WO2007111470A2

WO2007111470A2 - Method and system for managing transmission of internet contents

Info

Publication number: WO2007111470A2
Application number: PCT/KR2007/001496
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jae Hyuk Lee
Original assignee: Ara Networks Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-03-27
Filing date: 2007-03-27
Publication date: 2007-10-04
Also published as: KR20070096594A; WO2007111470A3; KR100841737B1

Abstract

According to the present invention, provided is a method of transmission management of Internet contents comprised of a metadata and a real data among traffics flowing between a client and a server, which comprises a first step of establishing a signature database through generating a signature for contents identification with the metadata and a part of the real data by using a hash function; a second step of analyzing the traffics based on the signature database; and a third step of blocking the transmission of contents to be blocked in case the contents to be blocked generating a signature which is identical with a signature in the signature database by the hash function is included in the traffics.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING TRANSMISSION

OF INTERNET CONTENTS

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a method and system for the identification and the transmission control of contents by a signature database on the Internet. In detail, the present invention relates especially to a method and system capable of generating a signature database for identifying contents on the Internet in a short time with a small amount of data and of managing the transmission of the traffic on the Internet through the identification based on the real data which is included in the contents by using the database. Background Art

[2] As a typical example, there is a technology that, after a signature is generated based on contents to make a database for access control, the access to a specific content through a corresponding terminal is denied in case the traffic containing the content capable of generating the signature which is identical with one signature in the signature database is detected.

[3] In case a hash key on each content is created according to the whole content which is uploaded, and a P2P service is provided according to the hash key, such technology can be readily and efficiently applicable.

[4] However, in case the access control of contents is performed even though it is not based on the hash key, it should be premised that the content which is to be a control object is entirely stored and a signature is created from the stored content to make a database. Therefore, it can cause a problem that the establishment of the database for the control of the access to contents requires too much time and increases expenditure.

[5] Furthermore, it is a problem that, even though the transmission of contents is controlled by such a method, the amount of obtained contents is insufficient for generating a signature, thereby, the content can be identified as a control object only after the content is fully transmitted.

[6] Additionally, as described in Kor. Pat. No. 523843, it is suggested that the access to contents is controlled based on the list of the access control whereas the authority of the access in a client is controlled.

[7] Digital Rights Management (hereinafter, DRM) technology and the license for using the contents are delivered to a user, the contents are decoded by using the encoded information data just only in the permitted software modul.

[8] DRM, therefore, it is not the contents which are not secured by DRM, such as pornography. In addition, it uses the method inserting the decode process of contents into the certification process, rather than limiting the access itself to the contents. [9] Accordingly, there is a limitation in that the technology described above can not prohibit the contents to be controlled from downloading to the client terminal. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[10] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve at least the problems and disadvantages of the related art.

[11] An object of the present invention is to provide a method which is capable of managing and blocking the traffic on a specific contents flowing between a specific client and a server without an additional certification process, while the management of Internet content which is not applied with a certification technology such as DRM is possible with managing the transmission of Internet content, whereas in order to make a database for the hash key of the contents which is a management object, whole Internet content which has a possibility of management needs not to be secured.

[12] Another object of the present invention is to provide a system which is capable of managing and blocking the traffic on a specific content flowing between a specific client and a server without an additional certification process, while the management of Internet content which is not applied with a certification technology such as DRM is possible with managing the transmission of Internet contents, whereas in order to make a database for the hash key of the contents which is a management object, whole Internet content which has a possibility of management needs not to be secured. Technical Solution

[13] In order to accomplish the object, according to the present invention, provided is a method of transmission management of Internet contents which are comprised of a metadata and a real data among traffics flowing between a client and a server, which comprises a first step of establishing a signature database through generating a signature for contents identification with the metadata and a part of the real data by using a hash function; a second step of analyzing the traffics based on the signature database; and a third step of blocking the transmission of contents to be blocked in case the contents to be blocked generating a signature which is identical with a signature in the signature database by the hash function is included in the traffics.

[14] That is, differently from the related art, the present invention establishes a signature database based on the metadata and a part of the real data included in the contents, thereby, the signature database which can identify contents can be generated whereas not the whole content is included.

[15] Further, the traffic between the client and the server is analyzed based on the signature database established by a part of the real data. Accordingly, it has an advantage that it can be determined whether the corresponding Internet content should be blocked or not, immediately after the Internet content begins to be sent to the client from the server.

[16] It is preferable that the third step comprises the step of sending a reset flag to the client which requested the transmission of the contents to be blocked.

[17] That is, in case the client requires the transmission of contents to be blocked to the server, this method makes as if the server sends a reset flag as a response to the request. Accordingly, from a client s point of view, the client not receives real Internet content, but just only receives the reset flag from the server having the contents to be blocked.

[18] It is more preferable that the first step to the third step is performed before the transmission of the contents to be blocked is completed.

[19] Such technical figure results from the fact that the technology of generating the signature database which will be used to identify Internet contents is different from the one of the related art.

[20] In case, for example, the signature database is established with an initial 5kb data corresponding to the metadata and a part of the real data to identify whether the Internet contents are to be blocked or not, the contents to be blocked can be prevented from beginning of the transmission, furthermore, at least, the identification of the contents to be blocked and the blocking operation can be performed before the transmission of the contents to be blocked to the client is completed.

[21] In the meantime, in order to accomplish the another object, according to the present invention, provided is a system of transmission management of Internet contents comprised of a metadata and a real data among traffics flowing between a client and a server, which comprises a signature database that stores and manages a signature for contents identification generated by a hash function with the metadata and a part of the real data; and a contents management apparatus that determines whether contents to be blocked generating a signature which is identical with a signature in the signature database by the hash function is included in traffics or not, with receiving the traffics between the client and the server, interoperating with the signature database, and sends a blocking message to the client in case the traffic on the contents to be blocked is detected.

[22] That is, the present invention provides an system including a signature database generated with the metadata and a part of the real data and an apparatus capable of transmission management of Internet contents interoperating with the signature database. Accordingly, the database of contents to be blocked can be promptly generated with a small content, and the traffic management of Internet contents detected as contents to be blocked can be also promptly performed.

[23] The client is connected to the server with an optical communication cable, while an optical tap extracts an optical signal from the optical communication cable, wherein the contents management apparatus is connected to the optical tap.

[24] That is, as to the present invention, while it is premised that the communication means which is recently used at home and abroad is an optical cable, a system watching the traffic between the client and the server through an optical tap capable of mirroring the optical signal from the optical communication cable, so as not to deteriorate the basic communication performance between the client and the server. Accordingly, the present invention can overcome the inefficiency that the packet which is sent and received between the client and the server should pass through the contents management apparatus.

[25] A router for the control of send-receive traffic may be installed in the optical communication cable, while the optical tap is connected to the router.

[26] In the meantime, it is preferable that the blocking message which is sent to the client from the contents management apparatus is the same as the general reset packet.

[27] That is because that, in case the client requests the transmission of the contents to be blocked, the contents management apparatus disposed at the middle of the server and the client sends a reset flag message in behalf of the server, so that the client may not receive the contents to be blocked.

[28] It is preferable that the sending of the blocking message by the contents management apparatus is performed before the transmission of the traffic on the contents to be blocked is completed.

[29] As described above, this is derived from that the establishment of the signature database of the present invention is different from that of the related art. Brief Description of the Drawings

[30] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a system for the transmission management of Internet contents according to the present invention.

[31] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of the transmission management of

Internet contents according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[32] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a system for the transmission management of Internet contents according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of the transmission management of Internet contents according to the present invention.

[33] Firstly, the basic network environment where the present invention is applied will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, a client 100 is a terminal which is connected with a server 200 through Internet 300 to send and receive packets with the server 200 like desktop PC, notebook computer, and PDA.

[34] Here, the server 200 means a terminal which provides a network service according to the request of the client 100. However, considering that the present invention is related to a transmission management of Internet contents, a terminal which uploads Internet contents can be called as a server. For example, in case the present invention is applied to P2P service, the server 200 means a third client that uploads Internet contents.

[35] As shown in Fig. 1, L4 switch 110 which is often called as a virtual server can exist between the client 100 and the Internet 300. In such a configuration, in case of multiple clients, a specific client is determined so that packets may be transmitted among multiple clients which are connected in the lower portion, after it receives packets in behalf of multiple clients.

[36] Additionally, one or more routers can exist between the client 100 and the server

200. As shown in Fig.1, even in the case that there is only one core router which is disposed in Internet side, the present invention is also able to be applied.

[37] Hereinafter, the application of the present invention in the client-server environment illustrated in Fig. 1 will be described.

[38] Firstly, Internet contents are divided into two groups like contents to be blocked and not to be blocked. As to Internet contents to be blocked, a signature database is established based on the metadata and a part of the real data(step Sl of Fig. 2).

[39] For example, in case of music file such as MP3 file, the ID3 tag region corresponds to metadata, in which data such as musician or words, excepting sound source, is included, while the region in which a real sound source is included corresponds to real data.

[40] In the present invention, the signature database is established by generating a signature based on, for example, the initial 8kb among ID3 tag and sound source.

[41] To some extent, the Internet contents to be blocked can be identified even though the signature is generated by a hash function when it is just only based on ID3 tag. However, the present invention is provided for the transmission management of Internet contents by applying real data to contents identification work rather than applying a subsidiary element such as the file format or the file name of Internet contents, or the copy right information. Accordingly, the hash function is applied to minimum real data information for determining whether the real data is identical or not.

[42] The signature database of contents to be blocked as described above is indicated as the reference number 410 in Fig. 1. The traffic which is flowing between the server 200 and the client 100 will be analyzed (step S2 of Fig. 2) by a contents management apparatus 400. By establishing the contents management apparatus 400 in the position of L4 switch, the direct analysis of the traffic between the client 100 and the server 200 is possible.

[43] However, in this case, in case of a network error in the contents management apparatus 400, a normal network connection between the client 100 and the server 200 can be prohibited before the error is solved. Thus, it is not preferable that, for example, the contents management apparatus 400 is directly connected to an optical communication cable which connects the client 100 to the server 200.

[44] It is, somewhat, sufficient for the contents management apparatus 400 to analyze the mirrored traffic, thereby, as shown is Fig. 1, it is preferable that an optical tap 120 which is capable of extracting an optical signal from the optical communication cable is installed.

[45] In this case, the position of the optical tap 120 can be a router 310. The contents management apparatus 400 refers to the signature database 410 which is previously established, in the process of analyzing the traffic information which is mirrored through the optical tap 120(step S3 of Fig. 2).

[46] That is, the contents management apparatus 400 analyzes a part of real data and metadata of Internet contents which are to be sent to the client 100 from the server 200 according to the request of the client 100, thereby, it determines whether the Internet contents correspond to the signature database 410 or not.

[47] In case the Internet contents corresponding to the signature database 410 is detected, the contents management apparatus 400 transmits the response message to the client 100 as if the server 200 responds to the request of the client 100(step S3 of Fig. 2), which takes a form of a reset flag. Accordingly, the client 100 can not receive Internet contents from the server 200.

[48] It will be apparent to engineers skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Industrial Applicability

[49] According to the present invention, the signature database is established based on a part of real data and a metadata included in Internet contents. Accordingly, the signature database which can identify the contents can be generated while whole content does not exist.

[50] Additionally, the traffic flowing between the client and the server is analyzed based on the signature database established by a part of real data and a metadata. Accord ingly, it is determined whether corresponding Internet contents should be blocked or not, immediately after the Internet contents begin to be transmitted from the server to the client. [51] Additionally, even though the Internet service is not provided based on the hash key, the present invention can be applicable, while no limitation on contents is provided, in which the contents should be applied with DRM. [52]

Claims

[1] A method of transmission management of Internet contents comprised of a metadata and a real data among traffics flowing between a client and a server, the method comprising: a first step of establishing a signature database through generating a signature for contents identification with the metadata and a part of the real data by using a hash function; a second step of analyzing the traffics based on the signature database; and a third step of blocking the transmission of contents to be blocked in case the content to be blocked generating a signature which is identical with a signature in the signature database by the hash function is included in the traffics.

[2] The method of claim 1, wherein the third step comprises the step of sending a reset flag to the client which requested the transmission of the contents to be blocked.

[3] The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first step to the third step are performed before the transmission of the contents to be blocked is completed.

[4] A system of transmission management of Internet contents comprised of a metadata and a real data in Internet traffics flowing between a client and a server, the system comprising: a signature database that stores and manages a signature for contents identification generated by a hash function with the metadata and a part of the real data; and a contents management apparatus that determines whether contents to be blocked generating a signature which is identical with a signature in the signature database by the hash function is included in traffics or not, with receiving the traffics between the client and the server, interoperating with the signature database, and sends a blocking message to the client in case the traffic on the contents to be blocked is detected.

[5] The system of claim 4, wherein the client is connected to the server with an optical communication cable, while an optical tap extracts an optical signal from the optical communication cable, wherein the contents management apparatus is connected to the optical tap.

[6] The system of claim 5, wherein a router for the control of send-receive traffic is installed in the optical communication cable, while the optical tap is connected to the router.

[7] The system of claim 4, wherein the blocking message which is sent to the client from the contents management apparatus is similar to the general reset packet. [8] The system of claim 4, wherein the sending of the blocking message by the contents management apparatus is performed before the transmission of the traffic on the contents to be blocked is completed.