Video distribution system and method of managing receiving terminal of video distribution service

Abstract

A video distribution system includes plural receiving terminals, a video distribution apparatus, and a common ID issuing and managing apparatus. Each of the plural receiving terminals has a terminal ID, makes a distribution request for video data, and receives the video data distributed in response to the distribution request. The video distribution apparatus distributes video data to the receiving terminal according to the distribution request. The common ID issuing and managing apparatus includes a common ID issuing unit which issues a common ID and integrates the terminal IDs of the plural receiving terminals by the common ID so that the terminal IDs are treated as a same ID in the common ID issuing & managing apparatus, a common ID storing unit which stores the common ID and the plural terminal IDs in association with each other, and a terminal authenticating unit which checks, when the video distribution apparatus distributes the video data to the receiving terminal in response to the distribution request, whether a common ID is stored in association with a terminal ID of the receiving terminal that sends the distribution request in the common ID storing unit and authenticates the receiving terminal according to the common ID.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration of a VOD system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a functional structure of the VOD system;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of an example of video display;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an internal configuration of a program/advertisement recommending unit;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a modified example of the internal configuration of the program/advertisement recommending unit;

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of processing in the VOD system according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an example of data on terminal ID and common ID stored in a common ID managing & storing unit;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an example of data on subscription information stored by a terminal authenticating unit and a charge managing unit;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of an example of display of a common TOP screen;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of an example of display of an authentication/new subscription screen;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of an example of display of a recommendation confirmation screen;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an example of data of viewing history information, common ID, and terminal ID managed in association with each other;

FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram of a video distribution process in the VOD system according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an example of information obtained in the video distribution process;

FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram of a functional structure of a VOD system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram of processing in the VOD system according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of an example of data stored by a program/advertisement recommending unit;

FIG. 18 is a sequence diagram of a video distribution process in the VOD system according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a schematic block diagram of a functional structure of a VOD system according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram of a process in the VOD system according to the third embodiment; and

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of an example of data of subscription information stored by a terminal authenticating unit and a charge managing unit according to the third embodiment.

Claims

1. A video distribution system comprising: plural receiving terminals each having a terminal ID and configured to make a distribution request for video data, and to receive the video data distributed in response to the distribution request;a video distribution apparatus configured to distribute the video data to the receiving terminal according to the distribution request; anda common ID issuing and managing apparatus that includes a common ID issuing unit configured to issue a common ID so that the terminal IDs of the plural receiving terminals are treated as a same ID in the common ID issuing & managing apparatus,a common ID storing unit configured to store the common ID and the plural terminal IDs in association with each other, anda terminal authenticating unit that authenticates whether the common ID is in the common ID storing unit or not, the common ID being associated with the terminal ID of the receiving terminal to which the video data are to be distributed for the distribution request.

2. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the video distribution apparatus receives the common ID corresponding to the terminal ID of the receiving terminal from the common ID issuing & managing apparatus, and manages information on viewing history related with the distributed video data and the terminal ID of the receiving terminal to which the data is distributed in association with the common ID.

3. The video distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the common ID issuing & managing apparatus gathers the information on viewing history related to the video data distributed by each of the video distribution apparatus and the common IDs of the receiving terminals to which the video data is distributed.

4. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the common ID issuing & managing apparatus includes a selecting unit configured to allow a user to select whether to integrate terminal IDs of plural receiving terminals into one common ID and to manage the terminal IDs by the one common ID or not when the plural IDs of the plural receiving terminals are used by the user, anda changing unit configured to change a content stored in the common ID storing unit so as to manage the plural terminal IDs by the one common ID when the user selects to integrate and manage the terminal IDs by the one common ID.

5. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the video distribution apparatus includes a recommending unit configured to manage information on viewing history of distributed video data and the terminal ID by the common ID, and to recommend a user of each of the receiving terminals to view various information according to the distributed video data, andthe recommending unit integrates information on viewing history for each of the terminal IDs when the terminal IDs are integrated and managed by another common ID.

6. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the common ID issuing & managing apparatus includes a recommending unit configured to manage information on viewing history of video data distributed by the video distribution apparatus and the terminal ID by the common ID, and to recommend a user of each receiving terminal to view various information according to the distributed video data, andthe recommending unit integrates information on viewing history of each of the terminal IDs when the terminal IDs of the receiving terminals are integrated and managed by another common ID.

7. The video distribution system according to claim 1, further comprising a charging apparatus that includes a terminal authenticating unit configured to check whether a receiving terminal is a subscribing receiving terminal or not and authenticates the subscribing receiving terminal, anda charge managing unit that charges the receiving terminal which is authenticated as the subscribing receiving terminal by the terminal authenticating unit according to video data distributed to the receiving terminal.

8. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving terminal includes a power supply managing unit configured to monitor disconnection from a power supply source, anda disconnection notifying unit configured to notify the common ID issuing & managing apparatus that time of disconnection from the power supply source exceeds a predetermined time and to send the terminal ID of the receiving terminal to the common ID issuing & managing apparatus when the power supply managing unit determines that the time of disconnection from the power supply source exceeds the predetermined time, andthe common ID issuing & managing apparatus, on receiving the terminal ID and notification that the time of disconnection from the power supply source exceeds the predetermined time, deletes the terminal ID from a list of terminal IDs associated with the common ID stored in the common ID storing unit corresponding to the terminal ID.

9. A method of managing a receiving terminal of a video distribution service, comprising: issuing a common ID from a common ID issuing & managing apparatus for a terminal ID of a receiving terminal to which a video distribution apparatus distributes video data according to a distribution request, the common ID serving for allowing the video distribution apparatus to treat the terminal IDs associated with the common ID as same; andstoring and managing the common ID in association with the terminal ID.

10. A common ID issuing and managing apparatus comprising: a common ID issuing unit configured to issue a common ID so that terminal IDs of plural receiving terminals, which receive video data distributed from a video distribution apparatus, are treated as a same ID in the common ID issuing & managing apparatus,a common ID storing unit configured to store the common ID and the plural terminal IDs in association with each other, anda terminal authenticating unit that authenticates whether the common ID is in the common ID storing unit or not, the common ID being associated with the terminal ID of the receiving terminal to which the video data are to be distributed for the distribution request.