KR20090044856A - Mobile terminal and contents server for providing multimedia contents, system and method for providing contents using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a user terminal and a content server, a content providing system using the same, and a method for shortening the overall download time of a multimedia content and improving a service quality. The user terminal transmits a storage unit in which the free content is stored, a content request unit which transmits a download request command for all multimedia content corresponding to the free content, and downloads additional content of the entire multimedia content in response thereto, the free content and the additional content. And a content combiner for generating the entire multimedia contents by combining the reproduction unit and the reproduction unit for reproducing the entire multimedia contents. The content server includes a content database, a loading unit for loading the entire multimedia contents according to a download request command, a content division unit for extracting additional contents from all the multimedia contents, an additional region setting unit for setting division information in the additional region of the additional contents, It includes an interface for transmitting the additional content to the user terminal.

Multimedia content, preload, take over

Description

A mobile terminal and contents server for providing multimedia contents, a system for providing contents using the same, and a method thereof

The present invention relates to a user terminal and a content server for providing multimedia content, a content providing system using the same, and a method thereof. More particularly, the overall download time of the multimedia content can be shortened by improving the process of downloading the multimedia content. The present invention relates to a user terminal and a content server, a content providing system using the same, and a method thereof, which can suppress a load of a server for providing multimedia content and, as a result, improve the quality of a content service.

With the development of communication technology and the popularization of the Internet, the importance of contents is increasing day by day, and contents serviced through the Internet have evolved into multimedia contents from the initial simple text-oriented data.

Multimedia content is a combination of various objects such as text, audio, image, video, computer graphics, animation, and program code into one content according to the standards of HTML, VRML, X3D, MPEG-4, etc. There are various types of games, movies, dramas, music, cartoons, etc.

Conventional multimedia content, including the MPEG-4 (Motion Picture Experts Group 4) standard, is composed of a meta area and a real data area representing characteristics of the content such as codec, frame information, and copyright.

The multimedia content may be serviced to the user in various ways. A pre-loading method such as teaser music clip, preview, and preview is one of service methods for providing the multimedia content to the user.

However, in the conventional preloading scheme, when a user wants to receive a multimedia content from a communication provider or a content provider (CP) associated with a communication service provider, duplicate download is performed. For example, when a user listens to a teaser music clip and then downloads the entire music file, the entire music file is downloaded again and the teaser music clip is automatically or manually deleted.

This conventional method requires a part of the entire multimedia content to be downloaded in duplicate, resulting in an overhead of download time. In particular, content with a long play time causes a load on the server, which makes it difficult to play normally on the terminal, and deteriorates the quality of service.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a user terminal and a content server capable of shortening a download time of multimedia content, a content providing system using the same, and a method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a user terminal and a content server, a content providing system using the same, and a method for suppressing a load on a server and increasing a quality of a content service.

Technical problems to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. There will be.

A user terminal according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the storage unit for storing the free content; A content request unit which transmits a download request command for all multimedia contents corresponding to the free content, and downloads additional content of the remaining sections except for the playback section of the free content from the entire multimedia content in response to the download request command; ; A content combiner which combines the free content and the additional content to generate the entire multimedia content; And a playback unit for playing the entire multimedia content.

In addition, the content server according to the present invention, the content database for storing the entire multimedia content; A loading unit which loads the entire multimedia content as a download request command is transmitted from a user terminal; A content dividing unit configured to extract additional contents of the remaining sections except for the reproduction section of the free contents from the entire multimedia contents loaded in the loading unit and set a data area of the additional contents; An additional area setting unit configured to set division information on data segments of the additional content in the additional area of the additional content; And an interface for transmitting the additional content including the additional area and the data area to the user terminal.

On the other hand, the content providing system for providing multimedia content according to the present invention, after playing the free content of the entire multimedia content, and downloads the additional content of the remaining section except for the playback section of the free content of the entire multimedia content, A user terminal for regenerating the entire multimedia content by combining the free content and the additional content; A content server that transmits the free content among all the multimedia content to the user terminal first, and then transmits the additional content according to a request of the user terminal; And a wired or wireless communication network for connecting the user terminal to the content server.

In addition, the method for providing multimedia content according to the present invention comprises the steps of: storing the free content in the user terminal; Transmitting, by the user terminal, a download request command for all multimedia content corresponding to the free content to a content server; Downloading, by the user terminal, additional content of the remaining section except for the playing section of the free content among the entire multimedia contents; And regenerating, by the user terminal, the entire multimedia content by combining the free content and the additional content.

As described above, the user terminal and the content server according to the present invention, a content providing system using the same, and a method thereof can reduce the download time of the multimedia content, suppress the load on the server, and consequently improve the quality of the content service. It can increase.

Hereinafter, a content providing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a content providing system for providing multimedia content according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a content providing system according to an exemplary embodiment includes a user terminal 110, a wired / wireless communication network 130, a web server 140, and a content server 150.

The user terminal 110 is a means for the user to access the content server 150 through wired or wireless communication to receive the multimedia content. A mobile communication terminal such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) device, or a personal computer capable of wired and wireless Internet service may be applied to the user terminal 110.

When the user uses the pre-load function (eg, pre-listen), the user terminal 110 displays the pre-content (eg, a teaser music clip) of the entire multimedia content (eg, a music file) in the content server 150. Download from) and play it first, then save it.

Subsequently, when the user requests the entire multimedia contents, the user terminal 110 downloads only the additional contents of the remaining sections except the playing section of the free contents among the entire multimedia contents. The stored free content and the downloaded additional content are combined to regenerate the entire multimedia content, and the regenerated entire multimedia content is reproduced on the user terminal 110.

The wired / wireless communication network 130 is for connecting the user terminal 110 to the web server 140 linked with the plurality of content servers 150. The wired / wireless communication network 130 may be a wired / wireless internet network, a packet switched network (PSDN), an international mobile communication network (IMT-2000, etc.), an IP network, or the like. The configuration of the wired / wireless communication network 130 may vary depending on the type of the user terminal 110.

The web server 140 interoperates the wired / wireless communication network 130 and the plurality of content servers 150 to manage and manage the service requested from the user terminal 110. Specifically, the user authenticates the connected user, provides a list of multimedia contents, receives the multimedia contents selected by the user from the corresponding content server 150, and transmits the multimedia contents to the user terminal 110.

Each content server 150 accesses the wire / wireless communication network 130 of the network operator through the web server 140 to provide its own multimedia content to the user terminal 110. In order to provide multimedia content to the user terminal 110, it is necessary to transmit traffic through the wired / wireless communication network 130 to which the content server 150 is connected.

Here, the multimedia content may include both personal computer or mobile content, and may be a file such as MPEG-4 (Motion Picture Experts Group 4), WMV (Windows Media Video) using a predictive coding method, It may also be a vector graphic such as Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). That is, the multimedia content refers to all the various formats that can be transmitted from the content server 150 to be reproduced in the user terminal 110 for a predetermined time.

When the user uses the pre-load function, the content server 150 transmits the pre-content among the entire multimedia contents to the user terminal 110 to be played first, and then at the request of the user terminal 110. The additional content of the remaining sections other than the playback section of the free content is transmitted to the user terminal 110.

FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the user terminal shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the user terminal 110 includes a storage 111, a content requester 112, a content combiner 113, and a playback unit 114.

In the storage unit 111, pre-loaded contents transmitted from the content server 150 and reproduced in advance as the user selects a pre-load function are stored.

The content requesting unit 112 transmits a download request command for all multimedia contents corresponding to the free content to the content server 150 through the wired / wireless communication network 130. Then, the additional content of the remaining sections other than the playback section of the free content is downloaded from all the multimedia contents transmitted in response to the download request command.

The additional content includes a data area in which one or more data segments are located and an additional area in which division information including position information and combining information about data segments of the data area is stored.

The content combiner 113 combines the free content stored in the storage 111 and additional content downloaded from the content requester 112 in response to the free content to regenerate the entire multimedia content.

The content combiner 113 includes a data region generator 113_1 and a meta region generator 113_2.

The data area generator 113_1 regenerates the data area of the entire multimedia content based on the data area of the free content and the data area of the additional content.

The meta area generator 113_2 newly encodes the meta area of the entire multimedia content based on the meta area of the free content and the additional area of the additional content.

The meta information of the entire multimedia contents is to normally reproduce data of the entire multimedia contents combined with the free contents and the additional contents, and is generated based on the meta information of the free contents and the division information of the additional contents. The generation rule of the meta information may vary according to the data format of the entire multimedia content stored in the content server 150.

For example, when the entire multimedia content is stored in the data format corresponding to ISO / IEC 14496-1 of MPEG-4 in the content server 150, the content server 150 generates free content that conforms to the corresponding standard. Transmit to 110.

Thereafter, the user terminal 110 appropriately arranges data segments of the additional content in the data area of the free content based on the division information of the additional content.

In this case, unless the meta region is re-encoded, the file is not played. Therefore, the meta information of the entire multimedia content is newly encoded by updating the meta information of the free content by reflecting the division information on the relocated data segments. . The meta information includes an identifier of each data for normally playing the entire multimedia content, a data position for each track (audio, video, caption), and the like.

The playback unit 114 reproduces the entire multimedia content generated from the content combiner 113 and outputs it through a screen unit or an audio output unit (not shown).

As such, after playing the free content, the user terminal 110 does not download the entire multimedia content again, but downloads only the additional content of the remaining sections except the free content. Subsequently, content resumption is performed by supporting the regeneration of the entire multimedia content through data editing and the re-encoding of the meta area.

For example, when a user who listens to a teaser music clip pre-loaded with respect to one music file on the user terminal 110 wants to download the entire music file, the user terminal 110 downloads the entire music file. Only the data in the remaining sections, except for the teaser music clip, are downloaded. The downloaded data of the remaining sections are combined with the teaser music clip, the meta area is re-encoded, and the corresponding music file is regenerated on the user terminal 110.

Through the configuration of the user terminal 110 associated with the content server 150, the download time can be shortened, the server load can be reduced.

FIG. 3 is a detailed configuration diagram of the content server shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 3, the content server 150 includes a content database 151, a loading unit 152, a content division unit 153, an additional area setting unit 154, and an interface 155.

In the content database 151, the entire multimedia content is stored.

The loading unit 152 loads the entire multimedia content in response to a request of the user terminal 110 and provides the content to the content division unit 153.

The content dividing unit 153 receives the entire multimedia content from the loading unit 152, and adds the pre-played content to be played in advance as the user selects the preload function, and the remaining sections except for the playing section of the free content of the entire multimedia content. Split into content.

The pre-content is pre-transmitted and played back to the user terminal 110 at the time when the preload function is selected, and when a download request command for requesting the entire multimedia content is transmitted from the user terminal 110, data segments of the additional content are extracted and added. After setting the data area of the content, the data area is provided to the additional area setting unit 154.

The additional area setting unit 154 sets division information on data segments constituting the additional content in the additional area of the additional content. Here, the division information includes position information and combining information of data segments forming additional content. Thereafter, the user terminal 110 encodes the meta information of the entire multimedia contents based on the meta information of the free contents and the division information of the additional contents so that the entire multimedia contents can be normally played back.

According to a request from the user terminal 110, the interface 155 transmits the free content, as well as additional content including an additional area and a data area, to the user terminal 110 through the wired / wireless communication network 130.

Hereinafter, a method of providing multimedia content according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing multimedia content according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This process is described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 as follows.

First, in step S110, the user terminal 110 selects a pre-load function such as pre-listening, downloads and plays the pre content which is a part of the entire multimedia content, and stores the pre content.

Next, in step S120, when the user wants to receive the entire multimedia content corresponding to the pre-played free content, the user terminal 110 generates a download request command for the entire multimedia content corresponding to the free content content server Transfer to 150.

The download request command includes a content ID for all multimedia content to be downloaded.

Next, in step S130, the user terminal 110 downloads the additional content of the remaining section excluding the playback section of the free content of the entire multimedia content from the content server 150.

Operation S130 may be subdivided into operations S131 to S134.

First, in step S131, the content server 150 loads the entire multimedia content corresponding to the content ID included in the download request command received from the content database 151.

In step S132, the content server 150 extracts the additional content except the free content from the entire multimedia content to set the data area of the additional content.

In operation S133, the content server 150 sets division information on data segments constituting the additional content in the additional area of the additional content.

In operation S134, the content server 150 transmits additional content including the additional area and the data area to the user terminal 110. The user terminal 110 downloads additional content transmitted from the content server 150.

Next, in step S140, the user terminal 110 combines the pre-stored free content and the additional content transmitted from the content server 150 to regenerate the entire multimedia content.

The step S140 may be subdivided into steps S141 and S142.

In operation S141, the user terminal 110 regenerates the data area of the entire multimedia content based on the data area of the free content and the data area of the additional content. Here, the data segments constituting the data area of the additional content are rearranged according to the division information in the data area of the free content.

In operation S142, the user terminal 110 newly encodes the meta area of the entire multimedia content based on the meta area of the free content and the additional area of the additional content.

Next, in step S150, the entire multimedia content regenerated through the combination of the free content and the additional content on the user terminal 110 is played, so that the user is provided with the full multimedia content (eg, listening to a music file).

5 is a data structure diagram for exemplarily describing each step of FIG. 4.

First, in steps S110 to S130, the user plays the free content stored in the user terminal 110 and then downloads the entire multimedia content. At this time, in order to prevent the overhead of the download time, the user terminal 110 additionally downloads only the data of the remaining sections except the playing section of the free content.

Thereafter, in step S140, the user terminal 110 appends data of the downloaded additional content before and after the previously stored free content, and reconfigures the meta area so that the entire multimedia content can be normally played back.

FIG. 5A illustrates the free content C10 stored in the user terminal 110 in step S110. The free content C10 includes meta information stored in the meta area M10 and free data A stored in the data area D10.

FIG. 5B illustrates additional content C20 transmitted from the content server 150 to the user terminal 110 in step S130, and in step S141, the user terminal 110 displays the free content in step S141. A process of generating the data area D30 of the entire multimedia content C30 based on the data area D10 of the C10 and the data area D20 of the additional content C20 is illustrated.

The additional content C20 includes a data area D20 including data segments of the additional data A1 and the additional data A2, and an additional area M20 in which division information about the data segments is stored.

After receiving the download request command for a specific content ID, the content server 150 searches the content database 151 and extracts the entire multimedia content matching the corresponding content ID, where the additional content C20 is divided and the HTTP ( Hypertext Transport Protocol) to the user terminal 110 in accordance with the protocol.

The additional data A1 and the additional data A2 of the additional content C20 transmitted to the user terminal 110 are combined before and after the free data A of the free content C10 previously stored in the user terminal 110.

In the additional area M20 of the additional content C20, the data area D20 of the additional content C20 is divided into additional data A1 located at the front end of the free data A and A2 located at the rear end of the free data A. The division information for storing is stored.

The user terminal 110 measures the data area D30 of the entire multimedia content C30 based on the segmentation information in the additional area M20 of the additional content C20 to be downloaded and the data segments in the data area D20. Will be created.

5D illustrates a state in which the user terminal 110 updates the meta area M30 to complete the entire multimedia content C40 in step S142.

The user terminal 110 encodes the meta information of the entire multimedia content C40 by reflecting the classification information of the additional content C20 downloaded from the content server 150 to the meta information of the stored free content C10. The area M30 is updated.

As described above, the user terminal 110 downloads only the data segments of the remaining sections and the division information for each data segment from the content server 150 except for the playback section of the free contents of the entire multimedia contents, and newly combines them. The content is made into one piece of content, and the meta information is updated to encode a new one.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may implement the present invention in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features thereof. I can understand that.

Therefore, since the embodiments described above are provided to completely inform the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, it should be understood that they are exemplary in all respects and not limited. The invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

The present invention can be usefully applied to multimedia content services.

A user terminal and a content server according to the present invention, a content providing system using the same, and a method thereof can shorten the overall download time of a multimedia content and can improve the quality of a content service.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a content providing system for providing multimedia content according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the user terminal shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a detailed configuration diagram of the content server shown in FIG. 1.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing multimedia content according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a data structure diagram for illustratively explaining each step of FIG. 4. FIG.

*** Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing ***

110: user terminal 111: storage unit

112: content request unit 113: content combining unit

114: playback unit 130: wired and wireless communication network

140: web server 150: content server

Claims (12)

A storage unit for storing free content; A content request unit which transmits a download request command for all multimedia contents corresponding to the free content, and downloads additional content of the remaining sections except for the playback section of the free content from the entire multimedia content in response to the download request command; ; A content combiner which combines the free content and the additional content to generate the entire multimedia content; And Playback unit for playing the entire multimedia content User terminal for providing a multimedia content comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the content combining unit, A data area generator for regenerating the data area of the entire multimedia content based on the data area of the free content and the data area of the additional content; And A meta area generation unit for newly encoding the meta area of the entire multimedia content based on the meta area of the free content and the additional area of the additional content. User terminal for providing a multimedia content comprising a. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional area of the additional content, User information for providing multimedia content, characterized in that the classification information including the position information and the combined information of the data segments constituting the additional content is stored. A content database for storing entire multimedia content; A loading unit which loads the entire multimedia content as a download request command is transmitted from a user terminal; A content dividing unit configured to extract additional contents of the remaining sections except for the reproduction section of the free contents from the entire multimedia contents loaded in the loading unit and set a data area of the additional contents; An additional area setting unit configured to set division information on data segments of the additional content in the additional area of the additional content; And Interface for transmitting the additional content consisting of an additional area and a data area to the user terminal Content server for providing a multimedia content comprising a. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional area of the additional content, Content information server for providing a multimedia content, characterized in that the classification information including the position information and the combined information of the data segments constituting the additional content is stored. After playing the free content of the entire multimedia content, and downloads the additional content of the remaining section except for the playback section of the free content of the total multimedia content, and regenerating the full multimedia content by combining the free content and the additional content A user terminal; A content server that transmits the free content among all the multimedia content to the user terminal first, and then transmits the additional content according to a request of the user terminal; And Wired and wireless communication network for connecting the user terminal to the content server Content providing system comprising a. The method of claim 6, wherein the user terminal, A storage unit in which the free content is stored; A content request unit which transmits a download request command for the entire multimedia content corresponding to the free content to a content server and downloads the additional content transmitted in response to the download request command; A content combiner configured to regenerate the entire multimedia content by combining the free content and the additional content; And Playback unit for playing the entire multimedia content Content providing system comprising a. The method of claim 6, wherein the content server, A database for storing the entire multimedia content; A loading unit that loads the entire multimedia content as a download request command is transmitted from the user terminal; A content dividing unit extracting the additional contents of the remaining sections except for the playing section of the free contents from the entire multimedia contents loaded in the loading unit and setting a data area of the additional contents; An additional area setting unit configured to set division information on data segments of the additional content in the additional area of the additional content; And Interface for transmitting the additional content consisting of an additional area and a data area to the user terminal Content providing system comprising a. Storing free content in a user terminal; Transmitting, by the user terminal, a download request command for all multimedia content corresponding to the free content to a content server; Downloading, by the user terminal, additional content of the remaining section except for the playing section of the free content among the entire multimedia contents; And Regenerating, by the user terminal, the entire multimedia content by combining the free content and the additional content; Method of providing multimedia content comprising a. The method of claim 9, wherein the regenerating of the entire multimedia content comprises: Regenerating, by the user terminal, the data area of the entire multimedia content based on the data area of the free content and the data area of the additional content; And The user terminal newly encoding the meta area of the entire multimedia content based on the meta area of the free content and the additional area of the additional content; Method of providing multimedia content comprising a. The method of claim 10, Regenerating the data area of the entire multimedia content, And arranging data segments constituting the data area of the additional content in the data area of the free content. The method of claim 9, wherein the downloading of the additional content comprises: Loading, by the content server, the entire multimedia content as the download request command is transmitted; Setting, by the content server, the data area of the additional content by extracting the additional content from the entire multimedia content; Setting, by the content server, division information on data segments forming the additional content in an additional area of the additional content; And Transmitting, by the content server, the additional content consisting of an additional area and a data area to the user terminal, and downloading the additional content by the user terminal; Method of providing multimedia content comprising a.

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