JP2009232322A - Ip encoder apparatus, and uninterrupted video transmission system using ip encoder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve uninterrupted video transmission, using an IP encoder, independent of a network management system (NMS) regarding a fault supervisory/control technology in a video transmission system constituted of the IP encoder. <P>SOLUTION: Between a plurality of encoder bases 201, one is constituted as an active side and the other is constituted as a hot standby side. A setting information holding section 207 holds an IP address of another IP encoder apparatus that becomes substitute of the active-side 201. When a fault in the active-side 201 is detected, a fault detection section 202 instructs 203 to stop outputting from 201, instructs 204 to output a counter value of 201 where the fault has been detected, and instructs a trap signal sending section 205 to send out a trap signal packet. A trap signal receiving section 206 receives the trap signal packet from the other IP encoder apparatus, extracts the counter value stored therein and instructs the hot-standby-side 201 to start encoding based on the extracted counter value. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a failure monitoring / control technique in a video transmission system including an image encoding / decoding device (hereinafter referred to as an IP encoder).

  In recent years, with the transition from analog to digital broadcasting, the broadcasting industry is demanding high-quality video collection for news and sports broadcasting. On the other hand, with the increase in bandwidth and price of networks, video relay / collection using broadband networks is increasing from video relay / collection using conventional satellite links. In such a background, an IP encoder that compresses input video from a camera or the like and transmits it to a network, or an IP decoder that receives and decodes compressed video data via a network and outputs it to a monitor is important in a digital broadcasting system. It has become an element.

In the field of video transmission systems such as digital broadcasting, in order to realize high reliability of an IP encoder, it is common to adopt an N + 1 redundant configuration.
FIG. 7 shows a general redundant configuration diagram of N + 1 of the IP encoder in the conventional system.

  In the home of the #A subscriber 700, video content signals output from various video terminal devices are input to the # 1 to #n operational IP encoders 702 via the matrix switch 701 and compressed. Is output. The # n + 1 IP encoder 702 is connected to the matrix switch 701 as a standby system device. As shown in FIG. 8, the compressed video data output from each of the IP encoders # 1 to #n is output to the IP network 707 via the hub switch 703, the router 704, etc. To the B subscriber 700.

  An NMS (Network Management System) 706 is connected to the matrix switch 701, the IP encoders 702 of # 1 to # n + 1, the hub switch 703, and the router 704 via the management LAN 705, and monitors each device.

As described above, the operational IP encoder 702 includes N units (# 1 to #n), and the standby IP encoder 702 includes one unit (# n + 1).
In this state, as shown in FIG. 9, for example, when a failure occurs in the active IPO encoder 702 (# 3), specifically, a power supply fan failure, temperature abnormality, link failure, etc., the IP encoder 702 ( # 3) transmits a snmp (simple network management protocol) trap signal to the NMS 706.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the NMS 706 receives this trap signal, detects a failure of the IP encoder 702 (# 3), and sets the setting information of the corresponding IP encoder 702 (# 3) as the IP address of the standby system. It flows into the encoder 702 (# n + 1) and issues an instruction to the matrix switch 701 to reconnect the video terminal device or the like connected to the # 3 IP encoder 702 to the # n + 1 IP encoder 702. Thereby, redundancy is ensured.

On the other hand, the following problems can be considered in the operation method of the image encoding apparatus having such an N + 1 redundant configuration.
1) A major problem in the field of video transmission systems is that a broadcast program transmitted through the system must not be interrupted by a failure. In general, in a conventional system using the IP encoder 702, it takes time to switch the system (see 2 below), and as a result, the video display is interrupted during the switching process.

  2) The NMS 706 holds setting information for all IP encoders 702. For switching control from the active system to the standby IP encoder 702 (# n + 1) after the failure occurs, after the NMS 706 receives the trap signal, the setting information of the faulty device is sent to the standby IP encoder 702 (# n + 1). Since switching is performed by pouring, switching of the system takes time.

  3) The snmp trap packet transmitted from the IP encoder 702 to the NMS 706 when a failure occurs is in the udp (User Datagram Protocol) format and thus has no retransmission function. Therefore, when the NMS 706 is located far away via the router 704, the arrival reliability of this snmp trap packet is low. Therefore, in both cases of inband / outband monitoring, there is a possibility that the NMS 706 cannot receive and detect the trap signal when the IP encoder 702 fails.

  4) In order to interconnect and monitor and control the IP encoder 702 with another company's NMS 706, the NMS 706 must be customized for switching control of the IP encoder 702. This means that the switch control function of the IP encoder 702 is different for each vendor, so that the switch control function needs to be individually created for the NMS 706. However, when it is necessary to mix IP encoders 702 manufactured by different vendors in the system, generally, such customization is not performed, and NMS 706 and IP encoder 702 are often the products of the same vendor. Monitoring / control by an individual NMS 706 is performed.

  As described above, conventionally, there have been problems such as 1) the possibility that the video is interrupted, 2) it takes time to switch, and 3) the possibility that the trap signal may be missed (cannot be received).

  An object of the present invention is to monitor / control to realize uninterrupted video transmission independent of NMS using an IP encoder in order to solve the problems 1), 2), 3), 4), etc. To provide a system.

The first aspect of the present invention is predicated on an IP encoder device or an IP encoder program having a function of encoding an image signal and sending it to an IP network.
The plurality of encoder basic means (201) are configured such that one is an active side and the other is a hot standby side, and each encodes an image signal and sends it to the IP network (107).

The setting information holding means (207) holds address information of another IP encoder apparatus that is an alternative to the active encoder basic means.
The count extraction means (204) detects the encoding counter value in the encoder basic means.

The output stop means (203) stops the output of the encoder basic means.
The trap signal sending means (205) stores the encoding counter value output from the count extraction means, and another IP encoder device connects the trap signal packet in which the address information held by the setting information holding means is stored as destination information. Sent to the network (105). Here, for example, the trap signal sending means sets the encoding counter value as the continuity counter value in the trap signal packet.

  The fault detection means (202) detects a fault in the active encoder basic means, and at the time of detecting the fault, instructs the output stop means to stop the output of the encoder basic means in which the fault has been detected. The encoder basic means in which the fault is detected is instructed to output the encoding counter value, and the trap signal sending means is instructed to send out the trap signal packet.

  The trap signal receiving means (206) receives the trap signal packet from another IP encoder apparatus, extracts the encoding counter value stored in the trap signal packet, and sends the extracted encoding to the encoder basic means on the hot standby side. Indicates the start of encoding based on the counter value.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there are provided a plurality of IP encoder apparatuses (102) according to the first aspect of the present invention and a plurality of types of image signals as basic encoder means on the active side or hot standby side of the IP encoder apparatus. The matrix switch means (101) for distribution includes at least the active basic encoder means and the hot standby basic encoder means of the two IP encoder apparatuses associated with each other by the setting information. This is an uninterrupted video transmission system using an IP encoder configured to be input.

According to the configuration of the aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the problem of switching time and video signal interruption, which are problems in a video transmission system using a conventional IP encoder.
In addition, with the configuration of the aspect of the present invention, the continuity is output to the trap output when a failure occurs
By including information such as a counter value, it is possible to realize end-to-end video continuity on the decoder side and to realize uninterrupted video transmission.

  In addition, according to the configuration of the aspect of the present invention, the standby encoder (hot standby) IP encoder machine directly receives the snmp trap output from the IP encoder at the time of failure, compared with the switching processing from the conventional NMS. Faster switching can be realized.

  Furthermore, with the configuration of the aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize faster switching as compared with the conventional switching process from the NMS by making the IP encoder stand by as a hot standby.

  Also, with the configuration of the aspect of the present invention, the process from failure detection to switching of the IP encoder unit can be realized in the IP encoder, so that cooperation with other companies' NMS becomes easier and different vendor products are mixed. It becomes possible to reduce the complexity of the system.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention for realizing relayless video transmission using an IP encoder. 1, the functions of the subscriber 100, the matrix switch 101, the hub switch 103, the router 104, the management LAN 105, the NMS 106, and the IP network 107 are 700, 701, 703, 704, 705, 706, and 707 in FIG. It works the same as the function of each part.

In FIG. 1, the IP encoder 102 is a multi-channel encoder, and the first channel (# 1_1, # 2_1,..., # N_1) is active, and the second channel (# 1_2).
, # 2_2,..., # N_2) is set as a hot standby so that high-speed switching can be realized.

  Each of the IP encoders 102 of # 1 to # 2 is separately illustrated on the active side (# 1_1, # 2_1,..., # N_1) and the hot standby side (# 1_2, # 2_2,..., # N_2). As shown in FIG. 1, setting information is held. In each setting information, information indicating validity / invalidity of the snmp trap and address information (IP address) to which the snmp trap is transmitted are set. For example, in the setting information of the IP encoder 102 (# 2_1) on the active side, the IP addresses of the hot standby side IP encoder 102 (# 1_2) and the NMS 106 are set as the transmission destination of the snmp trap. Correspondingly, in the setting information of the hot standby side IP encoder 102 (# 1_2), the IP addresses of the active side IP encoder 102 (# 2_1) and the NMS 106 are set as the transmission destination of the snmp trap. .

  Video information of the same video source is input to the active-side IP encoder 102 and hot-standby-side IP encoder 102 paired by the setting information setting by the matrix switch 101 of FIG.

  Further, according to the setting information setting, in the present embodiment, when a failure occurs in any of the active side IP encoders 102 (# 1_1, # 2_1,..., # N_1), not only the NMS 106, A trap signal is immediately transmitted to any of the hot standby sides (# 1_2, # 2_2,..., # N_2) set as a pair in advance with respect to the IP encoder 102 in which the failure has occurred.

  Further, the trap signal includes a continuity counter value for realizing video continuity on the decoder side, so that the video signal or the like is not interrupted from the active side to the IP encoder 102 on the hot standby side. Is switched.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a detailed configuration of the # i-th IP encoder 102 (i is an arbitrary number satisfying 1 ≦ i ≦ n). 3 is an operation sequence diagram showing the control operation of each component in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are operation conceptual diagrams. This will be described below with reference to these drawings.

  The IP encoder 102 includes IP encoder units 200 on the active side (# i_1) and the hot standby side (# i_2), and has the same configuration, but only the active side (# i_1) is shown in detail in FIG. is there.

That is, the IP encoder unit 200 includes an encoder basic unit 201, a failure detection unit 202, an output stop unit 203, and a count extraction unit 204.
The encoder basic unit 201 inputs the video information 208 from the matrix switch 101 (FIG. 1), compresses the video by an installed MPEG module or the like, encapsulates it into an IP packet, and converts the video compression information 209 into the hub switch 103 and the router. The data is transmitted toward the IP network 107 (both see FIG. 1) via 104 or the like.

The encoder basic unit 201 has a counting function during encoding operation.
The failure detection unit 202 has a failure detection function such as an input signal failure. At the time of detection (S1 in FIG. 3, (1) in FIG. 4), failure information is output to the output stop unit 203 (S2- in FIG. 3). 1), output to the count extraction unit 204 (S2-2 in FIG. 3) and the trap signal transmission unit 205 (S2-3 in FIG. 3).

The output stop unit 203 stops video output based on the failure information from the failure detection unit 202.
The count extraction unit 204 has a function of extracting an encoding counter value at the time of video compression, and outputs the encoding counter value as a continuity counter value to the trap signal transmission unit 205 at a timing when the failure information is received from the failure detection unit 202. (S3 in FIG. 3).

  The trap signal sending unit 205 receives a trap signal packet including a continuity counter value, which is an encoding counter value, in addition to the failure information defined in normal SNMP, on the hot standby side IP set from the setting information holding unit 207. The data is sent to the encoder 102 (S4-1 in FIG. 3) and the NMS 106 (S4-2 in FIG. 3). FIG. 4 (2) shows a state in which a failure occurs in the IP encoder 102 on the active side # 2_1, and the failure information is notified to the IP encoder 102 and the NMS 106 on the hot standby side # 1_2.

  FIG. 6A shows a general data format of a trap signal packet included in a UDP packet and sent out, and FIG. 6B shows a data format of a trap signal packet sent out in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a continuity counter field 401 is provided in the UDP packet, and a continuity counter value notified from the count extraction unit 204 is stored therein. In the agent address field 402, the IP address of the hot standby side IP encoder 102 set from the setting information holding unit 207 or the IP address of the NMS 106 is set.

  The trap signal receiving unit 206 receives failure information from the active-side IP encoder 102 and a continuity counter value that is an encoding counter value, and uses the counter value in the encoder basic unit 201 in the hot standby-side IP encoder unit 200 (# i_2). (# I_2) (S5 in FIG. 3, (3) in FIG. 4).

  The encoder unit 201 (# i_2) on the hot standby side starts encoding based on the encoding counter value input from the trap signal receiver 206, and sets the video compression information 209 (FIG. 2) from the setting information holding unit 207. Transmission is started toward the IP address that has been made ((5) in FIG. 5).

  As described above, the encoder basic unit 201 (# i_2) on the hot standby side can take over the encoding from the IP encoder 102 that has caused the failure without interruption while maintaining the continuity of the video based on the continuity counter value.

  The setting information holding unit 207 (#i) holds the setting information on the active side and the hot standby side illustrated in FIG. 1, holds information from the NMS 106, and the encoder basic unit 201 ( For # i_1 and # i_2), the output destination IP address of the video compression information 209 is set. Also, the setting information holding unit 207 sets the trap signal transmission unit 205 to enable / disable the trap signal issue and set the trap signal transmission destination IP address (see FIG. 1).

  Note that the trap signal sending unit 205 (# i_2) similar to the active side is also connected to the IP encoder unit 200 (# i_2) on the hot standby side, and conversely to the IP encoder unit 200 (# i_1) on the active side. A trap signal receiving unit 206 (# i_1) similar to that on the hot standby side is connected, but is omitted in FIG.

When the NMS 106 (FIG. 1) receives the trap signal packet from the IP encoder 102 in which the failure has occurred, the NMS 106 (in FIG. 1) sets an invalid IP address and trap signal to the setting information holding unit 207 in the IP encoder 102 in which the failure has occurred. Notification is made (S6-1 in FIG. 3). In the IP encoder 102 of the failure occurrence source, the setting information holding unit 207 sets the notification to the output stop unit 203 and the trap signal transmission unit 205.

  Here, in order to avoid output conflicts (crosstalk), the IP encoder 102 that has caused the failure can be configured to shut down autonomously when a failure is detected ((4) in FIG. 5).

  Further, the NMS 106 notifies the setting information holding unit 207 in the IP encoder 102 that newly starts encoding of the IP address of the video transmission destination and the transmission destination information of the trap signal (S6-2 in FIG. 3).

  Since the IP encoder 102 that newly starts encoding has received a trap signal packet for failure notification directly from the failure source, it has started encoding processing prior to notification from the NMS 106. Accordingly, it is not always necessary to flow setting information into the IP encoder 102 by the NMS 106. For example, when a system in which the NMS 106 of another company and the IP encoder 102 are connected to each other is constructed, there is an effect that customization for controlling the IP encoder 102 becomes unnecessary.

  In addition, after a failure occurs (and after recovery from the failure), the remaining IP encoders 102 are configured to reconfigure autonomous IP encoder pairs (active / hot standby) in accordance with the priority of the input video source. Can be configured.

  When a worst case occurs in which the hot standby side IP encoder 102 cannot detect the trap signal packet, the failure is detected by periodic polling monitoring from the NMS 106 after the failure occurring IP encoder 102 is shut down. Can be configured to.

1 is an overall system configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram of the IP encoder in embodiment of this invention. It is an operation | movement sequence of embodiment of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing (the 1) of embodiment of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing (the 2) of embodiment of this invention. It is a data format figure of a trap signal packet in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the general redundant structure image of the IP encoder in a prior art. It is a figure which shows the flow of the video stream at the time of normal operation in a prior art. It is the switching operation image figure at the time of the failure occurrence in the prior art (part 1). FIG. 11 is a second diagram illustrating a switching operation image when a failure occurs in the related art.

Explanation of symbols

100, 700 Subscriber 101, 701 Matrix switch 102, 702 IP encoder 103, 703 Hub switch 104, 704 Router 105, 705 Management LAN
106,706 NMS (Network Management System)
107, 707 IP network 200 IP encoder unit 201 Encoder basic unit 202 Fault detection unit 203 Output stop unit 204 Count extraction unit 204
205 trap signal sending unit 206 trap signal receiving unit 207 setting information holding unit 208 video information 209 video compression information

Claims (4)

An IP encoder device having a function of encoding an image signal and sending it to an IP network,
A plurality of encoder basic means configured such that one is an active side and the other is a hot standby side, each encoding the image signal and sending it to the IP network;
Setting information holding means for holding address information of another IP encoder device that is an alternative to the active encoder basic means;
Count extraction means for detecting an encoding counter value in the encoder basic means;
Output stopping means for stopping the output of the encoder basic means;
The trap signal packet in which the encoding counter value output from the count extraction unit is stored and the address information held by the setting information holding unit is stored as destination information is transferred to a network to which another IP encoder device is connected. A trap signal sending means for sending;
A fault in the encoder basic means on the active side is detected, and at the time of detecting the fault, the output stop means is instructed to stop the output of the encoder basic means in which the fault is detected, and the fault is detected in the count extraction means. Fault detection means for instructing output of the encoding counter value in the detected encoder basic means and instructing the trap signal sending means to send out the trap signal packet;
The trap signal packet is received from the other IP encoder device, the encoding counter value stored in the trap signal packet is extracted, and the encoder basic means on the hot standby side is based on the extracted encoding counter value. Trap signal receiving means for instructing the start of encoding;
An IP encoder apparatus comprising: The trap signal sending means sets the encoding counter value as a continuity counter value in the trap signal packet;
An IP encoder device characterized by that. An IP encoder device comprising a plurality of units according to any one of claims 1 and 2,
Matrix switch means for distributing a plurality of types of image signals to the basic encoder means on the active side or hot standby side of the IP encoder device;
Including at least
The same image signal is input by the matrix switch means to the encoder basic means on the active side and the encoder basic means on the hot standby side of the two IP encoder apparatuses associated with each other by the setting information. The
An uninterrupted video transmission system using an IP encoder. To a computer having a function of encoding an image signal and sending it to an IP network,
A plurality of encoder basic functions, one of which is configured as an active side and the other as a hot standby side, each encoding the image signal and sending it to the IP network;
A setting information holding function for holding address information of another IP encoder device or an IP encoding function as an alternative to the active encoder basic function;
A count extraction function for detecting an encoding counter value in the encoder basic function;
An output stop function for stopping the output of the encoder basic function;
A trap signal packet in which the encoding counter value output from the count extraction function is stored and the address information held by the setting information holding function is stored as destination information is transferred to another IP encoder device or IP encoding function. A trap signal sending function for sending to a network to which a computer is connected;
A fault in the encoder basic function on the active side is detected, and when the fault is detected, the output stop function is instructed to stop the output of the encoder basic function in which the fault is detected, and the fault is detected in the count extraction function. A failure detection function for instructing output of the encoding counter value in the detected encoder basic function and instructing the trap signal transmission function to transmit the trap signal packet;
The trap signal packet is received from another IP encoder device or a computer having an IP encoding function, the encoding counter value stored in the trap signal packet is extracted, and the basic encoder function on the hot standby side A trap signal reception function for instructing the start of encoding based on the extracted encoding counter value;
A program for running