KR20170084851A - Set-top box for digital broadcasting, and server, device and method for providing remote computing service using thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A technology relating to a remote computing service providing system is disclosed.
The set-top box for digital broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an input for receiving input data of the service subscriber from the peripheral input device by communicating wired or wirelessly with a peripheral input device for a computer that receives data from a remote computing service subscriber, An interface unit; A subscriber authentication request unit for requesting subscriber authentication by transmitting predetermined authentication information of the service subscriber to a remote computing service providing server; A remote computer connection unit accessing a remote computer of the service provider using the predetermined connection information received from the server when the subscriber authentication is successful; A remote computer control unit for controlling the remote computer by transmitting a control signal to the remote computer according to input data of the service subscriber received through the input interface unit; And an output interface unit for transmitting the output data of the remote computer received from the remote computer and processed to a predetermined output device, wherein the personal computer environment is implemented in the service subscriber's home without the need to purchase a separate personal computer, Reduce the cost of deployment, and maintain and improve the quality of remote computing services.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a set-top box for digital broadcasting, a remote computing service providing server and a terminal, and a remote computing service providing method using the set-

The present invention relates to a remote computing service providing system, and more particularly, to a set-top box for digital broadcasting that provides a remote computing service using a digital broadcasting infrastructure, a remote computing service providing server and terminal, and a remote computing service providing method using the set- .

Generally, a remote computing service refers to a service that processes, processes, stores, and edits data of a service subscriber in a central computer of a remote service provider. That is, the remote computing service is a service that allows a user of a simple input / output terminal to obtain the effect of using a high-specification computer.

2. Description of the Related Art [0002] In recent years, the use of a personal computer has become common in daily business and personal life of each individual, and data and programs processed and stored by personal computers have become larger and more sophisticated, There is a growing interest in and demand for a remote computing service technology that can replace the Internet.

However, as disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Nos. 10-2008-0110894 and 10-2010-0137922, since existing technologies assume that a client terminal connected to a remote computing server is a personal computer of a corresponding service subscriber, There is a problem that a personal computer must be purchased. In addition, since the existing technologies allow the client terminal to directly receive and process the output data of the remote computing server, the client terminal must have a considerable level of data processing performance. Therefore, the existing technologies can not sufficiently reduce the manufacturing cost of the client terminal, and as a result, the cost of constructing the infrastructure of the remote computing service and the cost of using the service are increased.

Also, as disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2007-0093213, since existing technologies use a resource-constrained small mobile device as a client terminal, high-level remote computing services can not be provided, There is a problem that the convenience of the user is inferior to that of the personal computer environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a personal computer environment in a service subscriber's home, reduce the cost of constructing a remote computing service infrastructure, maintain and improve the quality of a remote computing service without purchasing a separate personal computer A set-top box for digital broadcasting, a server for providing a remote computing service using the set-top box, and a method for providing a remote computing service.

The set-top box for digital broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an input for receiving input data of the service subscriber from the peripheral input device by communicating wired or wirelessly with a peripheral input device for a computer that receives data from a remote computing service subscriber, An interface unit; A subscriber authentication request unit for requesting subscriber authentication by transmitting predetermined authentication information of the service subscriber to a remote computing service providing server; A remote computer connection unit accessing a remote computer of the service provider using the predetermined connection information received from the server when the subscriber authentication is successful; A remote computer control unit for controlling the remote computer by transmitting a control signal to the remote computer according to input data of the service subscriber received through the input interface unit; And an output interface unit transmitting the output data of the remote computer received from the remote computer and processed to a predetermined output device.

In one embodiment, the input interface unit may include a cable connection terminal for wired communication with the peripheral input device, or a wireless communication module for wireless communication with the peripheral input device.

In one embodiment, the authentication information transmitted by the subscriber authentication request unit may include an ID and a password of the service subscriber, and identification information of the set top box.

In one embodiment, when the changed connection information is received from the server according to the quality measurement result of the communication channel receiving the output data of the remote computer, the remote computer connection unit may transmit the changed connection information to the remote computer, .

In one embodiment, the remote computer connection unit connects to the remote computer to allow the set-top box to receive output data of the remote computer via a unicast channel, and when the quality of the unicast channel is less than a predetermined reference value And may reconnect to the remote computer to cause the set top box to receive output data of the remote computer via the multicast channel.

The set-top box may further include a quality measuring unit for measuring a quality of a communication channel for receiving output data of the remote computer according to a quality measurement request of the server and transmitting the quality measurement result to the server can do.

In one embodiment, the output interface unit may include a cable connection terminal for wire communication with the output device, or a wireless communication module for wireless communication with the output device.

In one embodiment, the set-top box communicates with a predetermined remote computing service providing terminal installed in a home of the service subscriber in a wired or wireless manner to receive input data of the service subscriber from the terminal, And a terminal interface unit for transmitting output data of the terminal.

In one embodiment, the authentication information transmitted by the subscriber identity requesting unit may include an ID and a password of the service subscriber, identification information of the set-top box, and identification information of the terminal.

In one embodiment, the remote computer control unit may control the remote computer by transmitting a control signal to the remote computer according to input data of the service subscriber received through the terminal interface unit.

The remote computing service providing terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a remote computing service in the premises of a service subscriber using a set-top box for digital broadcasting, and provides a set-top box for transmitting / receiving data by communicating wired or wirelessly with the set- An interface unit; An input interface for communicating with a peripheral input device for a computer that receives data from a remote computing service subscriber in a wired or wireless manner and receiving input data of the service subscriber from the peripheral input device; An authentication information transmitting unit for transmitting the predetermined authentication information of the service subscriber to the set-top box and causing the set-top box to request subscriber authentication to the remote computing service providing server; A remote computer control unit for controlling the remote computer by transmitting a control signal to the remote computer of the service provider through the set top box according to input data of the service subscriber received through the input interface unit; And an output interface unit for transmitting output data of the remote computer received through the set top box from the remote computer to a predetermined output device.

In one embodiment, the set-top box interface unit may include a cable connection terminal for wired communication with the set-top box or a wireless communication module for wireless communication with the set-top box.

In one embodiment, the input interface unit may include a cable connection terminal for wired communication with the peripheral input device, or a wireless communication module for wireless communication with the peripheral input device.

In one embodiment, the authentication information transmitted by the authentication information transmitting unit may include an ID and a password of the service subscriber, and identification information of the terminal.

In one embodiment, the output interface unit may include a cable terminal to which the wired communication cable of the output device is connected, or a corresponding wireless communication module in communication with the wireless communication module of the output device.

In one embodiment, the terminal includes: a decoder unit decoding the encoded data received through the set-top box interface unit; And a scaler unit for processing the image data output from the decoder unit to be displayed on the output device.

A remote computing service providing server according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a remote computing service to a service subscriber using a set-top box for digital broadcasting, and performs a subscriber authentication using a predetermined authentication information of a service subscriber transmitted from the set- A subscriber authenticating unit performing the subscriber authentication; A remote computer management unit for assigning a remote computer of a service provider to be provided to the service subscriber when the subscriber authentication is successful; And a quality manager for allocating a communication channel to be used between the set top box and the remote computer and managing the quality of the remote computing service by reallocating another communication channel according to the quality measurement result of the allocated communication channel.

In an exemplary embodiment, the subscriber identity unit may include an authentication information storage unit for registering and storing authentication information of the service subscriber in advance; And an authentication performing unit for performing the subscriber authentication by comparing the authentication information transmitted from the set-top box and the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit.

In one embodiment, the remote computer management unit comprises: a resource information collection unit for collecting resource information about a remote computer of the service provider; And a remote computer assigning unit for assigning a usable remote computer of the service provider to the service subscriber using the resource information when the subscriber authentication is successful.

In one embodiment, the remote computer management unit includes: a remote computer check unit that performs a check on the remote computer at predetermined intervals; And an update performing unit for updating the software installed in the remote computer.

In one embodiment, the quality management unit includes: a channel assignment unit for assigning a communication channel by designating an IP address of the set top box and the remote computer; A connection information transmitting unit for transmitting predetermined connection information for connection to the remote computer through the assigned communication channel to the settop box; And a quality measuring unit operable to measure the quality of the allocated communication channel in cooperation with the set-top box.

In one embodiment, the channel allocator allocates a unicast channel as a communication channel to be used between the set top box and the remote computer, and when the quality of the unicast channel measured by the quality measuring unit falls below a predetermined reference value The multicast channel can be reassigned.

A method for providing a remote computing service according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes providing a remote computing service to a service subscriber using a set-top box for digital broadcasting, and providing a remote computing service providing server with a predetermined authentication information A subscriber authentication step of performing subscriber authentication using the subscriber identity; A remote computer management step in which, when the subscriber authentication is successful, the server allocates a remote computer of a service provider to be provided to the service subscriber; And a quality management step of allocating a communication channel to be used between the set top box and the remote computer and managing the quality of the remote computing service by reallocating another communication channel according to the measurement result of the quality of the allocated communication channel do.

In one embodiment, the subscriber authentication step may include: an authentication information storage step in which the server registers and stores authentication information of the service subscriber in advance; And an authentication step of performing authentication of the subscriber by comparing the authentication information transmitted from the set-top box with authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit of the server.

In one embodiment, the remote computer management step includes: a resource information collection step in which the server collects resource information about a remote computer of the service provider; And a remote computer allocation step in which, when the subscriber authentication is successful, the server allocates the available remote computer of the service provider to the service subscriber using the resource information.

In one embodiment, the remote computer management step includes a remote computer check step in which the server performs a check on the remote computer at predetermined intervals; And an update performing step in which the server performs an update on software installed in the remote computer.

In one embodiment, the quality management step may include: allocating a communication channel by assigning an IP address of the set top box and the remote computer to the server; The server transmitting predetermined connection information for connecting to the remote computer through the assigned communication channel to the settop box; And a quality measurement step in which the server measures the quality of the allocated communication channel in association with the set-top box.

In one embodiment, the channel allocating step allocates a unicast channel as a communication channel to be used between the set top box and the remote computer, and when the quality of the unicast channel measured by the quality measuring step is less than a predetermined reference value And if so, reassigning the multicast channel.

Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by a computer program that executes the above-described remote computing service providing method through a computer system.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost of establishing a remote computing service infrastructure by allowing a service provider to provide a remote computing service using an existing digital broadcasting infrastructure.

In addition, by allowing a service subscriber to use a remote computing service by connecting a peripheral device for a computer such as a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse to a set-top box for digital broadcasting, a personal computer environment can be implemented in a service subscriber's home without having to purchase a separate personal computer have.

In addition, when the quality of the communication channel providing the remote computing service is degraded, the QoS and SLA of the remote computing service can be guaranteed by using the multicast channel of the digital broadcasting network.

Further, by automatically performing the check and update on the remote computer at the service provider side, the quality of the remote computing service and the convenience of the service subscriber can be further improved.

In addition, by connecting a small terminal having a simple configuration to the set-top box, the remote computing service line can be expanded, and thus, it is possible to operate several personal computers at the service subscriber's home at a low cost.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various embodiments of the present invention can be accomplished without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1 is a diagram illustrating a remote computing service system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram of a set-top box for digital broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram illustrating a remote computing service providing server according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing a remote computing service according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4B is a flowchart illustrating a communication channel reallocation process in a method of providing a remote computing service according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram illustrating a remote computing service providing terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing a remote computing service according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in order to clarify solutions for technical problems of the present invention. In the following description of the present invention, however, the description of related arts will be omitted if the gist of the present invention becomes obscure. In addition, the terms described below are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention, and may be changed depending on the intention or custom of the designer, the manufacturer, and the like. Therefore, the definition should be based on the contents throughout this specification.

FIG. 1 illustrates a remote computing service system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a remote computing service system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a digital broadcasting network 100 that provides a bidirectional broadcasting service such as an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) Lt; / RTI > To this end, the remote computing service system may include a set-top box 200 for digital broadcasting, a remote computing service providing server 300, a remote computing server 400, and may further include a remote computing service providing terminal 500.

The set-top box 200 for digital broadcasting is a two-way multimedia communication terminal installed in a home 10 of a service subscriber. The set-top box 200 basically comprises a digital broadcasting network 100 including a high-speed Internet network such as FTTH (Fiber To The Home) And outputs it through a digital television such as IPTV. In particular, the set-top box 200 is connected to a peripheral input device 202 for a computer such as a keyboard and a mouse, and an output device 204 such as an IPTV to provide a personal computer environment to a service subscriber.

The remote computing service providing server 300 manages a remote computing server 400 of a service provider having remote computing resources to be used by a plurality of service subscribers and provides the authenticated service subscribers with the remote computing servers 400 A remote computer 410 as a computing resource is allocated to provide a remote computing service. In addition, the remote computing service providing server 300 may transmit a multicast channel, which is used for a unicast channel used in a unicast scheme, which is a one-to-one data transmission scheme, and a multicast scheme, (QoS) and SLA (Service Level Agreement) of the remote computing service by efficiently assigning the communication resources to the communication between the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410, .

Meanwhile, the remote computer 410 of the remote computing server 400 allocated to the service subscriber may be a physically distinct physical machine or a logically distinct virtual machine. For example, the remote computer 410 may be configured as a rack PC that is located in a rack of the remote computing server 400.

The remote computing service providing terminal 500 is connected to the set-top box 200 in a wired or wireless manner at the service subscriber's premises 10 to increase the number of remote computing service lines. That is, the remote computing service providing terminal 500 is connected to a peripheral input device 502 for a computer such as a keyboard and a mouse, and an output device 504 such as a monitor and a speaker, Of personal computer environment. As will be described below, a service subscriber can create a personal computer environment at various places in the home using remote computing service providing terminals that can be manufactured at a low cost.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a set-top box 200 for digital broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the digital broadcasting set-top box 200 includes an input interface unit 210, a subscriber authentication request unit 220, a remote computer connection unit 230, a remote computer control unit 230, A data transmission and reception unit 260, a data processing unit 270 and an output interface unit 280 and may further include a quality measurement unit 250 and a terminal interface unit 290.

The input interface unit 210 wirelessly or wirelessly communicates with a peripheral input device 202 for a computer that receives data from a remote computing service subscriber and receives input data of the service subscriber from the peripheral input device 202. The computer peripheral input device 202 connected to the input interface unit 210 may include various types of input devices for inputting data to a personal computer such as a keyboard, a mouse, a scanner, have. For this purpose, the input interface unit 210 may include various types of cable connection terminals that enable wire communication with the peripheral input device 202, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal. The input interface unit 210 may include a wireless communication module that enables wireless communication with the computer peripheral input device 202, such as a Bluetooth communication module.

The subscriber identity requesting unit 220 transmits the predetermined authentication information of the service subscriber to the remote computing service providing server 300 to request subscriber authentication. In this case, the authentication information transmitted by the subscriber authentication request unit 220 may include an ID and a password of the service subscriber, and identification information of the set top box 200. For example, the subscriber identity requesting unit 220 receives the ID and password of a service subscriber input from the peripheral input device 202 such as a keyboard through the input interface unit 210, and then stores the ID and password of the corresponding subscriber To the remote computing service providing server 300 together with the identification information of the set top box stored in advance, thereby requesting authentication of the service subscriber.

The remote computer connection unit 230 connects to the remote computer 410 of the service provider using the predetermined connection information received from the server 300 when the subscriber authentication is successful in the remote computing service providing server 300. [ Meanwhile, when the changed connection information is received from the remote computing service providing server 300 according to the quality measurement result of the communication channel receiving the output data of the remote computer 410, the remote computer connection unit 230 transmits the changed connection information The remote computer 410 can be reconnected. That is, the remote computer connection unit 230 connects to the remote computer 410 so that the set-top box 200 basically receives the output data of the remote computer 410 via the unicast channel, The user can reconnect to the remote computer 410 to allow the set-top box 200 to receive the output data of the remote computer through the multicast channel.

The remote computer control unit 240 controls the remote computer 410 by transmitting a control signal to the remote computer 410 according to the input data of the service subscriber received through the input interface unit 210.

The data transmission and reception unit 260 transmits the data signals of the set top box 200 or the remote computing service providing terminal 500 to the remote computing service providing server 300 or the remote computer 410 through the digital broadcasting network 100 While receiving the data signals of the remote computing service providing server 300 or the remote computer 410 through the digital broadcasting network 100 and classifying the control messages and the data packets to the corresponding components of the set top box 200 do.

The data processing unit 270 processes the broadcast data received through the data transmission / reception unit 260 and the output data of the remote computer 410 so as to be output from the specific output device 204. To this end, the data processing unit 270 may include a buffer unit 272, a decoder unit 274, and a scaler unit 276. The buffer unit 272 temporarily buffers data packets received through the data transmission / reception unit 260 in the set-top box 200 supporting multi-channels to manage multi-channels. The decoder unit 276 decodes the encoded data output from the buffer unit 272. Broadcast data or the output data of the remote computer 410 is compressed and encoded at a high level for efficient transmission. In this case, the decoder unit 276 may include a plurality of decoders to support multi-channels. The scaler unit 276 processes the image data output from the decoder unit 274 so that it can be displayed on the specific output device 204. [ In this case, the scaler unit 276 may have a plurality of input ports to support multi-channels.

The output interface unit 280 transmits the output data of the remote computer 410 received from the remote computer 410 and processed to the corresponding output device 204. The output device 204 connected to the output interface unit 280 basically includes various types of output devices such as a monitor for a computer, a speaker, a printer, Output devices may be included. To this end, the output interface unit 280 may include a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) terminal, a D-Sub terminal, a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) terminal, a composite terminal, And may include various types of cable connection terminals that enable wire communication with the output device 204, such as terminals. The output interface unit 280 may include a wireless communication module that enables wireless communication with the output device 204, such as a Bluetooth communication module.

The quality measuring unit 250 measures the quality of a communication channel (for example, a unicast channel) receiving the output data of the remote computer 410 according to a quality measurement request of the remote computing service providing server 300, And transmits the quality measurement result to the server 300.

The terminal interface unit 290 communicates with the remote computing service providing terminal 500 installed in the home 10 of the service subscriber in a wired or wireless manner to receive input data of the service subscriber from the terminal 500, And transmits the output data of the remote computer 410 to the terminal 500. To this end, the terminal interface unit 290 may include a LAN (Local Area Network) cable terminal for wired communication with the remote computing service providing terminal 500 or a WiFi communication module for wirelessly communicating. When the remote computing service providing terminal 500 is connected to the set top box 200, the authentication information transmitted by the subscriber authentication request unit 220 of the set top box 200 includes the ID and password of the service subscriber, The identification information of the terminal 200 and the identification information of the terminal 500 may be included. The remote computer control unit 240 of the set top box 200 transmits a control signal to the remote computer 410 according to the input data of the service subscriber received through the terminal interface unit 290, Can be controlled. In addition, the data processing unit 270 may further include an encoder unit 278. In this case, the encoder unit 278 can compress and encode the data decoded by the decoder unit 274 to a low level for transmission to the remote computing service providing terminal 500.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a remote computing service providing server 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

3, the remote computing service providing server 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a server for providing a remote computing service to a service subscriber using the set-top box 200 for digital broadcasting, A subscriber authenticating unit 310, a remote computer managing unit 320, and a quality managing unit 330. In this case, the subscriber authenticating unit 310 performs subscriber authentication using the authentication information of the service subscriber transmitted from the set top box 200. The remote computer management unit 320 allocates the remote computer 410 of the service provider to be provided to the service subscriber when the subscriber authentication is successful. The quality management unit 330 allocates a communication channel to be used between the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410 and reassigns the other communication channel according to the quality measurement result of the allocated communication channel to thereby improve the quality of the remote computing service Management.

4A is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing a remote computing service according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The configuration and operation of the remote computing service providing server 300 shown in FIG. 3 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4A.

First, when the set-top box 200 transmits an ID and a password of the service subscriber, identification information of the set-top box, and requests subscriber authentication for the corresponding service subscriber (S400), the subscriber authenticating unit (not shown) of the remote computing service providing server 300 310 performs subscriber authentication using the received authentication information (S402). For this, the subscriber authenticating unit 310 may include an authentication information storing unit 312 and an authentication performing unit 314. In this case, the authentication information storage unit 312 previously registers and stores the authentication information of the remote computing service subscribers. The authentication performing unit 314 compares the authentication information transmitted from the set top box 200 with the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit 312 to perform subscriber authentication.

Next, the remote computer management unit 320 of the remote computing service providing server 300 allocates the remote computer 410 of the service provider to be provided to the service subscriber when the subscriber authentication is successful (S410, S412, S420 ). For this purpose, the remote computer management unit 320 may include a resource information collection unit 326 and a remote computer allocation unit 328. In this case, the resource information collection unit 326 collects resource information about the remote computer 410. [ That is, the resource information collecting unit 326 requests the remote computing server 400 or the remote computer 410 of the remote computing server 400 for resource information such as idle computer information, CPU information, memory information, etc. (S410) , The remote computing server 400 or the remote computer 410 (S412). If the subscriber authentication is successful, the remote computer assigning unit 328 allocates a usable remote computer of the service provider to the service subscriber using the resource information collected by the resource information collecting unit 326 (S420). In this case, the assigned remote computer 410 may be a physical machine physically distinct from another remote computer, or a virtual machine logically distinct from other remote computers.

Meanwhile, the remote computer management unit 320 may further include a remote computer checking unit 322 and an update performing unit. In this case, the remote computer checking unit 322 normally checks the remote computers of the service provider every predetermined period to determine whether the software required for service provision is installed, whether it is normal, whether it is infected with a virus, You can remedy the problematic remote computer or print a report of the check result. The update performing unit 324 updates the software installed in the remote computer 410 at any time. In this way, by automatically performing the checking and updating on the remote computer 410 provided to the service subscriber at the service provider side, the quality of the remote computing service and the convenience of the service subscriber can be further improved.

The quality management unit 330 then allocates a communication channel to be used between the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410 and reassigns other communication channels according to the quality measurement result of the allocated communication channel, The quality of the product. For this, the quality control unit 330 may include a channel allocation unit 332, a connection information transmission unit 334, and a quality measurement unit 336.

The channel assigning unit 332 assigns a communication channel by specifying an IP (Internet Protocol) address of the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410 (S430). In this case, the channel allocation unit 332 can allocate a unicast channel by designating a unicast address basically. This is because unicast channel resources are relatively more than multicast channel resources. The connection information transmitting unit 334 transmits predetermined connection information for connection to the remote computer 410 to the set top box 200 through the assigned communication channel (S432). The connection information may include a remote computer IP address, a set-top box IP address, and the like.

The remote computer connection unit 230 of the set top box 200 then connects to the remote computer 410 of the service provider using the connection information at step S440 and the session between the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410 The remote computer control unit 240 of the set top box 200 transmits a control signal according to the service subscriber input to the remote computer 410 to control the remote computer 410 in operation S450. Then, the remote computer 410 performs computing according to the input of the service subscriber (S452), and transmits the output data according to the computing execution to the set top box 200 (S454). In this case, the control signal transmission of the set-top box 200 can use a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) secure channel.

Meanwhile, the quality management unit 330 manages the quality of the remote computing service by changing the communication channel according to the measurement result of the quality of the communication channel between the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410 and reallocating the communication channel . In this case, the quality measurement unit 336 of the quality control unit 330 performs quality measurement of the currently allocated communication channel in conjunction with the set-top box 200. [

FIG. 4B is a flowchart illustrating a communication channel reallocation process of a method for providing a remote computing service according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The configuration and operation of the remote computing service providing server 300 shown in FIG. 3 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4B.

First, the quality measuring unit 336 of the remote computing service providing server 300 may request the set-top box 200 to measure the quality of the current communication channel (S460). Then, the quality measurement unit 250 of the set top box 200 performs network quality measurement including a data transmission rate, a packet loss rate, and the like through the communication channel (S462). For example, the quality measurement unit 250 of the set-top box 200 can perform quality measurement by requesting transmission of a test packet to the remote computer 410 and receiving it. The quality measuring unit 250 of the set top box 200 transmits the quality measurement result to the quality measuring unit 336 of the remote computing service providing server 300 (S464).

When the quality of the current communication channel measured by the quality measuring unit 336 falls below a predetermined reference value (S466), the channel assigning unit 332 of the remote computing service providing server 300 transmits the other communication channel (S470). For example, the channel assigning unit 332 basically allocates a unicast channel as a communication channel to be used between the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410, and assigns a quality of the unicast channel measured by the quality measuring unit 336 And reassigns the multicast channel when it falls below a reference value that can not guarantee QoS (Quality of Service) or SLA (Service Level Agreement). In this case, the channel allocation unit 332 allocates a private multicast address (239.0.0.0/8) if the digital broadcasting system is operating an IPv4 address, and allocates a local multicast address Address (local Multicast address: ffx3 :: / 16). In a digital broadcasting system, a multicast channel has a stable communication band and is given a high priority to maintain the quality of a broadcast service. Therefore, a multicast channel is reallocated according to deterioration of network quality, thereby stably providing a remote computing service can do. As described above, the remote computing service providing server 300 basically allocates a unicast channel to a service subscriber and allocates the quality of the allocated channel to the service subscriber as described above because the resources that can be allocated to the multicast channel are relatively limited. , And reassigns the multicast channel only when the quality deteriorates. Meanwhile, if the quality of the communication channel is good, the current communication channel is maintained, and the quality measuring unit 336 of the remote computing service providing server 300 may perform the quality measuring procedure again after waiting for a predetermined time (S468).

Next, the connection information transmitting unit 334 of the remote computing service providing server 300 transmits the changed connection information for connection to the remote computer 410 to the set top box 200 through the reallocated communication channel ( S472).

The remote computer connection unit 230 of the set top box 200 then reconnects to the corresponding remote computer 410 of the service provider using the changed connection information at step S480 to establish a connection between the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410 A multicast channel-based session is created (S482). In this case, the remote computer connection unit 230 of the set-top box 200 can access or disconnect the remote computer 410 based on the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a remote computing service providing terminal 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5, a remote computing service providing terminal 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a terminal that provides a remote computing service in the home of a service subscriber using a set-top box 200 for digital broadcasting, An input interface unit 510, an authentication information transmission unit 520, a remote computer control unit 530, a set top box interface unit 540, a data processing unit 550, and an output interface unit 280.

The input interface unit 510 receives input data of a service subscriber from the peripheral input device 502 by wire or wireless communication with a peripheral input device 502 for a computer receiving data from a remote computing service subscriber. The computer peripheral input device 502 connected to the input interface unit 510 may include various types of input devices for inputting data to a personal computer such as a keyboard, a mouse, a scanner, and the like. To this end, the input interface unit 510 may include various types of cable connection terminals, such as a USB terminal, for enabling wire communication with the peripheral input device 502. In addition, the input interface unit 510 may include a wireless communication module that enables wireless communication with the peripheral input device 502 for a computer, such as a Bluetooth communication module.

The authentication information transmitting unit 520 transmits the predetermined authentication information of the service subscriber to the set top box 200, and causes the set top box 200 to request the remote computing service providing server 300 to perform subscriber authentication. In this case, the authentication information transmitted by the authentication information transmitting unit 520 may include an ID and a password of the service subscriber, and identification information of the terminal 500. [ For example, the authentication information transmitting unit 520 receives the ID and password of the service subscriber input from the peripheral input device 202 such as a keyboard through the input interface 510, and then transmits the ID and password of the service subscriber To the subscriber authentication request unit 220 of the set top box 200 together with the terminal identification information stored in advance. Then, the subscriber authentication request unit 220 of the set top box 200 transmits the ID and password of the service subscriber, the terminal identification information, and the set-top box identification information to the remote computing service providing server 300 to request subscriber authentication. As described above, the remote computing service providing terminal 500 performs the subscriber authentication procedure through the set top box 200 to allocate the remote computer 410 and create a session with the remote computer 410.

The remote computer control unit 530 generates a control signal in accordance with the input data of the service subscriber received through the input interface unit 510 after the session with the remote computer 410 is generated through the set top box 200 200 to the remote computer 410 to control the remote computer 410. [

The set-top box interface unit 540 communicates with the set-top box 200 by wire or wireless, and transmits and receives data. That is, the set-top box interface unit 540 communicates with the set-top box 200 by wire or wireless, and transmits input data of a service subscriber received through the input interface unit 510 or a control signal corresponding thereto to the set- And receives the data of the remote computing service providing server 300 or the remote computer 410 through the set top box 200 and transmits the data to the corresponding components of the remote computing service providing terminal 500. To this end, the set-top box interface unit 540 may include a LAN cable terminal for wired communication with the set-top box 200 or a WiFi communication module for wirelessly communicating.

The data processing unit 550 processes the output data of the remote computer 410 received from the set top box 200 so that it can be output from the specific output device 504. To this end, the data processing unit 550 may include a buffer unit 552, a decoder unit 554, and a scaler unit 556. The buffer unit 552 temporarily buffers data packets received through the set-top box interface unit 540. The decoder unit 554 decodes the encoded data output from the buffer unit 552. The scaler unit 556 processes the image data output from the decoder unit 554 so that it can be displayed on the specific output device 504. The remote computing service providing terminal 500 is not intended to provide a broadcast service but is intended for control signal transmission and simple output and can use data processed primarily by the set top box 200, May be configured with a much lower specification than the box (200).

The output interface unit 560 transmits the output data of the remote computer 410 received from the set top box 200 and processed to the corresponding output device 504. The output device 504 connected to the output interface unit 560 may include various types of output devices for outputting data of a personal computer such as a computer monitor, a speaker, and a printer. To this end, the output interface unit 280 may include various types of cable connection terminals that enable wire communication with the output device 504, such as an HDMI terminal, a D-Sub terminal, a DVI terminal, a composite terminal, a USB terminal, have. The output interface unit 280 may include a wireless communication module that enables wireless communication with the output device 504, such as a Bluetooth communication module.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing a remote computing service according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, the remote computing service providing method according to another embodiment of the present invention may further utilize the remote computing service providing terminal 500.

First, when the authentication information transmitting unit 520 of the remote computing service providing terminal 500 transmits the authentication information including the ID and password of the service subscriber and the terminal identification information to the set top box 200 (S600) Box 200 transmits the ID and password of the service subscriber, the terminal identification information, and the set-top box identification information to the remote computing service providing server 300 to request the subscriber authentication (S602). The remote computing service providing server 300 Performs the subscriber authentication using the received authentication information (S604). As described above, the remote computing service providing terminal 500 performs the subscriber authentication procedure through the set top box 200 to allocate the remote computer 410 and create a session with the remote computer 410.

Next, the remote computing service providing server 300 allocates the remote computer 410 of the service provider to be provided to the service subscriber when the subscriber authentication is successful (S610, S612, S620). That is, the server 300 requests resource information such as idle computer information, CPU information, memory information, and the like to the remote computing server 400 or the remote computer 410 of the remote computing server 400 (S610) The corresponding resource information is received from the remote computing server 400 or the remote computer 410 (S612). In step S620, the server 300 allocates the available remote computer of the service provider to the service subscriber who succeeded in the subscriber authentication using the collected resource information.

Next, the remote computing service providing server 300 assigns a communication channel by designating an IP address of the set top box 200, the remote computer 410, and the remote computing service providing terminal 500 (S630). In this case, the server 300 can allocate a unicast channel by designating a unicast address basically. The server 300 transmits predetermined connection information to the settop box 200 to access the remote computer 410 through the assigned communication channel (S632). The connection information may include a remote computer IP address, a set top box IP address, a remote computing service providing terminal IP address, and the like.

Then, when the set-top box 200 connects to the remote computer 410 of the service provider using the connection information (S640), a session is established between the set-top box 200 and the remote computer 410 (S642) The remote computer control unit 530 of the remote computing service providing terminal 500 transmits a control signal according to the service subscriber input to the remote computer 410 through the set top box 200 to control the corresponding remote computer 410 , S652). Then, the remote computer 410 performs computing according to the input of the service subscriber (S654), and transmits the output data according to the computing execution to the remote computing service providing terminal 500 through the set top box 200 (S656, S658).

Meanwhile, the communication channel reallocation process (multicast channel allocation process) according to the quality deterioration of the network between the set top box 200 and the remote computer 410 can be performed as shown in FIG. 4B.

Meanwhile, embodiments of the present invention can be realized by recording a computer-readable computer program in a computer-readable recording medium. When embodiments of the present invention are implemented using a computer program, the constituent means of the present invention are program code segments that perform the necessary tasks. The computer program or code segments may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium or in combination with a carrier wave and transmitted in the form of a data signal via a transmission medium or a communication network. A computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of media for recording data that can be read by a computer system. For example, the computer-readable recording medium may include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like. In addition, the program codes may be stored or executed in a distributed manner by distributing the recording medium to a computer system connected to various networks.

As described above, according to the present invention, the cost of establishing a remote computing service infrastructure can be reduced by allowing a service provider to provide a remote computing service utilizing an existing digital broadcasting infrastructure. In addition, by allowing a service subscriber to use a remote computing service by connecting a peripheral device for a computer such as a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse to a set-top box for digital broadcasting, a personal computer environment can be implemented in a service subscriber's home without having to purchase a separate personal computer have. In addition, when the quality of the communication channel providing the remote computing service is degraded, the QoS and SLA of the remote computing service can be guaranteed by using the multicast channel of the digital broadcasting network. Further, by automatically performing the check and update on the remote computer at the service provider side, the quality of the remote computing service and the convenience of the service subscriber can be further improved. In addition, by connecting a small terminal having a simple configuration to the set-top box, the remote computing service line can be expanded, and thus, it is possible to operate several personal computers at the service subscriber's home at a low cost. Furthermore, it is to be understood that various embodiments in accordance with the present invention may solve many technical problems in the art, as well as those described in the related art.

The present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be practiced within the technical scope of the invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be considered from an illustrative point of view, not from a limiting viewpoint. That is, the scope of the true technical idea of the present invention is set forth in the appended claims, and all differences within the scope of equivalents thereof should be construed as being included in the present invention.

200: set top box 210: input interface unit
220: subscriber authentication request unit 230: remote computer connection
240: Remote computer control unit 250: Quality measurement unit
260: Data transmission / reception unit 270: Data processing unit
272: Buffer unit 274: Decoder unit
276: Scaler unit 278: Encoder unit
280: output interface unit 290: terminal interface unit

Claims (29)

A set-top box for digital broadcasting,
An input interface for communicating with a peripheral input device for a computer that receives data from a remote computing service subscriber in a wired or wireless manner and receiving input data of the service subscriber from the peripheral input device;
A subscriber authentication request unit for requesting subscriber authentication by transmitting predetermined authentication information of the service subscriber to a remote computing service providing server;
A remote computer connection unit accessing a remote computer of the service provider using the predetermined connection information received from the server when the subscriber authentication is successful;
A remote computer control unit for controlling the remote computer by transmitting a control signal to the remote computer according to input data of the service subscriber received through the input interface unit; And
And an output interface unit for transmitting output data of the remote computer received from the remote computer to a predetermined output device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the input interface unit comprises a cable connection terminal for wired communication with the peripheral input device or a wireless communication module for wireless communication with the peripheral input device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the authentication information transmitted by the subscriber identity requesting unit includes an ID and a password of the service subscriber, and identification information of the set-top box. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the remote computer connection unit reconnects to the remote computer using the changed connection information when the changed connection information is received from the server according to the quality measurement result of the communication channel receiving the output data of the remote computer Set-top box for digital broadcasting. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the remote computer connection unit connects to the remote computer to cause the set top box to receive output data of the remote computer over a unicast channel and to reconnect to the remote computer when the quality of the unicast channel falls below a predetermined reference value To allow the set-top box to receive output data of the remote computer via a multicast channel. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the set-top box further comprises a quality measuring unit for measuring a quality of a communication channel for receiving output data of the remote computer according to a quality measurement request of the server and transmitting the quality measurement result to the server. Set-top box for broadcasting. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the output interface unit includes a cable connection terminal for wire communication with the output device or a wireless communication module for wireless communication with the output device. The method according to claim 1,
The set-top box communicates with a predetermined remote computing service providing terminal installed in the service subscriber's home by wire or wireless, receives input data of the service subscriber from the terminal, and transmits output data of the remote computer to the terminal And a terminal interface unit. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the authentication information transmitted by the subscriber identity requesting unit includes ID and password of the service subscriber, identification information of the set-top box, and identification information of the terminal. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the remote computer control unit controls the remote computer by transmitting a control signal to the remote computer according to input data of the service subscriber received through the terminal interface unit. A terminal for providing a remote computing service in a home of a service subscriber using a set top box for digital broadcasting,
A set-top box interface unit communicating with the set-top box through a wired or wireless communication to transmit and receive data;
An input interface for communicating with a peripheral input device for a computer that receives data from a remote computing service subscriber in a wired or wireless manner and receiving input data of the service subscriber from the peripheral input device;
An authentication information transmitting unit for transmitting the predetermined authentication information of the service subscriber to the set-top box and causing the set-top box to request subscriber authentication to the remote computing service providing server;
A remote computer control unit for controlling the remote computer by transmitting a control signal to the remote computer of the service provider through the set top box according to input data of the service subscriber received through the input interface unit; And
And an output interface unit for transmitting output data of the remote computer received through the set top box from the remote computer to a predetermined output device. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the set-top box interface unit comprises a cable connection terminal for wired communication with the set-top box or a wireless communication module for wireless communication with the set-top box. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the input interface unit includes a cable connection terminal for wire communication with the peripheral input device or a wireless communication module for wireless communication with the peripheral input device. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the authentication information transmitted by the authentication information transmitting unit includes an ID and a password of the service subscriber, and identification information of the terminal. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the output interface unit comprises a cable terminal to which the wired communication cable of the output device is connected or a corresponding wireless communication module that communicates with the wireless communication module of the output device. 12. The method of claim 11,
The terminal,
A decoder unit decoding the encoded data received through the set-top box interface unit; And
And a scaler unit for processing the image data output from the decoder unit to be displayed on the output device. A server for providing a remote computing service to a service subscriber using a set top box for digital broadcasting,
A subscriber authentication unit for performing subscriber authentication using predetermined authentication information of a service subscriber transmitted from the set-top box;
A remote computer management unit for assigning a remote computer of a service provider to be provided to the service subscriber when the subscriber authentication is successful; And
And a quality management unit for allocating a communication channel to be used between the set top box and the remote computer and managing the quality of the remote computing service by reallocating another communication channel according to the quality measurement result of the allocated communication channel server. 18. The method of claim 17,
The subscriber authenticating unit,
An authentication information storage unit for previously registering and storing the authentication information of the service subscriber; And
And an authentication performing unit for comparing the authentication information transmitted from the set-top box and the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit to perform the subscriber authentication. 18. The method of claim 17,
The remote computer management unit,
A resource information collection unit for collecting resource information about a remote computer of the service provider; And
And allocating the available remote computers of the service provider to the service subscribers by using the resource information when the subscriber authentication is successful. 20. The method of claim 19,
The remote computer management unit,
A remote computer inspecting unit for inspecting the remote computer at predetermined intervals; And
Further comprising an update performing unit for updating the software installed in the remote computer. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the quality management unit comprises:
A channel assignment unit for assigning a communication channel by designating an IP address of the set top box and the remote computer;
A connection information transmitting unit for transmitting predetermined connection information for connection to the remote computer through the assigned communication channel to the settop box; And
And a quality measurement unit for measuring quality of the allocated communication channel in cooperation with the set-top box. 22. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the channel allocator allocates a unicast channel as a communication channel to be used between the set top box and the remote computer and reassigns the multicast channel when the quality of the unicast channel measured by the quality measuring unit falls below a predetermined reference value The remote computing service providing server comprising: A method of providing a remote computing service to a service subscriber using a set-top box for digital broadcasting, the server providing a remote computing service,
A subscriber authentication step in which the server performs subscriber authentication using predetermined authentication information of a service subscriber transmitted from the set-top box;
A remote computer management step in which, when the subscriber authentication is successful, the server allocates a remote computer of a service provider to be provided to the service subscriber; And
And a quality management step of managing quality of a remote computing service by allocating a communication channel to be used between the set top box and the remote computer and reassigning another communication channel according to a result of the quality measurement of the allocated communication channel, A method for providing a remote computing service. 24. The method of claim 23,
Wherein the subscriber authentication step comprises:
An authentication information storage step of the server registering and storing the authentication information of the service subscriber in advance; And
And performing an authentication of the subscriber by comparing the authentication information transmitted from the set-top box with the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit of the server. 24. The method of claim 23,
The remote computer management step comprises:
A resource information collection step in which the server collects resource information about a remote computer of the service provider; And
And allocating a remote computer available to the service provider to the service subscriber using the resource information when the subscriber authentication is successful. 26. The method of claim 25,
The remote computer management step comprises:
A remote computer check step in which the server performs a check on the remote computer at predetermined intervals; And
Further comprising an update step in which the server performs an update on software installed in the remote computer. 24. The method of claim 23,
Wherein the quality control step comprises:
Allocating a communication channel by assigning an IP address of the set top box and the remote computer to the server;
The server transmitting predetermined connection information for connecting to the remote computer through the assigned communication channel to the settop box; And
And measuring quality of the allocated communication channel by the server in cooperation with the set-top box. 28. The method of claim 27,
Wherein the channel allocation step allocates a unicast channel as a communication channel to be used between the set top box and the remote computer, and when the quality of the unicast channel measured by the quality measuring step falls below a predetermined reference value, And allocating the remote computing service to the remote computing service. 28. A computer program for executing a method according to any one of claims 23 to 28 via a computer system, the computer program being recorded on a recording medium.

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