EP1205073A1 - Video sur demande fonctionnant entre un serveur ou un utilisateur et un autre utilisateur - Google Patents

Video sur demande fonctionnant entre un serveur ou un utilisateur et un autre utilisateur

Info

Publication number
EP1205073A1
EP1205073A1 EP00953809A EP00953809A EP1205073A1 EP 1205073 A1 EP1205073 A1 EP 1205073A1 EP 00953809 A EP00953809 A EP 00953809A EP 00953809 A EP00953809 A EP 00953809A EP 1205073 A1 EP1205073 A1 EP 1205073A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
euu
data file
data
server
euus
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00953809A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Randall M. Chung
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP1205073A1 publication Critical patent/EP1205073A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
    • H04N21/63—Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/83—Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
    • H04N21/845—Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
    • H04N21/8456—Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/433—Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
    • H04N21/4331—Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
    • H04N21/63—Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
    • H04N21/632—Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
    • H04N21/816—Monomedia components thereof involving special video data, e.g 3D video
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
    • H04N7/17309—Transmission or handling of upstream communications
    • H04N7/17336—Handling of requests in head-ends

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to data communications networks and more specifically to a method and apparatus for delivering data using distributed storage units through a network, such as the Internet.
  • VOD video on demand
  • Another difficulty in implementing a large shared multimedia server is the need to handle and transmit multiple streams of digital multimedia content.
  • a standard definition compressed television signal would be transmitted at an average data rate of about 4 megabits per second. If one multimedia server had to serve one hundred different programs simultaneously, the average total bandwidth required would be 400 megabits per second. This large amount of data would also have to be transmitted to the one hundred viewers without appreciable discontinuity, or the viewing experience would be ruined.
  • a network to support such a high data rate with a guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) to many users from a central server is thus very expensive, and has been impractical for anyone to build.
  • QoS Quality of Service
  • cable modems may enable the provisioning of video on-demand by cable companies. It has been hoped that cable modems coupled with the Internet can achieve what cable companies have failed, that is, a video on-demand system using the Internet.
  • Figure IB illustrates how video on-demand might be provisioned over a cable TV broadcast system with cable modems for a metropolitan area.
  • analog TV signals are received by a satellite dish 1.
  • the analog TV signals are combined with video on-demand signals and digital communication signals from the Internet through a signal combiner 10.
  • the video-on-demand signals are digital, although they can also be analog signals.
  • Digital content such as World Wide Web pages, on the Internet public network 2
  • the router 3 is used to translate packet data from one network to another, such as between the Internet network and the example Ethernet network switch 4
  • the Ethernet network switch 4 directs data to and from the Internet router 3, the fiber return channel demodulator 5, a file server 6, the multimedia server 8, and the modulator 9
  • the fiber return channel demodulator 5 translates signals returning from the customer premises equipment ("CPE") through the optical fiber 11, back into digital format, where it might then be sent to the Internet
  • a file server can be used to hold World Wide Web pages or for caching Internet information
  • the multimedia server controls the content database 7, and can read out multiple movies or songs simultaneously
  • the content database holds all of the digitized movies or songs Digital data from the multimedia server or the Ethernet switch going to the end users can go through a digital to analog modulator 9, before being combined with the analog TV signals from the satellite dish 1
  • signals going between the optical fiber 11 and the coax cables 13 can be translated by the coax-to-fiber converter 12
  • the analog TV signals would be frequency converted through the set top box 16, for transmission to the TV set 17, while the digital signals would be converted to digital by the cable modem 14 for use by the PC 15
  • the customer premises equipment 18 (CPE) at a single residence may contain one set of equipment, while another residence may contain another set of CPE 19, with each customer viewing different video, audio, or data content It is not unusual to have hundreds or thousands of customers served by one set of provider equipment That means a multimedia server would have to potentially serve different movie or music data streams to each customer simultaneously This is practically impossible if there are thousands of customers and only one multimedia server.
  • One solution may be to have multiple multimedia servers, with each one serving a subset of the customers; however, this also multiplies the cost of servicing all of the customers
  • a remaining problem is that a very large amount of multimedia data must travel from a centralized multimedia server, or group of servers Because each customer may be viewing different videos at different points in time (for instance, at the beginning, middle, or end of the video) from the multimedia server, each video is treated as a separate channel
  • the bandwidth of hundreds or thousands of separate channels, in addition to the normal broadcast channels is higher than what current transmission pathways can handle today Therefore, it is desirable to have an on-demand data delivery system where the multiple recipients can receive the same or different content at any time they choose.
  • a system and method for delivering data to multiple end users using distributed storage system connected through a data communications network is disclosed, where the end user equipment for audio/video playback or recording contains a storage unit, such as a magnetic disk.
  • Each storage unit can store data, such as digital video content, i.e. movies, or digital audio content, i.e. songs.
  • the storage unit can also be configured to store portions, or fragments, of digital video or audio content, where the storage location, playback, and recording of digital video or audio content of each storage unit is administered, managed and controlled by a central facility.
  • the content for playback of a video or audio content, or portions thereof may reside on one or more physically separate storage unit, or may also reside on a central storage unit.
  • the content may also be read out and transmitted concurrently from one or more physically distributed storage units to one or more other physically separate sites for playback, where an entire piece of content, such as a movie, may be separated into equal or unequal sized pieces, and one or more pieces may be stored on multiple physically separate storage units.
  • the assignment of the storage locations of the pieces, the order of transmission, priority of transmission, and destination of the pieces is centrally administered and controlled.
  • the content can also be transmitted simultaneously to storage units other than the one needing it for display, to anticipate the need to deliver the same content to other customers in the near future. This allows for dynamic allocation of resources at any time, peak or off-peak, in anticipation of heavy downloading of certain programs, such as new releases.
  • the data communications network connecting between the storage units can be either wired or wireless. While the Internet is used with the cable modems, other forms of networking connections can work just as well.
  • set-top box which is coupled to a disk drive, or a file server, either locally or remotely, where the "set-top box” acts as a file server for other "set-top boxes.”
  • the set-top boxes in the aggregate can serve as a massive and yet distributed storage facility for each of the member set-top boxes.
  • the stored programs or files may also be fragmented into pieces of arbitrary sizes for distributed storage or transmission over multiple set-top boxes.
  • a personal computer which contains a disk drive which can act as a file server for other computers or set-top boxes, where the files may be fragmented into pieces of any arbitrary sizes for distributed storage or transmission over multiple computers or set-top boxes.
  • Figure 1A shows a conventional video-on-demand system over a cable broadcast system.
  • Figure IB shows an exemplary video-on-demand system over a cable TV broadcast system, where uses end-users are equipped with cable modems.
  • Figure 2A illustrates an example of how a single multimedia server might serve AV content to a hundred users simultaneously.
  • Figure 2B illustrates an example of how three cache memories can be inserted in between the multimedia server and the customers.
  • Figure 3A is a simplified block diagram of an End Node Equipment at a user's site.
  • Figure 3B depicts a simplified block diagram of a conventional VOD system with a centralized server and end node equipment at user's site.
  • Figure 4A is a simplified block diagram of an End Node Equipment with cable modem for use with a TV in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 4B is a simplified block diagram of an End Node Equipment with cable or DSL modem for use with a PC in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 4C depicts a simplified block diagram of a distributed server system of the present invention.
  • Figures 5A, 5B illustrate simultaneous transfer of content from multiple end nodes to reduce playback starting time.
  • Figure 6 depicts a simplified block diagram of a VOD system based on DSL network.
  • Figure 7 is a flow diagram depicting the process of distributing content to end node units.
  • Figures 8A and 8B illustrate another embodiment of the VOD system with the content being delivered from a combination of end nodes and content servers.
  • a method and apparatus for data delivery using distributed storage system is disclosed.
  • the present invention is described in terms of servers, switches, routers, databases, end nodes, networks and the Internet, which are the terms typically used by those skilled in the art in communicating among themselves.
  • data can represent audio or video content, multimedia content, or simply binary bits transmitted across a communications network.
  • one possible way of reducing the multimedia server's bandwidth requirements is to have storage units along the main network transmission paths to cache the first transmission of the content. Future requests for the same content from other end users can be serviced from the caching storage unit.
  • Figure 2A shows an example of how a single multimedia server might be requested to serve AV content to a hundred users simultaneously.
  • Many customers may be viewing the same AV content, because some content is more popular than others. For instance, a newly released movie may be much more popular than one several years old.
  • FIG. 2B shows how cache memories may be inserted in between the multimedia server and the customers to ease the delivery demand.
  • Each cache memory serves a smaller group of the full set of customers. If AV content has not been previously stored in a group's cache memory, it will be provided by the central multimedia server. The AV content will be transferred to the customer, and also temporarily stored in the group cache memory. If another customer in the group requests the same AV content, and the AV content still resides in the cache memory, then the cache memory can readily provide the content. This reduces the load on the central multimedia server and reduces the bandwidth used by the server. However, there is an obvious problem to this approach. If the cache memory is too small, then only a small portion of the AV content can be stored, causing many requests for content to bypass the cache. This reduces the effectiveness in reducing the bandwidth and load on the central multimedia server. However, making the cache memory large will increase the cost.
  • the present invention is directed to providing a solution to the problems with the conventional ways of distributing data such as digital multimedia by having a system of storage units at the end nodes, acting as the primary storage of the multimedia content.
  • a centralized multimedia server could still be used to augment the delivery of multimedia content, but the bulk of the requests for multimedia data from the end nodes will be serviced from the individual storage units at the other end nodes.
  • FIG. 3A and 3B illustrate the conventional system utilizing a centralized server
  • Figures 4A, 4B and 4C illustrate a distributed server system in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG 3A is a simplified block diagram of a conventional End Node Equipment which can be installed at the user's site. It is generally a set-top box ("STB") coupled to the TV.
  • the STB generally has a cable modem and a digital video and audio decompression circuitry.
  • the multimedia server 1 controls the content database 13, which stores all of the multimedia content.
  • the network switch 2 controls the data transfers among the server, network switch 3, and network switch 4.
  • Network switch 3 switches the data from network switch 2 to the user end nodes 5 through 8, while network switch 4 switches the data from network switch 2 to the user end nodes 9 through 12.
  • end nodes 5, 8, 9, and 11 are receiving multimedia data from the centralized server 1.
  • the server 1 and switch 2 may be separated by a long distance, possibly requiring expensive high bandwidth connections.
  • the content data streams A and B for end nodes 5 and 8 are routed from switch 2 to switch 3, while the content data streams C and D for end nodes 9 and 11 are routed from switch 2 to switch 4.
  • Switch 3 then routes the data it receives to end nodes 5 and 8, and switch unit 4 routes the data it receives to end nodes 9 and 11.
  • all four of the data streams A through D must come from content database 13, through server 1, through switch 2, and then through switches 3 and 4. Because of the time critical nature of the multimedia data, all of the components and network interconnections between the content database 13 and the end users must be very high speed, with low latency.
  • the system as in Figures 3A and 3B clearly will have its limitations, particularly when there are a large number of end nodes requesting data simultaneously.
  • Figure 4A shows a consumer-oriented End Node equipment for viewing digital video on a TV. Its STB contains the cable modem, a storage unit such as disk storage and digital video and audio decompression circuitry. Of course, there is the TV for displaying the program from the cable.
  • Figure 4B shows PC-oriented equipment for viewing digital video, using either a cable modem or DSL modem for getting the data to the PC with a storage unit, e.g. disk storage.
  • Java Media Framework Java Media Framework
  • RTP Real Time Protocol
  • RTSP Real Time Streaming Protocol
  • Java programs can also be written to use the JMF library to facilitate the transfer of data, which can be programmed to support its transmitting end node and another program to support its receiving end node.
  • the person running the receiving PC installs the Sun Java Development Kit (JDK) software, available for download at http://www.javasoft.com, and the person can then obtain the receiver software, e.g. via electronic mail from the service vendor.
  • JDK Sun Java Development Kit
  • An auto-start software routine can also be installed in the PC's startup directory so that the receive/transmit software can start up when the PC is turned on or rebooted.
  • the installation program can also store personalization information in a special file, to identify the PC and the current PC user, since several people may share a single PC (this special file is commonly known as a "cookie.” file).
  • the receive/transmit software resident at the end node equipment e.g. PC
  • the control software on the service provider's web site acknowledging that it is ready to receive or transmit if requested, as well as sending the identification information.
  • the service provider's control software Upon receipt of the acknowledgement, the service provider's control software knows that that particular PC is available.
  • the service provider's server can send commands and data to: add new content with the end unit receiving command and data; - delete old content with the end unit receiving a command; transmit existing content with the end unit receiving a command; check existing content for tampering or perform other maintenance tasks.
  • control software may need to know when a particular PC is no longer available. This scenario may happen when the user shuts the PC down, when the PC crashes, when the user's power fails, or when the cable network simply stops working. If the user shuts the PC down smoothly, i.e. not abruptly, the control software at the PC can be notified of the shutdown, and can send a message back to the server that it will no longer be available.
  • the distribution system should preferably recover from that without ruining the viewing user's experience. If a series of transfers is being setup, say because a viewer at another end node unit wants to watch a movie, then the server can immediately check, e.g. poll, with all of the end units that it thinks are available. If any end node unit fails to respond, then the server could mark that end node unit as unavailable, and substitute another end node unit. The initial transfer list would then always start out with end node units that have been confirmed to be available.
  • the receiving PC can be configured to expect data from each transmitting PC by a certain time. If one PC doesn't deliver data by the scheduled time, due to a possible crash, then the receiving PC can notify the provider's server. The server can then immediately substitute another end unit, by giving the substituted end unit the remaining part of the transfer list, and by notifying the receiving unit of the substituted unit's internet address. To ease the transition, the provider may keep a backup server which would provide the delayed content to the receiving end unit for a few seconds, until the substituted end unit is up to speed.
  • the content database 13 is set up so that it can offload some of its duties to the whole distribution system
  • All of the multimedia data is instead distributed among the storage units local in each of the user end nodes (not shown). It may not be necessary for all of the user end nodes to have local storage units, but system performance is improved when more and more user end nodes have storage units and participate in the distribution
  • Multimedia server 1 now acts as a centralized administrator, keeping track of how the multimedia content is distributed among the user end nodes.
  • the network connection between server 1 and switch 2 now needs much less bandwidth, because only commands and status information are transferred, and not the multimedia data, the storage of which is now distributed among the end nodes.
  • the storage unit at each end node can be a hard disk drive, or any kind of storage device capable of storing, transferring and playing back its multimedia content As the prices of the storage devices plummet due to technological maturity, this form of distributed storage becomes more attractive and cost effective
  • end node 5 wants multimedia content A
  • end node 8 wants multimedia content B
  • end node 9 wants multimedia content C
  • end node 11 wants multimedia content D
  • the storage unit of end node 6 contains multimedia content A
  • the storage unit of end node 9 contains multimedia content B
  • e storage unit of end node 10 contains multimedia content C and D
  • the storage unit of end node 12 contains multimedia content B.
  • the distributed storage system can be initialized by the multimedia server 1 directing various contents, e.g. movies, to be transferred from the content database 13, or wherever contents may be available, to the end nodes.
  • the distribution can be based on the anticipated popularity of certain contents and whether the end nodes are within the same switching network. For example, if there are 200 end nodes sharing the same immediate switching network, e.g. in the same neighborhood, a newly released movie may need to be resident at, say, 10 end nodes to provide assured delivery.
  • the delivery can also come from end nodes at other not-so-immediate switching networks, if the delay is not significant.
  • the other 190 end nodes can be populated with other contents, in fragments, in whole or in combination thereof.
  • the storage units at their end nodes may be quietly receiving instructions, preferably from the central server, transferring contents, or updating the central server. As new contents are released, the new ones will cause the not-so-new contents to be deleted or replaced, either gradually or all at once.
  • the distributed storage system is thus dynamic and able to continue to adequately support the consumers' ever-changing needs.
  • end node 6 can act as a server for end node 5. If the network connection between the two nodes is a shared medium, then it may be possible for end node 6 to transmit the content A data directly to end node 5, otherwise it can transmit the content A to end node 5 by sending it to switch 3, which will then send it to node 5, using conventional Internet, or any data communications networking, addressing techniques.
  • the multimedia server 1 can preferably act as a "traffic controller" to receive requests from end node 5, check availability of the requested content, determine the most expedient way of transfer, e.g. from end node 6, and command end node 6 to transfer the content A to end node 5.
  • An alternative to the multimedia server acting as a centralized traffic controller is to let each end node broadcast its request to other end nodes.
  • the end nodes with the requested content will monitor the transmission status to determine if it is the best source for the requested content. If so, it will reply and transmit the requested content to the requester.
  • the requesting end node will determine the priority for receiving and notify the source end node(s) of the priority for transmission. If transmission is bogged down, the requesting node can go to the next source end node according to the priority.
  • the second source end node can transmit to pick up where the first source end node leaves off.
  • end node 9 can act as a server for end node 8, providing it with content B, and at the same time, receives content C from end node 10.
  • End node 10 stores content C and D, and can act as a server by sending content C to end node 9 and simultaneously sending content D to end node 11.
  • the end nodes do not have to be servers by themselves only. They can work, sequentially or concurrently, with other end nodes to complete a delivery.
  • End node 8 can receive content B from both end node 9 and end node 12. This may be desirable to reduce the transmission time of content B, particularly if the upload (direction from the end node to the switch) speed is lower than the download (switch to end node) speed.
  • the playback of the content starts before the entire content has been downloaded to the end node.
  • the playback of content B may have started because it was expected that the download from end node 9 only would complete before the end of the content was reached, based on the speed of the early part of the download from end node 9 to end node 8.
  • the download speed is reduced due to unexpected network congestion from switch 4 to switch 3 or due to unexpected reduction in upload speed from end node 9 to switch 4, then the unviewed portion of content B can also be transferred from end node 12 to end node 8.
  • end node 8 has received the first 25% of content B from end node 9. Based on the download rate of this first 25% of the content as well as the playback rate for the content, end node 9 starts the playback.
  • the playback rate is equal to the download rate.
  • the download rate slows down by a factor of 2. If the download rate is not increased, the playback of content B will be interrupted at the 90% point of the movie or song.
  • end node 12 can be commanded to immediately start transferring the last 20% of content B, and end node 9 can be commanded to continue transferring the content from the 35% point but to stop at the 80% point. This method can be useful where the upload transfer rate or the switch to switch transfer rate is lower than the download transfer rate.
  • the method of simultaneous, or concurrent, transfer from multiple end nodes can also be used to reduce the playback starting time for a network where the playback data rate and the download data rate are higher than the upload data rate. For instance, suppose the playback rate is 2 megabits per second, the download rate is capable of supporting 3 megabits per second, and the upload speed of a single end node is 1 megabit per second.
  • end node 5 wants to play content A, which is stored as a number of different fragments in end nodes 6 through 15.
  • the information on the location of the fragments at the different nodes can preferably be stored on the multimedia server 1.
  • the upload and download capability of the different nodes can also be stored on the multimedia server 1, or there could be an immediate test transfer to determine the upload and download speeds.
  • end node 5 would contact the multimedia server 1, which would coordinate the transfer of the fragments to end node 5 from the other end nodes.
  • end nodes 6, 7, and 8 would transfer their stored fragments to end node 5, which would receive the three fragments concurrently at 3 megabits per second, even though the individual fragments from each transmitting end node can be uploaded only at 1 megabit per second. Since the fragment containing 0-5% of the content from end node 6 is being transmitted at half the playback speed, end node 5 could not start playing the content until the first half of the fragment has been received. If it started playing any sooner, the data would run out before the fragment could be fully received, causing a gap in the playback.
  • a program on each of the end nodes can be used to inform the controlling multimedia server 1 when its Internet address changes.
  • the multimedia server 1 could arrange the transfer of the next 15-30% fragments from other end nodes containing the necessary fragments, such as end nodes 9, 10, and 11, as shown in Figure 5B. While end nodes 9, 10, and 11 are transmitting data to end node 5, end nodes 6, 7, and 8 would become available to transfer data to a different end node, if needed.
  • the entire distribution system in accordance with the present invention may implement multiple content databases with multiple multimedia servers, scattered throughout the county, state or country.
  • Content going to one end unit may come from one or more content servers as well as from multiple other end units. This "aggregation" effect can offload the burden on any one particular server or database, while providing an efficient scheme to achieve content delivery from databases and servers in proximity of the end units.
  • end node 5 when end node 5 has completed viewing content A, its storage unit will have a complete copy of all of the fragments of content A. If content A is expected to be popular with other end nodes, e.g. new releases, the entire content could remain stored on end node 5, so it could be delivered to other end nodes, or just a few portions could be kept. What portions to be kept at this end node can be determined based on the storage, or distribution, situation of content A at other end nodes. For example, the storage situation may be such that only the first 30% fragment of content A is needed, since other end nodes may contain sufficient other fragments. If content A is not expected to be viewed in the near future, it could be deleted immediately, or designated to be the first content to be deleted when other content needs to be stored in end node 5's storage unit.
  • end-user unit notifies the central server it is on-line, active and ready, for example, after the EUU1 is first installed at an end-user's house.
  • the central server transmits data block N to EUU1 for storage.
  • EUU2 requests data block N from the central server
  • the central server will notify EUU2 that data block N will be transmitted from EUU1.
  • the central server can thus command EUU1 to transmit the requested data block to EUU2.
  • the Internet transmit address is EUUl's, while the Internet receiver address is EUU2's.
  • EUU2 Upon receipt of the requested data block, EUU2 notifies the central server that transmission is now completed.
  • FIGS 8A and 8B show another embodiment of the VOD system in accordance with the present invention. It should be pointed out that in the system previously shown in Figures 5A and 5B, a number of end nodes are served by a single multimedia server 1.
  • Figures 8A and 8B show an alternative to, or elaboration of, this system, where the multimedia server's function has been split, or essentially off-loaded, into separate parts, and the content is delivered from a combination of end nodes and multimedia content servers. The content delivery is now accomplished by distributed content servers as well as by other end nodes, or the combination of servers and end nodes.
  • Control Server A may be an Internet server computer which performs the control and coordination role.
  • An example of this Internet server computer is a Compaq Proliant server or its equivalent, using the Microsoft NT operating system.
  • Web Server B may be an Internet server computer, an example of which is Sun Microsystems' Enterprise server or its equivalent, using the Sun Solaris operating system, which delivers web pages to end nodes, but which may or may not hold the multimedia content.
  • Multimedia Content Servers E and F may be Internet server computers which hold multimedia content.
  • FIGS 8A and 8B show another embodiment of the VOD system, in accordance with the present invention, delivering multimedia data to an end node from a combination of multimedia content servers and end nodes.
  • This embodiment thus makes it possible to build a system which delivers multimedia data to an end node, or multiple end nodes, only from multimedia content servers.
  • the multimedia content such as a movie file
  • the multimedia content may first be fragmented into smaller files, and the smaller files may be distributed for storage by end nodes and/or other servers.
  • the content fragments would be distributed onto End Node C (step 3), End Node D (step 4), Multimedia Content Server E (step 3), and Multimedia Content Server F (step 3).
  • the present invention also makes it possible to distribute copies of the file fragments to additional end nodes or servers, so that each file fragment may reside on more than one end node or server. This redundancy can allow the substitution of one end node or server for another, which may be useful if an end node or server is slow in transmitting data.
  • the data may reside on these end nodes and servers, and may be transmitted when needed.
  • the viewing end node may contain some software which may re-integrate the file fragments into the original file order.
  • the end nodes or Internet servers which hold the movie file fragments may contain some software which allows it to accept commands from a control server and to deliver the file fragments to an end node or to an Internet server.
  • step 1 occurs when a user at End Node D, say, wishes to view a movie. It sends a request to Web Server B for the movie data.
  • Web Server B passes the request to Control Server A.
  • Control Server A determines which end nodes or Internet servers contain the desired movie file fragments.
  • Control Server A sends instructions to End Node C, Multimedia Content Server E, and Multimedia Content Server F to deliver the desired movie file fragments to End Node D.
  • step 4 shown in Figure 8B, End Node C, Multimedia Content Server E, and Multimedia Content Server F together deliver the movie file fragments to End Node D.
  • the re-integration, or re-assembly, of the various fragments can be done by the viewing end node, if each fragment is coded to provide unique identification with respect to other fragments from the same title. Such re-integration or re-assembly may also let the viewing end node obtain a "script" of the fragments to be delivered from the server responding to the viewing end node's initial request. This "script" will facilitate the re- integration and re-assembly of the fragments, much like an instruction manual on how to assemble a bicycle.
  • each fragment should have a unique code identifying its position in the full length movie.
  • a standardized way of position-coding the movie or data file is established, in a similar manner Internet files are packetized and delivered separately throughout the Internet, only to be reassembled at the last point for the reception.
  • Web Server B may also act as a multimedia content server.
  • each fragment of data being stored by an EUU can be encrypted with a different encryption key for security reasons. For example, if an EUU stores 5 fragments from 5 programs, i.e. 1 fragment from 1 program, each fragment can have its own encryption key. Having the fragments or programs encrypted will prevent any unauthorized access of the EUU by its user.
  • the storage in each EUU is preferably transparent to the user, whether the EUU contains a full-length feature or a collection of fragments of various contents.
  • the present invention provides continuous playback of content, with a minimal amount of waiting, even though the upload transmission rate of content from a single end node is lower than the playback and download rates of the playing end node by fragmenting the content and distributing the content among a large number of networked storage nodes.
  • the present invention also allows multiple end nodes to view the same content, with a small delay between each viewing, where the delay is set by the time duration of a fragment.
  • the present invention can be used with any means of two way transmission of data.
  • the network could use DSL (digital subscriber line) technology shown in Figure 6, instead of, or in conjunction with, the cable TV technology shown in Figure 1.
  • the present invention for data delivery has largely been described in terms of implementing a video-on-demand system with distributed storage, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art the present invention can also implement a "data-on-demand" system.
  • the storage unit at each end-user's site will store data for access by other users or by itself.
  • the stored data can also be portions, or fragments, of distinct kinds of data, which can be assembled with other portions stored elsewhere to form a complete piece, provided there is mechanism, e.g. via a central server, to control, track and manage the storage, transmission and assembly of the data.
  • it may behoove those who manage such networks to implement data security and encryption measures to prevent the uninvited access of stored data by the end-user.
  • the invention may be conveniently implemented using a conventional general purpose digital computer and programmed according to the teachings of the present invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • Appropriate software coding can readily be done by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the software art.
  • the invention may also be implemented by the preparation of application specific integrated circuits or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • the present invention also includes a computer program product which is a storage medium including instructions which can be used to program a computer to perform a process of the invention, such as the storage of the distributed programs, or the content flow control of the distribution network.
  • the storage medium can include, without limitation, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs and magneto- optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions.
  • the device processes signals which are physical phenomena and control the device in a appropriate manner so that the desired results of the invention are achieved.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
  • Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
  • Television Signal Processing For Recording (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système et un procédé destinés à distribuer les données à destination de plusieurs utilisateurs finaux (5-12) au moyen d'un système de stockage réparti des données connecté à travers un réseau de communication de données. L'équipement de reproduction ou d'enregistrement audio ou vidéo de l'utilisateur final comprend une unité de stockage telle qu'un disque magnétique. Chaque unité de stockage peut stocker des données telles qu'un contenu vidéo numérique (par exemple, des films) ou un contenu audio numérique (par exemples, des chansons). L'unité de stockage peut aussi être configurée pour stocker des parties (ou fragments) d'un contenu audio ou vidéo numérique, l'emplacement, la reproduction et l'enregistrement du contenu vidéo ou audio dans chaque unité étant administrés, gérés et régis par une installation centrale (1). Le contenu audio ou vidéo destiné à la reproduction (ou ses parties) peuvent résider dans une ou plusieurs unités de stockage physiquement séparées ou dans une unité centrale de stockage (13).
EP00953809A 1999-08-02 2000-08-02 Video sur demande fonctionnant entre un serveur ou un utilisateur et un autre utilisateur Withdrawn EP1205073A1 (fr)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14689399P 1999-08-02 1999-08-02
US146893P 1999-08-02
US47580799A 1999-12-30 1999-12-30
US475807 1999-12-30
PCT/US2000/021127 WO2001010125A1 (fr) 1999-08-02 2000-08-02 Video sur demande fonctionnant entre un serveur ou un utilisateur et un autre utilisateur

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EP1205073A1 true EP1205073A1 (fr) 2002-05-15

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EP (1) EP1205073A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2003506765A (fr)
KR (1) KR20020035571A (fr)
CN (1) CN1377556A (fr)
AU (1) AU6619300A (fr)
WO (1) WO2001010125A1 (fr)

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WO2001010125A1 (fr) 2001-02-08
KR20020035571A (ko) 2002-05-11
JP2003506765A (ja) 2003-02-18
CN1377556A (zh) 2002-10-30

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