KR102441632B1 - Method of providing real time broadcasting service, accesspoint and terminal thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to embodiments, a method of providing a real-time broadcast service detects whether at least one first terminal is connected, and according to a determination that the first terminal for which the connection is detected is a second terminal, provides a radio resource to the second terminal. The use right is given preferentially, and a real-time broadcast service is provided to the second terminal by using radio resources according to the preferentially granted use right. In this case, when the second terminal determines that a channel change is necessary when using the real-time broadcast service through the first wireless channel, the second terminal scans at least one second wireless channel and selects a channel through which the real-time broadcast service is provided as the first wireless channel. to the second radio channel.

Description

A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, an access point and a terminal providing a real-time broadcasting service

Embodiments relate to a method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, an access point and a terminal providing a real-time broadcasting service.

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) service is becoming common around the world, and as the picture quality of IPTV gradually evolves to high quality beyond F-HD (Full High Definition) and UHD (Ultra High Definition), the network required for IPTV service Transmission bandwidth is increasing. In particular, although attempts are being made to provide IPTV services that were provided through wired networks through wireless networks, it is not easy to stably provide high-definition real-time broadcasting services.

According to an embodiment, a high-quality real-time broadcast service may be provided through a terminal having a built-in broadcast reception function.

According to an embodiment, it is possible to stably provide a real-time broadcast service through a wireless network by efficiently controlling wireless traffic.

According to an embodiment, it is possible to stably provide traffic to a terminal having a built-in broadcast reception function through software upgrade without changing the hardware of the access point to high-performance hardware.

According to an embodiment, a method of providing a real-time broadcast service includes: detecting whether at least one first terminal is connected; preferentially granting the right to use radio resources to the second terminal according to a determination that the first terminal for which the connection is detected is a second terminal; and providing a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal using the radio resource according to the preferentially granted usage right, wherein the second terminal uses the real-time broadcast service through a first radio channel. When it is determined that a channel change is necessary, at least one second wireless channel is scanned and the channel through which the real-time broadcast service is provided is changed from the first wireless channel to the second wireless channel.

Determining whether the first terminal is the second terminal may include: obtaining identification information of the first terminal for which the connection is detected; and determining whether the first terminal is the second terminal by comparing the identification information of the first terminal with stored subscriber information.

The step of preferentially granting the right to use the radio resource may include preferentially granting the right to use the radio resource by statically allocating traffic to the second terminal.

In the step of preferentially granting the right to use the radio resource by fixed allocation of the traffic, the traffic is fixed at a certain rate by adjusting a value of a quality of service (QoS) field included in a header of a packet transmitted to the second terminal. It may include the step of allocating.

The predetermined ratio may be dynamically adjustable based on at least one of a packet type, a location of the second terminal, and a network environment of a place where the second terminal is located.

The step of preferentially granting the right to use the radio resource by statically allocating the traffic is based on at least one of a type of a packet provided to the second terminal and a type of broadcast content being provided by the second terminal, determining whether to statically allocate the traffic to a second terminal; and statically allocating traffic to the second terminal according to a determination of whether to statically allocate the traffic.

According to the method of providing the real-time broadcast service, the remaining radio resources except for the radio resources preferentially granted to the second terminal are transferred to the remaining terminals except for the second terminal according to the determination that the first terminal is not the second terminal. It may further include the step of allocating to.

The step of preferentially granting the use right may include dynamically adjusting the use right for the radio resource among the plurality of second terminals when the number of terminals determined to be the second terminal is plural.

The step of dynamically adjusting the usage right for the radio resource is based on at least one of a type of broadcast content being provided by each of the plurality of second terminals and a network environment of a place in which the plurality of second terminals are located. It may include dynamically adjusting the usage right for the radio resource between the second terminals of the.

The radio resource may include a radio resource for Wi-Fi wireless communication.

When using the real-time broadcast service, the second terminal is configured to measure at least one of a signal strength transmitted from an access point, a buffer amount of data received from the access point, and a packet loss rate of the data. A channel through which the real-time broadcasting service is provided may be changed based on the above.

The second terminal may simultaneously receive broadcast content of the first image quality and the second image quality, and may change the image quality to the first image quality or the second image quality according to a network situation in which the real-time broadcasting service is provided.

According to one embodiment, a method of providing a real-time broadcast service includes: during reproduction of a media stream through a first wireless channel, determining whether a terminal needs to change a channel with a first access point to which it is currently connected; scanning at least one second radio channel according to the determination that the channel change is necessary; changing a channel from the first radio channel to the second radio channel based on the scan result; receiving the media stream for providing a real-time broadcast service through the second wireless channel; and playing the media stream.

The method of providing the real-time broadcast service is based on at least one of a signal strength received through a wireless channel with the first access point, a buffer amount of data received from the first access point, and a packet loss rate of the data. The method may further include changing a channel through which the real-time broadcasting service is provided based on the method.

Determining whether the channel change is necessary may include determining whether the channel change is necessary based on a comparison result between the strength of a signal transmitted through a wireless channel with the first access point and a set threshold. can

The threshold may be dynamically adjustable based on at least one of a resolution required by the terminal and a type of broadcast content reproduced by the terminal.

The at least one second wireless channel may be provided through the first access point or at least one second access point distinct from the first access point.

The step of changing the channel to the second radio channel may include: determining whether at least one second access point providing the second radio channel is an access point capable of serving the terminal; and changing a channel to the second radio channel according to a determination that the second access point is an access point capable of serving the terminal.

The terminal may simultaneously receive the broadcast content of the first image quality and the broadcast content of the second image quality, and may change the image quality of the broadcast content according to a network condition in which the real-time broadcasting service is provided.

According to an embodiment, an access point that provides a real-time broadcast service detects whether at least one first terminal is connected, and according to a determination that the first terminal for which the connection is detected is a second terminal, provides the second terminal to the second terminal. a processor that preferentially grants a right to use a radio resource; and a communication interface for providing a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal using the radio resource according to the preferentially granted usage right, wherein the second terminal uses the real-time broadcast service through a first radio channel When it is determined that a channel change is necessary, at least one second radio channel is scanned and the channel through which the real-time broadcasting service is provided is changed from the first radio channel to the second radio channel.

According to an embodiment, an access point that provides a real-time broadcast service detects whether at least one first terminal is connected, and according to a determination that the first terminal for which the connection is detected is a second terminal, provides the second terminal to the second terminal. a processor that preferentially grants a right to use a radio resource; and a communication interface that provides a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal using the radio resource according to the preferentially granted usage right, wherein the second terminal simultaneously transmits broadcast content of a first image quality and a second image quality. and changes the picture quality to the first picture quality or the second picture quality according to a network situation in which the real-time broadcast service is provided.

According to an embodiment, the terminal receiving the real-time broadcast service determines whether a channel change with the currently accessed first access point is necessary while the media stream is being played through the first wireless channel, and indicates that the channel change is necessary. a processor configured to scan at least one second radio channel according to the determination, and to change a channel from the first radio channel to the second radio channel based on the scan result; a communication interface for receiving the media stream for providing a real-time broadcast service through the second wireless channel; and a display for playing the media stream.

According to one side, it is possible to provide a high-quality real-time broadcast service through a terminal having a built-in broadcast reception function.

According to one side, it is possible to stably provide a real-time broadcast service through a wireless network by efficiently controlling wireless traffic.

According to one side, traffic can be stably provided to a terminal with a built-in broadcast reception function through software upgrade without changing the hardware of the access point to high-performance hardware.

1 is a diagram for describing an operation between an access point and a terminal having a built-in broadcast reception function according to an embodiment;
2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing a real-time broadcast service according to an embodiment.
3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining a method in which an access point preferentially grants a right to use a radio resource according to embodiments;
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing a real-time broadcast service according to another embodiment.
6 is a view for explaining a method of changing a radio frequency channel according to the signal strength received by the STB terminal according to an embodiment.
7 is a view for explaining a method of automatically changing the picture quality of broadcast content according to a network situation in an STB terminal according to an embodiment;
8 is a block diagram of an access point providing a real-time broadcast service according to an embodiment.
9 is a block diagram of a terminal providing a real-time broadcast service according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in each figure indicate like elements.

Various modifications may be made to the embodiments described below. It should be understood that the embodiments described below are not intended to limit the embodiments, and include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions thereto.

Terms used in the examples are only used to describe specific examples, and are not intended to limit the examples. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, but one or more other features It is to be understood that this does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiment belongs. Terms such as those defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. does not

In addition, in the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same components are assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted. In the description of the embodiment, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiment, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

1 is a diagram for explaining an operation between an access point and a terminal having a built-in broadcast reception function according to an embodiment. Referring to (a) of FIG. 1 , an access point (AP) 101 and a TV 105 receiving a broadcast service through a wired connection with a set-top box 103 are shown. do.

The TV 105 may receive a broadcast service through the set-top box 103 connected to the access point 101 by wire. Here, the set-top box 103 receives a broadcast signal transmitted through a terrestrial wave, cable, or satellite through the access point 101 and is, for example, a signal conversion device for viewing on a display device such as the TV 105 . corresponds to The set-top box 103 may receive a broadcast signal through the tuner, convert it into video, audio, text, etc. using a decoder, and transmit it to the TV 105 . The set-top box 103 has a different structure depending on the transmission method, but largely includes a front-end section such as a tuner and a demodulator, and a back-end such as MPEG2, a decoder chip, a demultiplexer, graphics, audio, data processor, and the like. It may include back-end divisions and external interfaces.

The set-top box 103 and the TV 105 may be connected to each other through a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable.

Referring to FIG. 1B , an STB terminal 130 that receives a real-time broadcast service from an access point 110 through a Wi-Fi wireless connection 120 according to an embodiment is shown.

The 'STB terminal' 130 according to an embodiment may be, for example, a terminal in which a broadcast reception function such as a set-top box is built-in. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a terminal with a built-in broadcast reception function will be referred to as an 'STB terminal'. The 'STB terminal' may be referred to as a 'second terminal'.

The STB terminal 130 includes, for example, various types of terminals having a display such as a mobile terminal installed with an application for performing a broadcast reception function, a display device, a mobile display device, and the like to directly play broadcast content provided from an access point. can be used in an all-inclusive sense. The STB terminal 130 may provide a real-time broadcast service to the user through wireless communication with the access point 110 .

The access point 110 according to an embodiment may include a function for controlling wireless traffic for supporting the STB terminal 130 . The access point 110 can stably provide real-time broadcasting to the STB terminal 130 by controlling the wireless traffic to the STB terminal 130 without changing the hardware configuration. When the STB terminal 130 provides a real-time broadcast service through Wi-Fi wireless communication, the access point 110 may fixedly allocate traffic to the STB terminal 130 for smooth use of the service.

Alternatively, the access point 110 may apply a weight of traffic to the STB terminal 130 . For example, when there is a terminal A having low radio performance, retransmission may be performed several times due to a radio packet transmission failure in the access point 110 . In this case, the wireless performance of other terminals (eg, notebook B and STB terminal C, etc.) may also decrease overall due to terminal A. In an embodiment, it is possible to prevent packet transmission from crowding to terminal A with low radio performance and to apply a weight to the traffic of STB terminal C to enable stable service, while preventing network performance degradation.

The access point 110, for example, when providing a real-time broadcast service in which a large amount of traffic is generated, activates the aforementioned control of wireless traffic, thereby minimizing the influence on other functions and other terminals. A method in which the access point 110 controls wireless traffic to provide a real-time broadcast service will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 below.

Alternatively, depending on the embodiment, the STB terminal 130 automatically changes the radio frequency channel according to the received signal strength, or automatically changes the quality of the broadcast content according to the network conditions. You can also control it. A method in which the STB terminal 130 directly controls wireless traffic to provide a real-time broadcast service will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 below.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing a real-time broadcast service according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2 , a method for an access point to provide a real-time broadcast service according to an embodiment is illustrated.

The access point detects whether at least one first terminal is connected ( 210 ).

The access point determines whether the first terminal for which the connection is detected in step 210 is a second terminal with a built-in broadcast reception function (220). The access point may obtain, for example, identification information of the first terminal for which access is detected. The access point may determine whether the first terminal is the second terminal by comparing the identification information of the first terminal with the stored subscriber information. The identification information of the first terminal may include information on whether the corresponding terminal is the second terminal, that is, whether it includes a separate hardware configuration for a broadcast reception function or a terminal in which an application for a broadcast reception function is installed. The subscriber information may include subscriber information of the corresponding terminal (the first terminal) in addition to the identification information of the first terminal. The subscriber information may include the total number of second terminals owned by the corresponding subscriber and/or the total number of second terminals in the subscriber's home.

The access point preferentially grants the right to use radio resources to the second terminal according to the determination that the first terminal is the second terminal in step 220 (230). The radio resource may include, for example, a radio resource for Wi-Fi wireless communication. Radio resources may include, for example, time resources and frequency resources.

The access point may preferentially grant the right to use the radio resource by, for example, fixedly allocating traffic to the second terminal. A method for the access point to statically allocate traffic to the second terminal will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 below.

Alternatively, the access point may preferentially grant the right to use the radio resource by, for example, applying a weight to the traffic of the second terminal. A method in which the access point applies a weight to the traffic of the second terminal will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 below.

At this time, according to the determination that the first terminal is not the second terminal in step 220, the access point allocates the remaining radio resources except for the radio resources preferentially granted to the second terminal to the first terminal, not the second terminal. can The access point may allocate, for example, the remaining radio resources equally to the first terminal instead of the second terminal, or may allocate by setting a different allocation ratio as needed.

According to an embodiment, the access point may determine whether there are a plurality of first terminals determined to be second terminals. When there are a plurality of first terminals determined to be second terminals, the access point may dynamically adjust usage rights for radio resources among the plurality of second terminals. The access point uses, for example, the use of radio resources between the plurality of second terminals based on at least one of a type of broadcast content being provided by each of the plurality of second terminals and a network environment of a place in which the plurality of second terminals are located. Permissions can also be adjusted dynamically.

The access point provides a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal by using a radio resource according to the permission given preferentially in step 230 (step 240).

3 is a diagram for describing a method in which an access point preferentially grants a right to use a radio resource according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3 , an access point 310 , an STB terminal 320 , a mobile terminal 330 and a notebook 340 according to an embodiment are illustrated.

For example, it is assumed that the STB terminal 320 , the mobile terminal 330 , and the notebook 340 wirelessly access the access point 310 . In this case, the access point 310 may obtain identification information of the STB terminal 320 , the mobile terminal 330 , and the notebook 340 in which the connection is detected, and compare the obtained identification information with the subscriber information stored in advance. As a result of the comparison, the access point 310 may identify the STB terminal 320 among the three devices, and may fixedly allocate traffic to the STB terminal 320 .

The access point 310 may fixedly allocate traffic at a certain rate (60%) by, for example, adjusting a value of a quality of service (QoS) field included in a header of a packet transmitted to the STB terminal 320 . Here, the service quality field may be a field for providing a certain level of service by adjusting specific packets or properties of the packets. Quality of service is used in L3 level or higher equipment based on Internet Protocol (IP). For example, an L3 switch may have a queue for each port. Packets are stored one by one in such a queue and each attribute of the stored packets is classified so that the first packet to be sent can be sent first, and the packet to be sent later can be sent later. Such a queue may be referred to as a weighted round robin (WRR). The access point can fix the traffic at a certain rate by defining the bandwidth allocated to the corresponding queue. The access point 310 may preferentially grant the right to use the radio resource using, for example, a Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) indicating the priority of a packet inserted into an IP packet.

The access point 310 may preferentially grant use rights for radio resources in an application layer by adjusting a quality of service (QoS) field value.

At this time, a certain percentage (60%) that is fixedly allocated to the STB terminal 320 is, for example, based on at least one of the type of packet or the type of broadcast content, the location of the STB terminal, and the network environment of the place where the STB terminal is located. can be dynamically adjusted.

The access point 310 may determine whether to statically allocate traffic to the STB terminal, for example, based on at least one of the type of packet provided to the STB terminal and the type of broadcast content being provided by the STB terminal. Here, the type of broadcast content may be classified into, for example, real-time broadcast content or recorded broadcast content. Alternatively, the type of the packet may include, for example, whether a packet including DSCP or a packet not including DSCP. The access point 310 may statically allocate traffic to the STB terminal according to a determination of whether to statically allocate traffic.

Thereafter, the access point 310 may allocate the remaining radio resources, that is, 40% of the radio resources, to the mobile terminal 330 and the notebook 340 , which are the remaining devices connected to the access point 310 . In this case, the access point 310 may allocate radio resources uniformly to the mobile terminal 330 and the notebook 340 in 20% increments, or the type of application running in each of the mobile terminal 330 and the notebook 340 . Alternatively, 30% of radio resources may be allocated to the mobile terminal 330 and 10% of radio resources may be allocated to the notebook 340 in consideration of the frequency of use of the processor.

4 is a diagram for describing a method in which an access point preferentially grants a right to use a radio resource according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4 , a low-performance terminal A, a high-performance terminal B, and an STB terminal C connected to an access point (AP) are illustrated. The left diagram of FIG. 4 shows the air occupancy time and transmission traffic of each terminal when no weight is applied to the traffic of the STB terminal. In the left diagram of FIG. 4 , when the total radio wave occupancy time for the access point (AP) is 10 seconds, the radio wave occupancy time of the low-performance terminal A is 6 seconds compared to the radio wave occupancy times of the high-performance terminal B and the STB terminal C are 2 seconds, respectively. you can see In addition, if the transmission traffic of each of the terminal A, terminal B, and terminal C is 5MB, 10MB, and 8MB, the total transmission traffic may be 23MB. As such, a terminal with low radio performance or a long distance from the access point (AP) occupies the resources of the access point (AP) for a longer period of time to obtain data traffic. Accordingly, while the low-performance terminal A has three times as much radio wave occupancy time compared to other devices, the actual transmission traffic is only 5 MB, so that transmission efficiency may be deteriorated.

Contrary to this, the right diagram of FIG. 4 shows the air occupancy time and transmission traffic of each terminal when a weight is applied to the traffic of the STB terminal C. As shown in FIG.

In one embodiment, the fairness of the radio wave occupancy time is ensured so that a specific terminal such as low-performance terminal A does not occupy the resources of the access point (AP) for a long time, but when the STB terminal is providing a real-time broadcast service, the corresponding device provides more A weight may be applied to the traffic of the STB terminal so as to have an airwave occupancy time.

For example, the access point (AP) applies a weight (eg, 3) to the traffic of the STB terminal C to ensure the share of the STB terminal C with respect to the radio resource provided by the access point (AP), thereby applying a radio resource. It is possible to preferentially grant usage rights (eg, airwave occupancy time) for . In addition, the access point (AP) can fairly allocate the remaining resources to the remaining terminals so that performance degradation does not occur. Accordingly, a radio wave occupancy time of 6 seconds may be allocated to STB terminal C, and an airwave occupation time of 2 seconds may be allocated to the remaining terminals A and B, respectively. At this time, if the transmission traffic of each of the terminal A, terminal B, and terminal C is 2MB, 10MB, and 24MB, the total transmission traffic becomes 36MB, so it can be seen that the overall transmission efficiency is also improved.

The access point (AP) may preferentially grant the right to use the radio resource in the physical layer by using a weight that guarantees the share of the STB terminal C with respect to the radio resource.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing a real-time broadcast service according to another embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5 , a method for a terminal to provide a real-time broadcast service according to an embodiment is illustrated. The terminal may be, for example, an STB terminal.

During reproduction of the media stream through the first radio frequency channel, the terminal determines whether a frequency change of the terminal having a built-in broadcast reception function is required based on a wireless connection state with the currently accessed first access point ( S510 ). Here, the media stream may be, for example, a media stream of real-time broadcast content. In addition, the wireless connection state may be, for example, at least one of a strength of a signal received through a radio frequency channel with the first access point, a buffer amount of data received from the first access point, and a packet loss rate of data, or these may include a combination of The terminal may determine whether a frequency change is necessary, for example, based on a comparison result between the strength of a signal transmitted through a radio frequency channel with the first access point and a set threshold (eg, -70 dB). For example, if the signal strength is greater than the threshold, the terminal may determine that the frequency change is not necessary. On the other hand, if the signal strength is less than the threshold, the terminal may determine that a frequency change is necessary. The threshold is dynamically adjustable based on, for example, at least one of a resolution required by the terminal and a type of broadcast content reproduced in the terminal. For example, when the resolution required by the terminal is higher than a predetermined criterion, the threshold may be set high. When the resolution required by the terminal is lower than a predetermined criterion, the threshold may be set low. Alternatively, for example, when the type of broadcast content reproduced in the terminal is real-time video content requiring high quality, the threshold may be set high. Alternatively, when the type of broadcast content is sports or news content requiring general image quality, the threshold may be set low.

The terminal scans ( 520 ) at least one second radio frequency channel according to the determination that a frequency change is necessary in step 510 . In this case, the at least one second radio frequency channel may be provided through, for example, a first access point, or may be provided through at least one second access point distinct from the first access point.

The terminal changes the channel from the first radio frequency channel to the second radio frequency channel based on the scan result of step 520 ( 530 ). The terminal may determine whether the at least one second access point providing the second radio frequency channel is an access point capable of serving the terminal. In this case, the terminal determines whether the at least one second access point is an access point capable of serving the terminal based on information transmitted from the at least one second access point during the initial access of the terminal to the at least one second access point. can The terminal may change the channel to the second radio frequency channel according to the determination that the second access point is an access point capable of serving the terminal.

The terminal is provided with a media stream for providing a real-time broadcast service through the second radio frequency channel ( 540 ).

The terminal plays the media stream ( 550 ).

6 is a diagram for explaining a method for an STB terminal to change a radio frequency channel according to a received signal strength according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6 , a radio frequency channel of 2.4 GHz and a radio frequency channel of 5 GHz provided to the STB terminal are shown. The 2.4 GHz radio frequency channel has wider coverage than the 5 GHz radio frequency channel, but has a lower transmission rate. In contrast, the 5 GHz radio frequency channel has a narrower coverage than the 2.4 GHz radio frequency channel, but has a higher transmission speed.

When receiving a real-time broadcast service wirelessly, the STB terminal according to an embodiment can automatically change the channel to a frequency channel capable of receiving the optimal signal strength when the signal strength is weakened due to the distance from the access point or ambient interference. have. At this time, the STB terminal automatically changes the channel by a combination of, for example, the strength of a signal transmitted from the access point, the buffer amount of data received from the access point, and the packet loss rate of data, that is, the retransmission rate of data. can be decided

For example, in an STB terminal receiving a real-time broadcast service through a 5 GHz radio frequency channel, the strength of a signal transmitted from an access point is lower than a preset reference, and/or a buffer amount of data received from the access point is preset. Let's say it's lower than the standard amount.

In this case, the STB terminal may determine that a frequency change is necessary and scan another radio frequency channel. As a result of the scan, when a 2.4 GHz radio frequency channel is detected, the STB terminal may change the radio frequency channel from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz. The STB terminal may receive and play a media stream for providing a real-time broadcast service through a 2.4 GHz radio frequency channel. When the radio frequency channel is changed to 2.4 GHz, the STB terminal may detect whether the 5 GHz frequency signal is strengthened again above a certain standard through a periodic scan. If it is determined that the 5GHz frequency signal becomes stronger again, the STB terminal may automatically change the frequency channel from 2.4GHz to 5GHz again.

7 is a diagram for explaining a method of automatically changing the picture quality of broadcast content according to a network situation by an STB terminal according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7 , an access point 710 that provides high definition (eg, 10 Mbyte) FHD content and standard definition (eg, 2 Mbyte) SD (Standard Definition) content to the STB terminal 730 is shown. do.

For example, a situation in which it is difficult to maintain a real-time broadcasting service may occur even by the method of preferentially granting the right to use radio resources to the STB terminal as described above and the method of allowing the STB terminal to change the radio frequency channel by itself. In one embodiment, in preparation for such a situation, the STB terminal 730 simultaneously receives broadcast content of two picture quality, a high definition and a standard definition, transmitted by the access point 710, and according to a network situation in which a real-time broadcast service is provided. The STB terminal 730 may automatically select and play any one of the image quality.

For example, if the network condition is good, the STB terminal 730 may select and play high-definition FHD contents among high-definition FHD contents and standard-definition SD contents. For example, when the network condition improves while the standard definition SD content is being reproduced, the STB terminal 730 may automatically change the image quality from the standard definition SD content to the high definition FHD content and reproduce it.

Alternatively, when it is difficult to maintain a stable service due to poor network conditions, the STB terminal 730 notifies the user of the change in image quality and selects and plays standard definition SD content from among high definition FHD content and standard definition SD content to ensure service continuity. can keep Similarly, when the network condition deteriorates during reproduction of high-definition FHD content, the STB terminal 730 may automatically change the image quality from the high-definition FHD content to the standard-definition SD content and reproduce it. In this case, the STB terminal 730 may determine whether the network condition is good, for example, by the aforementioned wireless connection state and/or packet transmission rate.

8 is a block diagram of an access point providing a real-time broadcast service according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 8 , an access point 800 according to an embodiment includes a processor 810 , a communication interface 830 , and a memory 850 . The processor 810 , the communication interface 830 , and the memory 850 may communicate with each other via the communication bus 805 .

The processor 810 detects whether at least one terminal is connected. The processor 810 determines whether the first terminal in which the connection is detected is a second terminal with a built-in broadcast reception function. The processor 810 preferentially grants the right to use the radio resource to the second terminal according to the determination that the first terminal for which the connection is detected is the second terminal.

The communication interface 830 provides a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal by using radio resources according to the preferentially granted usage rights.

The memory 850 may store broadcast content and other information for providing a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal.

Also, the processor 810 may perform at least one method described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 to 4 or an algorithm corresponding to the at least one method. The processor 810 may be a hardware-implemented data processing device having a circuit having a physical structure for executing desired operations. For example, desired operations may include code or instructions included in a program. For example, a data processing device implemented as hardware includes a microprocessor, a central processing unit, a processor core, a multi-core processor, and a multiprocessor. , an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

The processor 810 may execute a program and control the access point 800 . The program code executed by the processor 810 may be stored in the memory 850 .

The memory 850 may store various pieces of information generated in the process of the above-described processor 810 . In addition, the memory 850 may store various data and programs. The memory 850 may include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The memory 850 may include a mass storage medium such as a hard disk to store various data.

9 is a block diagram of a terminal providing a real-time broadcast service according to an embodiment. The terminal 900 includes a processor 910 , a communication interface 930 , a memory 950 , and a display 970 . Processor 910 , communication interface 930 , memory 950 , and display 970 may communicate with each other via communication bus 905 . The terminal 900 may be an STB terminal.

The processor 910 determines whether a frequency change of a terminal having a built-in broadcast reception function is required based on a wireless connection state with the first access point currently being accessed while the media stream is being reproduced through the first radio frequency channel. The processor 910 scans at least one second radio frequency channel according to the determination that a frequency change is necessary. The processor 910 changes the channel from the first radio frequency channel to the second radio frequency channel based on the scan result.

The communication interface 930 receives a media stream for providing a real-time broadcast service through the second radio frequency channel.

The memory 950 may store a media stream received through the communication interface 930 .

The display 970 reproduces the media stream provided through the communication interface 930 . Alternatively, the display 970 may play the media stream stored in the memory 950 .

Also, the processor 910 may perform at least one method described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5 to 7 or an algorithm corresponding to the at least one method. The processor 910 may be a hardware-implemented data processing device having a circuit having a physical structure for executing desired operations. For example, desired operations may include code or instructions included in a program. For example, a data processing device implemented as hardware includes a microprocessor, a central processing unit, a processor core, a multi-core processor, and a multiprocessor. , an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

The processor 910 may execute a program and control the terminal 900 . The program code executed by the processor 910 may be stored in the memory 950 .

The memory 950 may store various pieces of information generated in the process of the above-described processor 910 . In addition, the memory 950 may store various data and programs. The memory 950 may include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The memory 950 may include a mass storage medium such as a hard disk to store various data.

The method according to an embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magnetic such as floppy disks. - includes magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

As described above, although the present invention has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations from these descriptions. This is possible.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the following claims as well as the claims and equivalents.

800: access point
805: communication bus
810: processor
830: communication interface
850: memory

Claims (23)

detecting whether at least one first terminal is connected;
preferentially granting the right to use radio resources to the second terminal according to a determination that the first terminal for which the connection is detected is a second terminal; and
providing a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal using the radio resource according to the preferentially granted usage right;
including,
The second terminal
When it is determined that a channel change is necessary when using the real-time broadcast service through a first wireless channel, at least one second wireless channel is scanned to select a channel through which the real-time broadcast service is provided from the first wireless channel. 2 A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service that changes to a wireless channel. According to claim 1,
The step of determining whether the first terminal is the second terminal
obtaining identification information of the first terminal in which the access is detected; and
determining whether the first terminal is the second terminal by comparing the identification information of the first terminal with stored subscriber information
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: According to claim 1,
The step of preferentially granting the right to use the radio resource is
Prioritizing the use right for the radio resource by fixedly allocating traffic to the second terminal
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: 4. The method of claim 3,
The step of preferentially granting the right to use the radio resource by statically allocating the traffic
Allocating the traffic at a certain rate by adjusting a quality of service (QoS) field value included in a header of a packet transmitted to the second terminal
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: 5. The method of claim 4,
The certain ratio is
A method of providing a real-time broadcast service that can be dynamically adjusted based on at least one of the packet type, the location of the second terminal, and a network environment of a place where the second terminal is located. 4. The method of claim 3,
The step of preferentially granting the right to use the radio resource by statically allocating the traffic
determining whether to statically allocate the traffic to the second terminal based on at least one of a packet type provided to the second terminal and a broadcast content type provided by the second terminal; and
statically allocating traffic to the second terminal according to the determination of whether to statically allocate the traffic;
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: According to claim 1,
Allocating the remaining radio resources except for the radio resource preferentially granted to the second terminal to the remaining terminals except for the second terminal according to the determination that the first terminal is not the second terminal
Further comprising, a method of providing a real-time broadcasting service. According to claim 1,
The step of giving priority to the use right is
If there are a plurality of terminals determined to be the second terminal, dynamically adjusting the usage right for the radio resource among the plurality of second terminals
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: 9. The method of claim 8,
The step of dynamically adjusting the usage right for the radio resource is
Based on at least one of a type of broadcast content being provided by each of the plurality of second terminals and a network environment of a place where the plurality of second terminals are located, the right to use the radio resource is dynamically assigned between the plurality of second terminals. step to adjust
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: According to claim 1,
The radio resource is
A method of providing a real-time broadcast service, including a radio resource for Wi-Fi wireless communication. According to claim 1,
The second terminal
When using the real-time broadcasting service, the real-time broadcasting is performed based on at least one of a signal strength transmitted from an access point, a buffer amount of data received from the access point, and a packet loss rate of the data. A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service by changing a channel through which the service is provided. According to claim 1,
The second terminal
A method of providing a real-time broadcast service, wherein broadcast content of a first image quality and a second image quality is simultaneously received, and the image quality is changed to the first image quality or the second image quality according to a network situation in which the real-time broadcasting service is provided. determining whether the terminal needs to change a channel with a first access point to which it is currently connected during reproduction of the media stream through the first wireless channel;
scanning at least one second radio channel according to the determination that the channel change is necessary;
changing a channel from the first radio channel to the second radio channel based on the scan result;
receiving the media stream for providing a real-time broadcast service through the second wireless channel; and
playing the media stream
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: 14. The method of claim 13,
receiving the real-time broadcast service based on at least one of a signal strength received through a wireless channel with the first access point, a buffer amount of data received from the first access point, and a packet loss ratio of the data Steps to change channels
Further comprising, a method of providing a real-time broadcasting service. 14. The method of claim 13,
The step of determining whether the channel change is necessary
Determining whether the channel change is necessary based on a result of comparing the strength of a signal transmitted through a wireless channel with the first access point and a set threshold
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: 16. The method of claim 15,
the threshold is
A method of providing a real-time broadcast service that is dynamically adjustable based on at least one of a resolution requested by the terminal and a type of broadcast content reproduced in the terminal. 14. The method of claim 13,
the at least one second radio channel
The method of providing a real-time broadcast service, which is provided through the first access point or at least one second access point distinct from the first access point. 14. The method of claim 13,
The step of changing the channel to the second radio channel is
determining whether at least one second access point providing the second radio channel is an access point capable of serving the terminal; and
Changing a channel to the second radio channel according to a determination that the second access point is an access point capable of serving the terminal
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, comprising: 14. The method of claim 13,
the terminal is
A method of providing a real-time broadcasting service, wherein the broadcasting content of a first image quality and the broadcasting content of the second image quality are simultaneously received, and the image quality of the broadcasting content is changed according to a network condition in which the real-time broadcasting service is provided. A computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium in combination with hardware to execute the method of any one of claims 1 to 19. a processor that detects whether at least one first terminal is connected, and preferentially grants the right to use radio resources to the second terminal according to a determination that the first terminal for which the connection is detected is a second terminal; and
A communication interface for providing a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal using the radio resource according to the preferentially granted usage right
including,
The second terminal
When it is determined that a channel change is necessary when using the real-time broadcast service through a first wireless channel, at least one second wireless channel is scanned to select a channel through which the real-time broadcast service is provided from the first wireless channel. 2 An access point that provides a real-time broadcast service that changes to a wireless channel. a processor that detects whether at least one first terminal is connected, and preferentially grants the right to use radio resources to the second terminal according to a determination that the first terminal for which the connection is detected is a second terminal; and
A communication interface for providing a real-time broadcast service to the second terminal using the radio resource according to the preferentially granted usage right
including,
The second terminal
An access point providing a real-time broadcasting service, which simultaneously receives broadcast content of a first image quality and a second image quality, and changes the image quality to the first image quality or the second image quality according to a network condition in which the real-time broadcasting service is provided. During playback of the media stream through the first wireless channel, determining whether a channel change with a first access point currently connected is necessary, and according to the determination that the channel change is necessary, scan at least one second wireless channel; , a processor for changing a channel from the first radio channel to the second radio channel based on the scan result;
a communication interface for receiving the media stream for providing a real-time broadcast service through the second wireless channel; and
a display that plays the media stream
A terminal receiving a real-time broadcasting service, including a.

Images