Method and apparatus for using internet protocol television service based on application received in multicast session

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus in which information about a multicast session which provides an application associated with a predetermined Internet protocol television (IPTV) service is received and the application is received in the multicast session established based on the received information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of performing session management associated with an Internet protocol television (IPTV) service, the method being performed a second server and comprising:
 receiving, from a client, a request to establish a multicast session based on information about the multicast session, wherein the multicast session provides an application associated with the IPTV service and the information is transmitted from a first server to the client;   establishing the multicast session based on the information so that the client receives the application in the established multicast session;   wherein the information about the multicast session comprises at least one of:   information about an IP address of the second server,   information about a number of channels used for the multicast session,   information about an IP address of the client,   information about an identifier of the multicast session, and   information about a start time and an end time of the multicast session,   wherein the first server is a server for discovering the IPTV service from among a plurality of IPTV service.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting to the client information indicating that establishment of the multicast session has been completed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multicast session is an IP multicast session according to an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS). 
     
     
         4 . A second server which performs a method of performing session management associated with an Internet protocol television (IPTV) service, the method comprising:
 a receiver that receives, from a client, a request to establish a multicast session based on information about the multicast session, wherein the multicast session provides an application associated with the IPTV service and the information is transmitted from a first server to the client;   a processor that establishes the multicast session based on the information so that the client receives the application in the established multicast session;   wherein the information about the multicast session comprises at least one of:   information about an IP address of the second server,   information about a number of channels used for the multicast session,   information about an IP address of the client,   information about an identifier of the multicast session, and   information about a start time and an end time of the multicast session,   wherein the first server is a server for discovering the IPTV service from among a plurality of IPTV service.   
     
     
         5 . The second server of  claim 4 , further comprising a transmitter that transmits to the client information indicating that establishment of the multicast session has been completed. 
     
     
         6 . The second server of  claim 4 , wherein the multicast session is an IP multicast session according to an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS). 
     
     
         7 . A method of discovering an IPTV service from among a plurality of IPTV services, the method being performed by a first server and comprising:
 transmitting, to a client, information about a multicast session, wherein the multicast session provides an application associated with the IPTV service;   wherein the information about the multicast session comprises at least one of:   information about an IP address of a second server,   information about a number of channels used for the multicast session,   information about an IP address of the client,   information about an identifier of the multicast session, and   information about a start time and an end time of the multicast session,   wherein the second server establishes the multicast session based on the information about the multicast session so that the client receives the application in the established multicast session, and   the second server is a server for performing session management associated with the IPTV service.   
     
     
         8 . A first server which performs a method of discovering an IPTV service from among a plurality of IPTV services, the method comprising:
 a transmitter which transmits to a client information about a multicast session, wherein the multicast session provides an application associated with the IPTV service;   wherein the information about the multicast session comprises at least one of:   information about an IP address of a second server,   information about a number of channels used for the multicast session,   information about an IP address of the client,   information about an identifier of the multicast session, and   information about start time and end time of the multicast session,   wherein the second server establishes the multicast session based on the information about the multicast session so that the client receives the application in the established multicast session, and   the second server is a server for performing session management associated with the IPTV service.