Abstract:
The present invention discloses an establishing method of an electronic program guide and corresponding operation method, system and device thereof. The establishing method includes: grouping electronic program guide servers that have the same processing ability and/or the same service processing flow together, making the number of server group correspond to users&#39; attribute-determining characteristic values so as to form a scheduling policy which is then stored in the scheduling server. The users&#39; terminal initiates a request for scheduling to the scheduling server. After that, the scheduling server designates an electronic program guide server for the users&#39; terminal, thereby establishing an interactive connection between the users&#39; terminal and the electronic program guide server. As a result, the data flow bypasses the metropolitan area network, and the bandwidth of the backbone network is thus less affected, so that the number of users able to use the service may continuously expand.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2007/000335, filed Jan. 30, 2007, which claims the priority of the Chinese patent application No. 200610057516.5 submitted to the Chinese Patent Office on Mar. 13, 2006, titled “Electronic Program Guide Server Deploying System, and Establishing and Operating Method Thereof”, the entire content of both of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of information and communication technology, and in particular to an electronic program guide service system and its establishing and operating method. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In the Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) system, the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) system is the portal through which users may access and enjoy the service. Specifically, users access the EPG server and browse the service information displayed by the EPG by use of a special terminal which is a Set-Top-Box (STB). 
         [0004]    Users of the IPTV service, after power on, go through the broadband accessing authentication at first. After the users of the service pass the accessing authentication, their set-top-boxes then initiate a request for logon authentication to the EPG server using their accounts and passwords. If the logon passes authentication, the EPG displays the service information for users to browse and choose. The information displayed by the EPG includes the name, introduction, price for using, links of services, poster pictures, etc. of the contents to be consumed. 
         [0005]    The feature of IPTV lies in that users browse the service information and choose what to consume on TV, so that the access hours tend to be comparatively concentrated, which results in a sudden increase of access amount to the EPG and therefore requires an EPG server with relatively high processing performance and ability of extension. 
         [0006]    For browsing on TV, the EPG displays information containing abundant pictures in order to improve users&#39; experience. However, current set-top-boxes, in consideration of cost, are unlikely to provide large buffer, so that many picture files have to be downloaded during the process when users are browsing the EPG, which therefore demands for relatively broad transmission bandwidth. 
         [0007]    Currently applied deployment solution of the EPG system is generally the centralized deployment. According to the centralized deployment, plural EPG servers are located at the operation center and in front of the plural EPG servers, payload equalizers are installed to form a cluster. A virtual service address is provided externally for all IPTV users to access the EPG servers located at the operation center. 
         [0008]    In the centralized deployment of the EPG system according to the prior art, all the users access EPG servers located at the operation center via a metropolitan area network, which adds a ponderous burden to the bandwidth of the metropolitan area network. Besides, bandwidth restrictions on the egress of the operation center also hinder the whole system from providing service to a large number of users. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic program guide service system and its establishing and operating method, wherein electronic program guide servers are deployed in a distributed manner to reduce the data flow in the metropolitan area network and to improve system performance and efficiency. 
         [0010]    An embodiment of the present invention provides an establishing method of an electronic program guide service system that includes plural electronic program guide servers and the method includes: arranging the plural electronic program guide servers of the system at an access layer on the edge of a metropolitan area network; grouping the plural electronic program guide servers according to their characteristics; and setting a scheduling policy according to users&#39; attributes and characteristics of the electronic program guide server groups, and storing the set scheduling policy into a scheduling server. 
         [0011]    An embodiment of the present invention provides an operating method of an electronic program guide service system and the method includes: receiving a request for electronic program guide service from a user&#39;s terminal; and selecting an electronic program guide server according to a scheduling policy to provide service for the users&#39; terminal on receiving the request for electronic program guide service, and sending a scheduling notification to the users&#39; terminal. 
         [0012]    Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic program guide service system and the system includes: plural electronic program guide servers which are arranged at an access layer on the edge of a metropolitan area network and adapted to establish interactive connection with a user&#39;s terminal according to a request for connection from the users&#39; terminal, wherein the request for connection is determined according to a scheduling notification sent from a scheduling server; and the scheduling server, adapted to receive a request for electronic program guide service from the users&#39; terminal, select an electronic program guide server according to a scheduling policy stored thereon to provide service for the users&#39; terminal and send the scheduling notification to the users&#39; terminal. 
         [0013]    Still furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention provides a scheduling server which includes: a storage unit, adapted to store a scheduling policy; and a scheduling unit, adapted to schedule electronic program guide servers according to the stored scheduling policy and designate a corresponding electronic program guide server for users&#39; terminal on receiving a request for electronic program guide service from the users&#39; terminal. 
         [0014]    The present invention suggests a technical solution that deploys the electronic program guide servers in a distributed manner, groups the electronic program guide servers, has the group numbers to correspond to users&#39; attribute-determining characteristic values, and sets a scheduling policy and stores the scheduling policy in the scheduling server, so that the flow between users&#39; terminals and EPG servers bypasses the metropolitan area network, the bandwidth of which is therefore less affected. 
         [0015]    With edge nodes serving as a bypass for the egress flow of the EPG system, service is free of bandwidth restriction, and the number of the users able to enjoy the service may therefore continuously expand. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an EPG system including a single scheduling server according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an EPG system including plural scheduling servers according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a schematic structural diagram of a scheduling server according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing an establishing method of an EPG system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart showing an operating method of an EPG system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    Below, detailed description will be given to the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the EPG system includes a scheduling server  20 , an EPG server  10 , an EPG server  11 , an EPG server  12 , an EPG server  13 , a broadband access server  30 , a broadband access server  31 , a set-top-box  1  and a set-top-box  2 . The scheduling server  20  stores a scheduling policy used in EPG system for selecting EPG servers to provide service for users according to the scheduling policy, such as payload equalizer scheduling. The EPG servers offer an EPG service. In other words, the scheduling policy is stored in the scheduling server which performs payload equalizer scheduling, and the EPG service is offered by the EPG servers. The EPG server  10 , the EPG server  11 , the EPG server  12  and the EPG server  13  are connected to the scheduling server  20  via a metropolitan area network. 
         [0022]    The scheduling server  20  is located at the IPTV operation center on the metropolitan area network, while the EPG server  10 , the EPG server  11 , the EPG server  12  and the EPG server  13  are at the access layer on the edge of the metropolitan area network. The EPG server  10  and the EPG server  11  are attached to the network location in the same layer as the broadband access server  30 , and the EPG server  12  and the EPG server  13  are attached to the network location in the same layer as the broadband access server  31 . 
         [0023]    The set-top-box  1  is connected to the broadband access server  30  and the set-top-box  2  to the broadband access server  31 . Both the set-top-box  1  and the set-top-box  2  send request for scheduling to the scheduling server  20 . The scheduling server  20  accordingly sends a scheduling notification to the set-top-box  1  and the set-top-box  2 . The set-top-box  1  and the set-top-box  2  accordingly send a request for connection to the EPG server  10 , the EPG server  11 , the EPG server  12  and the EPG server  13 . 
         [0024]    The EPG system according to an embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , includes a scheduling server DNS 1 , a scheduling server DNS 4 , an EPG server  15 , an EPG server  16 , a broadband access server  32 , a broadband access server  33 , a set-top-box  3  and a set-top-box  4 . The scheduling server DNS 1  and the scheduling server DNS 4  are both Domain Name Servers (DNS), to which the EPG server  15  and the EPG server  16  are connected via a metropolitan area network. The scheduling server DNS 1 , the scheduling server DNS 4 , the EPG server  15  and the EPG server  16  are located at the access layer on the edge of the metropolitan area network. The EPG server  15  is installed at the network location in the same layer, such as the access layer of the metropolitan area network, as the broadband access server  32 , and the EPG server  16  installed at the network location in the same layer, such as the access layer of the metropolitan area network, as the broadband access server  33 . The set-top-box  3  is connected to the broadband access server  32  and the set-top-box  4  is connected to the broadband access server  33 . The set-top-box  3  sends a request for scheduling to the scheduling server DNS 1  and the set-top-box  4  sends a request for scheduling to the scheduling server DNS 4 . Accordingly, the scheduling server DNS 1  then sends a scheduling notification to the set-top-box  3  and the scheduling server DNS 4  then sends a scheduling notification to the set-top-box  4 . After that, the set-top-box  3  sends a request for connection to the EPG server  15  and the set-top-box  4  sends a request for connection to the EPG server  16 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for establishing an EPG system, including such blocks as: 
         [0026]    Block  101 : Respectively arrange plural EPG servers  10 ,  11 ,  12  and  13  of the system in different network areas; 
         [0027]    Block  102 : Group the EPG servers according to their characteristics, and assign a number to each group; specifically, the scheduling server  20  groups the EPG server  10  and the EPG server  11  together in one group, and the EPG server  12  and the EPG server  13  in another group. 
         [0028]    The scheduling server  20  numbers the EPG server  10  and the EPG server  11  as EPG Server Group  1  and the EPG server  12  and the EPG server  13  as EPG Server Group  2 . 
         [0029]    Block  103 : Set a scheduling policy according to users&#39; attributes and characteristics of the EPG server groups, and store the scheduling policy into the scheduling server. 
         [0030]    The scheduling server  20  sets Scheduling Policy  1  as: providing, for users whose attribute-determining characteristic values indicate VIP users, Server Group  1  as a primary group and Server Group  2  as a standby group. The scheduling server  20  also sets Scheduling Policy  2  as: providing, for users whose attribute-determining characteristic values indicate ordinary users, Server Group  2  as a primary group and Server Group  1  as a standby group. 
         [0031]    An embodiment of the present invention provides a scheduling server as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , which includes: a storage unit  20   a  for storing the scheduling policy; a scheduling unit  20   b  for scheduling the EPG servers according to the stored scheduling policy, and designating corresponding EPG servers for users&#39; terminals on receiving the request for EPG service from the users&#39; terminals. 
         [0032]    Next, described below is an operating method of the EPG system. 
         [0033]    The set-top-box first initiates a request for scheduling to the scheduling server. The scheduling server then designates an EPG server according to the request for scheduling and the scheduling policy, and sends a scheduling notification to the set-top-box so that the set-top-box initiates a request for connection to the designated EPG server according to the scheduling notification, thereby establishing an interactive connection between the designated EPG server and the user of the set-top-box. 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the present invention provides an operating method of EPG system, including such blocks as: 
         [0035]    Block  201 : The set-top-box  1  initiates a request for scheduling to the scheduling server  20  via the broadband access server  30 . 
         [0036]    Block  202 : The scheduling server  20 , on receiving the request for scheduling from the set-top-box  1 , performs user authentication, and prevents the set-top-box  1  from logging in and ends the processing flow if the authentication fails. The manner of passing the authentication is adopted in this embodiment and the scheduling server acquires, by use of a request for authentication, the attribute of the user corresponding to the set-top-box  1 , with the attribute being a VIP user. 
         [0037]    Block  203 : The scheduling policy  1  is determined and selected according to the stored attribute of the user of the set-top-box  1 , which is a VIP user, so as to be aware then that the primary server group is Group  1  and the standby server group is Group  2 , and the scheduling server  20  inquires the health of the EPG servers and designates the EPG server  10  whose IP address is 218.246.1.10 according to the inquiring result of the health of the EPG servers. 
         [0038]    Block  204 : The scheduling server  20  sends to the set-top-box  1  a scheduling notification which includes: information that the set-top-box  1  is to log in to the designated EPG server  10  whose IP address is 218.246.1.10, and flag which is specified by the scheduling server  20  and indicates that the set-top-box  1  has passed logon authentication. 
         [0039]    Block  205 : set-top-box  1 , on receiving the scheduling notification, initiates a request for connection to the EPG server  10  with the request for connection carrying the flag which is issued by the scheduling server  20  and indicates that logon authentication has passed, and the EPG server  10 , on receiving the request from set-top-box  1 , establishes an interactive connection with set-top-box  1 . 
         [0040]    An embodiment of the present invention further provides another method of establishing an EPG system, including such blocks as: 
         [0041]    Block  301 : The scheduling server  20  groups the EPG server  10  and the EPG server  11  together as one group, and the EPG server  12  and the EPG server  13  as another group. 
         [0042]    Block  302 : The scheduling server  20  numbers the EPG server  10  and the EPG server  11  as Server Group  1  and the EPG server  12  and the EPG server  13  Server Group  2 . 
         [0043]    Block  303 : The scheduling server  20  sets Scheduling Policy  1  as: providing, for users whose attribute-determining characteristic values are the IP addresses within the segment of 10.168.1.1-10.168.1.254, Server Group  1  as a primary group and Server Group  2  as a standby group, and the scheduling server  20  sets Scheduling Policy  2  as: providing, for users whose attribute-determining characteristic values are the IP addresses within the segment of 10.168.2.1-10.168.2.254, Server Group  2  as a primary group and Server Group  1  as a standby group. 
         [0044]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , an embodiment of the present invention provides an operating method of the EPG system, including such blocks as: 
         [0045]    Block  401 : The set-top-box initiates a request for EPG service to the scheduling server; 
         [0046]    Specifically, the set-top-box  2  initiates a request for scheduling to the scheduling server  20  via the broadband access server  31 . 
         [0047]    Block  402 : The scheduling server selects an EPG server for the set-top-box according to the users&#39; request and the scheduling policy, and sends a scheduling notification to the set-top-box; 
         [0048]    The scheduling server  20 , instead of performing user authentication immediately after receiving the request for scheduling, redirects so as to have the user authentication done by the designated EPG server. The scheduling server  20  acquires, by use of the request for scheduling, the attribute of the user corresponding to the set-top-box  2 , with the attribute being IP address of 10.168.2.10. 
         [0049]    Since the stored attribute of the user of the set-top-box  2  is IP address 10.168.2.10, Scheduling Policy  2  is accordingly selected so as to be aware then that the primary server group is Group  2  and the standby server group is Group  1 , and the scheduling server inquires the health of the EPG servers and designates the EPG server  13  whose IP address is 218.246.2.13 according to the inquiring result of the health of the EPG servers. 
         [0050]    The scheduling server  20  sends to the set-top-box  2  a scheduling notification which includes: information that set-top-box  2  is to log in to the designated EPG server  13  whose IP address is 218.246.2.13, and designation that the EPG server  13  is to deal with the request for authentication. 
         [0051]    Block  403 : The set-top-box initiates a request for connection to the selected EPG server according to the scheduling notification, thereby establishing a connection between the selected EPG server and the user. 
         [0052]    The set-top-box  2 , on receiving the scheduling notification, initiates a request for connection to the EPG server  13 . The EPG server  13 , on receiving the request for connection from the set-top-box  2 , performs authentication to the user, and prevents the set-top-box  2  from logging in and ends the processing flow if the authentication fails. The manner of passing the authentication is adopted in this embodiment so that an interactive connection between the EPG server  13  and the user of the set-top-box  2  is established. 
         [0053]    In the specific embodiment below, the DNS server is adopted as the scheduling server, and all the set-top-boxes log in to the EPG servers by referring to a domain name. Regarding each group of EPG servers, there is provided a DNS server so that set-top-boxes at different locations use different DNS servers. Different DNS servers resolve the domain name of EPG server and obtain the IP address of EPG server on different edge nodes. 
         [0054]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , another embodiment of the present invention provides an operating method of an EPG system, including such blocks as: 
         [0055]    Block  501 : The set-top-box  3  initiates, via the broadband access server  32 , a request for scheduling which includes www.EPG.com.cn, to the scheduling server DNS 1 . 
         [0056]    Block  502 : The scheduling server DNS 1  receives the request for scheduling from the set-top-box  3 , and the scheduling server DNS 1 , on receiving the request for scheduling, resolves www.EPG.com.cn, obtains the IP address 218.246.3.11 of the EPG server  15  and designates the EPG server  15  for the set-top-box  3 . 
         [0057]    Block  503 : The scheduling server DNS 1  sends to the set-top-box  3  a scheduling notification which includes: information that the set-top-box  3  is to log in to the EPG server  15  whose IP address is 218.246.3.11. 
         [0058]    Block  504 : The set-top-box  3  initiates a request for connection to the EPG server  15  and the EPG server  15 , on receiving the request for connection from the set-top-box  3 , performs authentication to the user, and prevents the set-top-box  3  from logging in and ends the processing flow if the authentication fails. The manner of passing the authentication is adopted in this embodiment so that an interactive connection between the EPG server  15  and the user of the set-top-box  3  is established. 
         [0059]    The present invention provides in its yet another embodiment an operating method of an EPG system, including such blocks as: 
         [0060]    Block  601 : The set-top-box  4  initiates, via broadband access server  33 , a request for scheduling which includes www.EPGcom.cn, to the scheduling server DNS 4 . 
         [0061]    Block  602 : The scheduling server DNS 4  receives the request for scheduling from the set-top-box  4 , and the scheduling server DNS 4 , on receiving the request for scheduling, resolves www.EPGcom.cn, obtains IP address 218.246.3.12 of the EPG server  16  and designate the EPG server  16  for the set-top-box  4 . 
         [0062]    Block  603 : The scheduling server DNS 4  sends to the set-top-box  4  a scheduling notification which includes: information that the set-top-box  4  is to log in to the EPG server  16  whose IP address is 218.246.3.12. 
         [0063]    Block  604 : The set-top-box  4  initiates a request for connection to the EPG server  16  and the EPG server  16 , on receiving the request for connection from the set-top-box  4 , performs authentication to the user, and prevents the set-top-box  4  from logging in on and ends the processing flow if the authentication fails. The manner of passing the authentication is adopted in this embodiment so that an interactive connection between the EPG server  16  and the user of the set-top-box  4  is established. 
         [0064]    The present invention provides a technical solution that deploys the EPG servers in a distributed manner, groups the EPG servers, the group numbers of which are made to correspond to users&#39; attribute-determining characteristic values, and sets a scheduling policy which is then stored in the scheduling server. Therefore, the flow between users&#39; terminal and the EPG servers bypasses the metropolitan area network, the bandwidth of which is therefore less affected. 
         [0065]    With edge nodes serving as a bypass for the egress flow of the EPG system, service is free of bandwidth restriction, and the number of users able to enjoy the service may therefore continuously expand. 
         [0066]    Described above are merely embodiments, rather than restrictions, of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutes and improvements within the spirit and principle of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention.