JPH0844638A - System and method for providing multimedia service - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To select any service providing device suitable for the housing area of an access device and to connect that selected device with the access device by providing a service managing node for identifying the housing area, where the access device is installed, and reporting the identification information for accessing the service providing device to the access device. CONSTITUTION:This system is composed of plural service providing devices 100, communication network 200 of a high-speed wide-band network, plural access devices 300, monitoring devices connected to the respective access devices 300, and service managing node 400. When receiving service from the service providing device 100 to the access device 300, an access request is issued to the service managing node 400. At the service managing node 400, the area where the access device 300 is housed is recognized, the service providing device 100 most suitable for the housing area of the access device 300 is selected, and the access information of this service providing device 100 is transmitted to the access device 300.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multimedia service access method and a multimedia service access method, and more particularly, using a high speed communication network such as an ATM network.
Provides bidirectional still images, videos, data, audio information, etc.,
The present invention relates to a multimedia service access method and a multimedia service access method capable of realizing movie watching, home shopping, etc. at home and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional service providing method for multimedia services, a system as shown in FIG. 11 includes a service providing apparatus 100, an access apparatus 300,
Monitor device 31 connected to the access device 300
0, and a communication network 400 connecting these devices.

The service providing apparatus 100 includes a communication network 400.
An interactive multimedia service including moving image information corresponding to a service request from the access device 300 is provided via the.

The access device 300 includes a monitor device 310.
And specifies and accesses the address of the service providing apparatus 100 that wants to receive the desired service.

The communication network 400 is a high-speed communication network such as an ATM network or a CATV network, and transfers bidirectional information between the service providing apparatus 100 and the access apparatus 300 in real time.

When the access device 300 connects to the service providing device 100 via the ATM network, the address information in the network of the service providing device 100 is designated and the service request information is transmitted to the service providing device 100. The service providing device 100 and the access device 300 are connected. Further, when the access device 300 connects to the service providing device 100 via the CATV network, it is not necessary to specify the address of the service providing device 100, and the access device 300 is automatically connected when activated.

As described above, the access device 300 and the service providing device 100 are connected one to one.

[0008]

However, the configuration of the conventional multimedia system described above is based on the premise that a certain access device and a specific service providing device are connected in a one-to-one relationship, which is a new problem. Even if the service provider starts providing the service with the new service provider, the end customer who is using the service with the service provider of the existing service provider cannot use the service provided by the new service provider. There is a problem.

[0009] Further, after the service is provided in a form in which the service providing device installed outside the area accommodating the access device is connected to the access device,
Even if a service providing apparatus is newly installed in the area, it is still connected to the service providing apparatus outside the area, and there is a problem that the cost burden on the end customer increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and a service providing device that provides a service specified in an access device is within an accommodation area where the accommodation area of the access device matches. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multimedia service providing method and a multimedia service providing method capable of selecting the service providing device and connecting to the access device.

Further, according to the present invention, a service providing device that provides a service specified in the access device can select a service providing device in an accommodation area that is closest to the accommodation area of the access device and connect to the access device. It is an object to provide a multimedia service providing method and a multimedia service providing method.

Further, according to the present invention, when a plurality of service providing devices belonging to the accommodation area of the access device are selected,
It is to provide a multimedia service providing method and a multimedia service providing method that can be distributed so that a load is not applied to a service providing device.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

According to the multimedia service access method of the present invention, a service providing apparatus 100 that provides a bidirectional multimedia service, an access apparatus 300 that accesses a service, and the service providing apparatus 100 and the access apparatus 300 are connected to each other in real time. Communication network 2 that can transfer information
Identification information for receiving the access request issued from the access device 300 and identifying the accommodation area in which the access device 300 is installed to access the service providing device Has a service management node 400 for notifying the access device.

Further, the service management node 400 described above is used.
Is a storage unit 41 for storing a part or all of the network address given to the subscriber line to which the access device 300 is connected and the service providing device 100 to be connected in association with each other.
And the network address and storage means 41 received by the access device.
It includes the control means 42 for collating the contents of the above item to select the service providing device 100 corresponding to the in-network address and sending it to the access device 300.

Further, the above-mentioned control means 42 controls the service providing device 10 corresponding to the network address of the access device 300.
When a plurality of 0's exist in the same accommodation area, the service providing apparatus 100 is selected based on a predetermined distribution ratio.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the principle of the present invention.

A multimedia service access method according to the present invention includes a service providing device for providing a bidirectional multimedia service and an access device for accessing a service, based on access request information from the access device.
In a multimedia service access method for connecting information through a communication network capable of transferring information in real time and providing a multimedia service corresponding to access request information, an access request from an access device is received (step 1), and a service is provided. A service management node for managing the connection with the providing device is provided, and the originating area of the access device is identified in the service management node (step 2), and the service providing device is accessed based on the identified originating area and access request information. The identification information for the access is determined (step 3), the identification information is transmitted to the access device (step 4), and the access device accesses the service providing device based on the identification information (step 5).

Further, in the service management node, a part or all of the network address given to the subscriber line to which the access device is connected in advance and the service providing device to be connected to the access device are stored in association with each other. The service providing device selected by the access device and corresponding to the originating area of the access device is searched, the network address of the service providing device is notified to the access device, and the access device accesses the notified network address. .

Further, when a plurality of service providing devices corresponding to the network address of the access device are selected in the above, selection is made based on a predetermined distribution ratio.

[0021]

According to the present invention, when the access device tries to receive the service from the service providing device, the access request is issued to the service management node, the service management node recognizes the area in which the access device is accommodated, and accesses the service management node. By selecting the service providing apparatus most suitable for the accommodation area of the apparatus and sending the access information of the service providing apparatus to the access apparatus, for example, the service providing apparatus exists in the same area as the area where the access apparatus exists. Then, it becomes possible to access the service providing device. That is, it is possible to access the service providing device existing in the most appropriate area for the access device.

When there are a plurality of service providing devices in the same area, it is possible to access the service providing devices evenly without applying a load, by using a predetermined distribution ratio. .

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows the system configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. The system shown in the figure includes a plurality of service providing devices 100 _{1 to} 100 ₅ , a communication network 200 that is a high-speed broadband network, access devices 300 _{1 to} 300 ₃ , and monitor devices connected to the respective access devices 300 _{1 to} 300 _3. 310 _{1 to} 310 ₃ and service management node 400
It is composed of

The service providing devices 100 ₁ , 1 shown in FIG.
00 ₂ both provide services provided by Company A in different areas. Further, the service providing device 100
₃ and 100 ₄ both provide services provided by Company B in the same area. Further, the service providing device 100 ₅ is of company C, which covers the whole country in one place.

The communication network 200 is a high-speed broadband network, such as an ATM network, and the service providing apparatus 100.
_{1 to} 100 ₃ and access devices 300 _{1 to} 300 ₃ are connected. The access devices 300 _{1 to} 300 ₃ are connected to the communication network 200, issue access requests to the service management node 400, acquire access information of the service providing device 100 that wants to be provided with a service from the service management node 400, and The connection request is issued based on the access information. The monitor device 310 connected to each access device 300 is a service providing device 10.
Displays information provided by 0.

The service management node 400 receives an access request from the access device 300 via the communication network 200, selects a service providing device existing in an area most suitable for the access device 300, and accesses information of the service providing device 300. Is transmitted to the access device. The service management node 400 is the access device 3
When the access request is received from 00, the in-network address of the access device 300 given to the access request is acquired, and the accommodation area of the access device 300 is recognized based on the in-network address. Further, it is determined whether or not there is a service providing device corresponding to the access request in the area in which the recognized access device 300 is accommodated,
If it exists, the in-network address of the service providing apparatus 100 is transmitted to the access apparatus 300.

If the service providing apparatus 100 does not exist in the same accommodation area, the optimum service providing apparatus 100 is selected and the access apparatus 300 is notified of the network address of the service providing apparatus 100.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a service management node according to an embodiment of the present invention. The service management node 400 includes a service menu storage unit 410, a communication control unit 420, a selection information storage unit 430 search unit 440, and a correspondence table 450.
It is composed of

The service menu storage unit 410 stores the menu provided by the service providing apparatus 100.
The service menu storage unit 410 provides a service menu as shown in FIG. 5 to the access device 300 via the communication control unit 420.

The selection information storage unit 430 is used by the access device 3
The in-network address information of the access device 300 and the menu selection information received from 00 are stored.

The correspondence table 450 includes an access device correspondence table and a service providing device correspondence table. The access device correspondence table stores the network address of the access device 300, the accommodation area, and the accommodation area code in association with each other. FIG. 6 shows an example of the access device correspondence table according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The search unit 440 searches the accommodation area code from the correspondence table based on the information stored in the selection information storage unit 430. Here, when searching the accommodation area of the access device 300, the accommodation area and the accommodation area code are searched based on the in-network address information of the access device acquired at the time of the access request issued from the access device 300. In the example of FIG. 6, the access device 300
If the in-network address is "DDD", the accommodation area is "Osaka" and the accommodation area code is "06". FIG. 7 shows an example of the service providing device correspondence table according to the embodiment of the present invention. The search unit 440 refers to the accommodating area code “06” of the access device acquired by referring to the access device corresponding table 451, determines whether the service providing device corresponding table has the accommodating area code “06”, and In the example of No. 7, it exists, the accommodation area is "Osaka", and the service provider code "0".
4 ”has the in-network address of the service providing apparatus 100 of“ DED ”. The search unit 440 outputs this in-network address “DED” as a search result.

The communication control unit 420 transmits this in-network address "DED" to the access device 300. The access device 300 accesses the in-network address “DED” of the service providing device 100. As a result, the access device 300 can receive the service from the service providing device within the same accommodation area.

The operation of the above configuration will be described below. FIG. 8 is a sequence chart for explaining the operation of the entire system according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Step 101) The access device 300 issues an access request to the service management node 400.

Step 102) Service management node 40
0 reads the service menu from the service providing device service menu storage unit 410 in response to the access request and sends it to the access device 300, and stores the address information of the access device 300 in the selection information storage unit 430.

Step 103) The access device 300
A desired menu is selected from the service menu provided by the service management node 400, and the menu selection information is sent to the service management node 400.

Step 104) Service management node 40
0 stores the menu selection information received from the access device 300 in the selection information storage unit 430. In the service management node 400, the service providing device selected by the access device 300 using the information stored in the selection information storage unit 430 and the correspondence table 450 is the access device 300.
Determine whether it is in the same area as the accommodation area, and if it is in the same area, obtain the access code of the service providing apparatus, and if it is in a different area, access the most suitable service providing apparatus. Perform the process to get the code. Details will be described later with reference to FIG.

Step 105) Service management node 40
0 sends the acquired access code to the access device 300.

Step 106) The access device 300
The access code of the service providing apparatus 100 received from the service management node 400 is used to access the service providing apparatus 100 via the communication network 200 to make a service request.

Step 107) As a result, the access device 300 and the service providing device 100 are connected and the service can be provided.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the service management node according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Step 201) When the access device 300 is powered on and the access device 300 issues an access request for exchanging service information with the service providing device 100 to the service management node 400, It is connected to the communication control unit 420.

Step 202) After the connection is completed, the service management node 400 sets the network address given to the subscriber line to which the access device 300 is connected to the communication control unit 420.
And is transferred to the selection information storage unit 430.

(Step 203) Next, the service management node 400 transmits the service menu of the service providing device service menu storage unit 410 to the access device 300 via the communication control unit 420.

Step 204) When the user selects a service menu for which a service is desired from the access device 300, the access device 300 transmits a service selection signal to the service management node 400.

Step 205) The service selection signal received from the access device 300 is the service management node 400.
Is transferred to the selection information storage unit 430. Therefore, the selection information storage unit 430 stores the intra-network address of the access device 300 and the service selection information. This allows
The code of the service provider corresponding to the service selection information is searched from FIG. For example, when the service selection information selected by the access device 300 is provided by the service provider code “02”, “02” is set as the search result.

Step 206) The search unit 440 determines the accommodation area code corresponding to the network address of the access device 300 stored in the selection information storage unit 430 by referring to the correspondence table 450.

(Step 207) Next, the search unit 440
The service providing device access code corresponding to the service providing line code of the service selection information stored in the selection information storage unit 430 is selected by referring to the correspondence table 450.

Step 208) The search unit 440 selects a service providing apparatus that can provide a service that matches the information selected in Step 205 to Step 207. That is, the access device 30 searched in step 207
It is determined whether or not the accommodation area code of the service providing apparatus selected by 0 and the accommodation area code of the access apparatus 300 acquired in step 206 match. Step 205
Then, there are three service provider codes “02”. If the accommodation area code of the access device 300 is “05”, the accommodation area is “Nagoya”.
The service providing device can be uniquely selected. However, when the accommodation area code of the access device 300 is “03”, one of the two service providing devices is selected by applying a predetermined distribution ratio.

In the above, when only one service providing apparatus 100 is selected, that is, when only one service providing apparatus 100 provides the service nationwide, the service providing apparatus access code is immediately accessed. When the service matching the extracted information is sent to the device 300 by a plurality of service providing devices, the accommodation area of the access device 300 is specified by the network address. When the identification is performed, a correspondence table that associates the network address with the accommodation area and the accommodation area code shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is provided, and the accommodation area code is acquired from the network address. Address in the network from accommodation area code (access code for service providing device)
To get. The items shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 can be arbitrarily set.

Step 209) The network address of the selected service providing apparatus 100 is sent from the communication control unit 420 to the access apparatus 300 via the communication network 200.

The access device 300 issues a connection request to the communication network 200 using the in-network address (access code) of the service providing device 100 received from the service management node 400, and accesses the service.

Step 210) The connection with the access device 300 is disconnected.

In step 207 of the above flow chart, extraction is performed using an algorithm as shown in FIG. 10, for example. As shown in the figure, when the same service provider has three service providing devices that can provide the same service nationwide, first, the accommodation area of the access device 300 is specified by the network address. . At the time of identification, the accommodation area code is acquired from the network address of the access device 300 by referring to the correspondence table that associates the network address with the accommodation area and the accommodation area code shown in FIG. For example, when the in-network address of the access device 300 is "BBB", the accommodation area is "Tokyo" and the accommodation area code is "03". Based on the accommodation area code of the access device 300, the service providing apparatus corresponding table shown in FIG. 7 is referred to search for the service providing apparatus 100 that is the designated service providing destination and has the same accommodation area code.

Further, as a result of the search, when there are a plurality of service providing apparatuses capable of the selected service, the access code to the service providing apparatus 100 is selected using the distribution ratio designated in advance by the service provider side. It is possible to do.

In the case of FIG. 10, the access device 300 is determined by the service selection information received from the access device 300.
If the accommodation area is "Tokyo" (Step 3
02), if the distribution ratio is 1: 1 (step 303), a code is selected for which access is not selected. For example, when the access code 1 was selected at the previous selection, the access code 2 is selected. If the accommodation area of the access device 300 is "Osaka" (step 302), the access code 3 is uniquely selected.

Next, the operation of the flow chart of FIG. 9 will be described using a concrete example.

(1) The access device 300 ₁ issues an access request to the service management node 400 (step 201). As a result, the communication control unit 420 and the access device 300 ₁ are connected.

(2) Next, the intra-network address given to the subscriber line to which the access device 300 ₁ is connected is set to "AA".
If the address is “A”, the address “AAA” is assigned to the selection information storage unit 4 via the communication control unit 420 of the service management node 400.
It is stored in 30 (step 202).

(3) Based on the access request from the access device 300 ₁ , the service management node 400 reads the service menu from the service menu storage unit 410 and sends it to the access device 300 ₁ via the communication unit 420 ( Step 203).

(4) The access device 300 ₁ displays a service menu on the monitor device 310 ₁ and selects a desired service from the menu. Here, in the example of FIG. 5, it is assumed that the ticket reservation (3) of company A is selected. The access device 300 ₁ includes the service management node 40.
Send to 0. At this time, it is assumed that the user has selected the service having the service provider code "01" (step 204).

(5) The service management node 400 stores the selection information received from the access device 300 ₁ in the selection information storage unit 430. Here, the information stored in the selection information storage unit 430 is two types of information, the address information of the access device 300 ₁ and the menu selection information (step 205).

(6) Here, the search unit 440 of the service management node 400 sets the correspondence table 452 to the access device 3
00 ₁ searches the address in the "AAA" network, "Sapporo" as containment area, acquires "011" as the containment area code (step 206).

(7) Here, it is assumed that there is a service provider as shown in FIG. In this case, the service provider code of the service selection information stored in the selection information storage unit 430 is referred to search whether the service provider code of the designated service providing apparatus exists in the table shown in FIG. In this example, since the service having the service provider code “01” is selected, the service provider having the intra-network address “AAB” in FIG. 7 is selected.

(8) Since the accommodation area code of the access device 300 ₁ is “011”, this area code
It is determined whether the service provider selected in (7) matches. In this example, as the service providing device corresponding to the contents of the access device 300 ₁ : In-network address: AAA accommodation area: Sapporo Accommodation area code: 011 In-network address: AAB accommodation area: Sapporo Accommodation area code: 011 Service provider code: 01 A service providing device having a ratio: 0 is selected.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, there are two items having the service provider code "01", and the other accommodation area is "Hakodate". In this case, the access device 30
The accommodation area of 0 ₁ is "Sapporo" (accommodation area code "01
1 "), the service providing device in the accommodation area" Hakodate "is not selected in this example (step 208).

(9) The service providing device having the service provider code “01” whose accommodation area selected as described above is “Sapporo” is selected, and the service management node 40 is selected.
0 is the access device 300 via the communication control unit 420.
₁ is the network address "AAB" of the service providing device.
Is sent. As a result, the access device 300 ₁ issues an access request to the service providing device having the intra-network address “AAB”, and the service providing device 100 and the access device 300 ₁ are connected (step 209).

(10) The communication control unit 420 of the service management node 400 disconnects the connection with the access device 300 ₁ (step 210).

(11) As a result, the access device 300
₁ is connected to a service providing device (service provider code 01) in the same accommodation area "Sapporo", and ticket reservation is realized by bidirectional communication with the service providing device.

As described above, the service management node 400 identifies the originating area of the access device 300 and acquires the in-network address of the service providing device 100 based on the service selection information from the access device 300. Service providing device 10 in the same area
If 0 exists, the service providing device 10
It is possible to receive services from 0.

In the above embodiment, when a plurality of the same service providers exist in the same area, the connection distribution of the access devices is performed by the ratio, but the ratio may not necessarily be used. However, by using the ratio, the load on one service providing apparatus can be reduced.

Further, the priority of connection may be given to each service providing apparatus without using the ratio.

In the above embodiment, the service providing apparatus 100 that finally provides the service selected by the access apparatus 300 and belongs to the same area as the area in which the access apparatus 300 is accommodated. However, it is not limited to the service providing apparatus belonging to the same area as the access apparatus 300,
The service providing device may be housed in an area close to the access device 300. In this case, enter the condition of the area close to the access device 300, or
Alternatively, a method in which a table is prepared, the allowable range of the designated area is designated and registered in the table, and the table is referred to may be considered.

For example, when the accommodating area of the access device 300 is "Chiba", as an adjacent area,
If you set "Tokyo", "Ibaraki", "Saitama", "Kanagawa", etc., and if the service providing devices that provide the same service are "Osaka" and "Kanagawa", then "Kanagawa" It is also possible to select the service providing device having the accommodation area code of “”.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0078]

As described above, according to the multimedia service access method and the multimedia service access method of the present invention, the accommodation area in which the access device is installed is identified in the service management node, and the accommodation area of the access device is identified. Select a service providing device suitable for
By notifying the access device of the access code to the service providing device, long-distance communication is not required for the end customer, so that the cost burden on the charging system is reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a service management node according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a service menu according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence table of an access device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a service providing device correspondence table according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sequence chart for explaining the operation of the entire system according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation of the service management node according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an algorithm for selecting a service access code according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a conventional multimedia service providing system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 service providing device 200 communication network 300 access device 310 monitoring device 400 service management node 410 service providing device menu storage unit 420 communication control unit 430 selection information storage unit 440 search unit 450 correspondence table

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A service providing apparatus that provides a bidirectional multimedia service, an access apparatus that accesses a service, and a communication network that connects the service providing apparatus and the access apparatus and is capable of transferring information in real time. In the multimedia service providing method described above, an access request issued from the access device is received, identification information for accessing the service providing device by identifying an accommodation area in which the access device is installed is provided. A multimedia service providing system characterized by having a service management node for notifying an access device. 2. The service management node includes storage means for storing a part or all of a network address given to a subscriber line to which the access device is connected and the service providing device to be connected in association with each other. 2. The multimedia service providing system according to claim 1, further comprising control means for comparing the network address received from the access device with the contents of the storage means and selecting a service providing device corresponding to the network address. 3. The control means selects the service providing device based on a predetermined distribution ratio when a plurality of the service providing devices corresponding to the network address of the access device are present in the same accommodation area. The multimedia service providing method according to claim 2. 4. A service providing apparatus for providing a bidirectional multimedia service and an access apparatus for accessing the service via a communication network capable of transferring information in real time based on an access request from the access apparatus. connection,
In a multimedia service access method for providing a multimedia service corresponding to the access request information, a service management node that receives an access request from the access device and manages a connection with the service providing device is provided. When the access request is issued from the service management node, the service management node identifies the originating area of the access device, and a period for accessing the service providing device based on the identified originating area and the access request information. A multimedia service access method, characterized in that different information is determined, the identification information is transmitted to the access device, and the access device accesses the service providing device based on the identification information. 5. In the service management node, a part or all of a network address given to a subscriber line to which the access device is connected in advance is made to correspond to the service providing device to be connected to the access device. It stores, searches for a service providing device selected by the access device and corresponding to the calling area, notifies the access device of the network address of the service providing device, and the access device notifies the notified network. The multimedia service access method according to claim 4, wherein the address is accessed. 6. When a plurality of the service providing devices corresponding to the network address of the access device are selected,
The multimedia service access method according to claim 5, wherein the selection is made based on a predetermined distribution ratio.