APPLICATIONS IN TELEVISION EQUIPMENT

Technical field

The present application relates to a television equipment, a middleware server, a method in a television equipment, and a computer-readable medium.

Background

As processing power becomes cheaper, television equipment such as televisions, set top boxes, and personal video recorders has incorporated more capabilities such as the ability to run applications. The applications may be games, information services such as stock-quotes or weather, social media portals, or even applications offering information or capabilities relating to television such as program reviews and recommendations.

However, the primary function of the television equipment is to display channel content and as a result the application functions are often difficult for the user to access. For example, one traversal would be as follows:

- User Presses "Menu" and is presented with the following menu carousel: <LinearTV>-<Search>-<VoD>-<PVR>-< PPV>-<Settings>-<Applications>

- User scrolls to <Applications>, presses select, and lands into a sublevel carousel

<Social Web>-<Education>-<Entertainment>-<Games> ;-<Finance>-Etc. And somewhere down that list he finds what he is looking for (such as

Facebook™, Twitter™, StockQuotes™ or Tetris™), scrolls to it and selects it.

This traversal is not user friendly. The problem is exacerbated by the typically cumbersome user-interface of the traditional remote control, which has a slow response time making the user experience of the interface even worse.

Further, because the applications are so buried within the user interface, it is difficult for the television service operator to raise awareness of the applications. This in turn discourages innovation and development of applications for television equipment.

It should be noted that the above problem also exists in non-television specific television equipment, such as personal computers, tablets, and smartphones. While these typically have a more advanced user interface and operating system, these features are typically not available when the television equipment is operating in television mode. It would be advantageous for both the television service operator and the television equipment user if the accessibility of applications in television equipment was improved. This would enable television service operators to advertise applications and easily get end users to reach these. At the same time improved access to applications would improve the user experience of the television equipment and television service.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and improved apparatus for accessing applications in television equipment. Summary

The television equipment described herein has applications included in the channel lineup. This is done even though the applications are not traditional channels in the sense that they do not comprise traditional channel content of video and audio.

For many years the primary television equipment interface has comprised a user selecting a particular channel by inputting a channel number, which the television equipment maps to the particular channel. Indeed, to some extent the rudimentary remote control interface for most television equipment is still rudimentary because it is sufficient for this simple task.

The television equipment described herein extends the above channel selection idea to also allow application selection. This allows the user to benefit from the same usability of the traditional channel selection interface, but to also access the more advanced features and applications of the television equipment.

Accordingly, there is provided a television equipment arranged to output a plurality of channels, the television equipment comprising a mapping table and a processor. The mapping table is for mapping channels to channel numbers. The processor is arranged to run at least one application. The mapping table is further arranged to map the at least one application to a channel number. By having a mapping table which maps channel numbers to applications as well as channel content, a user is able to initiate an application as easily as changing channel on a traditional television equipment.

The television equipment may comprise at least one of: a television, a set-top box, a personal computer, a portable personal computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, and a smartphone. The television equipment may be arranged to output one of a plurality of channels. The television equipment may be arranged to output at least one of a plurality of channels at any one time. The television equipment may further comprise an input apparatus for receiving an input comprising a channel number selection. The channel number selection may be made by a user.

Upon receipt of a channel number selection which maps to a particular application, the television equipment may initiate the particular application. The particular application may be identified in the mapping table by an application identifier. The at least one application may be a service other than a channel. The application may comprise at least one of: a browser, a webpage, a browser based application, a hosted application, and a locally installed application. The mapping table may be editable by a user. The mapping table may be received at the television equipment from a server. The mapping table may be received at the television equipment from a server upon startup of the television equipment. The channel mapping table may further comprise at least one of: default channel number, region information, rating, name, and display icon.

The television equipment may further comprise a receiver for receiving a plurality of channels. Channel content may be delivered via at least one of: IP network, cable, satellite broadcast, and terrestrial broadcast. Channel content may be identified by at least one of: a tuning frequency, a multiplex location, a multicast address, and an HTTP unicast address.

The television equipment may further comprise an output for outputting at least one channel. The output may comprise a display and/or a connection for a display. The output may further comprise a speaker or other audio device and/or a connection for a speaker or other audio device.

There is further provided a middleware server arranged to deliver a mapping table to a television equipment. The mapping table is for mapping channels to channel numbers, and is further arranged to map at least one application to a channel number.

By having a mapping table which maps channel numbers to applications as well as channel content, a user is able to initiate an application as easily as changing channel on a traditional television equipment.

The middleware server may also add enforcement of policies, and control what channels/applications are available to a particular television equipment or to a set of television equipments. The set can be a logical grouping of subscribers based on at least one of region, geographical location, and customer type. The middleware server may be arranged to send the mapping table to the television equipment when the middleware server receives a content request from the television equipment. The at least one application may be a service other than a channel. The at least one application may comprise at least one of: a browser, a webpage, a browser based application, a hosted application, and an application installed at the television equipment.

The mapping table may be editable by the user. The channel mapping table may further comprise at least one of: default channel number, region information, rating, name, and display icon. The middleware server may further comprise a transmitter for sending a plurality of channels.

Channel content may be delivered via at least one of: IP network, cable, satellite broadcast, and terrestrial broadcast. Channel content may be identified by at least one of: a tuning frequency, a multiplex location, a multicast address, and an HTTP unicast address.

There is further provided a method in a television equipment. The method comprises receiving a user selection of channel number, and looking-up the channel number in a mapping table. The method further comprises identifying an application mapped to the channel number, and initiating the identified application.

The at least one application may be a service other than a channel. The at least one application comprises at least one of: a browser, a webpage, a browser based application, a hosted application, and a locally installed application. The mapping table may further comprise at least one of: default channel number, region information, rating, name, and display icon. The method may further comprise receiving a user selection of an alternative channel number, and looking-up the channel number in a mapping table. The method may further still comprise identifying a channel mapped to the channel number; and outputting the identified channel. Channel content may be delivered via at least one of: IP network, cable, satellite broadcast, terrestrial broadcast. Channel content may be identified by at least one of: a tuning frequency, a multiplex location, a multicast address, and an HTTP unicast address.

There is further provided a computer-readable medium, carrying instructions, which, when executed by computer logic, causes said computer logic to carry out any of the methods described herein. There is further provided a computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions, which, when executed by computer logic, causes said computer logic to carry out any of the methods defined herein.

Brief description of the drawings

A method and apparatus for accessing applications in television equipment will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an IPTV system;

Figure 2 illustrates a television equipment; and

Figure 3 illustrates a method performed by television equipment.

Detailed description

Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is a system through which Internet television services are delivered using the architecture and networking methods of the Internet Protocol Suite over a packet-switched network infrastructure. The packet switched network may comprise the Internet and broadband Internet access networks. IPTV may be contrasted with traditional broadcast television, which may be delivered through traditional terrestrial radio frequency broadcast, satellite broadcast, and cable broadcast. IPTV is distinguished from traditional broadcast TV because of the efficient and low-latency back channel that it offers. The back channel is the

communication of information from the television equipment back to the content provider, traditional broadcast arrangements have no back channel, or at most a very limited back channel. Another key distinction is that the availability of an IP connection means that a range of interactive services and applications can be made available on the television equipment.

It should be noted that the apparatus and method disclosed herein is not limited to an IPTV system, but may also be provided in a television system whereby content delivery is made by broadcast means and where a back channel communication path is provided, for example via a broadband internet connection, or even a dial-up connection. Whether the IPTV system has a thin or thick client based approach, the end user might have access to a lot of applications that he can use besides the regular channel content. But as explained above, the way these applications can be reached is generally sub-optimal. Figure 1 illustrates an IPTV system. The system comprises a plurality of television equipments 100, a middleware server 1 10, a mapping database 1 12, and a plurality of content providers 120. Each television equipment 100 connects to the middleware server 1 10 via an IP connection which may be provided by the internet or a dedicated network. The middleware server receives channel content for a plurality of television channels from content providers 120. In response to a request for a particular channel content from a particular television equipment 100, the middleware server 1 10 serves the particular channel content to the particular television equipment 100. In the example shown, middleware server 1 10 is connected to a mapping database 1 12. Mapping database 1 12 may reside within the middleware server 1 10. In this example the television equipment 100 passes a channel number selection, received as an input at the television equipment 100, to the middleware server 1 10, which looks up the channel number in the mapping database 1 12 to identify a channel or channel content for delivery to the television equipment 100.

In an alternative example, mapping database 1 12 comprises a master copy of a mapping table which is sent to each television equipment periodically, for example every time the television equipment 100 is powered on. Therefore a local copy of the mapping table is stored in each television equipment 100 while a master mapping table resides in the mapping database 1 12 within the middleware server 1 10. In this example the television equipment 100 looks up the channel number in the local copy of the mapping table to identify a channel or channel content for delivery to the television equipment 100.

As such, mapping database 1 12 may comprise a single mapping table for all television equipments 100. The single mapping table may be a default mapping table. Mapping database 1 12 may comprise a default mapping table and at least one customized mapping table for a particular television equipment 100.

According to the apparatus and method described herein, the mapping table includes both references to content channels, and references to applications. In this way a user can select and activate an application simply be entering the relevant channel number at the television equipment user interface.

The user experience may be enhanced further by allowing the end user to edit the mapping table for his television equipment. This allows the user to make his personal channel lineups and put his desired applications on specific numbers on the lineup. The edited mapping table may be stored in the television equipment 100. A copy of the edited mapping table may be stored in the mapping database 1 12, and associated with a user account, such that the user's mapping table is available even in the event of replacement of the television equipment 100.

Figure 2 illustrates a television equipment 200 for use with the system described above. The television equipment 200 comprises a receiver 210, a processor 220, a memory 225, an input apparatus 230, and an output 240. The receiver 210 receives channel content from a middleware server. The received channel content is decoded by the processor 220 and output at the output 240. Output 240 may comprise an audio device and/or a video device or connections for an audio device and/or a video device. The processor 220 receives user inputs and commands via input apparatus 230, which may comprise an infra-red receiver for receiving signals from a remote control. The processor 220 is connected to a memory 225, which includes a mapping table 227 for mapping channel numbers to content channels and/or applications.

The processor 220 is arranged to receive instructions which, when executed, causes the processor 220 to carry out the methods described herein. The instructions may be stored on the memory 225.

In operation, the input apparatus 230 receives a channel number selection from the user and passes this to the processor 220. The processor 220 accesses the mapping table 227 and looks up the selected channel number to identify a channel or an application. The mapping table 227 comprises a pointer to the relevant channel or application. This pointer is returned to the processor 220 which allows it to locate the appropriate channel content and begin outputting it, or to initiate the identified application. Once an application is initiated, the application runs in the foreground and controls the output 240 by, for example, displaying information and/or an appropriate user interface on a screen. The application may also receive commands via the input apparatus 230. While an application is in the foreground, the receipt of an alternative channel number selection by input apparatus 230, may cause the television equipment 200 to leave the current application and instead locate and output the appropriate channel content or initiate the identified other application. Alternatively, the television equipment 200 may require an application exit command or a change channel command to be input so that the next user input is recognized as a channel number selection, instead of an input for the current application. Upon leaving the current application, the current application may be left running in the background, or may be stopped. If the application is stopped, the state of the application may be stored in memory 225. Figure 3 illustrates a method performed by a television equipment described herein. At 310 the television equipment receives an indication of a channel number. At 320 the television equipment looks up this channel number in the mapping table, and at 330 it identifies an indicated application or channel. At 340, the television equipment uses the retrieved identifier to locate the selected channel or application, and it begins outputting the selected channel or it initiates the selected application.

The method and apparatus disclosed herein allow an operator to publish availability of applications in promotional materials simply as "goto channel 99 to get access to Facebook™" or "goto channel 1001 to view the weather at your location". Upon seeing this notice, the end user could select channel 99 or 1001 to initiate the relevant application. Advantageously, the user can do this without fiddling around with the traversal of nested menu carousels.

Furthermore, the user can leave one application and access another by entering a new channel selection.

To provide further context for the apparatus and method described herein, a brief description of the function of an IPTV middleware server, as illustrated by IPTV middleware server 1 10 of figure 1 , will be described. The middleware server 1 10 normally performs the following functions:

It has a list of channels/channel packages configured that are offered as part of the service the IPTV middleware is hosting.

It also keeps track of the channels and respective packages that a specific subscriber is subscribed to, and therefore may be allowed to access.

It contains the mapping database 1 12, which may additionally include metadata for the configured channels, featuring attributes such as its default position in lineup (default channel number), region it is offered in, rating applied, name, display icon, etc.

Each channel number which maps to a content channel includes an identifier of an end point that specifies the end point details for consuming the channel. For an IPTV broadcast stream the identifier is of a multicast address, and for OTT access it would be an HTTP unicast address. As described herein, some channel numbers map to an application instead of a content channel. The channel numbers have the same mapping information as described above with reference to content channels with an exception that instead of a traditional end point the channel number would have an identifier to the application that maps to this channel number. For example,

Facebook™ is identified by identifier ABC123, Twitter™ by identifier PQR344 and so on. These identifiers are sufficient for the television equipment to locate and initiate (or load) the identified application.

Similar to a regular channel subscription, the application channel can also be added/removed from the subscription of an end user. When the end user starts his television equipment, he receives his channel/application lineup from the middleware. The portal / client application is registered in runtime environment with the channel type it can handle, i.e. Linear TV or

"Custom_application". When the user inputs a channel selection command such as next channel up, or entering a specific channel number, a specific channel is output or application is initiated based upon information from the received mapping table.

If the channel number points to a channel containing linear TV, then the television equipment may perform an appropriate IGMP join for the indicated multicast channel. If the channel number points to a "Custom_application" the television equipment goes to an application invoker component in runtime environment and passes the unique id as received from the channel lineup. For instance, user presses 99 and 99 maps to Facebook™, then the lineup would not have a multicast address rather ABC123 as unique identifier of application. And the Facebook™ application would be invoked on the TV screen.

An additional benefit of having applications initiated via channel number selection is that it enables capitalizing on a lot of functionality that exists with regard to channel management and can be offered for applications as well. For example: Position in lineup

Reordering of position/subscriber specific position

Rating enforcement before switching to a channel/application

EPG, which for the application channel can display extra information in respect of the application such as help or recent updates.

Region control, a channel can be offered for a specific region and not for others.

The methods and apparatus described herein allow a television system operator to be able to easily publish applications to the end user and provide an easy way for the end user to experience it. The methods and apparatus described herein also allow the end user to customize the availability of applications to his taste by assigning a simple number to his favorite

applications.

It will be apparent to the skilled person that the exact order and content of the actions carried out in the method described herein may be altered according to the requirements of a particular set of execution parameters. Accordingly, the order in which actions are described and/or claimed is not to be construed as a strict limitation on order in which actions are to be performed.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim, "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality, and a single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several units recited in the claims. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed so as to limit their scope.

Further, while examples have been given in the context of a particular communications network, these examples are not intended to be the limit of the communications networks to which the disclosed method and apparatus may be applied. The principles disclosed herein can be applied to any communications network which carries television content, including both wired IP networks and wireless communications networks such as LTE and 3G networks.