CN102469362B - Method for Watching TV Programs on Demand Using Digital Set Top Box - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for watching TV programs on demand by using a digital set top box includes playing the complete content of a first TV program in a background picture of a TV picture by the digital set top box, searching whether a server has a second TV program which is related to the first TV program and has not been played through a digital TV broadcast signal by the digital set top box according to the related information of the first TV program through network, and providing an information menu in the TV picture by the digital set top box when the server has the second TV program. The message menu includes a first option. The user can control the digital set-top box to download the complete content of the second television program from the server by selecting the first option, so that the user can watch the television program at any time by using the digital set-top box.

Description

Method for Watching TV Programs on Demand Using Digital Set Top Box

technical field

The present invention relates to a control method of a digital set-top box, more specifically, relates to a method for watching TV programs on-demand by using the digital set-top box.

Background technique

The concept of the digital home is to digitize home appliances and integrate all digital electronic products in the home through the network. The focus of the digital home is to use advanced network transmission technology to provide sufficient bandwidth to integrate information, communication, and consumer electronics that operated independently in the past. Among them, TV is an important electrical product in the living room of ordinary families. Therefore, the main axis of digital home is to digitize TV.

A digital TV (digital TV) device adopts a digital television broadcasting system (Digital Television Broadcasting) to convert traditional analog video signals into digital television broadcasting signals. Compared with the traditional analog television broadcasting (Analog Television Broadcasting) system using the NTSC (National Television Standard Committee) system, the digital video signal can reduce the signal attenuation or signal loss caused by factors such as distance or medium during the transmission/processing of the TV signal. Instability and other issues. For users, the image quality of digital TV is better than that of analog TV, and the picture will not flicker. For digital TV operators, after the TV signal is digitally processed, the transmission data can be effectively compressed, increasing the amount of transmitted data. In other words, digital TV contains more information and supports additional functions such as data return. Therefore, compared with traditional analog TV, digital TV has high-quality picture quality, more diverse channel selection, and the function of interactive channels.

The core product of TV digitization is the digital set-top box (digital Set-Top Box, STB). Digital set-top boxes have the ability to decode digital TV broadcast signals, and digital set-top boxes can be divided into four categories according to different transmission methods: satellite reception (Satellite STB), terrestrial broadcast (Terrestrial STB), cable TV (Cable STB) and network Telecommunications (IP STB) and other types. In addition, in order to unify the transmission of digital signals, the current transmission methods of digital signals mainly include three specifications; ISDB). In addition to the above three technical standards, there are many other different standards depending on the region. For example, the People's Republic of China currently has its own digital TV standards. No matter which digital TV specification is used, a digital TV receiver (applied in a general product digital TV box) is required to receive digital TV signals.

The digital set-top box decodes the TV program from the digital TV broadcast signal. However, since the digital TV broadcast signal is a broadcast signal, if the user wants to watch a specific TV program, he must watch the TV program at the scheduled broadcast time. to view within. For example, when the TV program has been played or is being played halfway, the user cannot watch the TV program from the beginning. In addition, sometimes users want to watch a TV program before its scheduled broadcast time. For example, the TV program is a series, and users can't wait to know the plot of the next episode, and are even willing to pay to watch it . However, the digital set-top box cannot satisfy users who want to watch in advance. In other words, in the prior art, the user cannot use the digital STB to watch TV programs on demand.

Contents of the invention

The invention provides a method for watching TV programs on demand by using a digital set-top box. The digital set-top box decodes a video of a TV program provided by a TV station from a digital TV broadcast signal. The method comprises that the digital set-top box plays the complete content of a first TV program in a background picture of a TV screen, and the digital set-top box searches a server through the network for information about the first TV program. A second TV program played through the digital TV broadcast signal, and when the server has the second TV program, the digital set-top box provides an information menu on the TV screen. The information menu includes at least a first option for obtaining the complete content of the second television program. The second TV program is a program related to the first TV program. By selecting the first option, the user can control the digital set-top box to download the second TV program from the server. In this way, the user can use the digital set-top box to watch TV programs on demand.

The invention provides a method for watching TV programs on demand by using a digital set-top box. The digital set-top box decodes a video of a TV program provided by a TV station from a digital TV broadcast signal for playing. The method includes the digital set-top box searching whether a server has a first TV program that has not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal, and when the server has the first TV program, the digital set-top box provides an electronic program guide. The electronic program guide includes a first option for obtaining the content of the first television program. By selecting the first option, the user can control the digital set-top box to download the first TV program from the server. In this way, the user can use the digital set-top box to watch TV programs on demand.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a method for watching television programs on demand using a digital set-top box according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a digital STB connected to a server provided by a TV station;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of an information menu of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the purchasing mechanism of the present invention;

5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the authentication mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the information menu of the present invention displays the downloaded information of the TV program;

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an information menu when playing a TV program preview;

8 and 9 are schematic diagrams illustrating another embodiment of the information menu of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the digital STB 210 in full-screen mode;

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the method of using a digital set-top box to watch TV programs on demand according to the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the electronic program guide of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the purchasing mechanism of the present invention;

14 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the authentication mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the electronic program guide of the present invention displays the downloaded information of the TV program;

16 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the electronic program guide of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the digital STB 210 in the electronic program guide mode;

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the electronic program guide of the present invention.

Figure number:

100, 900 method

110～130, 910～920 Steps

210 Digital set-top box

220 Server

300 TV picture

310 Background Screen

320 Information Menu

321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 3291, 3292, 328,

522, 523, 523A, 527, 528, 529, 750, 760 options

327, 3295, 523B Information

3211, 3221, 541, 542 Downloads

326, 540 Input fields

500, 700, 1500 Electronic Program Guide

510～530, 710～740 Areas

3293, 521 Age Restriction

329, 524 User Evaluation

525 Scheduled play time

526 Name

PROG _1-11 ～PROG _1-14 , PROG ₂ , PROG ₃ ,

PROG ₄ , PROG ₅ TV programs

S _DTV digital television broadcasting signal

Detailed ways

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method 100 for watching TV programs on demand using a digital set-top box 210 according to the present invention. FIG. A schematic diagram of a server 220 for storing television programs. The server 220 may be a server provided by a TV station or a program operator. For example, the TV station provides relevant data of TV programs on the server 220 . In addition, the digital STB 210 receives a digital TV broadcast signal S _DTV . The communication standard of the digital television broadcasting signal S _DTV , for example, can be the digital television terrestrial broadcasting system (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestria, DVBT), the digital television satellite broadcasting system (Digital Video Broadcasting Satellite, DVBS), the digital television cable broadcasting system (Digital Video Broadcasting Cable, DVBC), American digital television system (Advanced Television System Committee, ATSC), or Japanese digital television system (Integrated Service Digital Broadcasting, ISDB). The digital set-top box 210 supports the above-mentioned specifications. Therefore, the digital set-top box 210 can decode the video of a TV program provided by a TV station from the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV . Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the steps of the method 100 for watching TV programs on demand with the digital set-top box 210 are described as follows:

Step 110: The digital STB 210 plays the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-11 on the background screen 310 of the TV screen 300;

Step 120: The digital set-top box 210 searches the server 220 through the network for TV programs PROG _1-12 that have not yet been played through the digital TV broadcast signal S _DTV according to the relevant information of the TV program PROG _1-11 ;

Step 130: When the server 220 has TV programs PROG _1-12 , the digital STB 210 provides an information menu 320 on the TV screen 300 .

In step 110, as long as the user switches the digital set-top box 210 to the channel for broadcasting the TV program PROG _1-11 within the predetermined playing time scheduled by the TV station to play the TV program PROG _1-11 , the digital set-top box 210 can start from the digital TV. In the broadcast signal _SDTV , the complete content of the TV programs PROG _1-11 is decoded. In addition, assuming that the server 220 has the TV program PROG _1-11 , the digital STB 210 can also download the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-11 from the server 220 . In this way, the digital STB 210 plays the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-11 on the background screen 310 of the TV screen 300 .

In step 120, the relevant information of the TV program PROG _1-11 includes the program content introduction of the TV program PROG _1-11 , the scheduled broadcast time of the TV program PROG _1-11 , the program type of the TV program PROG _1-11 , the TV program PROG Episodes _1-11 , Multilingual Subtitles for TV Shows PROG _1-11 and Multilinguals for TV Shows PROG _1-11 . The digital STB 210 searches the server 220 through the network for TV programs PROG _1-12 that have not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV according to the relevant information of the TV programs PROG _1-11 . Television programs PROG _1-12 are television programs related to television programs PROG _1-11 . For example, TV program PROG _1-11 is the eleventh episode of a series provided by the TV station, and PROG _1-12 is the twelfth episode of the series. The TV station has already broadcasted the TV programs PROG _1-11 through the digital TV broadcast signal S _DTV , and the TV station has not broadcast the TV programs PROG _1-12 through the digital TV broadcast signal S _DTV . In other words, in step 120, the digital STB 210 searches the server 220 for future programs PROG _1-12 related to the TV program PROG _1-11 according to the relevant information of the TV program PROG _1-11 .

In step 130 , when the server 220 has a future program PROG _{1 - 12} related to the TV program PROG 1 - 11 , the digital STB 210 provides an information menu 320 on the TV screen 300 . For example, the TV station provides the preview and complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 on the server 220. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the information menu 320 includes an option 322 for obtaining the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 . Obtaining the preview 321 of the TV program PROG _1-12 , and the option 323 of playing the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 . In the option 321 there is a display message "PROG _1-12 preview". When the user selects the option 321, the digital STB 210 downloads the preview of the TV program PROG _1-12 from the server 220 . In the option 322, there is a display message "get the complete content of PROG _1-12 ". When the user selects the option 322, the digital set-top box 210 downloads the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 from the server 220 . In option 323, there is a display message "Play the complete content of PROG _1-12 ". When the user selects option 323, the digital STB 210 downloads from the server 220 and directly plays the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 . In addition, the present invention also provides a purchase mechanism to allow users to pay for downloading TV programs. For example, some users want to watch the next episode of the TV program PROG _1-11 (that is, the TV program PROG _1-12 ) after watching the TV program PROG _1-11 . Since the TV programs PROG _1-12 are TV programs PROG _1-12 that have not been broadcast through the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV , the TV station can provide users with a paid download method to watch the TV programs PROG _1-12 in advance. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the user selects option 322 or 323 in the TV screen 300 shown in FIG _{. -12} price, and provide an option 324 to confirm the paid download of TV programs PROG _1-12 and an option 325 to cancel the download. When the user selects the option 324, it means that the user is willing to pay to download the TV program PROG _1-12 . At this time, the TV station can charge the user through the existing cash flow mechanism, and the digital STB 210 downloads the TV program from the server 220 Complete contents of PROG _1-12 . When the user selects the option 325, it means that the user cancels the action of paying to download the TV program PROG _1-12 . At this time, the TV screen 300 can return to the page shown in FIG. 3 .

In addition, since TV programs PROG _1-12 may be age-restricted, or vary with the customer's payment level (for example, as regular customer, premium customer or VIP customer), the price of paid download or the downloadable TV Programs may also be different, so the present invention provides an age authentication (or authority authentication) method to confirm whether the user can download the TV program and the price of paid download. Please refer to FIG. 5 , which is a schematic diagram illustrating the authentication method provided by the present invention. The TV station will provide a user authentication code (such as a string of numbers) to the user in advance, wherein the user authentication code is an authentication code used for age authentication (or authority authentication). In FIG. 5 , the authentication method provided by the present invention is illustrated by age authentication. After the user selects the option 322 or 323 in the TV screen 300 shown in FIG. 3, at this moment, as _shown in FIG. Only people over 17 years old can watch TV program PROG _1-12 ), and the digital set-top box 210 displays in the information menu 320 the information asking the user to input the user authentication code, and provides an input mechanism for the user to input (such as providing an input field 326 for user input) to receive a user authentication code. After the user inputs the user authentication code, the digital STB 210 sends the user authentication code to the server 220 for authentication. After the authorization of the user authentication code is passed, the digital set-top box 210 can download the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 from the server 220. After the digital set-top box 210 downloads the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 from the server 220, in addition, As shown in FIG. 6 , the digital STB 210 can generate a message 327 in the message menu 320 that the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 has been downloaded. In addition, in addition to the authority authentication method illustrated in FIG. 5 , the TV station may also provide a decryption card (Conditional Access card, CA card) in advance, wherein the data on the decryption card includes a user authentication code. When the digital set-top box 210 wants to perform authority authentication, the digital set-top box 210 can display a message asking the user to insert a decryption card in the information menu 320 . After the user inserts the decryption card into the digital set-top box 210, the digital set-top box 210 receives the data on the decryption card to obtain the user authentication code. In this way, the digital STB 210 can send the user authentication code to the server 220 for authentication.

Please refer to FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the TV screen 300 when the user selects the TV screen 300 shown in FIG. 3 to obtain the preview 321 of the TV program PROG _1-12 . In FIG. 7, the background screen 310 plays a preview of the television program PROG _1-12 . At this time, the digital STB 210 can provide the scheduled broadcast time 3295 of the TV program PROG _1-12 in the information menu 320 . In addition, if the user selects the option 3291 displaying “back to the previous page”, the digital STB 210 can return to the TV screen 300 as shown in FIG. 3 .

Please refer to FIG. 8 , which is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the information menu 320 . In Fig. 8, the information menu 320, in addition to including options 321 and 322, _{also includes the number of downloaders 3211 of the preview of the TV program PROG 1-12 (} in Fig. 1000 people), the number of downloaders of the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 is 3221 (in Figure 8, it is assumed that the number of downloaders of the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 is 800 people), and the number of people who are used to obtain further information Option 3292 (shown as "Other" in Figure 8). The user can know the popularity of the TV program PROG _1-12 through the number of downloaders 3211 of the preview of the TV program PROG _1-12 and the number of downloaders 3221 of the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 . When the user selects option 3292, the TV screen 300 shown in FIG. 9 can be entered. _Now , the digital STB 210 can update the information contained in the information menu 320. As shown in FIG. 8), and an option 3291 for returning to the previous page (that is, the TV screen 300 as shown in FIG. 8 ). The user can refer to the user evaluation 329 of the TV program PROG _1-12 to decide whether to pay to download the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 . In the user rating 329, more stars filled with slashes indicate higher ratings of the TV programs PROG _1-12 . When the user selects the option 328, the STB 210 sends a first rating signal to the server 220 to adjust the user rating 329 of the TV programs PROG _1-12 . When the user selects the option 3291, the TV screen 300 shown in FIG. 8 can be returned.

Please refer to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the digital set-top box 210 in full-screen mode, wherein the digital set-top box 210 in full-screen mode means that the digital set-top box 210 generates a TV picture 300 with a background picture 310, the background picture 310 is used to play video, and the digital set-top box 210 can provide an information menu 320 on the TV screen 300 to provide user information and provide options for the user to control the operation of the digital set-top box 210 . The working principles of each step in FIG. 10 can refer to the descriptions in FIG. 3 to FIG. 9 , so details are not repeated here.

To sum up, the user can control the digital set-top box 210 to download the program to watch from the server 220 provided by the TV station in real time by selecting the option to obtain the complete content (or preview) of the TV program. When the user turns on the TV, the TV program has been played or halfway through, and the user can still download the complete content (or preview) of the TV program in real time to watch the TV program. In other words, according to the method 100 of the present invention, the user can use the digital STB 210 to watch TV programs on demand. In addition, the user can purchase TV programs by using the paid downloading method provided in FIG. 4 of the present invention, and can perform age authentication or authority authentication on the user by using the authentication method provided in FIG. 5 of the present invention. In addition, it can be known from the descriptions of FIGS. 3 to 9 that the information menu 320 may include options for obtaining the complete content of the TV program, options for playing the complete content of the TV program, options for obtaining the preview of the TV program, and TV The scheduled broadcast time of the program, the age limit of the TV program, the user rating of the TV program, the number of downloaders of the preview of the TV program, and the number of downloaders of the complete content of the TV program. In order to prevent the information menu 320 from occupying too much area of the TV screen 300 due to the simultaneous inclusion of too much information and affecting the user's viewing of the video played on the background screen 310, the information menu 320 may only include the above-mentioned part in a TV screen 300 Information and the option 3292 for obtaining further information as shown in FIG. 8 ("Other" is displayed in FIG. 8), so that the user can switch the content contained in the information menu 320 by selecting the option 3292. Therefore, the information menu 320 will not occupy too much area of the TV screen 300 to avoid affecting the user's viewing of the video played on the background screen 310 .

Please refer to Figure 2, Figure 11 and Figure 12. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method 900 for on-demand viewing of television programs using the digital STB 210 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an electronic program guide 500 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11 , the steps of method 900 are described as follows:

Step 910: the digital STB 210 searches the server 220 through the network for TV programs PROG _1-12 that have not yet been played through the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV ;

Step 920: When the server 220 has TV programs PROG _1-12 , the digital STB 210 provides an electronic program guide (such as 500).

In step 910, for example, assuming that the user is watching the TV program PROG _1-11 originally, if the user inquires through the digital set-top box 210 whether there is a TV program related to the TV program PROG _1-11 , the digital The STB 210 searches the server 220 through the network for TV programs PROG _1-12 that have not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV .

In step 920, it is assumed that the server 220 has a TV program PROG _1-12 related to the TV program PROG _1-11 that has not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV . At this time, the digital STB 210 provides an electronic program guide 500 as shown in FIG. 12 . In the electronic program guide 500, it can be divided into areas 510-530. Displayed in area 510 is the current time. Displayed in the area 530 is the TV programs (PROG ₂ -PROG ₅ ) broadcast on other channels during the broadcast period of the TV programs PROG _1-12 . For example, it can be seen from FIG. 12 that at 14:00 During the period from 15:00 to 15:00, the TV program PROG _1-12 is broadcast on the channel "0002", the TV program PROG ₂ is broadcast on the channel "0003", and the TV program PROG ₃ is broadcast on the channel "0004". It can be seen from the area 520 that the electronic program guide 500 includes an option 522 for obtaining the preview of the TV program PROG _1-12 , an option 523 for obtaining the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 , and an option 523 for playing the TV program PROG ₁ . Option 523A for complete content of _-12 , scheduled airtime 525 of TV show PROG _1-12 , age restriction 521 of TV show PROG _1-12 , and user ratings 524 of TV show PROG _1-12 , TV show PROG _{1-12 12} title 526, and options 527 for adjusting user ratings for TV programs PROG _1-12 . The age restriction 521 of the TV program PROG _1-12 displays the information of "17+" to indicate that the TV program PROG _1-12 is limited to users over 17 years old. In the user evaluation 524 , the more stars filled with slashes, the higher the evaluation of the user. When the user selects the option 527, the digital STB 210 sends a first evaluation signal to the server 220 through the network to adjust the user evaluation of the TV programs PROG _1-12 . For example, option 527 displays a "Like" message. When the user selects option 527, the digital set-top box 210 sends an evaluation signal to the server 220 through the network to increase the user evaluation of the TV program PROG _1-12 , and at this time the digital set-top box 210 can also download from the server 220 the An auxiliary data of the real-time user ratings of the TV programs PROG _1-12 to adjust the user ratings 524 displayed in the EPG 500 in real time. In the electronic program guide 500, the option 522 for obtaining the preview of the TV program PROG _1-12 , the option 523 for obtaining the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 , and the option 523 for playing the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 The working principle of the option 523A is similar to that of the options 321, 322 and 323 in FIG. 3, so details are not repeated here. In addition, the present invention provides a purchase mechanism as shown in FIG. 13 , for example, TV programs PROG _1-11 and PROG _1-12 are respectively the 11th episode and the 12th episode in a series. After watching the TV program PROG _1-11 , some users want to watch the next episode of the TV program PROG _1-11 (that is, the TV program PROG _1-12 ) first. Since the TV programs PROG _1-12 are TV programs PROG _1-12 that have not been broadcast through the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV , the TV station can provide users with a paid download method to watch the TV programs PROG _1-12 in advance. When the user selects the option 523 or 523A, as shown in FIG. 13 , the digital set-top box 210 displays the price of the pay-to-download TV program PROG _1-12 in the electronic program guide 500, and provides the price for confirming the pay-to-download TV program PROG _1-12 . Option 528 of ₁₂ and option 529 to cancel the download. When the user selects the option 528, it means that the user is willing to pay to download the TV program PROG _1-12 . At this time, the TV station can charge the user through the existing cash flow mechanism, and the digital STB 210 downloads the TV program from the server 220 Complete contents of PROG _1-12 . When the user selects the option 529, it means that the user cancels the action of paying to download TV programs PROG _1-12 , and at this time, the user can return to the electronic program guide 500 shown in FIG. 12 .

In addition, TV programs PROG _1-12 may have an age limit (as shown in Figure 12, the age limit of TV program PROG _1-12 is 17 years old), or it may vary with the customer's payment level (for example, as general customer, The price of paid download or the TV programs that can be downloaded may be different for different senior customers or VIP customers), so the present invention provides age authentication (or authority authentication) mode to confirm whether the user can download TV programs PROG _{1- 12} and the price of paid downloads of TV programs PROG _1-12 . Please refer to FIG. 14 , which is a schematic diagram illustrating the authentication method provided by the present invention. The TV station will provide a user authentication code (such as a string of numbers) to the user in advance, wherein the user authentication code is an authentication code used for age authentication (or authority authentication). After the user selects the option 523 or 523A in the electronic program guide 500 shown in FIG. 12, at this moment, as shown in FIG. , and provide an input mechanism for the user to input (such as providing an input field 540 for the user to input) to receive the user authentication code. After the user inputs the user authentication code, the digital STB 210 sends the user authentication code to the server 220 for authentication. After the authorization of the user authentication code is passed, the digital set-top box 210 can download the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 from the server 220. After the digital set-top box 210 downloads the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 from the server 220, in addition, As shown in FIG. 15 , the digital set-top box 210 can generate information 523B in the electronic program guide 500 that the complete contents of the TV programs PROG _1-12 have been downloaded. In addition, in addition to the authority authentication method illustrated in FIG. 14 , the TV station may also provide a decryption card (Conditional Access card, CA card) in advance, wherein the data on the decryption card includes a user authentication code. When the digital set-top box 210 intends to perform authority authentication, the digital set-top box 210 may display a message asking the user to insert a decryption card in the electronic program guide 500 . After the user inserts the decryption card into the digital set-top box 210, the digital set-top box 210 receives the data on the decryption card to obtain the user authentication code. In this way, the digital STB 210 can send the user authentication code to the server 220 for authorization verification.

Please refer to Figure 16. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of an electronic program guide 1500 . Compared with the electronic program guide 500 of FIG. 12, the electronic program guide _{1500 of FIG. 16 also includes the number of downloaders 541 of the preview of the TV program PROG 1-12 (} in FIG. 1000 people) and 542 people who downloaded the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 (in FIG. 16 , it is assumed that the number of people who downloaded the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 was 800 people). The user can know the popularity of the TV program PROG _1-12 through the number of downloaders 541 of the preview of the TV program PROG _1-12 and the number of downloaders 542 of the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-12 .

Please refer to FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the digital set-top box 210 in the electronic program guide mode, wherein the digital set-top box 210 in the electronic program guide mode means that the digital set-top box 210 provides an electronic program guide in the TV screen (such as 500 or 1500). The working principles of each step in FIG. 17 can refer to the descriptions in FIG. 12 to FIG. 16 , so details are not repeated here.

Please refer to Figure 18. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the electronic program guide 700 of the present invention. Compared with the EPG 500, the EPG 700 can contain information and control options of multiple television programs. For example, in step 910, assuming that the user is watching the TV program PROG _1-11 originally, if the user inquires through the digital set-top box 210 whether there is a TV program related to the TV program PROG _1-11 , the digital The STB 210 searches the server 220 through the network for TV programs PROG _1-12 that have not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV . In step 920, it is assumed that the server 220 has a TV program PROG _1-12 related to the TV program PROG _1-11 that has not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal _SDTV . At this time, the digital STB 210 provides an electronic program guide 700 as shown in FIG. 18 . The EPG 700 includes areas 710 - 740 and options 750 and 760 . Option 750 displays a "page back" message. When the user selects the option 750, the digital STB 210 can switch back to the original TV screen. Areas 710-740 display information and control options of TV programs PROG _1-11 -PROG _1-14 , respectively. In other words, in the electronic program guide 700, in addition to the information and control options of TV programs PROG _1-12 , there are also information and control options of other TV programs (PROG _1-11 , PROG _1-13 , PROG _1-14 ). control options. As shown in FIG. 18 , the electronic program guide 700 includes titles of a plurality of TV programs (such as PROG _1-11 to PROG _1-14 ), scheduled broadcast time, user ratings, and options for adjusting user ratings (showing "Like" information), an option to get a preview of each TV show, and an option to get the full content of each TV show. In the area 710, _the information of "the complete content has been downloaded" is used to indicate that the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-11 has been downloaded. The complete content of is downloaded and stored in the storage device of the digital STB 210 . Therefore, if the user misses the TV program PROG _1-11 , the digital STB 210 can play the TV program PROG _1-11 stored in the storage device for the user to watch. In addition, assume that the current time is 2009/04/15 9:00, and the TV station is scheduled to broadcast the TV program PROG _1-13 tomorrow (2009/04/16 14:00-15:00). That is, TV programs PROG _1-13 are future programs related to TV programs PROG _1-12 . Users can't wait to know the plot of the TV show PROG _1-13 . At this time, the user can select the option to obtain the complete content of the TV program PROG _1-13 , and watch the TV program PROG _1-13 in advance by downloading for a fee. In addition, the information of "not provided" in the area 740 indicates that currently on the server 220, the TV program PROG _1-14 has not yet been provided to the user for downloading, and the circle filled with slashes in the area 740 indicates that the user is not interested in the TV program. The level of anticipation for the program PROG _1-14 . The user can adjust the user's expectations for the TV programs PROG _1-14 by selecting the option of adjusting the user's evaluation in the area 740 (displaying the information of "Like"). In other words, the TV station can use the electronic program guide 700 to collect users' reactions to the TV programs. In addition, the user can also download TV programs in batches through the electronic program guide 700 (that is, download multiple TV programs at a time). For example, when the user selects the option 760 (displaying the information of "download all"), the digital set-top box 210 can simultaneously download the complete contents of TV programs PROG _1-11 -PROG _1-14 from the server 220, as shown in FIG. 18 , since the user has downloaded TV programs PROG _1-11 , and the server 220 has not yet provided TV programs PROG _1-14 for the user to download, so when the user selects option 760, the digital STB 210 downloads TV programs PROG _1-12 Complete content with PROG _1-13 .

It can be seen from the above description that the user can download the program to watch from the server 220 by using the digital STB 210 in real time. Therefore, when the user turns on the TV, even if the TV program has been played completely or halfway through, the user can still download the complete content of the TV program in real time to watch the TV program. When the user wants to watch the TV program before the scheduled broadcasting time of the TV program, if the TV station can also provide the TV program on the server 220 for the user to pay for downloading. That is to say, users can use the digital STB 210 to watch TV programs on demand, and through the method provided by the present invention, users who want to watch in advance can be satisfied.

To sum up, the present invention provides a method for watching TV programs on demand using a digital STB. In the method of the present invention, a digital STB searches a server through the network for a TV program that has not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal. When the server has the TV program that has not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal, the digital STB provides an information menu (or an electronic program guide). The user can download and preemptively watch TV programs that have not been played through digital TV broadcast signals by selecting the option for obtaining the complete content of the TV program in the information menu (or the electronic program guide). In this way, the user can use the digital STB to watch TV programs on demand.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (19)

1. A method for watching TV programs on demand by using a digital set-top box, characterized in that, the digital set-top box decodes the video of a TV program provided by a TV station from a digital TV broadcast signal, and the method includes: The digital STB plays the complete content of a first TV program in a background picture of a TV picture; The digital set-top box searches a server through the network for a second TV program that has not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal through the network according to the relevant information of the first TV program; wherein the second television program is a future program related to the first television program, and the second television program is a television program that has not been broadcast by the television station through the digital television broadcast signal; and When the server has the second TV program, the digital set-top box provides an information menu on the TV screen; Wherein the information menu includes at least a first option for obtaining the complete content of the second TV program, and when the first option is selected, the digital set-top box provides a confirmation fee for downloading the second TV program. A fourth option of the TV program, when the fourth option is selected, the digital STB downloads the complete content of the second TV program from the server. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information menu further includes a third option for obtaining a preview of the second television program; Wherein said method additionally comprises: When the third option is selected, the digital set-top box downloads the preview of the second television program from the server. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital STB plays the complete content of the first TV program on the background screen of the TV screen, comprising: The digital STB downloads the complete content of the first TV program from the server. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital STB plays the complete content of the first TV program on the background screen of the TV screen, comprising: The digital STB decodes the complete content of the first TV program from the digital TV broadcast signal. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relevant information of the first TV program includes an introduction to the program content of the first TV program, a scheduled broadcast time of the first TV program, the first TV program The program type of a TV program, the number of episodes of the first TV program, the multi-language subtitles of the first TV program, and the multi-language of the first TV program; Wherein the communication standard of the digital TV broadcasting signal is a digital TV terrestrial broadcasting system, a digital TV satellite broadcasting system, a digital TV cable broadcasting system, a US standard digital TV system, or a Japanese standard digital TV system; Wherein the server is a server for storing TV programs. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information menu further includes the scheduled broadcast time of the second TV program, the age limit of the second TV program, the use of the second TV program Viewer evaluation, the number of people who downloaded the preview of the second TV program, and the number of people who downloaded the complete content of the second TV program; Wherein the digital STB sends a first evaluation signal to the server to adjust the user evaluation of the second TV program. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: After the digital set-top box downloads the complete content of the second television program from the server, the digital set-top box generates information that the complete content of the second television program has been downloaded in the information menu . 8. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first option is selected, the digital set-top box provides a fourth option for confirming paid download of the second television program, when the When the fourth option is selected, the digital set-top box downloads the complete content of the second TV program from the server including: The digital STB sends a user authentication code to the server for authorization verification; and After the authorization of the user authentication code is passed, the digital set-top box downloads the complete content of the second TV program from the server; Wherein the user authentication code is an authentication code used for age authentication, or an authentication code used for authority authentication. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the first option is selected, the digital set-top box provides a fourth option for confirming paid download of the second television program, when the When the fourth option is selected, downloading the complete content of the second TV program from the server by the digital set-top box further includes: The digital STB provides an input mechanism for a user to input to receive the user authentication code. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein when the first option is selected, the digital set-top box provides a fourth option for confirming paid download of the second television program, when the first option is selected When the fourth option is selected, downloading the complete content of the second TV program from the server by the digital set-top box further includes: The digital STB receives data on a decryption card to obtain the user authentication code. 11. A method for watching TV programs on demand by using a digital set-top box, characterized in that the digital set-top box decodes a video of a TV program provided by a TV station from a digital TV broadcast signal for playing, so The methods described include: The digital set-top box searches a server through the network for a first TV program that has not been played through the digital TV broadcast signal; and When the server has the first TV program, the digital set-top box provides an electronic program guide, and the electronic program guide further includes a scheduled broadcast time of a second TV program, an age limit of the second TV program , the user evaluation of the second TV program, the number of people who downloaded the preview of the second TV program, the number of people who downloaded the complete content of the second TV program, and a method used to obtain the preview of the second TV program fifth option, and a sixth option for obtaining the complete content of said second television program, said second television program being a future program related to said first television program, and said second television program being said TV programs that have not been broadcast by TV stations through said digital TV broadcast signal; Wherein the electronic program guide includes a first option for obtaining the content of the first TV program, when the first option is selected, the digital set-top box provides a confirmation fee for downloading the first TV program A fourth option, when the fourth option is selected, the digital set-top box downloads the complete content of the first television program from the server. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic program guide further comprises a third option for obtaining a preview of the first television program; Wherein said method additionally comprises: When the third option is selected, the digital set-top box downloads the preview of the first television program from the server. 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the communication standard of the digital TV broadcast signal is a digital TV terrestrial broadcasting system, a digital TV satellite broadcasting system, a digital TV cable broadcasting system, an American standard digital TV system, or Japanese standard digital TV system; Wherein the server is a server for storing TV programs. 14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electronic program guide further includes the scheduled broadcast time of the first TV program, the age limit of the first TV program, the user ratings, the number of people who downloaded the preview of the first TV program, and the number of people who downloaded the complete content of the first TV program; Wherein the digital STB sends a first evaluation signal to the server to adjust the user evaluation of the first TV program. 15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: After the digital set-top box downloads the complete content of the first television program from the server, the digital set-top box generates a message that the complete content of the first television program has been downloaded in the electronic program guide information. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein when the first option is selected, the digital STB provides a fourth option for confirming paid download of the first television program, when the When the fourth option is selected, the digital set-top box downloads the complete content of the first TV program from the server including: The digital STB sends a user authentication code to the server for authorization verification; and After the authorization of the user authentication code is passed, the digital set-top box downloads the complete content of the first TV program from the server; Wherein the user authentication code is an authentication code used for age authentication, or an authentication code used for authority authentication. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein when the first option is selected, the digital set-top box provides a fourth option for confirming paid download of the first television program, when the first option is selected When the fourth option is selected, downloading the complete content of the first TV program from the server by the digital set-top box further includes: The digital STB provides an input mechanism for a user to input to receive the user authentication code. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein when the first option is selected, the digital STB provides a fourth option for confirming paid download of the first television program, when the When the fourth option is selected, downloading the complete content of the first TV program from the server by the digital set-top box further includes: The digital STB receives data on a decryption card to obtain the user authentication code. 19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electronic program guide further comprises a seventh option for obtaining the complete content of the first television program and the complete content of the second television program; Wherein said method additionally comprises: When the seventh option is selected, the digital set-top box downloads the complete content of the first television program and the complete content of the second television program from the server.