WO2017073810A1

WO2017073810A1 - Method, system, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for managing set-top box of digital signage

Info

Publication number: WO2017073810A1
Application number: PCT/KR2015/011490
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김정호; 안종철
Original assignee: 주식회사 노크
Priority date: 2015-10-29
Filing date: 2015-10-29
Publication date: 2017-05-04

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for managing a set-top box of a digital signage is provided, the method comprising the steps of: collecting account information of a user logged into a management system (200); providing, to a user terminal device (300), information on a plurality of physical set-top boxes (410) assigned to the user account information; by receiving the information on the plurality of physical set-top boxes (410), generating, on the user terminal device, a plurality of virtual set-top boxes (420) that are one-to-one matched with each of the plurality of physical set-top boxes (410); generating a virtual device (430) by executing, on the user terminal device (300), a first grouping of the plurality of virtual set-top boxes (420); receiving a control command for the virtual device (430) on the user terminal device (300); transmitting information on the first grouping and information on the control command for the virtual device (430) to the management system (200); and by means of the control command outputted from the management system (200), controlling the plurality of physical set-top boxes (410) which are a part of the virtual device (430) generated by the first grouping.

Description

Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable recording media for managing set-top boxes of digital signage

The present invention relates to a method, a system for managing a set-top box of a digital signage, and a non-transitory computer readable recording medium, and more particularly, to a method, a system for grouping and controlling a set-top box of a plurality of digital signage, and A non-transitory computer readable recording medium.

In recent years, forms of content providing media have been diversified and content providing methods have been automated. For example, in the case of outdoor advertising, a modern method of providing advertising content through flexible media such as LED display boards or LCD TVs is different from the traditional method of providing advertising content through fixed printing media such as paper or film. It is introduced.

So-called digital signage is a communication tool that advertisers can use in marketing, advertising, training, etc. and induce a customer experience, and is intended by advertisers as well as broadcast content that is common in public places such as airports, hotels, and hospitals. It refers to a digital video device that provides a piece of advertising content, also known as a digital signage, Digital Information Display (DID). Not only is it equipped with a processor and memory, it is free to move and express various contents clearly, and it is used for various purposes such as promotion, customer service, and guide media in department stores, subways, and bus stops. In addition, not only advertisement content is provided through digital signage, but various kinds of contents having a different purpose than advertisement are provided.

However, since the digital signage has a wide range of installation, there is a problem that it takes a lot of time and effort to manage the digital signage (or set-top box for digital signage) that is physically dispersed in a wide range. .

In particular, even when there is a need to control a plurality of digital signages equally, it is cumbersome and inefficient to input a plurality of circuits of the same control command to a physical set-top box connected to individual digital signages.

On the other hand, the multi-person era is coming. The era of instant or asynchronous control of devices that exist apart from each other, as well as devices such as PCs, mobile phones, tablets, notebooks, and smart watches that are directly controlled by individuals in real time, is coming. It is inconvenient to manage the devices for manipulating devices that exist in this space apart in the existing device operation method of direct real-time control. The present invention does not limit the control target device to a digital signage as a conventional traditional outdoor billboard, and the set top box controlled according to the present invention is applicable to various devices employing a display such as a clock, a car, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a boiler, and an air conditioner. Can be.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

More specifically, the present invention provides a multi-layered grouping method for collectively controlling virtual set-top boxes, which are matched one-to-one, with each of a plurality of physical set top boxes having mutually distinct identification information. The purpose.

First, let's start with the definition of the term.

The term physical set-top box used in the specification of the present invention means a hardware terminal that exists in reality.

The term virtual set-top box refers to a virtual logical set-top box formed on a server (cloud) by matching one-to-one with a physical set-top box. Virtual set-top boxes actually exist as data on the server.

The term virtual device is a virtual logical device formed on a server (cloud), and refers to a collection of information such as terminal configuration, terminal setting, application setting, and content setting of an application. A plurality of (N) virtual set-top boxes may be matched with one virtual device.

The term virtual device group refers to a group of virtual devices that is arbitrarily designated as needed.

Representative configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, collecting the account information of the user logged into the management system 200, and the user terminal device 300 information on a plurality of physical set-top box 410 allocated to the user account information And generating a plurality of virtual set-top boxes 420 matched one-to-one to each of the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 by receiving the information on the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410. Generating a virtual device 430 by performing a first grouping of the plurality of virtual set-top boxes 420 in the user terminal device 300, and in the virtual device 430 in the user terminal device 300. Receiving a control command for the control, the information about the first grouping and information about the control command for the virtual device 430 is transmitted to the management system 200, and the management system 200 Controlling a plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 belonging to the virtual device 430 generated by the first grouping by a control command outputted from the set-top box of the digital signage. A method of management is provided.

In the method for managing the set-top box of the digital signage according to the present invention as described above, the plurality of physical set-top box (410) in the step of providing information of the plurality of physical set-top box 410 assigned to the user account information ( It is possible to provide the collected information about the state of the 410 and the hardware attribute information of the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410.

In addition, in the method for managing a set-top box of digital signage according to the present invention, in the virtual device generation step, only the physical set-top boxes 410 having the same hardware attribute information may be stored in one virtual device 430. In the step of receiving a control command for the virtual device 430, which is controlled to belong, it is preferable that the status information of the physical set-top box 410 belonging to the virtual device 430 is implemented to be displayed to the user.

The management system 200, which is a physical component used in the method according to the present invention, is implemented to maintain control command information for the virtual device 430, and a user logged in with other user account information through the management system 200. The control command information may be transmitted to the user terminal device 300 of FIG. As a result, the control command information is equally applicable to the virtual device 430 generated by the user terminal device 300 of another user.

Another feature of the method for managing a set-top box of digital signage according to the present invention is to perform a second grouping on the virtual device 430 generated by the first grouping. 440 may be additionally included. In this case, receiving a control command for a common controllable area in the plurality of virtual devices 430 belonging to the virtual device group 440 generated by the second grouping may be additionally included.

The invention may also be embodied in the form of a non-transitory computer readable recording medium for recording a computer program for executing the above-described method.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the management system 200 and the communication network 100 to collect the account information of the user, and provides information on a plurality of physical set-top box 410 assigned to the user account information Receives the information on the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 through, generates a virtual set-top box 420 matched to the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 one-to-one, and displays them to the user, the first grouping by the user Provided by the system for creating a virtual device 430 according to the execution result, and manages the set-top box of the digital signage (Digital Signage) including the user terminal device 300 for receiving a control command for the virtual device 430 do.

In such a system, information about the first grouping and information about a control command for the virtual device 430 are transmitted from the user terminal device 300 to the management system 200 through the communication network 100. The management system 200 executes the control command on a plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 belonging to the virtual device 430 generated by the first grouping.

* In the system for managing the set-top box of the digital signage (Digital Signage) according to the present invention, the management system 200 when providing the plurality of physical set-top box 410 information to the user terminal device 300 Preferably, the collected information regarding the state of the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 and hardware attribute information of the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 are provided.

In addition, in the system according to the present invention, the user terminal device 300 is controlled such that only physical set-top boxes 410 having the same hardware attribute information belong to one virtual device 430 when the virtual device is generated. Upon receiving a control command for the virtual device 430, the control unit may control to display state information of the physical set-top box belonging to the virtual device 430 to the user.

The management system 200, which is one component of a system for managing a set-top box of digital signage according to the present invention, maintains control command information for the virtual device 430, and other user account information. The control command information for the virtual device 430 may be transmitted to the user terminal device 300 of the user who has logged in as. In this case, the user terminal device 300 of the user logged in with the account information of the other user may apply the control command information received from the management system 200 to the virtual device 430 generated therein.

Another feature of the system for managing a set-top box of digital signage according to the present invention is a second for the virtual device 430 generated by the first grouping in the user terminal device 300. The grouping may be performed to create a virtual device group 440. In this case, the user terminal device 300 may be configured to receive a control command for a common controllable area in the virtual devices 430 generated by the second grouping.

According to the present invention, each of a plurality of physical set top boxes having mutually distinct identification information is matched with a virtual set top box, a first grouping thereof is performed to generate a virtual device, and a user inputs Receive control commands for individual virtual devices. In addition, by performing this, a plurality of physical set-top boxes can be group controlled.

Therefore, the effect of effectively controlling digital signage (or set-top boxes for digital signage) that are present in physically dispersed spaces and having the same hardware attributes is achieved.

Meanwhile, according to the present invention, a virtual device group may be created by additionally performing the second grouping, thereby enabling the integrated management and control of virtual devices having various hardware attributes physically present in one space.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an entire system for managing a set-top box of a digital signage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a diagram showing in detail the internal configuration of the management system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a virtual device by first grouping a plurality of virtual set-top boxes matched one-to-one to a plurality of physical set-top boxes according to an embodiment of the present invention, and grouping the generated virtual devices by second grouping to form a virtual device group. It is a figure which shows the concept to generate | occur | produce.

4 is a diagram illustrating an application for controlling a first grouped virtual device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

100: network

200: management system

210: information collector

220: set-top box management unit

230: communication unit

240: control unit

300: user terminal device

400: digital signage

410: physical set-top box

420: virtual set-top box

430: virtual device

440: virtual device group

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented with changes from one embodiment to another without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, it is to be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention should be taken as encompassing the scope of the claims of the claims and all equivalents thereto. Like reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or similar elements throughout the several aspects.

Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention.

Configuration of the entire system

As used herein, the term "digital signage" is connected to a set-top box, the set-top box is connected to a management system that can be configured as a cloud server, such as a digital device that can output a controlled screen to the user comprehensively It should be understood as a concept of designation. For example, screens are mounted on products such as TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, automobiles, boilers, air conditioners, and the like, which are connected to management systems such as set-top boxes and cloud servers, and are the same or similar to the traditional digital signage described in the background section. Various kinds of devices that can be operated in a technical manner may be included in the scope of the digital signage covered in the present specification.

As shown in FIG. 1, the entire system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a communication network 100, a management system 200, a user terminal device 300, and a digital signage 400. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the digital signage 400 may include a physical set top box 410.

First, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the communication network 100 may be configured regardless of a communication mode such as wired communication or wireless communication, and may include a local area network (LAN) and a metropolitan area network (MAN; Metropolitan). It may be configured with various communication networks such as an area network (WAN), a wide area network (WAN). Preferably, the communication network 100 as used herein may be a known Internet or World Wide Web (WWW). However, the communication network 100 may include, at least in part, a known wired / wireless data communication network, a known telephone network, or a known wired / wireless television communication network without being limited thereto.

Next, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the management system 200 may collect the user's account information, the physical set-top box 410 of the plurality of digital signage 400 assigned to the user account information Maintain and update information about The meaning that the physical set-top box 410 of the digital signage 400 is allocated to the user account information will be described below.

Assuming a plurality of users, for example, control authorization for the first, second and third physical set-top boxes 410 may be set in advance for user 1 and the fourth, fifth and sixth physical set-top boxes for user 2. Control authorization for 410 may be preset. The management system 200 may perform a function of maintaining and updating such information. Thus, for example, when user 1 logs in with unique account information, the user 1 recognizes that control rights for physical set-

top boxes

1, 2, and 3 are granted to user 1, and can perform subsequent actions.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, such subsequent measures include the management system 200 providing the user terminal device 300 with information on the physical set-top box 410 of the allocated plurality of digital signage 400. do. In addition, the management system 200 receives and maintains the following information according to a user's operation in the user terminal device 300 from the user terminal device 300.

First, a first grouping operation is performed on a plurality of virtual set-top boxes 420 that are matched one-to-one with a physical set-top box 410 according to a user manipulation of the user terminal device 300, so that the virtual device 430 may receive information. Can be generated. As used herein, “first grouping” refers to a plurality of virtual set-top boxes 420 to create a single virtual device 43.

The plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 finally matched to these virtual devices 43 are selected to have the same hardware attributes. There are various types of hardware that can be utilized as the digital signage 400. For example, based on the presence or absence of a touch screen function, a digital kiosk having a screen having a touch input function and a screen having a screen output function without a touch input function (including multivision) have different hardware properties. Have However, device settings to be applied according to various hardware attributes, types of applications executed in each device, and types of contents executed in respective applications may vary.

As such, it is a characteristic part of the present invention to consider hardware attributes in the grouping operation of digital signage. Prior art digital signage operating methods do not consider hardware attributes. In the related art, digital signage is implemented only in software without considering hardware on the premise that it is executed on a PC. For this reason, in the digital signage operation of the prior art, the function was limited in terms of hardware control.

In the era of full-fledged introduction of IoT technology, devices with various hardware attributes are being used as smart devices. In order to use these devices as terminals of digital signage, hardware attributes must be considered and hardware functions as well as software functions must be considered.

Incidentally, the hardware functions that can be used for various hardware are all different, and the software functions for each hardware are also different. It is a prior art to create and control various hardware (general display, touch kiosk, multi-vision, large screen, boiler, CCTV, air conditioner, refrigerator, etc.) as a virtual device and configure the functions according to the characteristics of each hardware on the virtual device. It is the structure peculiar to this invention which did not exist.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the physical set-top box 410 having the same hardware property belongs to the virtual device 430 generated by the first grouping setting, the control settings for the virtual device 430 belong to all of them. There is no problem in being applied to and executed in the physical set-top box 410.

For example, in the virtual device 430 created under the name "Starbucks UK" shown in FIG. 4, all physical set-top boxes 410 connected to a screen having only a screen output function without a touch input function are attributable to the same device configuration. The same application setting and the same content setting can be executed. If different types of control are required in the single virtual device 430, that is, hardware of different attributes belongs, the same device setting, the same application setting, and the same content setting may not be applied.

As such, the first grouping operation is performed on the physical set top boxes 410 having the same hardware property, the result is maintained, and the same is performed on the physical set top boxes 410 belonging to the single virtual device 430. Implementing control is one of the unique features of the present invention.

Meanwhile, according to the present invention, a second grouping operation is defined. As described above, as described above, the virtual device group 440 in which the virtual devices 430 which are higher units of the physical set-top boxes 410 having the same hardware property are bundled may be generated.

The virtual device group 440 generated by the second grouping operation is provided by the necessity of applying physical set-top boxes 410 having different kinds of hardware attributes to a single place. For example, a screen with only a screen output function without a touch input function is used as a digital signage 400 together with a digital kiosk equipped with a screen with a touch input function. In this case, in order to control or monitor a plurality of types of digital signage 400 based on a place called a theater ticket office, it may be useful to use the virtual device group 440 grouping the plurality of virtual devices 430. .

By utilizing the virtual device group 440 generated by the second grouping operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, the physical set-top box 410 having various kinds of hardware attributes in one place and the digital signage 400 connected thereto are provided. Even when the) is used, it is possible to conveniently monitor the real-time state, and the unique effect of conveniently performing various controls is achieved.

Meanwhile, the management system 200 may provide control command input information for the virtual device 430 generated by grouping the plurality of virtual set-top boxes 420 in which the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 are matched one-to-one. Maintain and receive from 300 to control the physical set-top box (410).

The configuration and function of the management system 200 according to the present invention will be described in more detail through the following detailed description. Meanwhile, the management system 200 has been described as above, but this description is exemplary, and at least some of the functions or components required for the management system 200 are required by the user terminal device 300 or the digital signage. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that they may be implemented within 400 or included within user terminal device 300 or digital signage 400.

Next, the user terminal device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a digital device that includes a function to enable the user to communicate after connecting to the management system 200 or the digital signage 400, smart The user terminal device 300 according to the present invention may be any digital device having a computing capability by mounting a microprocessor such as a phone, a tablet, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a workstation, a PDA, a web pad, a mobile phone, and the like. May be adopted as

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the user terminal device 300 includes an application for supporting a user to log in to the management system 200 to use the physical set-top box 410 of the digital signage 400. can do. Such an application may be downloaded from the management system 200 or a known web server (not shown). On the other hand, the nature of the program module may be generally similar to the information collection unit 210, set-top box management unit 220, communication unit 230 and the control unit 240 of the management system 200 to be described later. Here, the application may be replaced with a hardware device or a firmware device, at least a part of which may perform a function substantially the same or equivalent thereto. The configuration and function of the user terminal device 300 will be described in more detail through the following detailed description.

Next, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the digital signage 400 is located in the vicinity of the digital signage 400 the application or content provided from the management system 200 and / or the user terminal device 300. You can perform the functions you provide to people.

Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the digital signage 400 performs a function of communicating with the management system 200 or the user terminal device 300 and controlling an application or content to be provided to people. It may include a physical set-top box 410 that is a physical component. In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the digital signage 400 may further include display means such as an LCD panel, an OLED panel, and a speaker for sound output.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the digital signage 400 may be installed in public places such as department stores, subways, bus stations, airports, hotels, theater ticket offices, hospitals, etc. It should be noted that the place where the digital signage 400 is installed in accordance with the present invention is not necessarily limited to those listed above.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a process of using the digital signage 400 by the user is briefly described as follows.

First, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a user may register his or her user account through a platform such as an application or a website provided by the management system 200. Next, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a user may log in to the management system 200 with his or her user account through the user terminal device 300. Then, the management system 200 includes information on the physical set-top box 410 (including hardware attribute information and current state information of each physical set-top box 410) assigned to the logged-in user account information. In addition, the user terminal device 300 generates a virtual set-top box 420 that is matched one-to-one with the physical set-top box 410 by using the provided physical set-top box 410 information.

The user may perform the first grouping operation by using a graphic configuration in consideration of user convenience on the user terminal device 300. The result is a virtual device 430 that is a collection of physical set top boxes 410 with the same hardware attributes.

The virtual set-top box 420 in which the physical set-top box 410 is matched one-to-one is a color distinguished by hardware attributes of the physical set-top box 410 and the digital signage 400 connected thereto when displayed on the user terminal device 300. Or in form. Accordingly, the user can easily determine the physical set-top box 410 having the same hardware property when the virtual device 430 is generated by the first grouping operation. Alternatively, the user designates that the virtual set-top box 420 matched to the physical set-top box 410 having different kinds of hardware attributes during the first grouping operation in the user terminal device 300 belongs to a single virtual device 430. In this case, the user terminal device 300 may be executed to output a warning message for notifying the user that such designation is impossible or undesirable.

When the virtual device 430 is generated as a set of physical set-top boxes 410 having the same hardware attributes as described above, a user inputs a control command for the virtual device 430 generated using the user terminal device 300. can do. These control commands include device setting commands such as when to turn the screen on and off, setting commands for what application to run when the screen is turned on, and setting commands for what content to execute in each application.

In addition, the user may set the virtual device group 440 that is the upper group of the virtual device 430 through the second grouping operation by using the user terminal device 300.

As described above, the virtual device group 440 may belong to the virtual device 430 having different kinds of hardware attributes. The virtual device group 440 is preferably created to manage and control the digital signage 400 having a plurality of kinds of hardware attributes installed in one place in a group. Even if a plurality of virtual devices 430 belong to one virtual device group 440, the control commands for the digital signage 400 and the physical set-top box 410 connected thereto are basically set based on a single hardware property. In general, the virtual device 430 may be performed in a unit of the virtual device 430, but the command that is commonly controllable among the plurality of virtual devices 430 belonging to one virtual device group 440 may be a virtual device group 440. It may be configured to be made in units). For example, even when the setting of the application driven by each virtual device 430 and the setting of the content driven by each application should be made, the on-off time setting of the digital signage 400 may be commonly applied to hardware of other attributes. Therefore, the configuration may be made to be controllable in units of the virtual device group 440. In addition, when the virtual device group 440 set by the second grouping operation is utilized, the current state information of the digital signage 400 having different hardware attributes installed in one place may be monitored on one screen. In terms of convenience of maintenance, a superior effect is provided compared to the prior art.

As described above, the command for designating the virtual device 430 and the virtual device group 440 and the control command for each virtual device 430 and the virtual device group 440 are transmitted to the management system 200 in real time or with time difference. Can be maintained.

The virtual device 430 and the virtual device group 440 designation command and the control command for each virtual device 430 and the virtual device group 440 are executed by the management system 200 to perform the physical set-top box 410 and The digital signage 400 connected thereto is controlled in groups according to the intention of the user.

Configuration of Management System

Hereinafter, the internal configuration of the management system 200 according to the present invention and the function of each component will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the management system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an information collecting unit 210, a set-top box managing unit 220, a communication unit 230, and a control unit 240. Can be. According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least some of the information collection unit 210, the set-top box management unit 220, the communication unit 230, and the control unit 240 may be a user terminal device 300 or a digital signage 400. May be a program module in communication with). Such program modules may be included in the management system 200 in the form of operating systems, application modules or other program modules, and may be physically stored in various known storage devices. In addition, such program modules may be stored in a remote storage device that can communicate with the management system 200. On the other hand, such program modules include, but are not limited to, routines, subroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or execute particular abstract data types, described below, in accordance with the present invention.

First, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the information collecting unit 210 may collect user account information from the user terminal device 300. The account information of the user may include an identifier (eg, ID) for uniquely identifying the user. This is the case when the login is made from the user terminal device 300. If the login is performed from any other device other than the user terminal device 300, for example, the physical set top box 410, the information collecting unit 210 may collect user account information from the physical set top box 410.

In addition, the information collecting unit 210 for the virtual device 430 and the virtual device group 440 designation command from the user terminal device 300 and the control command for each virtual device 430 and virtual device group 440 Information can be collected.

The information collecting unit 210 may also collect information from the physical set-top box 410 side, these are identification information of the physical set-top box 410, hardware attribute information, usage status and usage history of the physical set-top box 410 Information regarding the terminal, and the like.

Here, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the identification information of the physical set-top box 410 is stored in a unique key (eg, MAC address) of at least one network adapter provided in the physical set-top box 410. Can be set based on this. For example, the physical set-top box 410 is based on at least one of the MAC address of the Wi-Fi adapter of the physical set-top box 410, the MAC address of the Ethernet adapter, and the MAC address of the Bluetooth adapter. Identification information may be set.

Next, the set-top box management unit 220 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the user-specified command of the virtual device 430 and the virtual device group 440, and each of the virtual devices 430 and the virtual device group 440. According to a control command for the control to perform the function of performing a direct control on the physical set-top box 410, the communication unit 230 may perform a function to enable the transmission and reception of data to and from the management system 200. have.

Finally, the control unit 240 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of controlling the flow of data between the information collecting unit 210, the set-top box management unit 220 and the communication unit 230. That is, the controller 240 according to the present invention controls the data flow from / to the outside of the management system 200 or the data flow between each component of the management system 200, thereby collecting the information collecting unit 210 and the set-top box. The management unit 220 and the communication unit 230 may control to perform a unique function, respectively.

Configuration of User Terminal Device

An application for grouping the user terminal device 300 may be executed, for example, as shown in FIG. 3.

When the user logs in to the management system 200, information about the physical set-top box 410 assigned to the corresponding user account information, that is, the control right is provided, is provided to the user terminal device 300. Then, the user terminal device 300 may graphically display the virtual set-top box 420 matching one-to-one with the physical set-top box 410 based on the information and display the same to the user. 3 is an example thereof.

In FIG. 3, identification information 1 to 7 (actual identification information may be set based on a unique key of a network adapter, as described separately in the present specification. However, in the embodiment of FIG. (Simplified representation) of the virtual set-top box 420 that is matched one-to-one with the physical set-top box 410 assigned to the specific user account information is displayed to the user in a list form. It is to be understood that the manner in which it is displayed may be implemented in any other way than shown in FIG. 3. According to the display of the virtual set-top box 420, which may be performed in various ways, the user may execute the first grouping operation on them through the grouping command provided by the application.

3 illustrates the virtual set top boxes 420 of the first, second and third physical set top boxes 410 as the first virtual device 430, and the virtual devices of the fourth physical set top box 410 as the second virtual device. In operation 430, the virtual set-top boxes 420 of the fifth, sixth, and seventh physical set-top boxes 410 are grouped into a third virtual device 430.

These grouping commands can be executed through an appropriate graphical user interface (GUI). For example, when the user terminal device 300 is a smart phone having a touch screen, when the virtual set-top boxes 420 of the first, second, and third physical set-top boxes 410 are touched, they are issued by a group designation command. It is set as the first virtual device 430. When the group designation command is issued after touching the virtual device of the fourth physical set-top box 410, the first virtual device 430 is already set, and thus, the first virtual device 430 is set to the second virtual device 430 which is a sequential number. . Similarly, when the virtual set-top boxes 420 of the fifth, sixth, and seventh physical set-top boxes 410 are touched and a group designation command is issued, the third virtual device 430 is set. As described above, the first grouping is performed so that the physical set top boxes 410 belonging to the same virtual device 430 have the same hardware attributes.

The second grouping as described above can also be performed in the same way. After the virtual device 430 is configured through the first grouping, the virtual devices 430 are grouped into a single virtual device group 440, regardless of hardware attributes, and have different hardware attributes. 430 may be grouped into one virtual device group 440. Since the second grouping is performed for convenience of management and control, the second grouping is preferably set to a combination of virtual devices 430 that can cover hardware of various attributes installed in a single place, but is not limited thereto. It is to be understood that any combination of virtual devices 430 intended by the user is possible for convenience of management, control and control.

Each virtual device 430 that is a result of the first grouping may be controlled through an application of the user terminal device 300. 4 shows an example of execution of a control application.

4 shows an application for controlling a set of virtual set-top boxes 420 of a plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 grouped under the name "Starbucks UK". In the control screen of FIG. 4, through the "Set-top Box" menu, it is possible to check the information of all the physical set-top boxes 410 currently assigned to the group. More specifically, information on the physical set-top box 410 of which identification information located where the group is designated, the usage status, information on the usage history, and the like can be checked. Through the "Setting" menu, it is possible to input various control commands for the digital signage 400 such as screen adjustment and volume adjustment. Through the "Application" menu, it is possible to set which application to run on the digital signage 400 or which content of each application to run. Through the "Schedule" menu, it is possible to set an application running schedule and a content execution schedule.

In the center right side of FIG. 4, 3 is displayed as the number of physical set-top boxes 410 belonging to the currently set virtual device 430, and 2 is displayed as the number of activated physical set-top boxes 410, and is deactivated. 1 is displayed as the number of physical set-top boxes 410. As such, all of the physical set-top boxes 410 configured to belong to the same group need not be activated, and the user activates the individual physical set-top boxes 410 on the control screen for each virtual device 430. You can specify deactivation. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, activation and deactivation of individual physical set-top boxes 410 may be set through a “Set-top Box” menu.

Meanwhile, the "edit" and "delete" menus are shown in the lower center of FIG. The user may modify, edit, and save control commands for each virtual device 430 through the "edit" menu, and release the virtual device 430 through the "delete" menu, and the above-described first grouping operation and virtual The control command for the device 430 may be input again from the beginning.

It should be understood in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 4 that the information about the control command for the virtual device 430 is shareable with other users.

The setting of the control command for the digital signage 400 is performed for the purpose of maximizing the installation effect (for example, advertisement or information provision, etc.) of the digital signage 400, but the effect may vary depending on the setting method. It is in an area where its own know-how is reflected. Therefore, when it is determined that a control command set by a user among a plurality of users who can access the management system 200 of the digital signage 400 is effective, the virtual device configured with the physical set-top boxes 410 having the same hardware attributes ( The need for executing the same control command may also be raised for other users using 430.

In such a case, for example, if user A allows sharing of the setting information about the virtual device 430 to the users B and C, the user A's virtual device 430 setting information maintained in the management system 200 is stored in the user B. And C may be downloaded to their own user terminal device 300 and may be applied to the virtual devices 430 generated by the grouping designation method described above in the user terminal devices of users B and C. FIG.

For example, when the control command setting information of the "Starbucks UK" which is the virtual device 430 shown in FIG. 4 is set to be shared, the management system controls the control command of "Starbucks UK" to the user terminal device 300 of another user who is allowed to share. The setting information is transmitted, and the control command setting information may be applied to the "Starbucks KR" which is a virtual device 430 created by another user who is allowed to share.

4 is merely one example of the virtual device 430 control command input, and the grouping control command input may be executed in any other way than the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and the digital signage ( It should be understood that any control execution related to the drive of 400 is possible.

Embodiments according to the present invention described above can be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer components and recorded in a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. Program instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magneto-optical media such as floptical disks. medium) and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device may be modified with one or more software modules to perform the processing according to the present invention, and vice versa.

Although the present invention has been described by specific matters such as specific components and limited embodiments and drawings, it is provided only to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes from this description.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and the scope of the spirit of the present invention is defined not only in the claims below, but also in the ranges equivalent to or equivalent to the claims. Will belong to.

Claims

As a method of managing a set-top box of digital signage,

Collecting account information of a user logged into the management system 200;

Providing the user terminal device 300 with information on a plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 allocated to the user account information;

Generating a plurality of virtual set-top boxes 420 matched one-to-one to each of the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 by receiving the plurality of physical set-top box 410 information;

Generating a virtual device 430 by performing a first grouping on the plurality of virtual set-top boxes 420 in the user terminal device 300;

Receiving a control command for the virtual device 430 in a user terminal device 300;

Transmitting information on the first grouping and information on a control command for the virtual device 430 to the management system 200;

And controlling a plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 belonging to the virtual device 430 generated by the first grouping by a control command output from the management system 200. How to manage your set-top box.
The method of claim 1,

Collected information about the state of the plurality of physical set-top box 410 and the hardware attributes of the plurality of physical set-top box 410 in the step of providing information of the plurality of physical set-top box 410 allocated to the user account information A method of managing informational set-top boxes of digital signage.
The method of claim 2,

In the virtual device generation step, only physical set-top boxes (410) having the same hardware attribute information are controlled to belong to one virtual device (430), the method of managing a set-top box of digital signage (Digital Signage).
The method of claim 3,

In the step of receiving a control command for the virtual device 430 to manage the set-top box of the digital signage (Digital Signage), which displays the status information of the physical set-top box 410 belonging to the virtual device 430 to the user Way.
The method of claim 4, wherein

Control command information for the virtual device 430 is maintained in the management system 200,

The set top of the digital signage, which is delivered to the user terminal device 300 of the user logged in with other user account information through the management system 200, and is equally applicable to the virtual device 430 generated therein. How to manage the box.
The method of claim 5,

The method may further include generating a virtual device group 440 by performing a second grouping on the virtual device 430 generated by the first grouping. .
The method of claim 6,

Digital signage further comprising the step of receiving a control command for a common controllable area in the plurality of virtual devices 430 belonging to the virtual device group 440 generated by the second grouping. To manage your set-top box.
A non-transitory computer readable recording medium for recording a computer program for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
As a system to manage set-top boxes of digital signage,

A management system 200 for collecting account information of a user and providing information on a plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 allocated to the user account information;

Receiving the information on the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 through the communication network 100, generates a virtual set-top box 420 matched to the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 one-to-one, and displays this to the user, the user And a user terminal device 300 for generating the virtual device 430 according to the first grouping execution result and receiving a control command for the virtual device 430.

Information about the first grouping and information about a control command for the virtual device 430 is transmitted from the user terminal device 300 to the management system 200 through the communication network 100.

The management system 200 executes the control command for a plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 belonging to the virtual device 430 generated by the first grouping, the set-top box of digital signage. System to manage them.
The method of claim 9,

The management system 200 collects information on the state of the plurality of physical set-top boxes 410 and the plurality of physical sets when providing the plurality of physical set-top box 410 information to the user terminal device 300. A system for managing a set-top box of digital signage, which provides hardware attribute information of the set-top box 410.
The method of claim 10,

The user terminal device 300 is controlled so that only physical set-top boxes 410 having the same hardware attribute information belong to one virtual device 430 when the virtual device is generated, the set-top of digital signage. System to manage boxes.
The method of claim 11,

When the user terminal device 300 receives the control command for the virtual device 430, the user terminal device 300 displays the state information of the physical set-top box belonging to the virtual device 430 to the user, the set-top box of digital signage System to manage them.
The method of claim 12,

The management system 200 maintains control command information for the virtual device 430, and transmits control command information for the virtual device 430 to the user terminal device 300 of a user logged in with other user account information. Convey,

The user terminal device 300 of the user logged in with the account information of the other user may apply the control command information received from the management system 200 to the virtual device 430 generated therein, digital signage (Digital) System to manage set-top boxes.
The method of claim 13,

In the user terminal device 300, a second grouping of the virtual devices 430 generated by the first grouping is performed to generate a set-top box of digital signage in which the virtual device group 440 is generated. System to manage.
The method of claim 14,

The user terminal device 300 manages a set-top box of digital signage, which receives a control command for a common controllable area in the virtual devices 430 generated by the second grouping. system.