Data Receiving Method and Device for Applications Providing an Iptv Communications Service

1. A method of receiving information regarding an application for providing an Internet protocol television (IPTV) communication service, the method comprising: acquiring IP address information for initiating an IPTV service provider discovery at an entry point for searching for an IPTV service provider; receiving information regarding the IPTV service provider, from an IPTV service provider discovery entity apparatus by using the IP address information; and acquiring information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service, based on the information regarding the IPTV service provider, wherein the application for providing the IPTV communication service includes at least one of a chatting application, an instant message application, a caller identification (ID) application, and a presence application provided by the IPTV service provider, wherein the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service includes a resource identifier (URI) information regarding at least one of the chatting application, the instant message application, the caller ID application, and the presence application; wherein the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service is provided as a part of a communication offering record.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises acquiring information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service from an IPTV service discovery entity apparatus by using the information for acquiring the application for providing the IPTV communication service.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service includes at least one of an application ID that is operable to access the IPTV communication service provided by the IPTV service provider, name of the application, uniform resource identifier (URI) information for receiving an application icon, a type and sub-type of the application, a kind of the application, URI information for accessing the application through multicast, and URI information for accessing the application through unicast.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the IPTV service provider and the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service are in extensible markup language (XML) format.

5. An open Internet protocol television (IPTV) terminal function (OITF) apparatus comprising: at least one memory comprising computer executable instructions; at least one processor operable to read the at least one memory and execute computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions which implement: a service provider discovery launcher which acquires IP address information for initiating an IPTV service provider discovery at an entry point for searching for an IPTV service provider; a service provider information receiving unit which receives information regarding the IPTV service provider, from an IPTV service provider discovery entity apparatus by using the IP address information; and an application information acquiring unit which acquires information regarding an application for providing an IPTV communication service, based on the information regarding the IPTV service provider, wherein the application for providing the IPTV communication service includes at least one of a chatting application, an instant message application, a caller identification (ID) application, and a presence application, wherein the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service includes a uniform resource identifier (URI) information regarding at least one of the chatting application, the instant message application, the caller ID application, and the presence application provided by the IPTV service provider, and wherein the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service is provided as a part of a communication offering record.

6. The OITF apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the application information acquiring unit acquires information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service from the IPTV service discovery entity apparatus by using the information for acquiring the application for providing the IPTV communication service.

7. The OITF apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service includes at least one of an application ID that is operable to access the IPTV communication service provided by the IPTV service provider, name of the application, uniform resource identifier (URI) information for receiving an application icon, a kind of the application, an application type and sub-type, information regarding technology used in the application, URI information for accessing the application through multicast, and URI information for accessing the application through unicast.

8. The OITF apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the information regarding the IPTV service provider and the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service are in extensible markup language (XML) format.

9. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing the method according to claim 1 .

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presence application relates to an online status or a location of a user.

11. The OITF apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the presence application relates to an online status or a location of a user.

12. A method of receiving at a user terminal, information regarding an application for providing an Internet protocol television (IPTV) service, the method comprising: receiving from a gateway, IP address information of an entry point for searching for an IPTV service provider, the entry point being outside of the gateway; receiving information regarding the IPTV service provider, from the gateway by using the received IP address information; and receiving information regarding the application, based on the information regarding the IPTV service provider, wherein the application for providing the IPTV communication service includes at least one of a chatting application, an instant message application, a caller identification (ID) application, and a presence application, wherein the information regarding the includes a uniform resource identifier (URI) information regarding at least one of the chatting application, the instant message application, the caller ID application, and the presence application provided by the IPTV service provider, and wherein the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service is provided as a part of a communication offering record.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the application for providing the IPTV communication service comprises the technology used in the application.