Patent Publication Number: US-2012042351-A1

Title: Broadcast system for sharing media content and method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a broadcast server, and more particularly to a broadcast server allowing clients to share media content. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Digital broadcast network typically only support one way communications. User clients, such as a set-top box, can only communicate from the content provider to the client to download programs. As a result, clients can only watch the media programs provided by the content provider but have no options to select programs they want. In addition, the client also has no authority to share programs they ordered to other clients. Therefore, a need exists in the industry to overcome the described limitations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is the block diagram of one embodiment of a broadcast system of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a broadcast method for sharing media content of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     In general, the word “module” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the unit may be integrated in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will be appreciated that module may comprise connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and may comprise programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The unit described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware unit and may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. 
       FIG. 1  is the block diagram of one embodiment of a broadcast system of the present disclosure. The broadcast system includes a broadcast server  1 , a client A and a client B. The broadcast server  1  includes a receiver  10 , a verification module  20 , a communication module  30 , a processor  40 , a transmitter  50  and a storage  60 . In one embodiment, the verification module  20  and the communication module  30  are stored in the storage  60 . The processor  40  controls the verification module  20  and the communication module  30  to execute its functions described below. The broadcast server  1  transmits media content ordered by the client A to the client B through a digital broadcast network  4 . Using the broadcast server  1 , the client B is capable of watching media programs ordered by the client terminal A for media content sharing purposes. In one embodiment, the client A is a dual communication set-top box for both downloading and uploading data. The client A has authorities to communicate with a digital TV broadcaster, such as an internet content provider, a cable line content provider or a digital Television Terrestrial broadcaster, and uploads media content to the digital TV broadcaster. In other words, the client A is a set-top box with both download/upload ability to communicate with the content provider. The client B is a one way communication set-top box, which only has authorities to download data from the content provider and receives commands from the content provider. The storage may be a hard disk drive, for example. 
     The broadcast server  1  is generally controlled and coordinated by an operating system, such as UNIX, Linux, Windows, Mac OS, an embedded operating, or any other compatible system. Alternatively, the broadcast server  1  may be controlled by a proprietary operating system. Typical operating systems control and schedule computer processes for execution, perform memory management, provide file system, networking, and I/O services, and provide a user interface, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), among other tasks. 
     The verification module  20  verifies the configuration information of the client A. The verification module  20  verifies whether the user code of client B is valid. In one embodiment, the user code is provided by the content provider, and is defined to be a unique identification code for each verified client terminal, such as an email address or an user name with password. If the web-addresses of media programs are provided by the client B, the verification module  20  further verifies whether the corresponding program can be downloaded through the address link. In one embodiment, the web-addresses of media programs are internet addresses which are accessible links of the media programs the content provider provided for authority terminal. The verification unit  20  also verifies whether the media program provided by the client A can be transformed into a data stream complying with a media format supported by the client B. In one embodiment, the media format is format supported by MPEG, RMVB, Real Player and DVIX formats. If above verifications are all passed, the verification module  20  sends a pass message to notify the client A. If one of above verifications is failed, the verification module  20  sends a failure message to notify the client A and deletes the corresponding configuration information. 
     The communication module  30  communicates with the client B to confirm a time schedule of the media program that is being broadcasted/transmitted. The communication module  30  informs the information of a corresponding media program to the client B. If the client agrees to receive the media program, the broadcast server  1  provides at least one available time period to the client B for downloading the media content. The client B choices a time period from the at least one time period provided by the broadcast server  1 . The broadcast server  1  transmits the media program to the client B at the chosen time period. 
     If the client disagrees to receive the media program or does not response to the confirmation request from the communication module  30 , the broadcast server  1  deletes the media program content. In one embodiment, the information of the media program includes producer information and introduction of the media program. 
     The processor  40  transforms the media program as a data stream complying with media format supported by the client B. The processor  40  further stores the data stream in the storage  60 . The processor  40  also determines whether the time period of transmitting the media program is reached. If the time period is reached, the transmitter  50  transmits the media program to the client B. 
     The transmitter  50  transmits the data stream of the media program to the client B, and sends a complete message to the client A when the transmission of the media program is completed. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a broadcast method for sharing media content of the present disclosure. In the block S 10 , the receiver  10  receives the configuration information of a media program from the client A. In one embodiment, the configuration information includes a user code and a media program list of the client A. The program list contains information about what media content is ordered by the client A, the web address of the ordered content or introduction of the media content. The user code of the client A or the client B is an identification code provided by the content provider. Specifically, the content provider provides an unique identification code to each verified client terminal, such as an email address or an user name with password. It is so called user code herein. The verification of the clients can be executed by sending the user code to the content provider through web page, phone confirmation or Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). 
     In the block S 12 , the verification module  20  verifies the configuration information of a media program from the client A. If the verification is passed, the S 14  step of the flow chart is executed. 
     In the block  14 , the communication module  30  communicates with the client B to confirm the transmission time period of the media program. If the client B confirms the transmission time period, the S 16  step of the flow chart is executed. 
     In the block S 16 , the processor  40  transforms the media program as a data stream complying with media format supported by the client B. The processor  40  further stores the data stream in the storage  60 . 
     In the block S 18 , the processor  40  determines whether the transmission time period is reached. If it&#39;s not reached, the process unit  40  re-executes the block S 18 . 
     In the block S 20 , the transmitter  50  transmits the data stream of the media program to the client B. 
     In the block S 22 , the transmitter  50  sends a complete message to the client A when the transmission of the data stream is completed. 
     Although certain inventive embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.