Fraunhofer Browser-Based IPTV Technologies Link Internet, TV, and Mobile Phone

Fraunhofer FOKUS technology integrates media functions in IPTV and telecommunications environments

BERLIN — Television – mobile phone – Internet. In the past, providing media services on three different platforms meant developing three different technologies. At the 2009 IFA in Berlin, the world’s largest trade fair for computer electronics Fraunhofer FOKUS (Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems) presented its IPTV Ecosystem. This technology allows seamless integration of Web-based media functions with IPTV and telecommunication environments. The result: cross-platform use for Web, TV, and mobile phones with interactive elements for personalized media experience.

“IPTV Ecosystem gives TV viewers an interactive way to tailor their media services to their interests,” explains Dr. Stefan Arbanowski, director of the Future Applications and Media center at Fraunhofer FOKUS. “To bring Web-based IPTV services to as many people as possible, you need to created standardized solutions.” This is why the components of the IPTV Ecosystem meet international standards, including Open IPTV Forum, BONDI, and ETSI TISPAN.

Service Framework, Media Client Suite, and RIA IPTV

The three cornerstones of the IPTV ecosystem, all of which were presented in prototype form at the IFA, provide an initial impression of what media experience might be like in the future: the IPTV Session Controller, the IPTV Media Client Suite, and Rich Internet Application IPTV.

The IPTV Session Controller represents the future organization of services, offering a central communication hub that knows which applications are being used. The IPTV Media Client Suite assembles the services and makes them available to users and providers: advertising spots, teleshopping, or video on demand, for instance. For its part, RIA IPTV allows complex Internet services such as interactive quiz shows to be used on television screens.

The IPTV Media Client Suite and the IPTV Service Framework can be used on any hardware platform: desktop PCs, laptops, mobile phones, set-top boxes, and TVs. The spectrum of possible application extends from individualized advertising spots that can be displayed parallel to television shows as on-screen metainformation to community services similar to those online. The variety of applications makes the technology interesting for Internet operators, services, and applications providers as well as for the entertainment electronics industry and the media sector.

Fraunhofer FOKUS – FAME: The Fraunhofer FOKUS competence center, Future Applications and Media (FAME), brings together technology expertise for realizing advanced multimedia services. It specializes in developing key technologies such as IPTV, Rich Media Entertainment, middleware for universal services terminals, Mobile Web, and service mashups. In addition, FAME creates real-time interaction for interworking and recommedation frameworks in Web and telecommunications use.

The vision of FAME is to provide intelligent services and applications “any time – any place – any form.” The 50 some researchers on its staff are devoted to developing advanced solutions for the quickly changing landscape of media and telecommunications services.