what the user is watching is content that has already been played, not program content being displayed currently, and what the user accepted is the time shifted TV service. And even a time indication is displayed on a screen of the TV, indicating how long the time shifted TV service has been used. Based on the service price information provided by the operators, the user can select the duration of accepting the time shifted TV service depending on his/her economic endurance.
[0029] While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

We CLAIMS:
1. A status control system for supporting time shifted TV service,
comprising:
a terminal processing module, a video service module and an accounting module, characterized in that the video service module provides streaming media service to a terminal via the terminal processing module and supports an inclusion of time shifted status confirmation information in information interchanged with a client;
the terminal processing module supports video processing and information interchange with the video service module, presents the time shifted TV service by means of a TV in response to an operation instruction from a user, determines whether the time shifted TV service is being accepted by the user, and displays an identification of the time shifted TV service on a screen of the TV; and the accounting module receives and performs an instruction for initializing and terminating accounting transmitted from the video service module, and creates a record of consumption of the time shifted TV service.
2. The status control system for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 1, characterized in that said identification of the time shifted TV service appears when the user begins to watch the time shifted TV service, and is hidden or disappears when the user turns away from a TV channel that provides the time shifted TV service or goes forward to channel content being played currently.
3. The status control system for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 2, characterized in that said terminal processing module transmits to the video service module a video service requesting for backward when the terminal processing module receives a backward operation instruction from the user and confirms that the current channel the user is watching has a time shifted function,
and along with display of responding video on the TV, the identification of the time shifted TV service is displayed on the TV.
4. The status control system for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 3, characterized in that said terminal processing module transmits a signal for terminating the time shifted TV service to the video service module when the user transmits a forward operation signal and goes forward to catch up with the content being played currently, and the identification of the time shifted TV service is hidden after the video service module terminates the time shifted TV service.
5. The status control system for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 3, characterized in that said terminal processing module transmits a signal of terminating the time shifted TV service to the video servicing module when the user turns away from the channel that is currently providing the time shifted TV service, and the identification of the time shifted TV service is hidden after the video service module terminates the time shifted TV service.
6. The status control system for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 1, characterized in that said identification of the time shifted TV service is one of a static identification indicating that the time shifted TV service is being accepted by the user and a dynamic identification supporting time display and being capable of displaying a time period during which the user accepts the time shifted TV service.
7. The status control system for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 1, characterized in that said identification of the time shifted TV service includes a static identification indicating that the time shifted TV service is
being accepted by the user and a dynamic identification being capable of displaying a time period during which the user accepts the time shifted TV service.
8. A status control method for supporting time shifted TV service, comprising steps of:
receiving with a terminal processing module an operation signal transmitted from a user and displaying a video by means of a TV, and when the user transmits an operation signal requesting for the time shifted TV service and the current channel has a time shifted function, a request for the time shifted TV service is transmitted to a video service module by the terminal processing module;
once receiving from the terminal processing module the request for the service, the video service module transmitting an instruction for initializing accounting to an accounting module, the accounting module initializing the accounting upon receiving the instruction for initializing the accounting, and sending a signal of initializing the accounting back to the video service module for confirmation; upon receiving and confirming the initialization of the accounting, the video service module initializing provision of the time shifted TV service, and displaying an identification of the time shifted TV service; when receiving a terminating request transmitted from the terminal processing module, the video service module transmitting an instruction for terminating the accounting to the accounting module; the accounting module terminating the accounting upon receiving the instruction for terminating the accounting, creating a raw record of the consumption of the time shifted TV service, and returning a signal of terminating the accounting to the video service module for confirmation; upon receiving and confirming the termination of the accounting, the video service module terminating the provision of the time shifted TV service, and hiding the identification of the time shifted TV service.
9. The status control method for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 8, characterized in that the transmission of the request for terminating the time shifted TV service by the terminal processing module to the video service module is based on its determination on whether a TV channel is in time shifted status.
10. The status control method for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 9, characterized in that said terminal processing module determines whether the TV channel is in the time shifted status based on information provided by a system-side video service module, that is, when the user accepts the time shifted TV service, a system-side downlink signal or down-streaming media content includes necessary information for the terminal processing module to confirm that the channel the user is watching is in the time shifted status.
11. The status control method for supporting time shifted TV service according to claim 9, characterized in that said terminal processing module is able to receive various operation instructions from the user, including operation instructions for the user's backward operation, forward operation to catch up with the content that the current channel is playing, or turning away from the current time shifted channel.