Method and apparatus for providing and using content advisory information on internet contents

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for providing and using content advisory (CA) information on Internet contents. A method of providing CA information by using a CA information server, includes receiving a request for the CA information on a content, from an Internet Protocol television (IPTV); searching for CA information on the content; and transmitting the found CA information to the IPTV. A method of using CA information when an IPTV reproduces a content not having the CA information, according to the present invention, includes transmitting a request for CA information, to a CA information server; receiving the CA information from the CA information server; analyzing the CA information; and applying the CA information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of providing content advisory (CA) information, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a CA information server, a request for CA information on a content, the request including an identification (ID) of the content, from an Internet Protocol television (IPTV);   searching for CA information on the content corresponding to the ID of the content by using the ID of the content based on the request, at the CA information server; and   transmitting the CA information on the content, which is found as a result of the searching, from the CA information server to the IPTV,   wherein the CA information server is independent from a server providing the content to the IPTV.   
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CA information server generates and stores, in advance, CA information on contents for which CA information is not found. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the searching for the CA information comprises searching for the CA information on the content corresponding to the ID by using the ID of the content. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CA information is described in an extensible markup language (XML) format. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CA information is utilized to perform a CA function in units of frames of content. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the content is selected by a user and the CA information on the content selected by the user is transmitted to the IPTV. 
     
     
       7. A method of using content advisory (CA) information when an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) reproduces a content not having CA information, the method comprising:
 transmitting a request for CA information of a content, the request including an ID of the content, from the IPTV to a CA information server;   receiving the CA information of the content corresponding to the ID of the content from the CA information server at the IPTV;   analyzing the CA information at the IPTV; and   applying the CA information to reproduction of the content at the IPTV,   wherein the CA information server is independent from a server providing the content to the IPTV.   
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising determining whether the content to be reproduced by the IPTV has the CA information. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising generating an identification (ID) of the content if it is determined that the content to be reproduced by the IPTV does not have the CA information. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the CA information is utilized to perform a CA function in units of frames of the content. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the CA information includes information on viewing age restrictions. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the CA information includes information for blocking reproduction of an image corresponding to a viewer phobia. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the CA information includes information for blocking reproduction of a partial region of a screen. 
     
     
       14. A content advisory (CA) information server comprising:
 a CA information storage unit which stores CA information;   a content identification (ID) analysis unit which analyzes an ID of a content requiring the CA information; and   a CA information search unit which searches the CA information storage unit in order to obtain the CA information of the content corresponding to the ID of the content, by using the ID of the content, in accordance with a request of an Internet Protocol television (IPTV),   wherein the CA information server is independent from a server providing the content to the IPTV.   
     
     
       15. The CA information server of  claim 14 , further comprising a CA rating standard unit which stores CA rating information. 
     
     
       16. The CA information server of  claim 14 , further comprising a CA information generation unit for generating the CA information on contents not having CA information. 
     
     
       17. A content advisory (CA) information management system comprising:
 a CA information server which provides CA information on a multimedia content corresponding to an identification (ID) of the multimedia content, the multimedia content being provided via the Internet; and   an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) which controls reproduction of the multimedia contents by using the CA information wherein the CA information server is independent from a server providing the content to the IPTV.   
     
     
       18. An Internet Protocol television (IPTV) comprising:
 a content ID generation unit which generates an identification (ID) for identifying a content;   a CA information analysis unit which parses the CA information on the content; and   a CA information application unit which performs a CA function by referring to a result of the parsing by the CA information analysis unit,   wherein the IPTV obtains the CA information corresponding to the ID of the content from a CA information server, by using the ID of the content wherein the CA information server is independent from a server providing the content to the IPTV.   
     
     
       19. A computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing a method of providing content advisory (CA) information, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a CA information server, a request for CA information on a content, the request including an identification (ID) of the content, from an Internet Protocol television (IPTV);   searching for CA information on the content corresponding to the ID of the content by using the ID of the content based on the request, at the CA information server; and   transmitting the CA information on the content, which is found a result of the searching, from the CA information server to the IPTV,   wherein the CA information server is independent from a server providing the content to the IPTV.   
     
     
       20. A computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing a method of using content advisory (CA) information when an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) reproduces a content not having the CA information, the method comprising:
 transmitting a request for CA information of a content, the request including an ID of the content, from the IPTV to a CA information server;   receiving the CA information of the content corresponding to the ID of the content from the CA information server at the IPTV;   analyzing the CA information at the IPTV; and   applying the CA information to reproduction of the content at the IPTV,   wherein the CA information server is independent from a server providing the content to the IPTV.   
     
     
       21. A method of providing content advisory (CA) information of a content to a client device, by a server, the method comprising:
 receiving, from the client device, a request for the CA information on a content, the request including an identification (ID) of the content;   identifying the CA information including restricted object information indicating an object in which the playback by the client device is restricted, temporal information indicating at least one temporal part of the content in which the object is represented and spatial information indicating a location of a restricted region on an image corresponding to the temporal information, among a plurality of images included in the content, by using the ID of the content based on the request; and   causing, by the server, restriction of the playback of the restricted region at the client device based on the restricted object information, the temporal information, and the spatial information, by transmitting the CA information on the content to the client device,   wherein another region on the image except the restricted region is reproduced in the client device based on the CA information.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 21, wherein the CA information comprises viewing restriction information in units of frames of content. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 21, wherein the CA information is generated at the server based on viewing pattern of a user of the client device for at least one content. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 21, wherein the CA information is described in an extensible markup language (XML) format. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 21, further comprising in response to the CA information regarding the content being not found, generating and storing the CA information on the content. 
     
     
       26. A method of providing content advisory (CA) information of a content by a client device, the method comprising:
 transmitting, to a server, a request for the CA information on a content, the request including an identification (ID) of the content;   based on the CA information on the content corresponding to the ID of the content being obtained at the server, receiving the CA information on the content, from the server, the CA information including restricted object information indicating an object in which playback is restricted, temporal information indicating at least one temporal part of the content in which the object is represented and spatial information indicating a location of a restricted region on an image corresponding to the temporal information, among a plurality of images included in the content; and   reproducing another region on the image except the restricted region, based on the CA information.   
     
     
       27. The method of claim 26, wherein the CA information comprises viewing restriction information in units of frames of content. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 26, wherein the CA information is generated at the server based on viewing pattern of a user of the client device for at least one content. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 26, wherein the CA information is described in an extensible markup language (XML) format. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 26, in response to the CA information on the content being not found at the server, the CA information is generated at the server. 
     
     
       31. A server of providing content advisory (CA) information of a content to a client device, the server comprising:
 a storage configured to store CA information;   communication interface; and   at least one computer hardware processor configured to:
 control the communication interface to receive, from the client device, a request for the CA information on a content, the request including an identification (ID) of the content, 
 identify the CA information including restricted object information indicating an object in which the playback by the client device is restricted, temporal information indicating at least one temporal part of the content in which the object is represented and spatial information indicating a location of a restricted region on an image corresponding to the temporal information, among a plurality of images included in the content, by using the ID of the content based on the request, and 
 cause restriction of the playback of the restricted region at the client device based on the restricted object information, the temporal information, and the spatial information, by transmitting the CA information on the content to the client device, 
   wherein another region on the image except the restricted region is reproduced in the client device based on the CA information.   
     
     
       32. The server of claim 31, wherein the CA information comprises viewing restriction information in units of frames of content. 
     
     
       33. The server of claim 31, wherein the CA information is generated at the server based on viewing pattern of a user of the client device for at least one content. 
     
     
       34. The server of claim 31, wherein the CA information is described in an extensible markup language (XML) format. 
     
     
       35. The server of claim 31, wherein in response to the CA information regarding the content being not found, the at least one computer hardware processor is configured to generate and store the CA information on the content. 
     
     
       36. A client device of providing content advisory (CA) information of a content, the client device comprising:
 a storage configured to store CA information;   communication interface; and   at least one computer hardware processor configured to control the communication interface to:
 transmit, to a server, a request for the CA information on a content, the request including an identification (ID) of the content, 
 based on the CA information on the content corresponding to the ID of the content being obtained at the server, receive the CA information on the content, from the server, the CA information including restricted object information indicating an object in which playback is restricted, temporal information indicating at least one temporal part of the content in which the object is represented and spatial information indicating a location of a restricted region on an image corresponding to the temporal information, among a plurality of images included in the content, and 
 reproduce another region on the image except the restricted region, based on the CA information. 
   
     
     
       37. The client device of claim 36, wherein the CA information comprises viewing restriction information in units of frames of content. 
     
     
       38. The client device of claim 36, wherein the CA information is generated at the server based on viewing pattern of a user of the client device for at least one content. 
     
     
       39. The client device of claim 36, wherein the CA information is described in an extensible markup language (XML) format. 
     
     
       40. The client device of claim 36, in response to the CA information on the content being not found at the server, the CA information is generated at the server.