KR101938057B1 - Non-stop System Providing Non-stop VOD Service And Method Of Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The following embodiments are directed to an uninterrupted system and method of operation thereof. A method of operating an uninterrupted system according to an embodiment includes extracting customer data and content data from a customer database and storing the extracted customer data and content data in a non-disruptive storage as a cache file; Confirming that the set mode of the non-disruptive system is the non-disruptive mode; Performing unstructured authentication for a terminal connected to an uninterruptible system; Allowing viewing of the requested content from the terminal; And issuing a non-stop key with reference to the cache file with respect to the content encrypted by the terminal.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a non-stop system providing non-stop VOD service,

The following embodiments are directed to an uninterrupted system and method of operation thereof.

DB system is essential to provide VOD service. (Title, appearance, supervision, story, availability, payment amount) of various VOD contents such as new subscription, product change and termination are stored in DB in real time

Management. These information can be viewed by searching for the corresponding information of the DB in real time and transmitting the information to the terminal at the time of requesting free viewing of VOD content or paying purchase at the terminal.

In case of DB problem, VOD service is not interworked with main information for VOD service, so it is impossible to watch VOD and service interruption is inevitable until normal recovery.

To do this, it is necessary to invest a lot of complementary equipments, such as installing various large-capacity DB backup equipments or copying solution, and it is difficult to manage the equipment and solutions professionally. Especially, VOD system for disaster response needs much system investment for DB duplication technology. Above all, VOD service failure (pay / free viewing disabled) directly affects VOD sales loss and customer service satisfaction.

In addition, in case of VOD service failure, it is possible to watch paid contents free of charge if the payment amount of VOD paid content is treated as free (0 won) in order to recover urgent service. However, As well as indiscreet free viewing of customers may lead to excessive load on the VOD system, leading to a long-term VOD service failure.

In this regard, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1525390 discloses a session, a transmission distribution apparatus and a control method thereof in a file playback search request.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an uninterrupted system for responding to a disruption or disaster of a VOD service in a broadcasting service and normally providing VOD information such as a content name and a payment amount.

The non-stop system according to the embodiment normally provides the content and the settlement amount information so that the customer can access the content and watch the same contents as in the normal time, and can provide a function to allow the billing process for the purchase and viewing of the paid contents to be performed normally have.

A method of operating an uninterrupted system, the method comprising: extracting customer data and content data from a customer database and storing the extracted customer data and content data in a cache file in non-disruptive storage; Determining whether the set mode of the non-disruptive system is a non-disruptive mode; Performing non-disruptive authentication on a terminal connected to the non-disruptive system; Allowing viewing of the requested content from the terminal; And issuing a non-disruptive key with reference to the cache file for the content encrypted to the terminal.

And streaming the content to the terminal.

And providing the content data to the terminal with reference to the non-disruptive storage.

The content data includes a payment amount, a content encryption key, and a CDN (Contents Delivery Network) for each region, and the customer data may include information for authentication of the terminal.

The non-disruptive key may be used to decrypt the encrypted content.

Authorizing the requested VOD content viewing request from the terminal may include providing detailed information of the cached content.

The storing of the cache data in the non-disruptive storage may include periodically storing the customer data and the content data according to predetermined rules.

And checking the cache of the content at a predetermined period to settle the fee of the content to the terminal.

According to the embodiment, it is possible to provide a non-stop system in which a VOD service failure or a disaster of a broadcast service is responded to, and normal content information (payment amount, etc.) is provided to maintain a stable VOD service at all times.

The non-stop system according to the embodiment can normally provide the VOD service even in the case of a system failure or a disaster.

Even when the important work of another VOD broadcasting system is switched to the normal non-interruption mode through the non-interrupted system, the corresponding operation can be performed stably. By using a non-disruptive system, it is possible to provide normal service without service stop even if service stop is inevitable due to large work in the broadcasting center. In case of non-disruptive system, Service recovery is possible at a lower cost than constructing a broadcasting center.

In general DB query-and-response method, VOD service can be provided by cached data in disk and memory of storage, and processing cost is dramatically improved, so system investment cost can be efficiently reduced

In addition, by developing the basic technology of the nondisruptive system in the same way for the terminal authentication server of the broadcasting service and the content encryption key issuing server, it is possible to provide authentication for the VOD service, failure to issue the content encryption key, and normal VOD service .

In addition, the non-stop system can provide a function of normally transmitting important information such as a charged amount of a VOD content to a terminal, even in a trouble situation.

The post-billing settlement function of the non-stop system can solve the problem of the sales loss because the normal billing settlement processing can be performed on the settlement of the charged contents occurring in the failure situation.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an operation method of a system for providing general VOD contents.
2 is a block diagram for explaining an operation method of an uninterruptible system in one embodiment.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing general VOD contents.
4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for providing content in an uninterruptible mode in one embodiment.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of the non-interruption mode in one embodiment.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating an uninterrupted cache in one embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of content pay-per-purchase in an uninterruptible mode in one embodiment.

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

Various modifications may be made to the embodiments described below. It is to be understood that the embodiments described below are not intended to limit the embodiments, but include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives to them.

The terms used in the examples are used only to illustrate specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like refer to the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

In the following description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted. In the following description of the embodiments, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted if it is determined that the gist of the embodiments may be unnecessarily blurred.

1 is a block diagram for explaining an operation method of a system for providing a general VOD.

A general VOD service stores information on a customer who subscribes a product in a customer / content DB, stores content information and the like in a content key management DB, and provides a VOD content free viewing and paid purchase request from the terminal, Accesses the DB, inquires the stored customer information and content information, and transmits the retrieved customer information to the terminal so that the content can be viewed.

For example, the authentication server can perform authentication based on the customer / content DB in response to the authentication request of the terminal, and the content management server inquires the content key management DB about the content information requested, You can authorize. The content key issuing server issues an encryption key to the encrypted VOD content provided to the terminal, and provides a streaming of the content requested from the terminal in the CDN (Content Delivery Network) server.

1, when a failure occurs in the DBs or the content management server and the client data and the content data can not be referred to normally, it is impossible to view the VOD contents. The failure time can be further sustained.

The present invention provides a VOD service provided by various terminals such as a set-top box, a mobile terminal, a PC, and the like to provide a VOD service normally to a customer by using an uninterrupted system even in a trouble situation.

The system according to the embodiment provides a technique for allowing a VOD service to be normally performed without interruption even in the event of a failure of a DB or another server. To this end, the DB periodically caches (saves and backs up) important DB data (content information, category information, etc.) in a separate storage and stores them in an application server (an authentication server, a content management server, Key issuing servers) connect to this storage, an uninterrupted system can be configured so that the VOD service is normally provided.

2 is a block diagram for explaining an operation method of an uninterruptible system in one embodiment.

The non-disruptive system according to the embodiment can periodically cache and store customer data and content data stored in the customer / content DB 201 and the content key management DB 202 in a separate non-disruptive storage 210, The content management server 230, the key issuing server 240, and the CDN server 250 to the terminal 203 without stopping the VOD service. In an embodiment, the non-disruptive system may be provided in the form of a separate server as shown, and the method of operation of the non-disruptive system described below through one server may be performed.

In an embodiment, any one of the authentication server 220, the content management server 230, the key issuing server 240, and the CDN server 250, or the client / server 200, by periodically storing the customer data and the content data in the non- Even if a failure occurs in any of the content DB 201 and the content key management DB 202, the content can be provided to the terminal 203 without interruption.

The non-disruptive storage 210 periodically accesses a customer / content DB 201 for storing customer data subscribed to the service and a content key management DB 202 for managing encryption keys for goods and content data The customer data and the content data can be extracted and stored as a cache file. For example, by caching the customer / content DB 201 and the content key management DB 202 based on the update time, it is possible to store a cache for the latest customer data and the latest content data. The stored cache may include detailed information about the content (payment amount, etc.), encryption key information of the content, CDN information by region, and essential information necessary for authentication of the terminal.

The authentication server 220, the content management server 230, and the key issuing server 240 may operate according to the general content providing method of FIG. 1 or may be operated according to whether the setting mode of the non-disruptive system is operated in the non- can do. The following description relates to the case of operating in non-disruptive mode.

The authentication server 220 can manage unstructured authentication for the terminal for the VOD service. For example, it is possible to check whether the customer data stored in the customer / content DB match with the information input from the terminal or to perform the authentication of the terminal.

In an embodiment, the content management server 230 may transmit the information about the content to the terminal 203 by referring to the cache file stored in the non-disruptive storage 210. In addition, it is possible to receive a purchase and viewing request for a specific content from the terminal 203, and to permit the terminal 203 to view the VOD based on the customer data cached in the non-stop storage 210. [ The content management server 230 according to the embodiment may transmit a communication message to the terminal through an API (Application Programming Interface).

The key issuing server 240 manages key information on the encrypted content and may transmit the key for the content to the terminal 203 when the terminal 203 requests the content viewing. In an embodiment, the key issuing server 240 may issue a non-disruptive key for the requested VOD content by referring to the content data stored in the non-disruptive storage 210 for operation in the non-disruptive mode.

The CDN server 250 may store a file of the content requested by the terminal 203 and may provide a streaming service to the terminal 203 upon request of viewing.

In order to operate the non-disruptive system in the non-disruptive mode according to the embodiment, the authentication server 220 can perform non-disruptive authentication to the terminal, and the content management server 230 can access the cache The detailed information of the cached content can be provided, and it is possible to determine whether or not to permit viewing of the content and process it. The key issuing server 240 can issue a non-disruptive key to the terminal 203 by referring to the non-disruptive storage 210 and using the decrypted encrypted content. A non-disruptive key is a content encryption key used only in the event of a failure. The non-disruptive key is generated for each content and managed in the storage rather than in the DB. Only in the non-disruptive mode, a non-disruptive key is issued in response to a request for playback of the terminal Thereby allowing normal viewing of the VOD content.

In the embodiment, even if a failure occurs in any one of the servers through the operation for operating in the non-interruptible mode in each of the authentication server 220, the content management server 230, and the key issuing server 240, The terminal 203 can be automatically operated in the non-interruptible mode. However, the terminal 203 can be authenticated uninterruptedly, the content information can be provided, and the non-interruptive mode can be turned ON / OFF by manual operation.

In an embodiment, charging settlement can be periodically processed to the purchasing target terminal through the viewing / purchasing log stored in the non-stop system with respect to the payment of the charged content generated in the non-ending mode.

In the billing settlement, the contents management server 230 checks the use history and the contents cache through the terminal at a predetermined period, generates the settlement data, and transmits the settlement data to the customer / settlement server (e.g., a central server of the service company) It is possible to process the billing settlement. The customer / settlement server can periodically receive data necessary for settlement and generate data necessary for settlement processing. Such data is defined as a 'UDR (Usage Detail Record)' and can be configured in a mutually negotiated format .

3 is a flow chart illustrating a method of providing general contents.

4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for providing content in an uninterruptible mode in one embodiment.

First, in order to provide content to the terminal, the authentication server receives an authentication request from the terminal in step 310 and transmits the authentication result to the terminal. In step 320, the content management server requests content information from the terminal And can provide information about the content.

In step 330, the content management server may receive the viewing and purchase request for the content from the terminal and may convey the approval for the request.

In step 340, the key issuing server may receive a key issuance request for streaming content from the terminal and provide an encryption key for the content. In step 350, the CDN server provides streaming of the content to the terminal can do.

In step 360, the customer / settlement server can bill the terminal for purchase of the content by referring to the customer / contents DB.

In order to authenticate the terminal, the authentication server confirms the customer / contents DB in step 311, confirms the contents information in the contents management server, and performs steps 321 and 331 to respond to the viewing and purchase request of the terminal. The contents management server confirms the customer / contents DB. In step 341, the key issuing server checks the contents key management DB to provide the contents key to the terminal.

4, in step 410, the authentication server receives the authentication request from the terminal and delivers the authentication result to the terminal in step 410. In step 410, the authentication server performs non-disruptive authentication .

In the embodiment, the non-disruptive authentication may include an authentication process in which the non-disruptive system transmits the non-disruptive mode to the terminal using the cache information without the DB interlocking in the non-disruptive system. The service can be provided by utilizing the past stored history.

In step 420, the content management server receives the content information from the terminal and provides information on the content. In step 421, the content management server can check the content information by referring to the cache of the non-storage storage.

In operation 430, when the content management server receives the request for viewing and purchasing the content from the terminal and transmits the approval for the request, the content management server can determine whether the viewing is permitted by checking the cache stored in the non-storage storage in operation 431.

In step 440, the key issuing server may receive a content key issuance request for streaming the content from the terminal and provide an encryption key for the content. In step 441, the cache stored in the non-disruptive storage is checked, Can be issued.

At step 450, the CDN server may provide streaming of content to the terminal. In accordance with a predetermined period, the customer / settling server can refer to the non-disruptive storage at step 460 and process the content viewed and purchased in the terminal for settlement processing.

The method of FIG. 4 can provide a normal VOD service by utilizing the non-disruptive storage in which the cache is stored in the non-disruptive system even if a problem occurs in the database for storing and managing the customer and the content data in the content providing method of FIG.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of the non-interruption mode in one embodiment.

According to an embodiment, non-disruptive operation in terms of configuration can be possible by adding non-disruptive storage for storing the cache in a general content providing system.

In an embodiment, a non-disruptive system for providing content to a terminal may operate in non-disruptive mode or in normal mode, depending on the request of the terminal or some other factor.

If a request for content viewing and purchasing from the terminal is received in step 501, the non-disruptive system may check whether it operates in the non-disruptive mode in step 502. [

In the embodiment, in order to confirm whether the device operates in the non-interruptible mode, it is possible to check the API state of the non-disruptive system that separately manages the field of non-disruptive setting or to check whether the non-disruptive mode is operated by using the API log . In the non-interrupt mode, it is recorded in a separate log.

If it is confirmed in the embodiment that the mobile terminal does not operate in the non-provisional mode, the VOD service may be provided in step 503 according to the existing general service method. For example, the VOD service method using the customer / content DB and the content key management DB query described with reference to FIG. 3 can be provided.

In an embodiment, if it is determined to be operating in non-disruptive mode, it may be determined in step 504 whether there is an uninterrupted cache. The terminal can receive the contents information in the non-interruption mode regardless of whether the non-interrupted cache is present or not.

In an embodiment, if it is determined that there is a non-disruptive cache, then the non-disruptive system in step 505 may operate in non-disruptive mode and may operate in non-disruptive mode with reference to the cache stored in non-disruptive storage, , The non-disruptive system may operate in non-disruptive mode without reference to the cache at step 506. At this time, the terminal may have a service restriction on the latest VOD content.

For example, the cache can be managed by version, and if there is no latest version of the cache, it can be managed so as to be transmitted with the old version of the cache information. The VOD service can be provided by only the cache information of the previous version. If there is no cache, a cache for exception processing having minimum information is generated to provide minimum basic information, and the terminal can view the VOD by referring to the last information cached in the terminal

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating an uninterrupted cache in one embodiment.

In the embodiment, an uninterruptible system can correspond to an API and includes a DB, non-disruptive storage, a content management server, and the like, and is displayed as shown in the drawing according to convenience of description.

If a new product is registered in the DB in step 601 or a new content is newly organized and registered in the DB in step 602, the non-disruptive storage in step 604 may generate and store a cache For example, it is possible to store a cache for new data by detecting a predetermined period or a situation where stored data of the DB is updated. A cache for essential information can be automatically generated at the time of registering a new product at step 601 and a cache for generation of an encryption key can be automatically generated at the time of organizing new content at step 602 have.

In step 603, if the terminal requests viewing and purchase of content, it may generate and store the details of the content request of the terminal in the non-disruptive storage as a cache in step 604. For example, when the non-stop system operates in non-disruptive mode, if the content requested by the terminal is paid content, the cache can be used to utilize the content usage history of the terminal, such as charging for the use of the content.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of content pay-per-purchase in an uninterruptible mode in one embodiment.

In step 710, the non-disruptive system may operate by switching to the non-disruptive mode. After that, the terminal can interwork with the nondisruptive system.

In step 720, the non-disruptive system may receive a request to view and purchase content from the terminal. For example, if the content is charged, the non-stop system can deliver the same type of purchase information as the normal state to the terminal.

In step 730, the non-disruptive system may generate a log of the VOD content request of the terminal and store it in non-disruptive storage.

In step 740, the non-disruptive system may generate accounting information for the purchase transaction of each terminal based on the generated log. For example, the billing information can be accumulated and generated in a predetermined cycle.

In step 750, the non-disruptive system may send the billing information generated in step 740 to the customer / settlement server. The customer / settlement server can obtain the billing information for the terminal and process the billing at a cycle such as a monthly unit.

In the noncontinuous system, detailed information including the payment amount of the content is stored as essential items among information to be cached in real time, so that even when the noncontinuous system is switched to the noncontinuous mode in case of failure, Such as appearance, supervision, genre, storyline, availability, payment amount, etc.), so that the customer can normally watch the content without recognizing that the situation is a failure.

It is possible to prevent billing accidents by collecting and managing purchase information in a non-stop system in a non-stop system for the purchase of paid contents that occurred during non-stop mode, since billing can be settled after a failure or work.

The embodiments described above may be implemented in hardware components, software components, and / or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices, methods, and components described in the embodiments may be implemented within a computer system, such as, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, such as an array, a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. The processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing apparatus may be described as being used singly, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the processing apparatus may have a plurality of processing elements and / As shown in FIG. For example, the processing unit may comprise a plurality of processors or one processor and one controller. Other processing configurations are also possible, such as a parallel processor.

The software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of the foregoing, and may be configured to configure the processing device to operate as desired or to process it collectively or collectively Device can be commanded. The software and / or data may be in the form of any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage media, or device , Or may be permanently or temporarily embodied in a transmitted signal wave. The software may be distributed over a networked computer system and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on one or more computer readable recording media.

The method according to an embodiment may be implemented in the form of a program command that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions to be recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the embodiments or may be available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magnetic media such as floppy disks; Magneto-optical media, 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 machine language code such as those produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

Although the embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings, various technical modifications and variations may be applied to those skilled in the art. For example, it is to be understood that the techniques described may be performed in a different order than the described methods, and / or that components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, Lt; / RTI > or equivalents, even if it is replaced or replaced.

Claims (17)

In an operating method of an uninterrupted system,
Extracting customer data and content data from a customer / content database and storing the extracted customer data and content data in a cache file in non-disruptive storage;
Determining whether the set mode of the non-disruptive system is a non-disruptive mode;
Performing non-disruptive authentication on a terminal connected to the non-disruptive system;
Authorizing a request for viewing a requested VOD content from the terminal based on customer data cached in the non-disruptive storage;
If the VOD content requested to be watched is paid content,
Providing payment amount information for the VOD content based on the content data;
Storing the payment information generated for the VOD contents in the non-stop system in the purchase log of the non-stop system; And
Issuing a non-disruptive key based on the content data cached in the non-disruptive storage for the content encrypted by the terminal in response to the VOD content viewing request
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the non-disruptive key is used only in the event of a failure, the non-disruptive key is generated for each VOD content and managed in the non-disruptive storage rather than the customer /
Wherein, after the setting mode is switched from the non-stop mode to the normal mode, charge settlement is performed based on the purchase log,
How to operate an uninterruptible system.
The method according to claim 1,
Streaming the content to the terminal
≪ / RTI >
How to operate an uninterruptible system.
The method according to claim 1,
Providing the content data to the terminal with reference to the non-disruptive storage
≪ / RTI >
How to operate an uninterruptible system.
The method according to claim 1,
The content data includes a payment amount, a content encryption key, and a CDN (Contents Delivery Network) for each region,
Wherein the customer data includes information for authentication of the terminal,
How to operate an uninterruptible system.
The method according to claim 1,
The non-
And decrypting the encrypted content,
How to operate an uninterruptible system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of permitting a request for viewing a VOD content requested by the terminal comprises:
Providing detailed information of the cached content
/ RTI >
How to operate an uninterruptible system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein storing the cache file in the non-disruptive storage comprises:
Storing the customer data and the content data periodically according to a predetermined rule
/ RTI >
How to operate an uninterruptible system.
The method according to claim 1,
Generating a settlement data in which the use history of the terminal and the cache of the contents are confirmed at a predetermined period, and settle the settlement data to the customer / settlement server
≪ / RTI >
How to operate an uninterruptible system.
9. A computer program stored on a medium for executing the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 in combination with hardware.
In an uninterrupted system,
Non-disruptive storage that extracts customer data and content data from a customer / content database and stores it as a cache file;
An authentication server that performs non-disruptive authentication on a terminal connected to the non-disruptive system by confirming that the set mode of the non-disruptive system is a non-disruptive mode;
Allowing the viewing of the content requested by the terminal based on the customer data cached in the non-disruptive storage, and when the VOD content requested to be watched is paid content, A content management server for providing payment information in the non-stop system purchase log in the non-stop mode, the payment information generated for the VOD content; And
A key issuing server for issuing a non-disruptive key based on the content data cached in the non-disruptive storage for the content encrypted by the terminal;
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the non-disruptive key is used only in the event of a failure, the non-disruptive key is generated for each VOD content and managed in the non-disruptive storage rather than the customer /
After the setting mode is switched from the uninterruptible mode to the normal mode, billing settlement is performed based on the purchase log
Nondisruptive system.
11. The method of claim 10,
A CDN server for streaming the content to the terminal
≪ / RTI >
Nondisruptive system.
11. The method of claim 10,
The content management server,
Providing the content data to the terminal with reference to non-disruptive storage,
Nondisruptive system.
11. The method of claim 10,
The content data includes a payment amount, a content encryption key, and a CDN (Contents Delivery Network) for each region,
Wherein the customer data includes information for authentication of the terminal,
Nondisruptive system.
11. The method of claim 10,
The non-
And decrypting the encrypted content,
Nondisruptive system.
delete 11. The method of claim 10,
The non-
Wherein the customer data and the content data are periodically stored according to predetermined rules,
Nondisruptive system.
delete

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