JP7414213B2 - Program cutout information generation device and method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to broadcasting service communication network distribution technology for distributing content derived from television broadcasting services using a communication network.

It is desired that broadcasters use communication networks to distribute broadcast programs (video/audio content) provided through broadcasting services. For example, a viewer may wish to watch a missed program after the fact. By the way, in order to distribute individual broadcast programs in response to user requests, it is necessary to cut out the video and audio signals of the broadcast service into program units, encode them into distribution files, and manage them. It is desired to easily extract video and audio signals of broadcasting services on a program-by-program basis. Broadcast programs often include program promotion frames, information provision frames, and commercial frames in addition to the main broadcast program, and it is troublesome to extract the main program. It is desired to cut out broadcast programs appropriately and easily.

In addition, as a patent document related to this invention, there is JP-A No. 2017-050631. This discloses that when content provided in a broadcasting service is distributed using a communication network, the content of commercials is adaptively switched between the broadcasting service and the communication network.

The above-mentioned prior art and its problems are described only to explain part of the background of the present invention. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the prior art or problems described above.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-050631

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to simplify program cutout processing.

According to this invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the configuration as described in the claims is adopted. Here, before explaining the invention in detail, a supplementary explanation will be given regarding the claims. Note that for convenience of explanation, reference numerals referred to in the following examples are supplementary, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Of course.

That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, a program cutout information generation device that generates program cutout information that separates a program main body and a portion other than the program main body for a program of a broadcasting service includes: acquiring a TS stream of a broadcasting service. TS stream acquisition means (120) for acquiring SI/EPG information from the TS stream acquired by the TS stream acquisition means; SI/EPG information acquisition means (160) for acquiring SI/EPG information from the TS stream acquired by the TS stream acquisition means; a program cutout information template holding means (196) for holding a plurality of program cutout information templates that separate program cutout information; program name, distribution day, date and time, genre derived from the above SI/EPG information in relation to the program of the broadcasting service; a program cutout information generation means (195) for searching the program cutout information template holding means to obtain a program cutout information template suitable for the program information; Programming information storage means (170) is provided to hold the acquired program cutout information for the programs of the broadcasting service.

According to this configuration, the program cutout information template can be appropriately acquired based on the program information derived from the SI/EPG.

The program cutout information template held by the program cutout information template holding means may be automatically generated using a learning method such as a neural network.

The portion other than the main program may include a promotion space, an information space, or an advertising space.

The TS stream may be obtained from a serial digital interface (SDI) broadcast signal.

Furthermore, in this configuration, program cutout information may be input into the program programming information storage means based on an operation by an operator using a programming control information user interface.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the program cutout information is transmitted to a program cutout information generation device that generates program cutout information that separates a program main body from a portion other than the program main body for a program of a broadcasting service. Programming information storage means held for the programs of the broadcasting service is provided, and the program cutting information is input into the programming information storage means based on an operation by an operator using a programming control information user interface. There is.

According to this configuration, the program cutout information can be held in the program programming information storage means based on the operation of the operator.

Note that the present invention can be realized not only as an apparatus or system, but also as a method. It goes without saying that a part of such an invention can be configured as software. It goes without saying that software products used to cause a computer to execute such software also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

The above-mentioned and other aspects of the invention are described in the claims and explained in detail below using examples.

According to this invention, it is possible to easily obtain a program cutout information template for a broadcasting service.

1 is a diagram showing a broadcast service communication network distribution system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a computer. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a video file processing management section 150 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining operation of Example 1 of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a program cutting operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a diagram showing communication network distribution systems 300 and 400 for a main broadcast station and a sub broadcast station according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of Example 2 of the present invention.

Examples of the present invention will be described below.

[Example 1]
FIG. 1 generally shows a broadcast service communication network distribution system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A broadcast service communications network distribution system is sometimes simply referred to as a communications network distribution system.

In FIG. 1, a broadcast service communication network distribution system 100 consists of a device group on the broadcasting station premises equipment 100A side and a device group on the cloud 100B side, including a TS transmitting device 110 of the broadcasting station premises equipment 100A, a browser system 180, and a device group on the cloud 100B side. TS receiving section 120, broadcast signal decoding section 130, program cutting section 140, video file processing management section 150, SI/EPG extraction section 160, programming information storage section 170, programming control information user interface 190, program cutting information automatic generation section 195, and a program cutout information template database 196. Each of clouds 100A and 100B has one or more computers, collectively represented in FIG. 1 using the numeral 1000. As schematically shown in FIG. 2, the computer 1000 is configured to include a CPU (processor) 1001, a main memory 1002, an external interface 1003, an external storage device 1004, etc., and an application 1005 is installed on this computer 1000. By doing so, various operations of this embodiment can be realized. Note that the broadcasting station premises equipment 100A and the cloud 100B may be connected via a communication network 2000.

The video file processing management section 150 is configured to include a video file encoding section 151, a video file storage section 152, and a video file distribution section 153, as shown in FIG. The video file distribution unit 153 distributes video files to the user device 800.

The TS transmitter 110 extracts a TS stream from a broadcast signal, for example, a DVB-ASI signal, from the broadcast equipment 101 of the broadcast station premises equipment 100 and transmits IP packets using the IDP/IP protocol. Instead of the TS transmitter 110, equipment for transmitting SDI broadcast signals may be used. For IP transmission of TS streams, see, for example, Pro-MPEG Code of Practice #3 release 2, July 2004, "Transmission of Professional MPEG-2 Transport Streams over I P Networks", but is not limited thereto. The TS receiving unit 120 receives, for example, an IP packet and extracts a TS stream. The broadcast signal decoding unit 130 demultiplexes the TS stream to generate a video stream and an audio stream, and further performs MPEG decoding to generate a video/audio signal. The program cutting section 140 cuts out the video/audio signal for each program based on the programming information (including program cutting information) in the programming information storage section 170. The video file encoding unit 151 (FIG. 3) of the video file processing management unit 150 receives the video/audio signal after the program cutout process and converts it into an HTTP distribution method (typically HLS method, HTTP Live Streaming, Apple Inc.), for example. This video file is stored in the video file storage section 152 (FIG. 3) in a readable manner in video file units. Based on a user's request, the distribution unit 152 (FIG. 3) retrieves a video file from the video file storage unit 152 and transfers it to the user so that the user can view the program. The distribution unit 153 may be configured by, for example, an HTTP server, but is not limited to this. The SI/EPG extraction unit 160 receives the TS stream from the TS reception unit 120, extracts SI (service information), extracts the SI or EPG (electronic program guide), and stores the programming information in the programming information storage unit 170. to be memorized. An operator at the equipment of the main broadcasting station may operate the browser system 180 and input programming information via the programming control information user interface 190. The operator may input programming information based on the SI/EPG obtained by the SI/EPG extraction section 160. However, SI/EPG information only includes information on the entire program, does not distinguish between the main program and accompanying auxiliary frames (program promotion frame, information frame, commercial frame), and also does not distinguish between the main program and accompanying auxiliary frames (program promotion frame, information frame, commercial frame), and also broadcasts related to the rights of the main program. Do not distinguish between inappropriate parts. The operator may input such program cutout information via the programming control information user interface 190.

The distribution method is not limited to the HTTP distribution method. Furthermore, instead of the HLS method, the MPEG-DASH method, Smooth Streaming (Microsoft Corporation), or HTTP Dynamic Streaming (Adobe Systems Corporation) may be used. Various methods other than HTTP protocol distribution, such as RTS (Real Time Streaming Protocol) and RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol), may be employed.

The program cutout information automatic generation unit 195 searches the program cutout information template database 196 using the program name, distribution day of the week, date and time, genre, etc. acquired from the SI/EPG information as keys, obtains the program cutout information template, and automatically generates the program. Cutout information is generated and registered as program cutout information in the program programming information storage section 170 (X1, X2). The operator may use the browser system 180 to additionally set program cutout information (X3). The program cutout information template may be based on program programming rules, may be described artificially, or may be automatically generated using a learning method such as a neural network.

FIG. 4 explains the overall operation of the communication network distribution system 100 according to the first embodiment. In this figure, the TS receiving section 120 generates a TS packet from an IP stream (S10), and the broadcast signal decoding section 130 demultiplexes the TS packets to generate a video stream/audio stream (S11), and MPEG decodes this to obtain a video/audio signal (S12). The program cutting section 140 cuts out the video/audio signal in units of programs based on the programming information with the program cutting information in the programming information storage section 170 (S13). The video file encoding unit 151 (FIG. 3) of the video file processing management unit 150 generates video and audio signals for each program after the program has been cut out, for example, into a video file using the HTTP distribution method (S14), and stores the video and audio signals in the video file storage unit 152. The information is stored in a readable manner on a program-by-program basis (S15). Further, a request from the user is received (S16), a video file is read from the video file storage unit 152 in response to the request (S17), and the video file is sent to the communication network 2000 for the user (user device 800, FIG. 3). (S18).

FIG. 5 shows an example of program cutout processing. In the example of FIG. 5A, program promotion frames and information frames accompanying the program are placed before and after the main program. The main part is cut out from the entire program. As shown in FIG. 5A, the entire program begins with ts and ends with te. For example, the program promotion frame is a segment from te to t1, the main program is a segment from t1 to t2, and the information frame is a segment from t2 to te. The program cutting unit 140 specifies the section t1-t2 based on the program cutting information and cuts out the program.

In the example of FIG. 5(B), commercial frames (CM) are placed before, after, and in the middle of the main program. The main part is cut out from the entire program. As shown in FIG. 5(B), the first commercial frame (there may be one or more commercial programs; the same applies hereinafter) is the ts-t1 segment, and the first half of the main program is the t1-t2 segment. , the second commercial frame is the t2-t3 segment, the second half of the main program is the t3-54 segment, and the last commercial frame is the t4-te segment. The program cutting unit 140 performs program cutting by specifying the t1-t2 section and the t3-t4 section based on the program cutting information. In the example of FIG. 5(B), two segments are cut out (upper side), but they may be combined as a whole and managed as one program (lower side), or they may be managed as individual programs. .

[Example 2]
FIG. 6 generally shows a broadcast service communication network distribution system 300 for a main broadcast station and a broadcast service communication network distribution system 400 for a subordinate broadcast station according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A main broadcasting station (headquarters station or key station) supplies part of its broadcast programs to subordinate broadcasting stations, and is sometimes called a distribution source station. A subsidiary broadcasting station (regional station) receives a portion of broadcast programs from the main broadcasting station, and is sometimes referred to as a distribution destination station. A broadcast service communications network distribution system is sometimes simply referred to as a communications network distribution system.

The communication network distribution system 300 of the main broadcast station in FIG. 6 and the communication network distribution system 400 of the slave broadcast station in FIG. 6 correspond to the communication network distribution system 100 of the main broadcast station in FIG. In FIG. 6, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are given corresponding symbols.

In FIG. 6, a communication network distribution system 300 of a main broadcasting station (headquarters station or key station) consists of a device group on the broadcasting station premises facility 300A side and a device group on the cloud 300B side, and includes a TS transmitting device of the broadcasting station premises facility 300A. 310, browser system 380, TS reception section 320 of cloud 300B, broadcast signal decoding section 330, program cutting section 340, video file processing management section 350, SI/EPG extraction section 360, program programming information storage section 370, programming control information user It is configured to include an interface 390, a program cutout information automatic generation section 395, and a program cutout information template database 396.

Further, the communication network distribution system 400 of the slave broadcasting station (regional station) consists of a device group on the broadcasting station premises equipment 400A side and a device group on the cloud 400B side, including a TS transmitting device 410 of the broadcasting station premises equipment 400A, a browser system 480 , TS reception section 420 of cloud 400B, broadcast signal decoding section 430, program cutting section 440, video file processing management section 450, SI/EPG extraction section 460, programming information storage section 470, programming control information user interface 490, comparison section 491, a program cutout information automatic generation section 495, and a program cutout information template database 496.

In FIG. 6, the program cutout information automatic generation unit 395 of the main broadcasting station searches the program cutout information template database 396 using the program name, distribution day of the week, date and time, genre, etc. acquired from the SI/EPG information as keys, and searches the program cutout information template database 396 to create a program cutout information template. is acquired, automatically generates program cutout information, and is registered as program cutout information in the program organization information storage section 370 (X1, X2). The program cutout information automatic generation unit 495 of the slave broadcasting station searches the program cutout information template database 496 using the program name, distribution day of the week, date and time, genre, etc. obtained from the SI/EPG information as keys to obtain a program cutout information template. Program cutout information is automatically generated and registered as program cutout information in the program programming information storage section 470. The operator uses the browser systems 380 and 480 to additionally set program cutout information (X3).

The comparison unit 491 compares the programming information including the SI/EPG information stored in the programming information storage unit 470 of the slave broadcasting station with the SI/EPG information sent from the programming information storage unit 370 of the main broadcasting station. The program generation information including information and program cutout information is compared to determine whether the program of the main broadcasting station and the program of the slave broadcasting station are the same, and if they are the same, the program generation information sent from the main broadcasting station is The program cutting information is stored and held in the programming information storage section 470 as the program cutting information of the own broadcasting station. The operator of the slave broadcast station does not need to input or adjust program cutout information for programs for which program cutout information from the main broadcast station can be used.

FIG. 7 explains the diversion of the main broadcast station's program cutout information in the communication network distribution system 400 of the slave broadcast station. In this figure, the TS receiving unit 320 of the main broadcast station generates TS packets from the IP stream. (S10), the SI/EPG extraction unit 360 extracts SI/EPG information from the TS stream (S21), generates programming information, and stores it in the programming information storage unit 370 (S22). The program cutout information automatic generation unit 395 searches the program cutout information template database 396 using the program name, delivery day of the week, date and time, genre, etc. acquired from the SI/EPG information as keys, obtains the program cutout information template, and automatically generates the program. Cutout information is generated and registered as program cutout information in the program programming information storage section 370 (S23). The operator may additionally set program programming information including program cutout information via the programming control information user interface 390. Programming information (including IS/EPG) of the main broadcasting station including program cutout information is supplied to the comparison unit 491 of the communication network distribution system 400 of the subordinate broadcasting station (S24).

Furthermore, in FIG. 7, the TS receiving unit 420 of the slave broadcasting station generates TS packets from the IP stream (step S10), and the SI/EPG extracting unit 460 extracts SI/EPG information from the TS stream (S21), Programming information is generated and stored in the programming information storage section 470 (S22). The comparison unit 491 matches the IS/EPG information in the programming information of the slave broadcasting station with the IS/EPG information in the programming information of the main broadcasting station, identifies the same programs (S25), and identifies the same programs. Then, program cutout information for the slave broadcasting station is generated using the program cutout information on the main broadcasting station side (S26). For program cutout information for other programs, the operator of the slave broadcasting station can create a program cutout information template by the program cutout information automatic generation unit 495 using the program name, distribution day of the week, date and time, genre, etc. acquired from the SI/EPG information as keys. The database 496 is searched to obtain a program cutout information template, program cutout information is automatically generated, and the program cutout information is registered in the program programming information storage section 470 as the program cutout information (S27). The programming control information user interface may be used to cut out other programs and make auxiliary settings.

100 Broadcasting service communication network distribution system 300 Main broadcasting station's broadcasting service communication network distribution system 400 Sub-broadcasting station's broadcasting service communication network distribution system 100A, 300A, 400A Broadcasting station equipment 100B, 300B, 400B Cloud 101, 301, 401 Broadcasting equipment 110, 310, 410 TS transmitting device 120, 320, 420 TS receiving section 130, 330, 430 Broadcast signal decoding section 140, 340, 440 Program cutting section 150, 350, 450 Video file processing management section 151 Video file encoding section 152 Video File storage section 153 Video file distribution section 170, 370, 470 Programming information storage section 180, 380, 480 Browser system 190, 390, 490 Programming control information user interface 195, 395, 495 Program cutout information automatic generation section 196, 396, 496 Program cutout information template database 491 Comparison unit 800 User device

Claims (7)

In a program cutout information generation device that generates program cutout information for separating a program main body and a portion other than the program main body for a program of a broadcasting service,
TS stream acquisition means for acquiring a TS stream of a broadcasting service;
SI/EPG information acquisition means for acquiring SI/EPG information from the TS stream acquired by the TS stream acquisition means;
a program cutout information template holding means for holding a plurality of program cutout information templates that separate the main program and parts other than the main program;
In connection with the program of the broadcasting service, the program cutout information template holding means is searched based on the program information such as the program name, distribution day, date and time, genre, etc. derived from the SI/EPG information, and the program information is stored in the program information. a program cutout information generation means for acquiring a suitable program cutout information template;
A program cutout information generating device comprising: program cutout information storage means for holding program cutout information acquired by the program cutout information generation means for programs of the broadcasting service. 2. The program cutout information generation device according to claim 1, wherein the program cutout information template held by the program cutout information template holding means is automatically generated using a learning method such as a neural network. 2. The program cutout information generating device according to claim 1, wherein the portion other than the main program includes a promotion space, an information space, or an advertisement space. 2. The program cutout information generation device according to claim 1, wherein the TS stream is obtained from a serial digital interface broadcast signal. 2. The program cutout information generating device according to claim 1, wherein the program cutout information is input into said program schedule information storage means based on an operation by an operator using a programmerization control information user interface. In a program cutout information generation method for generating program cutout information that separates a program main body and a part other than the program main body for a program of a broadcasting service,
a step in which the TS stream acquisition means acquires a TS stream of the broadcasting service;
SI/EPG information acquisition means acquires SI/EPG information from the TS stream acquired by the TS stream acquisition means;
the information template holding means holding a plurality of program cutout information templates that separate the main program from parts other than the main program;
The program cutout information generation means searches the program cutout information template holding means based on program information such as the program name, distribution day, date and time, genre, etc. derived from the SI/EPG information in relation to the program of the broadcasting service. and obtaining a program cutout information template suitable for the program information;
A method for generating program cutout information, characterized in that the program programming information storage means holds the program cutout information acquired by the program cutout information generation means for the program of the broadcasting service. In a computer program for generating program cutout information that generates program cutout information that separates a program main body and a portion other than the program main body for a program of a broadcasting service,
processor,
TS stream acquisition means for acquiring a TS stream of a broadcasting service;
SI/EPG information acquisition means for acquiring SI/EPG information from the TS stream acquired by the TS stream acquisition means;
program cutout information template holding means for holding a plurality of program cutout information templates that separate the main program from parts other than the main program;
In connection with the program of the broadcasting service, the program cutout information template holding means is searched based on the program information such as the program name, distribution day, date and time, genre, etc. derived from the SI/EPG information, and the program information is stored in the program information. A program cutout information generation means for acquiring a suitable program cutout information template, and
A computer program for generating program cutout information for operating the program cutout information acquired by the program cutout information generation means as a programming information storage means for holding the program cutout information for the programs of the broadcasting service.

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