KR100277681B1 - Apparatus and method for managing service composition based on service session in wide area multimedia network - Google Patents

Abstract

1. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for managing service composition based on service session in wide area multimedia communication network.

2. Technical problem to be solved

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for managing a service composition based on a service session in a wide-area multimedia communication network constituting an integrated service using individual services.

3. Summary of solution of invention

The present invention provides a method comprising: a first step of a service composition management apparatus confirming a composition request presence for a second service from a terminal while a first service of a first and a second user terminal is in use; A second step of creating a stream bridge for the first and second services after confirming the existence of the second service session and creating a session for the second service; Binding a stream bridge to a stream controller according to a service usage and composition request state of the terminal; And a fourth step of the service composition management apparatus transitioning to an initial state according to the service composition release request of the user terminal.

4. Important uses of the invention

The present invention is used for multimedia services in information and communication.

Description

Apparatus and method for managing service composition based on service session in wide area multimedia network

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for managing a service composition based on a service session in a wide area multimedia communication network, and to a computer readable recording medium storing a program for realizing the same.

In the past, since the network structure, apparatus, and service providing method used for providing a service are limited to the service, a service user may use a service provided by another service provider while using one service. There was a problem of stopping or terminating a service and reconnecting to a new service.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention introduces a distributed computing control technology to separate a network structure from a service structure and process a service as a session so that one user can use several service sessions at the same time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a service composition management apparatus and method for providing a new service in combination with other services, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for realizing the same.

1 is an exemplary communication network configuration using a service composition management apparatus according to the present invention.

2 is a hierarchical structure diagram of a network operation for realizing a service composition.

3 is a configuration diagram of an apparatus for managing service composition based on service session according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a service session based service composition management method according to the present invention;

The apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object comprises: user session management means for managing configuration characteristic information of a service used by a user terminal and mapping information for each user and service; Service session management means for determining whether to provide a service requesting a service composition by connecting to a node of a communication network in a session for each service, transmitting a command to a connection performer, and managing service information; Stream control means for binding a stream bridge of a service user according to a service usage state and a service composition request state of the user terminal; Stream connection means for connecting the service session management means and the stream control means; And stream interface means for interfacing to transmit a service stream between user terminals.

In addition, the method of the present invention is a service composition management method applied to a service session management apparatus based on a service session in a wide area multimedia communication system, wherein the service composition is used during the use of a predetermined first service of a first user terminal and a second user terminal. A first step of the management device confirming the existence of a composition request for a predetermined second service from the user terminal; According to the result of the first step, the service composition management apparatus confirms whether a session of the predetermined second service exists and generates a service session for the predetermined second service, and then generates the predetermined first service and the predetermined first service. Creating a stream bridge for a second service of the service; A third step of the stream controller in the service composition management apparatus binding the stream bridge to the stream interface of the stream controller according to a service usage state and a service composition request state of the user terminal; And a fourth step of the service composition management apparatus transitioning to an initial state according to a service composition release request of the user terminal.

The present invention relates to a multimedia communication system including a processor, wherein a service composition management apparatus is configured to request a composition request for a predetermined second service from the user terminal while using a predetermined first service of a first user terminal and a second user terminal. A first function of identifying existence; According to a result of the first function, the service composition management apparatus confirms whether a session of the predetermined second service exists and generates a service session for the predetermined second service, and then generates the predetermined first service and the predetermined first service. A second function of creating a stream bridge for a second service of the; A third function of binding, by the stream controller in the service composition management apparatus, the stream bridge to the stream interface of the stream controller according to the service usage state and the service composition request state of the user terminal; And a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for realizing a fourth function for the service composition management apparatus to switch to an initial state in response to a service composition release request of the user terminal.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating a communication network configuration using an apparatus for managing service composition according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, there are multiple network providers having their own regions 101 and 109, and these network provider domain divisions 109 are open structures and operate in conjunction with other regions.

Each network node 113, 114, 115 becomes an internet protocol based switch when providing a service based on a multimedia service on the Internet, or a network node in which an internet protocol type exists on an asynchronous transmission mode (ATM) network.

In addition, service provider servers 106, 107, and 108 which provide various unique services exist in communication network nodes in each network provider domain, and perform multimedia operations for selling and providing services to users.

For example, in network provider area A, service provider server 106 provides a service called video conference using network node 113, and in network provider area B, service provider server 107 enjoys video. Assume that a service called (Video On Demand) is provided by using a communication network of the communication network node 114. In this service structure, if a user wants to use both services, each service provider server requests a service according to the subscription procedure and uses the service. That is, the user uses the service providing procedure of each service provider, which results in a complicated procedure for the user when there are a plurality of services.

In the conventional architecture, since these two services exist and are used independently of each other, the user cannot mutually use the correlated operations and service features between the two services. In order to solve this problem, the connection agent devices 103, 104, and 105, which have an open structure for service connection between network provider areas and enable connection control for each network provider area A, B, and C, are connected to each network node. Must be connected to (113, 114, 115).

When a service is treated as a session, the connection of the session is made by connecting the connection agent to the service connection by using the network configuration resource. When the connection agent is introduced with a distributed computing operating system, each network provider is introduced. Connection control can be linked for each service between zones. Then, the service composition management apparatus 102 may be introduced to combine and adjust different services for each communication network provider area using the connection agent.

The service composition management apparatus 102 operates in a distributed computing environment with the connection agents 103, 104, and 105 existing in each network provider area to control resources of each network node under the service, which is a session on a service basis. It is mapped to and performs service composition procedure between different services.

FIG. 2 is a hierarchical structure diagram of a network operation for realizing a service composition. As shown in the figure, an operation platform structure commonly applied to each component device for realizing the structure of FIG. 1 is provided. A communication network operation structure in which 204 is introduced is shown.

The basic multimedia service providing environment structure is the multimedia terminal 205 and the service media server 206 and the high-speed media delivery communication network 207 form a substructure of the communication network, and the upper service is controlled by the session. 203 and then to a physical network connection 202 (end-to-end, multiple-to-multiple, etc.). A configuration control management protocol 208 of network connection resources is introduced for this mapping. The basic means of the management protocol is primitive processing to enable real-time connection information.

The interoperability structure between the service composition management apparatus 211 and the service connection performer 209 is a distributed operation environment, and is formed as a structure that applies the trader operation 210 technique according to the distributed object technique, which is a service unit according to the service session model. It ensures that each object in the network matches the computational model that maps to the network connection resources.

The trader-based object distribution platform 210 serves to connect the operation relationship between the service composition management apparatus 211 and the various service connection performers 28 in a mutually flexible server and client manner. That is, when the operation element objects in the service composition management apparatus 211 interact with each object of the service connection performer when performing the operation according to the service composition procedure, the trader identifies the necessary object and registers the request. .

Since the service connection performer 209 is distributed in a network node, its configuration information is contained in the distributed platform 210, and the service composition management apparatus 211 defines only a formalized object interface and delivers it to the distributed platform 210. .

The service composition management apparatus 211 serves as a center for group communication with various service connection performers 209. That is, in the communication network form as shown in FIG. 1, one service composition management apparatus 102 receives all of the connection agents 103, 104, and 105 that accommodate the service connection performer 209. However, there is also a form in which the service composition management apparatus 102 can be physically multiplexed by classifying according to the usefulness of the service composition provided by the service provider server.

In FIG. 2, each layer division 201, 202, 203, 204 reduces the dependence between the upper and lower layers while unifying the connection environment applied to each device in FIG. 1, thereby introducing a service composition without modifying a conventional network structure frame. do.

3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for managing a service composition based on a service session according to an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates in detail the element processes in the service composition management apparatus 302 and a connection relationship therebetween.

Each action element (action object process) operates in a different computing object and distributed computing environment, and the operation interface is responsible for controlling the interoperability between the action objects, and the service media transmission between the user's multimedia terminals is performed in the service composition management apparatus. Defined as a stream, the stream interface is in charge. In addition, the service media transmission paths 320, 321, 322, and 323 represent two-way transmission paths of the stream.

The user terminals 301 and 303 exist in the form of a card for multimedia access processing and are physically connected to a communication network node. In this terminal, user application units 304, 305, 306, and 307 operated by service composition control. When there is an action object process called, any service is created and destroyed.

In the service composition management apparatus 302, there are user session managers 308, 309, 310, and 311 for creating a service session for each user as an operation object and maintaining configuration property information of a service used by the user. Information is maintained and coordination is performed between the service session managers 312 and 313 and the user application units 304, 305, 306 and 307.

Here, the service session managers 312 and 313 determine which node of the communication network to provide a service in a session for each service and give a command to the actual network connection performer.

For example, if a user terminal 301 requests a video conference from another user terminal 303, user applications "304" and "306" form a stream bridge 317 for service A, and then By the stream controllers 315 and 316, the service media transmission channels 320 and 322 connect the left interface of the stream controllers 315 and 316 directly with the interface of the stream bridge 317, which is connected to the two user terminals 301 and 303. Indicates that you are in a video conference.

In the above process, if one user terminal proposes to subscribe to a service of another service provider and the content of the additionally subscribed service is the subject of a video conference, a process of forming a new stream bridge by the service composition is needed. The stream controllers 315 and 316 in the composition operation control core 314 operate the service-specific stream bridges 317 and 318 to perform a control operation.

Stream bridges 317 and 318 are created for each service, and this stream bridge is a binding 319 method according to the stream interface and service combination request of the stream controllers 315 and 316 (simultaneous connection between processes and processes). Is determined. That is, the cross-binding 319 has a form of a service composition according to the number of cases where the stream bridges 317 and 318 are combined with the stream controllers 315 and 316. If the other service B is movie video, the stream interfaces of the service A and the stream controllers 315 and 316 of the service B are connected in parallel. In this case, the service behavior type is "two users can discuss the movie content while facing each other at remote locations and watching the same movie video." Will create a combined service effect.

The flow of the operation is performed in parallel with the left and right stream bridge coupling around the cross binding 319, and the shape varies according to the user of the service type. Furthermore, composition for three or more services depends on the stream interface access capability of the user terminal and the application acceptance. This can be solved by extending the concept. The operation object process in the service composition operation control core 314 operates while being present in an instantaneous form through the service creation / destruction process. The real-time capability of cross binding can solve the service composition operation control core portion 314 with real-time software process processing.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a service session management method based on a service session according to an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates a service composition management process in a service composition management apparatus.

With one service A being provided for user 1 and user 2, the request for the service composition starts from two users.

In a state in which users 1 and 2 interact with service A and are in use (401, 402), the service composition management apparatus determines whether to request the composition of another service B to service A under the exchange of two users (403). , 404).

As a result of the determination, if there is no composition request for service B, the service A is kept in use.

As a result of the determination, when there is a composition request for the service B, the service composition manager checks the information on the setting of the user session for the service B and the configuration information of the service session for the existing service A (405). That is, the session information of the existing service is extracted from the state of the user and the configuration information of the service session set for the existing operating service, and the initial information is set for the configuration of the service B configuration of the service A. do.

Next, the service session manager checks whether a session for the service B exists, that is, whether the service B is already in use.

As a result of the check, if there is a session of service B, the service session manager generates a stream bridge of each service, which is a means for connecting the service composition for service A and service B (408).

As a result of the check, if the session of the service B does not exist, after the user session manager and the service session manager create a service session for the service B (407), the service session manager determines the service configuration for the service A and service B. Create a stream bridge for each service that is a means for connecting (408).

Here, the stream bridge becomes a control target of the stream controller in the service composition operation control core. The stream controller grasps configuration information according to the service type and characteristic required for operation and performs initialization before operation. This configuration information is classified according to the method and characteristics of the elements and composition of different services for each element of the multimedia service, so that the configuration information is pre-configured and includes how to cause the stream controller to bind the bridge.

The stream controller operates by determining a user's service usage state (409). The operation contents according to the determination result are as follows, when two users compose a service against services A and B.

As a result of the determination, when all of the users 1 and 2 intend to accommodate the composition service by performing the service composition among the service A, the stream controller binds the stream bridges for the two services A and B to the stream controllers of the users 1 and 2 (410). .

As a result of determination, the user 1 accepts the service composition in the service A and uses the service A, B at the same time, the user 2 wants to accept only the existing service A or the user 2 accepts the service composition in the service A If you want to use B at the same time, and user 1 wants to use only the existing service A, the user 1 binds only to the user requesting the service composition, that is, only to the user's stream controller using the service A and B (411).

As a result of the determination, when the two users of the service A and B are in the form of a service composition in which they want to use the service alternately, cross-binding is performed (412).

The role of the stream controller is to adjust the connection according to the user's subject and the preference of the user's service composition. The stream controller repeats the process of creation, binding mechanism according to the type of service usage state, and destruction.

In the case of a large number of users, the stream controller takes a form of switching because a plurality of user's stream instances occur. In addition, even in the case of a large number of services, the stream bridge is instantiated and treated as a stream controller.

Finally, the stream controller determines whether there is a service composition release request from the user (413), and if there is no service composition release request user, maintains the service composition state (414), and if there is a service composition release request user, The service composition is released and the original service A is switched to the busy state (415).

If you want to compose another service when two services are composed, see the already composed service as one other service and repeat the above procedure.

4 illustrates an embodiment in which the service configuration information is limited, that is, when there are two users and services, but the role of the stream controller is important when there are a plurality of users and services, and the operation of these controllers maintains parallel processing. It acts as a mechanism to minimize the time required for service composition.

The present invention described above is capable of various substitutions, modifications, and changes without departing from the spirit of the present invention for those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. It is not limited to the drawing.

The present invention as described above, in the case of using the service provided by the other service provider while the service user is using one service in the information communication network, without interrupting the existing service, and controls the interrelationship between services It is easy to create new service and provide various and high-quality services to users or subscribers because it is possible to combine various services of communication network so that new services can be connected and referenced simultaneously while using one service. That has an excellent effect.

Claims (10)

User session management means for managing configuration characteristic information of a service used by the user terminal and mapping information for each user and service; Service session management means for determining whether to provide a service requesting a service composition by connecting to a node of a communication network in a session for each service, transmitting a command to a connection performer, and managing service information; Stream control means for binding a stream bridge of a service user according to a service usage state and a service composition request state of the user terminal; Stream connection means for connecting the service session management means and the stream control means; And Stream interface means for interfacing to transmit service streams between user terminals Service session based service composition management device comprising a. The method of claim 1, And the service session management means is connected to a communication network node through a connection agent. The method of claim 2, The cross-computing structure between the connection agent and the service composition management device is a service session management device based on a service session, characterized in that the structure of applying a trader operation technique according to a distributed object technique in a distributed computing environment. A service composition management method applied to a service composition management apparatus based on a service session in a wide area multimedia communication system, A first step of the service composition management apparatus confirming the existence of a composition request for a predetermined second service from the user terminal during use of the predetermined first service of the first user terminal and the second user terminal; According to the result of the first step, the service composition management apparatus confirms whether a session of the predetermined second service exists and generates a service session for the predetermined second service, and then generates the predetermined first service and the predetermined first service. Creating a stream bridge for a second service of the service; A third step of the service composition management apparatus binding the stream bridge to a stream interface of a stream controller according to a service use state and a service composition request state of the user terminal; And A fourth step of the service composition management apparatus transitioning to an initial state according to a service composition release request of the user terminal; Service session based service composition management method in a broadband multimedia communication network comprising a. The method of claim 4, wherein The second step, A fifth step of maintaining, by the user terminal, a usage state of the first service if the user terminal does not request a composition for a second predetermined service while the first first service is in use; And A sixth step of the service composition management apparatus confirming whether a session of the second predetermined service exists when the user terminal requests a composition for the second predetermined service while the first first service is in use; A seventh step of generating a stream bridge for the predetermined first service and the predetermined second service after creating a service session for the predetermined second service according to the checking result of the sixth step; Service session based service composition management method in a broadband multimedia communication network comprising a. The method of claim 5, The sixth step, The composition for the predetermined first service of the predetermined second service, by the service composition management apparatus, from setting information of a user session for the predetermined second service and configuration information of a service session for the predetermined first service; An eighth step of determining the manner; And A ninth step of the service composition management apparatus confirming whether a session for the second service exists; Service session based service composition management method in a broadband multimedia communication network comprising a. The method of claim 5 The seventh step, An eighth step of generating, by the service composition management apparatus, the stream bridge of the first predetermined service and the stream bridge of the second predetermined service if the session of the second predetermined service exists as a result of the checking of the sixth step; ; And As a result of the checking in the sixth step, if the session of the predetermined second service does not exist, the service composition management apparatus creates a service session for the predetermined second service and then stream bridge of the predetermined first service. And a ninth step of generating a stream bridge of the predetermined second service. Service session-based service composition method in a broadband multimedia communication network comprising a. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, The third step, A tenth step of binding the stream bridges for the two services to the stream interface of the stream controller of the two user terminals when both of the user terminals request service composition to use the two services simultaneously; When one user terminal of the two user terminals desires to use a service composition to use the two services, and the other user terminal wants to use only the first service, a stream bridge for the two services is provided. An eleventh step of binding only to the stream interface of the stream controller of the user terminal requesting the composition; And If the two user terminals wish to alternately use the different services, the twelfth step of cross-binding stream bridges for the two services to the stream interfaces of the stream controllers of the two user terminals; Service session based service composition management method in a broadband multimedia communication network comprising a. The method of claim 8, The fourth step, In the broadband multimedia communication network, if there is a service composition release request from the user terminal, the service composition management apparatus releases the service composition for the user terminal that has requested the service composition release and converts the service composition into a predetermined first service use state. How to manage service composition based on service session. In a multimedia communication system having a processor, A first function of the service composition management apparatus confirming the existence of a composition request for a predetermined second service from the user terminal during use of the predetermined first service of the first user terminal and the second user terminal; According to a result of the first function, the service composition management apparatus confirms whether a session of the predetermined second service exists and generates a service session for the predetermined second service, and then generates the predetermined first service and the predetermined first service. A second function of creating a stream bridge for a second service of the; A third function of binding, by the stream controller in the service composition management apparatus, the stream bridge to the stream interface of the stream controller according to the service usage state and the service composition request state of the user terminal; And A fourth function of the service composition management apparatus switching to an initial state according to a service composition release request of the user terminal A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for realizing this.