FR2999047A1 - Method for accessing remote service platform of broadband network by e.g. smart phone of home network, involves managing communication of messages between terminal and remote service platform based on protocol of local area network - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves managing communication of messages between a terminal (1) e.g. smart phone, and a remote service platform (3) based on a protocol such as DLNA, of a local area network (4) e.g. home network. A service session is established between the remote service platform and the terminal of the local area network. A description of the service platform is created from establishment of the service session. The description of the service platform is published in the local network. A checking is performed if communication enters the terminal and the service platform. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a gateway (2) a computer program comprising instructions for performing a method for accessing a remote service platform.

Description

Communication between a home network and an external service platform. TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to the field of telecommunications and more particularly to the equipment of a local telecommunications network in the context of audiovisual services. In general, the invention applies to the gateway of such a network, and more particularly to the residential or home gateway in the case of a home network.

State of the art A home network is a computer network that connects together, with or without wires, the terminal equipment of a house (computers, printing peripherals, storage devices, etc.) able to communicate together. A home network comprises a router equipment, also commonly called gateway, intermediate element for the redirection or routing of data packets between the different terminals and networks connected to it. In particular, a home network offers the possibility of exchanging audiovisual content, in the context of audiovisual services: Video on Demand (VOD), TéléVision (TV) channels, etc. These audiovisual services are generally offered by an operator who manages the services offered to the terminals of the customers via a platform of services located on the Internet network. Specific equipment of the operator-managed home network STB (Set Top Box) connects to operator service platforms and gives customers access to audiovisual content according to their rights. This means of access is binding: it entails a certain cost of maintenance for the operator, and for the customer, the mandatory presence of STB equipment in the house. In the field of home networks, there are also a number of standards that allow audiovisual content to be shared directly between the content servers of a local network and the terminals of the same local network. In this context, the UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) standard aims to enable peripheral terminals to easily connect and communicate simply within such a network. It is a set of communication protocols based on the Internet Protocol (IP) and promulgated by the UPnP Forum (UPnP Forum). These protocols include, in particular, UPNP AV, a set of audiovisual protocols, and UPnP Remote User Interface (RUI) that allows UPnP clients and servers to work together (in technical terms, interoperet) on the network (control video, interface transfer, etc.). In the same context, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is an alliance that defines, through a number of profiles, interoperability guides (in English, guidelines) for reading, sharing and control. audiovisual content on DLNA-certified terminals of the home network. DLNA relies on UPnP protocols. In the context of protected audiovisual content (that is to say under license of use), DLNA defines the profile CVP (Commercial Video Prof ?,). This profile is based on UPnP-RUI standards for graphical control interface broadcasting, UPnP-AV for broadcasting audiovisual content, and DTCP-IP, a technology for digital rights management. In the following, UPnP / DLNA is an association of UPnP protocols with DLNA guidelines. These standards, although effective in the context of the local network, have disadvantages: they do not make it possible to implement all the functions provided by a STB equipment, related to the attachment and consumption of audiovisual services managed by the network. operator (addressing, authentication, authorization, rights management, etc.); they also do not allow access to operator platforms, since their scope is limited to that of the local network.

The invention offers a solution that does not have the drawbacks of the state of the art.

The invention For this purpose, according to a functional aspect, the subject of the invention is a method of access by a terminal of a local network to a remote services platform of a broadband network, the two networks being connected by a gateway, the terminal being able to communicate with at least one local device of the same local network via at least one local area network protocol, said method being characterized in that it manages the communication, between the terminal and the remote platform, of messages based on the LAN protocol. The invention thus enables the client terminal, while using the local network protocol, typically UPnP / DLNA, to access the services of the operator on the remote platform, located in the broadband network. Typically, access to the services makes it possible to consume them, that is to say, for example, to visualize a VOD, to watch a TV channel to which the customer is subscribed and which is offered to him via the broadband network, etc. Seen from the terminal, everything happens as if he accessed locally the services of a STB equipment. Thus, it is advantageously abstracted from the STB equipment in the local network by allowing itself to deport its functionalities in the broadband network in the form of a virtual STB (vSTB) associated with the operator's service platform. , which simplifies the management of STB equipment for the operator and the transparent access to the service for the customer. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a method as described above comprises the following steps: - establishment of a service session between the service platform and the terminal of the local network; - Creating a description of the service platform, resulting from the establishment of the service session; - Publication of the description of the service platform in the local network; - Control of communication between the terminal and the service platform.

This embodiment of the invention makes it possible to simply broadcast the services of the service platform in the local network in order to use them in a transparent manner, based on the architecture already offered by UPnP / DLNA protocols. . Thanks to the invention, the service platform can create, or equivalently update (we speak of creation during the initial step or update later, that is to say when the description already exists ) its audiovisual services on the home gateway, which then distributes them in the local network to the local terminals. Thus, although it is advantageously abstracted from the physical presence of the STB equipment in the local network, the operator can broadcast its services on all UPnP / DLNA terminals of the local network, such as tablets or phones mobile devices (Smattphones), without deploying any dedicated application on these terminals.

According to a variant of this first particular mode of implementation of the invention, the step of establishing a service session of a method as described above comprises the following substeps: Obtaining a attachment address to the remote services platform; Transmitting at least one LAN-related credential to the remote service platform with the attachment address obtained. This variant makes it possible to achieve the attachment of the method object of the invention uniquely to the service platform, so that the home gateway that supports the method can subsequently easily control the established session. Indeed, once the service platform offering the audiovisual services and the residential gateway are linked by these steps, bidirectionally, since the identifier is unique, the gateway can take the role of the service platform (in particular the virtual STB) with respect to the local network.

According to another variant of this first particular mode of implementation of the invention, which may be implemented alternatively or cumulatively with the previous one, the step of creating the description of the service platform comprises the following sub-steps: - Receipt of a description of the service platform containing at least one description of a service of the service platform, said service description comprising at least one address allowing access and control of the service. - Memorization of the description of the platform.

This variant makes it possible to memorize the description of the services in order subsequently to provide a description and an address, typically an url, making it possible to address a service the description of which has been provided by the platform hosting the virtual STB. According to another variant of this first particular mode of implementation of the invention, which may be implemented alternately or cumulatively with the previous, the communication control step performs a transposition of the addresses between the two networks. This variant of the invention makes it possible to transparently relay the UPnP / DLNA messages between the two pieces of equipment communicating with each other on the two networks (terminal and service platform), classically routing the messages without modifying their content. According to another variant of this first particular mode of implementation of the invention, which may be implemented alternatively or cumulatively with the previous ones, the communication control step 25 realizes an adaptation of the content of the protocol messages. local. This variant of the invention makes it possible to meet the constraints of certain protocols of the LAN or the WAN by modifying the messages so that they conform to what is expected on the platform or the local terminal. Thus, in addition to the routing, it is possible to adapt the content of the messages conveyed.

According to a hardware aspect, the invention also relates to a gateway comprising a module for managing a communication between a terminal of a local network and a remote service platform of a broadband network, the two networks being connected by the gateway. residential, the terminal being able to communicate with at least one local device of the same local network via at least one local network protocol, said module being characterized in that it manages the communication between the terminal and the remote platform, messages based on the LAN protocol. According to yet another material aspect, the invention also relates to a computer program capable of being implemented on a device as described above, the program comprising code instructions which, when the program is executed by a processor , performs the steps of the method defined above This program can be implemented in the device inserted in any equipment of the local network, in particular in the residential gateway defined above. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The figures: FIG. 1 represents the general context of one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 represents an architecture of a residential gateway implementing an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 schematizes how the residential gateway performs the protocol conversation between the local network and the broadband network to which it is connected. FIG. 4 represents a timing diagram of the exchanges between the different network devices during the implementation of the invention.

Figure 5 details the session initiation procedure in the form of a timing diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT EXPRESSING THE INVENTION FIG. 1 represents a home network, or local network, corresponding to the general context of the invention. The home network (4) is for example an IP (Internet Protocol) local area network. In this example, the network (4) supports the features and protocols of the aforementioned UPnP / DLNA standards. The home network (4) comprises a residential gateway (2) connected to the broadband network (WAN, 7) of the operator, also sometimes called "cloud", by a high-speed link. It also includes, in this example, terminal equipment capable of establishing communications with the residential gateway (2). In this embodiment of the invention, only one terminal equipment (1) has been represented. Subsequently, the term terminal equipment, or more simply terminal, any device able to connect and communicate on the home network via the UPnP protocol, such as a laptop, a digital television decoder, etc. The terminal 1 is for example a so-called "connected" television (that is to say it is capable of communicating with an Internet network) which receives data such as television or video-on-demand video streams ( VOD) or program guide data from the network (4) and in particular from the gateway (2). The TV (1) includes a Media Renderer in the UPnP sense; its function is to render (display) the multimedia content. According to the invention, the home network does not include STB equipment. On the other hand, the broadband network (WAN, 7) of the operator comprises a service platform (3) associated with a virtual STB (5, vSTB). According to this embodiment, the functions of the STB (video decoding, rendering of interfaces, execution of EPG type applications, management of rights, etc.) are implemented in the operator's network (WAN). The operator can thus offer its customers all of its audiovisual services (IPTV, VOD, catch-up TV, live recording, etc.) as if they had STB equipment, that is to say that the STB is made virtual (vSTB). To enable the use of local network standards, such as UPnP / DLNA, between the terminals of the home network and this virtual STB (5), for example to access a VOD service, the features of the local network protocol (UPnP / DLNA) are therefore distributed between the residential gateway and the vSTB: 1. The virtual STB (vSTB, 5) makes the necessary adaptations so that the flows coming from the service platforms are compatible with DLNA and adapted to the capacity of the terminal. 2. In this context, the support gateway of the invention serves as an intelligent but transparent relay to the home network protocols by allowing them to access the vSTB. Thus, the invention proposes a device that makes it possible to implement the protocols of the UPnP / DLNA standard transparently between the client terminals of the home network and the operator's audiovisual service platforms over the broadband network (WAN ). This allows the reading, sharing and control of licensed content, through the service platforms, by the DLNA certified terminals of the local network, without modifying or adding functionalities to these terminals. The operator network also includes a device (8) that conventionally allows authentication and attachment to the gateway network, for example a DHCP server (that is to say a device capable of managing centrally IP addresses and associated information by automatically providing them to clients). Figures 2 and 3 illustrate how this implementation is performed on the residential gateway (2). FIG. 2 represents the architecture of a device which implements an embodiment of the invention, for example the gateway (2) of FIG. 1.

It comprises, conventionally, memories (M) associated with a processor (CPU). The memories can be type ROM (English Read Only Memory) or RAM (English Random Access Memory) or Flash. The gateway 2 communicates with the local network and the broadband network via the Ethernet module (ETH) on the one hand and possibly the WIFI module for local wireless communication. The gateway 2 further comprises, in accordance with the invention, an access module to the platform of the operator by a terminal of the local network, hereinafter SCE (English Smart Cloud Enablei). The SCE module, which can be software or hardware, is particularly capable of realizing the attachment to the services of the operator, in connection with the authentication data (line identifiers, login / passwd, etc.), the translation of the addresses. , dissemination of service descriptions, link security (eg according to DTCP-IP).

FIG. 3 schematizes the way in which the residential gateway carries out the protocol conversation between the local network (4) to which it is connected and the services offered by the external virtual STB (5) associated with the service platform ( 3) of the operator, and that we note later (3,5). In this embodiment, in the context of the UPnP / DLNA standard. It is assumed that a network equipment (DMA, 1), which can be likened to a control point (CP) in the UPnP sense, or a client (DMA - Digital Media Adapta ') in the DLNA sense, for example connected TV. (1) of Figure 1, wants to consume a service (/ PTVService, for example, VOD) that is on the virtual STB (vSTB, 5). The residential gateway (HGW, 2) must ensure exchanges, including the establishment and monitoring of communication between the two equipment, terminal and vSTB, located on two different networks (LAN, WAN), respecting UPnP / DLNA protocols . According to this embodiment of the invention, the gateway (2) provides this communication via a number of protocol phases borrowed directly from DLNA / UPnP: addressing, description, discovery and control. 1. The service addressing, during which the gateway retrieves an Internet address of the service. In the context of this embodiment of the invention, the addressing of the service is done in connection with unique authentication information provided by the gateway to the vSTB (client line identifier for example, in order to perform the access control and session management). 2. The description is the phase during which the gateway retrieves the characteristics and contents of the server, via the HTTP protocol. In our example, following the establishment of the session during the previous phase, the vSTB transmits descriptive documents of its services to the gateway, which will henceforth act as a delegated server (DMS) for the local network. 3. The discovery, during which the control point (CP) of the terminal (1) transmits in search mode (SEARCH) of server equipment in multicast mode. In the context of the present invention, the gateway adopts this role (instead of the vSTB) by notifying the presence of the vSTB via appropriate advertisement messages (SSDP Notify messages). 4. The DMA, knowing the available services and capabilities of the server (vSTB), requires actions from the server and receives feedback actions according to the http protocol, under the control of the gateway which serves as a transparent relay providing routing messages.

FIG. 4 is a more detailed chronogram of the exchanges between the different pieces of equipment of the network during an implementation of the invention on the residential gateway 2. The role of the gateway 2 is to ensure, as summarized above, the various steps necessary to establish and monitor the communication between the equipment of the LAN (connected TV 1 or DMA in the DLNA sense) and the WAN (vSTB 5 on the service platform 3). In this exemplary embodiment, during the first addressing phase (1. ADDR), which will be described in more detail later in support of FIG. 5, the gateway (2) registers with the vSTB.

A description phase (2. DESCR) is then performed in step E22, during which the vSTB transmits its description (PF_DESCR) using the conventional UPnP functionalities for the description; this description contains information about the audiovisual services of the platform hosting the vSTB (3,5). During the step E12, the gateway 2 receives this information and saves (or updates) the description of the service in a database. The description typically contains information about the equipment (manufacturer, model, serial number, etc.) and the services provided (address, type, actions, parameters, etc.). The description may take the form, for example, of an XML syntax file (F) (eXtended Markup Language), comprising a list (<deviceList>) of equipment (here, the "virtual" equipment of the vSTB), each of the devices being classically described between an opening tag <device> and a closing tag </ device>, and proposing a certain number of services (<serviceType>). The service is associated with an address, typically a URL (Uniform Resource Locatot), comprising a combination of Internet address (IP) and port number to access the service. This URL is denoted URLS on the schema. Note that XML data is only one example of description data and that the invention can also be applied to description data compliant with another standard. A discovery phase (3-DISC) can then be performed. In this exemplary embodiment, the residential gateway transmits, during a step E13, to the local network, notification messages (ALIVE) to announce the availability of the service or services of the vSTB. When the equipment (1) wishes to access the services of the operator, for example to display a VOD, it sends a request message UPnP type SEARCH (E2) and receives back (E14) a response from the gateway notifying the vSTB availability, which meets the search criteria. Conventionally, according to the UPnP standard, the terminal (1) can then request (E3) the information relating to the service vSTB (message ssdp GET), transmitted in response during a step E14 via a message "http NOTIFY" accompanied by a address of the description file, noted on the URLF schema, and which corresponds here to the address of the XML file (F) received in step 12.

During a control phase (4.CTRL), the terminal (1) can then invoke an action (for example, request the reading of a VOD content) at the step E4, using the address (URL_F) provided by the gateway, and receive (E23) content to consume (AV Content). The role of the gateway (2) consists in this phase (E16) in receiving the messages from the terminal (1) in the LAN to redirect them to the WAN (2) and vice versa, using a transposition of the addresses, or a routing packages, and possibly transforming the content to fit the audiovisual service.

Figure 5 details the session establishment process, or addressing discussed at the beginning of the description of Figure 4 (E20); this process implements the terminal (1) of the LAN, the residential gateway (2), the virtual STB associated with the service platform (3.5) and the network equipment of the operator, for example a DHCP server (8). ) as described in support of Figure 1. The addressing sequence is divided into two phases, separated by a horizontal line: phase 1 (attachment to the network) and phase 2 (attachment to services carried by the platform). Phase 1 corresponds to the typical attachment sequence of a service platform and a residential gateway to the operator network: - (1.1) The vSTB registers on the operator network and (1.1b ) obtains in step S10 an Internet address (@IP private WAN) which is usable (in technical terms, "routable") in this one (ie: this address is not accessible directly via the public Internet network or a LAN) - (If) After the boot sequence, the home gateway assigns a private IP address for the local network (@IP private LAN) which is "routable" only in the LAN (ie: this address is not accessible directly via public Internet or other LAN) (1.3) The residential gateway registers on the operator's network and (1.3b) obtains a public Internet address (public @IP WAN) which is routable in the WAN and accessible from there. - 3.1 / 3.2: the terminal attaches, conventionally, to the residential gateway. At the end of these steps, the gateway has a local address (LAN) and a global address (WAN), and also knows the terminal of the LAN. Phase 2 corresponds to the sequence of attachment to the service, which will subsequently be relayed in a transparent manner thanks to the invention. 1. After obtaining the public address (public @IP WAN), the residential gateway contacts (2.1) the service platform "vSTB" with unique identification parameters of the LAN, denoted HGW Reg. (for example: line identifier, @IP internet, login / password, etc). 2. The action (2.1) has the effect of initiating in step S11 a procedure for registering a service session (2.2) on the operator's network. The private @IP WAN, obtained at the end of step 2.2b is informally linked (bidirectionally) to the residential gateway through the unique identification parameter, and will be used to link the access, description and control of the service in a transparent way. It goes without saying that the embodiment which has been described above has been given for purely indicative and not limiting, and that many modifications can be easily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

REVENDICATIONS1. Method for access by a terminal (1) of a local area network (LAN, 4) to a remote service platform (3.5) of a broadband network (WAN, 7), the two networks being connected by a gateway (2), the terminal (1) being able to communicate with at least one local device of the same local area network (LAN, 4) via at least one local area network protocol (UPnP / DLNA), said method being characterized in that It manages the communication between the terminal (1) and the remote platform (3.5) of messages based on the local network protocol (UPnP / DLNA). 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - establishment of a service session (E10, S2, S20, S3) between the service platform (3) and the terminal (1) LAN (LAN, 4) - Creating (E12, E22) a description of the service platform (3.5), resulting from the establishment of the service session (E11); - Publication (E13, E14, E15) of the description of the service platform (3.5) in the local area network (LAN, 4). - Control (E16) of the communication between the terminal (1) and the service platform (3,5). 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the step of establishing a service session comprises the following substeps: Obtaining (S2) an attachment address to the remote services platform (3). , 5); Transmission (S3) of at least one local network identification information (HGW Reg) to the remote service platform by the attachment address obtained. 4. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the creation step (E12) of the description of the service platform (3) comprises the following substeps: Reception (E12) of a description of the service platform (PF_DESCR) containing at least one description (S_DESCR) of a service (S) of the service platform, said service description comprising at least one address (URL_S) allowing access and control of the service (S). Memorization (E12, F) of the description (PF_DESCR) of the service platform. 5. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the communication control step (E16) performs a transposition of the addresses between the two networks (LAN, WAN). 6. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the communication control step (E16) realizes an adaptation of the contents of the local protocol messages (UPnP / DLNA). 7. Gateway (2) comprising a communication management module (SCE) between a terminal (1) of a local area network (LAN) and a remote service platform (3.5) of a broadband network ( WAN), the two networks being connected by the gateway (2), the terminal (1) being able to communicate with at least one local device of the same local area network (LAN) via at least one local network protocol (UPnP / DLNA) , said module being characterized in that it manages the communication, between the terminal (1) and the remote platform (3.5), messages based on the local network protocol (UPnP / DLNA). 8. Computer program adapted to be implemented on a device as defined in claim 7, the program comprising code instructions which, when the program is executed by a processor, performs the steps of the method defined according to the claim 1.