FR3052619A1 - METHOD FOR STORING DIGITAL CONTENTS IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing digital content storage in a device (GTW) able to communicate with a server (SRV) of a content provider (OP) capable of providing content, the device (GTW) having a storage unit (D2) providing storage space for storing contents, characterized in that in the device the storage unit (D2) comprises a content storage area (E-OP2) for the storage of contents of the provider, the zone (E-OP2) being managed by a storage management unit whose operation is under the control of the server.

Description

Method for storing digital contents in a computer system

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to the field of telecommunications. The invention particularly relates to a method of storing contents in a communication network. The network comprises a plurality of storage devices, in particular a server of a content provider and at least one device able to access these contents.

The content provider is for example a telecommunications operator, a service type OTT (abbreviation angio Saxon "Over The Top") delivery of multimedia content, or any other actor capable of managing content.

In the present application, content refers to any digital content downloadable via a communication network. Content is for example audio and / or video content such as a television channel also called audiovisual channel, or a television content on demand also called catch-up TV ("catch-up TV" or "replay TV"). English) or video on demand ("Video On Demand"), text-processing content (word, excel, etc.), etc.

The targeted device is any; it can be a terminal such as a smartphone, a computer, a tablet or any other equivalent terminal. The device can also be an intermediate device such as a gateway, and more particularly a home gateway, or a smartphone offering a gateway function between two networks, namely a local area network and an extended network in the case of a home gateway. .

State of the art

Today content providers offer a variety of storage services.

A first service offers the possibility of archiving data. This first service is often designated by the skilled person by the term "cloud". The data is for example photos or videos belonging to a user. With this service, a user transports the storage of his data to a server.

A second service offers the possibility of accessing multimedia content; these multimedia contents can be bought, or rented, for a given duration. The rented contents are always stored on storage disks, remotely. Purchased content is also stored on vendor storage disks in the network as long as the user does not require a local download of the content purchased on their device.

A common feature of these two services is that the data is stored remotely on storage disks of the service provider. This results in an exponential increase in the amount of data to be stored on the storage disks in the network.

A solution for the provider is to delete data, for example the most obsolete data. This deletion is done in different ways depending on the service.

In the case of the first service, for example when a user terminates a subscription contract with the provider ending the possibility of storing his data in the "cloud", or when the customer changes subscription offer to a lower offer in range decreasing the allocated storage space (for example a decrease from IOOG0 to IOG0); in these cases, the supplier allows a period of time, for example 6 months, to make a backup; after this time, the user's data is deleted. One problem is that, for the duration of 6 months, the data is stored in a server of the provider; this leads to a significant consumption of the storage space belonging to the supplier.

In the case of the second service, the purchased video contents are accessible in "streaming" mode from a server for a certain legal duration which can be long (10 years for example). It is difficult for an operator to offer these contents in streaming mode during this period. Also, after a few years, the operator offers customers to download content purchased locally so that the operator can delete the content in question streaming servers and free up storage space. However, this data can not be deleted from storage disks on the network until the client has requested a download of the purchased content in question. Indeed, the user can decide not to download the content so as not to consume memory on his terminal. This has the consequence for the supplier use of a significant storage space for a long time.

A known solution is to delete the content on the server of the provider and, despite everything, to make it appear as available. The user who wants to access this content sees this content as available but can not download it. This solution is obviously not satisfactory because it creates a frustration for the user who can not access a content he has purchased or rented even though this content is presented as available. 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 for managing the storage of digital contents in a device able to communicate with a server of a content provider capable of providing content, the device having a storage unit providing storage space for storing contents, characterized in that in the device the storage unit includes a content storage area for storing contents of the provider, the area being managed by a storage management unit whose operation is under the control of the server. The invention takes advantage of the presence of a storage unit present on the device to extend the storage space of the supplier. This local space, managed by a local management unit belonging to the provider, supplements the remote storage space. In other words, on the storage unit of the device, which includes for example a hard disk or even several hard disks or any other storage means, a first space is allocated to the user, a second space is allocated to the provider . Advantageously, the two spaces are partitioned in such a way that everything can happen as if, for the user, the provider had no storage space on the device.

Ideally, the space allocated to the provider is not communicated to the user so as to make the storage process completely transparent to him. Thus, the provider can store content as desired locally on the terminal without the knowledge of the user of the terminal.

Thanks to the invention, the provider has the ability to automatically download content to a storage space allocated to him and who is physically present at the customer. A storage management unit, present on the device, manages the storage and access to content stored in the space allocated to the provider.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a storage, in the storage unit, of a content managed by the provider comprises, a. receiving by the storage management unit a storage command and a content; b. storage of the content in the area.

With this feature, the server is unloaded from the storage management in the memory space allocated to the provider in the device.

According to a variant of this mode, the unit also receives a storage duration related to the content to be memorized; the management unit deletes the content after expiration of the storage period. With this feature, the unit unloads the server from the management of the deletion of contents in the local storage space allocated to the provider on the device.

Advantageously, the deletion is preceded by a relevant transfer in a storage area of the user included in the storage unit. This feature allows the user to repatriate, in an area of the storage unit storing its private data, content before deletion.

According to a hardware aspect, the invention relates to a device capable of communicating with a server of a content provider capable of providing content, the device having a storage unit offering a storage space for storing the contents. , characterized in that the storage unit comprises a content storage area for storing contents of the provider, the area being managed by a storage management unit whose operation is under the control of the server.

In another hardware aspect, the invention relates to a computer program product comprising program code instructions for implementing a storage management method defined above, when executed by a processor.

In another hardware aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded including program code instructions for performing the steps of the target storage management method. above.

According to another functional aspect, the invention relates to a second method for managing the storage of contents in a communication network comprising a content provider server and at least one device able to access the contents, the server having a data storage unit. storage providing a first storage space and said at least one device having a storage unit, the first space being managed by a first storage management unit, characterized in that the server has a second external storage space to the server, the second space being managed by a storage management unit operating under the control of the first storage management unit.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a transfer of a content from the first space to the second causes the deletion of the content in the first space.

According to another hardware aspect, the invention relates to a server capable of communicating with at least one device via a communication network, the server having a storage unit offering a first storage space and said at least one device having a storage unit, the first space being managed by a first storage management unit, characterized in that the server has a second storage space external to the server, the second space being managed by a second management unit storage operating under the control of the first storage management unit.

According to another hardware aspect, the invention relates to a computer program product comprising program code instructions for implementing the second storage management method as defined above, when executed by a processor. .

In another hardware aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded including program code instructions for executing the steps of the second storage management method. defined above. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents a computer system on which is illustrated an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Figures 2a and 2b show the circuits of the equipment involved in the method of the invention.

Figs. 3a and 3b are schematic views of storage units present on the server and the device, respectively; these views show the storage space allocated to the provider on these two storage units.

Figures 4a and 4b are schematic views of possible variants when deleting a content.

Detailed description of an embodiment (or example) illustrating the invention

FIG. 1 represents a SYS computer system comprising an infrastructure of a content provider comprising a server representative of a content provider FONT, and a device GTW; the server and the device are connected to each other via a communication network RES, for example the Internet network.

We chose to represent the provider with a single server to simplify the presentation; however, multiple servers may be implemented in the operator's network.

A service is for example an archiving service also called "storage in the cloud" or "cloud" by the skilled person. Another service may also be a rental service or sale of multimedia content known as "television on demand" (catchup in English) or "video on demand".

These contents can be accessed from the GTW device.

In our example, the GTW device is a gateway to a network. In our example, the gateway is a home gateway between a local area network (LAN) and an extended network such as the WAN (Wide Area Network). This gateway provides a network coverage representative of the local network to which can connect terminals such as a smartphone, a computer, a tablet, etc.

The FCNT provider and the GTW device have a computer-like structure; they comprise in particular processors CRJ1 / CRJ2, inputs / outputs 1/01 and I02, random access memories of the RAM type and permanent memories MEM1 / MEM2 in which are stored storage management units U11 / U12 representative of programs of computer according to the invention. The management units U11 and U12 interact with each other for managing the storage of the data managed by the provider FONT. U11 and U12 units operate in a client / server mode.

The first management unit U11 storage provider, also called hereinafter "remote management unit" has the function of managing the storage of content at the server. The second storage management unit U12, hereinafter referred to as the "local management unit", has the function of managing the storage of the contents of the provider at the device level.

The SRV server and the GTW device are also equipped with respective storage units D1 and D2 illustrated by means of hard disks.

The content provider can store content of any kind in its storage space. In our example, the contents are multimedia contents accessible for a given duration. This duration is linked for example to a financial transaction such as a purchase or rental of content. The invention is not limited to this type of content but extends instead to any type of digital content such as word processing documents, etc.

In general, when a content is purchased, it is accessible without time limit, or even with a relatively long time limit, for example 10 years. By cons when rented it is rented for a limited time period for example 6 months.

As stated in the state of the art section, the number of rented or sold content increases on the server's DI disk. According to the invention, with reference to FIG. 2, the supplier's storage space E-OP1 extends over the storage unit D2. In other words, the storage space allocated to the FCNT provider includes the space E-OP1 located on the disk DI and an storage space E-OP2 located on the disk D2 of the device. As an example, assuming that the D2 disk has a capacity of 1.5 TB (Tera

Bytes), 1Τ is allocated to the user and 0.5 TB is allocated to the provider. Finally, 0.5T multiplied by the number of gateways significantly increases the memory space allocated to the provider in the SYS system. The allocation of a memory space can be achieved in several ways. An example is to partition the D2 disk. The latter is then divided into regions, or partitions, managed by storage units U12 and U2 separately.

The disk D2 further comprises a storage management unit U2 of the private contents of the user, as opposed to the content managed by the provider (for example multimedia contents of the TVOD, VOD, etc. type) managed by the storage unit. U12 management.

One of the functions of the management units is to index the contents; each content corresponds to a storage location and a Ref-ID. An indexing base results from the indexation carried out on all the contents. The resulting indexing bases can be stored in the devices hosting the concerned units, respectively; according to another variant, the indexing bases are stored in the network; in this case, all the contents of the provider are indexed and stored in an indexing database that is stored in the SRV server.

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the different steps of an embodiment of the method of the invention.

It is assumed here that CNT content has been rented for a given duration.

During an optional step, the management unit U12 transmits beforehand to the remote management unit U12 a URL address of the home gateway GTW. This address allows access to the gateway from the WAN network. This step is useful only if the server, understood as the unit U11, is not aware of this URL, it can be entered manually at the SRV server. The URL can be provided in several ways.

For example, the URL is provided to the remote management unit U11 when the gateway starts, or even at each start when the address changes regularly. The URL address is for example of the type "http: // WAN_lp_address: Wan_port". The URL can also be resolved by a DNS server. In this configuration, the GTW gateway, namely the management unit U12, notifies the remote management unit U11 a URL address of the type "https://Numero_de_serie_de_s_de_la_box.livebox.dns-orange.fr:PortWan", Then, a DNS service provides a match between "Numbers_of_the_box_box.livebox.dns-orange.fr" and a Wan IP address (this publication must be refreshed with each change of WAN IP address)

When the remote management unit U11 is aware of the URL, it can then access the gateway GTW, and in particular the storage space E-0P1 allocated to the provider. At this point, the two management units U11 and U12 can communicate with each other.

Then, in our example, the local management unit U12 informs the remote management unit U11 of the possible handling possibilities on the data in the memory space E_0P2 allocated to the provider on the hard disk D2 of the gateway GTW. For this purpose, the U12 management unit exposes application programming interfaces API s to the remote management unit U11. Recall that in computer science, an application programming interface (often referred to as the API for Application Programming Interface) is a standardized set of classes, methods, or functions that serves as a front-end by which software provides services to others. software.

For example, an API may be an interface - allowing the management unit U11 to store content in the space E-0P2; - allowing the management unit U11 to recover the used / available disk space in the space E-OP2; allowing the management unit U11 to retrieve the list of contents present in the space E-OP2; - allowing the U11 management unit to delete content in the E-OP2 space; - or any other possible action in this E-OP2 space.

An example of an available disk space recovery API is provided as a URL: http: // p_WAN_address: Port-Wan / GetAvailableSpace

The response of the provider is, for example, a response of the management unit U11 in SOAP or XML format

The steps of one embodiment are shown in Figure 1.

Since the management units U11 and U12 are able to communicate with one another, the storage method can be as follows:

A first phase PH1 (not shown in the figures) relates to a request from the provider to transfer a content from the space E-OP1 to the space E-OP2. This wish has any origin; this origin is for example a detection that a content is obsolete.

During this phase, the provider downloads the CNT content in the E-OP2 space; following the download, the U12 management unit deletes this content from the E-OP1 space to save space. This deletion is optional; it has a particular interest when the supplier wants to increase its storage capacity.

A second PH2 phase relates to access to content stored in the provider's local E-OP2 space.

In a first step, a user cuts SEL via a selection interface displayed on a screen, for example from a PC connected to the GTW gateway, the CNT content. The selection is transmitted to the GTW gateway. The LU 2 management unit intercepts the selection made and transmits an access request REQ1 to the provider FCNT. This request includes a URL of a content.

The FCNT receives the access request and forwards it over the WAN to the TNCF provider. The FCNT provider's U11 handling unit obtains the URL address, and through the indexing base finds that the concerned content is stored in the local E-OP2 space in the GTW gateway. As a result, the management unit U11 redirects (http redirect) the request REQ1 to the management unit U12. The redirection request REQ2 can take the form:

https: \\ @ LAN-GTW \ ref-l D @ LAN-GTW is the address of the gateway

Ref-ld being the identifier of the content. The U12 management unit installed in the gateway receives the redirection request and accesses the content stored in the local space E-OP2 by means of the identifier Ref-ld.

Finally, the management unit U12 requires a RST rendering of the content α \ ΓΓ on the television TV.

The embodiment described above may be subject to variants.

According to a first variant, the GTW gateway stores an indexing database locally. In this way, after receiving the selection SEL, the unit U12 checks in the indexing database where the selected content is located. If the content is stored on the server, a request for access to the content is transmitted to the management unit U11. If the selected content is stored in the E-0P2 space, the unit accesses the content directly without querying the U11 management module. This first variant makes it possible to locally process a request for access to a managed content in the provider's E_OP2 space on the disk D2.

According to a second variant, with reference to FIG. 4, the management unit (U12) also receives an expiration duration T linked to the content to be memorized. For example, the rented content referred to above is a movie and the rental period is six months. After expiration of the rental period, the management unit (U12) deletes the contents. Advantageously, the duration T is included in digital rights management data of the type DRM (English acronym of "Digital FSght Management"). The use of DRM data makes it possible to apply the rules registered in the DRM data irrespective of the data medium where the content is stored or transferred.

According to another variant, before being deleted from the local space E-OP2, at the expiry of the planned duration referred to above, the content in question is transferred from the space E-OP1 to the allocated space to the EU user. Thanks to this variant, the user can retrieve content that is to be deleted. Once the content is transferred to the E-U space, the user is free to delete or not the content in question. In this other variant, it is also advantageous to transmit the DRM data relating to the content so that the content is automatically deleted from the user space E-U by the management unit U2.

According to another variant, a download of a content takes the following form:

A user selects content, for example purchased content. Suppose it is stored in the E-OP1 space. The management unit U12 transmits a request for access to the content for the SRV server. The U11 management unit of the server receives the selection; observes, thanks to the indexing base, that the content in question is stored in the space E-OP2 on the disk D2. The remote unit U11 transmits a transfer request to the local unit U12. The U12 local management unit receives the transfer request and performs a content transfer from the provider storage area (E-OP2) to the user's storage area (U-U). Note that in the present text, a unit can be implemented in software form (or "software"), in which case it takes the form of a program executable by a processor, or in hardware form (or "hardware"). ), as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system-on-a-chip (SOC), or in the form of a combination of hardware and software elements, such as for example a software program intended to be loaded and executed on a component of type FPGA (Programmable Relay Gatte Array).

Depending on the embodiment chosen, certain acts, actions, events, or functions of each of the methods described herein may be performed or occur in a different order from that in which they were described, or may be added, merged or not to be performed or not to occur, as the case may be. In addition, in some embodiments, certain acts, actions or events are performed or occur concurrently and not successively.

Although described through a number of detailed exemplary embodiments, the proposed method and apparatus for implementing the method may include other variations, modifications, and enhancements that will be apparent to the man of the present invention. art, it being understood that these different variants, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims. In addition, various aspects and features described above may be implemented together, or separately, or substituted for each other, and all of the various combinations and sub-combinations of aspects and features are within the scope of the invention. 'invention.

Claims (11)

claims 1. A method for managing the digital content storage in a device (GTW) able to communicate with a server (SRV) of a content provider (OP) capable of delivering content, the device (GTW) having a unit storage device (D2) providing storage space for content storage, characterized in that in the device the storage unit (D2) comprises a content storage area (E-OP2) for storing contents of the provider, the zone (E-OP2) being managed by a storage management unit (U12) whose operation is under the control of the server. 2. Management method according to claim 1, characterized in that a storage in the storage unit (D2) of a content managed by the supplier comprises: a. receiving by the storage management unit (U12) a storage command and a content; b. storage of content in the area (E-OP2). 3. Management method according to claim 2, characterized in that the unit also receives a storage duration (T) related to the content to be stored, and in that the management unit (U12) deletes the content (CNT). ) after expiration of the storage period (T). 4. Management method according to claim 3, characterized in that the deletion is preceded by a concerned transfer in a storage area (E-U) of the user included in the storage unit (D2). 5. Device (GTW) capable of communicating with a server of a content provider (OP) capable of supplying content, the device (GTW) having a storage unit (D2) offering a storage space for the storage content, characterized in that the storage unit (D2) comprises a content storage area for storing contents of the provider, the area being managed by a storage management unit (U12) whose operation is under the control of the storage area. server control. A computer program product comprising program code instructions for implementing a storage management method according to claim 1, when executed by a processor. A computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded including program code instructions for performing the steps of the storage management method according to claim 1. 8. A method for managing the storage of contents in a communication network comprising a content provider server and at least one device able to access the contents, the server having a storage unit (D1) offering a first storage space ( E_OP1) and said at least one device having a storage unit (D2), the first storage space being managed by a first storage management unit (U11), characterized in that the server has a second space storage (E-OP2) external to the server, the second space being managed by a storage management unit (U12) operating under the control of the first storage management unit (U11). 9. Server (SRV) capable of communicating with at least one device via a communication network, the server having a storage unit (D1) offering a first storage space (E OP1) and said at least one device having a storage unit (D2), the first space being managed by a first storage management unit (U11), characterized in that the server has a second storage space (E-OP2) external to the server, the second space being managed by a second storage management unit (U12) operating under the control of the first storage management unit (U11). A computer program product comprising program code instructions for implementing a storage management method according to claim 8, when executed by a processor. A computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded including program code instructions for performing the steps of the storage management method according to claim 8.