WO2014092417A1

WO2014092417A1 - Method for adapting reception of content data according to reception state, and apparatus for said method

Info

Publication number: WO2014092417A1
Application number: PCT/KR2013/011367
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이승준; 김순욱; 신성문
Original assignee: 주식회사에어플러그
Priority date: 2012-12-11
Filing date: 2013-12-09
Publication date: 2014-06-19
Also published as: KR101429891B1; KR20140075323A

Abstract

According to the present invention, a wireless communication terminal measures a reception speed of content data by requesting content selected by a user or the like from an external server via a first wireless communication network, for example a Wi-Fi network, decoding the content data received via the first wireless communication network from a remote site in response to said request, and outputting the decoded content on a screen. When the measured reception speed is slower than that requested for playback in a current image quality of the content and the slower reception speed is within a defined allowable value, a second wireless communication network, for example a mobile communication network, is additionally used and the content data is divided and received by both wireless communication networks. If the slower reception speed is greater than the allowable value, the content having a slower request speed is allowed to be received by changing the content to have a lower quality than the current quality.

Description

Method and apparatus for adapting reception of content data according to its reception status

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for receiving content data by selectively using a plurality of heterogeneous networks having different heterogeneous networks, in particular, characteristics of service areas, or quality of service.

As wireless communication network develops, users can browse various information that they need regardless of place using mobile phone, smart phone, tablet computer etc. (hereinafter referred to as “wireless communication terminal”). You can view it through browsing or by downloading or streaming the desired content.

In particular, as the performance of a wireless communication infrastructure and a wireless communication terminal is further improved, various video contents, for example, sports broadcast, news, music programs, etc., are now provided in a high-quality streaming method without download latency.

In addition, multiple access using a wireless communication resource (resource) provided for accessing a plurality of heterogeneous networks having different infrastructures (in this specification, a connection IP address is allocated from each communication network and the plurality of allocated access IPs are allocated. The term "multiple access" is used to refer to the availability of data services across multiple networks at the same time via an address.) A wireless communication terminal capable of using a mobile communication service by a terminal manufacturer or a mobile carrier is also available. Is being provided to.

Therefore, unlike the previous communication environment in which a data service can be used by selectively designating one wireless communication network, a plurality of wireless communication networks available as a wireless communication resource included in a wireless communication terminal (eg, cellular) can be used. By using a mobile communication network (3G or 4G mobile communication network) of the method and a Wi-Fi wireless LAN, etc.}, an environment in which users can enjoy high-definition video content requiring a high transmission speed is prepared.

However, the Wi-Fi WLAN network, which is one of wireless communication networks to which a wireless communication terminal capable of multiple access, can form respective service zones as individual access points, and these service zones do not continuously connect to each other, but are service areas of each other. Are separated and dispersed. The service area also has a local service zone that is narrower than the average size of each service cell of the mobile communication network. Therefore, even a wireless communication terminal supporting multiple access may not always be able to access a Wi-Fi wireless LAN network and thus may not always be in a state in which a plurality of wireless communication networks are available. That is, a communication environment that can use a plurality of wireless communication networks is limited in place.

And, a mobile communication network (hereinafter referred to as a "cellular network") that has a wide-area service area and supports continuous communication (ie, handover) between service cells is generally not limited to a place. Although the data service can be used anywhere, unlike the Wi-Fi network where the data service is currently provided free of charge, the use of the data service through the cellular network is charged for its usage, so that the user of the wireless terminal is psychologically Reluctant or hesitant to use it.

For this reason, even when using a wireless communication terminal supporting multiple access, it is not always possible to use a plurality of wireless communication networks at the same time. In consideration of the cost and the like, it is necessary to use a plurality of wireless communication networks selectively or in combination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for allowing seamless continuous play while receiving content data by selectively using or using available heterogeneous networks.

It is another object of the present invention to continuously perform content play by adding a communication network or adaptively changing a reception quality even when a reception state is degraded when receiving content data using one wireless communication network. will be.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for controlling the use of a communication network in consideration of the cost of the user's use of the communication network and the quality of the content data according to the reception state of the content data.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for enabling the use of a wireless communication network and the quality of received data to be optimally determined according to the current reception state of content data.

The object of the present invention is not limited to the object explicitly stated above, and of course includes the purpose of achieving an effect that can be derived from the specific and exemplary description of the present invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication terminal capable of accessing a plurality of wireless communication networks includes a channel configuration unit for configuring a data channel for providing content data to a processing unit for decoding content data, Requesting the external server through the first wireless communication network, and providing the data of the content received from the remote place via the first wireless communication network to the processing unit through the data channel according to the request, And determine a speed difference that the reception speed measured for the content is less than a required speed based on a speed required by the current quality of the content, and if the identified speed difference is within a predetermined tolerance value, Further using a wireless network, whereby data of said content is A series of requests are transmitted to the remote site via the first wireless network and the second wireless communication network so as to be divided into a line communication network and the second wireless communication network, and if the speed difference is greater than the allowable value, And a transmission / reception processing unit configured to perform an operation for causing data of the corresponding content to be received from the remote site.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit, the operation according to the comparison result with the allowable value of the speed difference when the value for the unprocessed amount that is not provided to the processing unit in the data channel is less than a predetermined reference value Do this. The comparison between the value for the unprocessed amount and the reference value may be performed before or after the comparison operation with the allowable value of the speed difference.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission / reception processing unit is configured to determine the speed difference when the reception speed is less than or equal to the required speed, or when an unprocessed amount that is not provided to the processing unit in the data channel is not changed or decreased. The operation may be performed according to the result of checking and comparing the speed difference with the allowable value.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, if the current quality is the lowest quality among the quality that the content can provide, or the quality that the content can provide is more than the quality specified by the user and the lowest quality, The transmission and reception processor determines the allowable value as a value that can always be greater than the speed difference. Further, in such a case, if the identified speed difference is within the allowable value and the second wireless communication network is additionally used, the transmission / reception processing unit may use the second wireless communication network only for a specified time limit.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit, if the mode currently set in the plurality of modes reserved to be set in consideration of the cost and ease of use in the data service, the mode is set to suppress the cost, The allowance is set to a smaller value than in the mode of giving priority to the use of data service.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit, based on the specific amount of use of the second wireless communication network assigned to the user of the wireless communication terminal, for example, based on the amount of data currently unused in the basic amount of use of the allowable value. When the amount of unused data is small, it is determined to be smaller than when it is large.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit, the reception speed is determined compared to the second required speed based on the higher speed required by the better quality than the current quality, which can be provided for the content If the state is small within the reference value, or if the state is maintained for a predetermined time or more, the second wireless communication network is further used, so that the data of the content corresponding to the better quality is stored in the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication. And performing a quality upgrade operation of transmitting a series of requests to the remote site through the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network so as to be divided into a communication network. In the present embodiment, the reference value may be a value smaller than the allowable value.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit, before further using the second wireless communication network, inquires the user of its approval, and only if the user's approval is received, the second wireless communication network. It is further configured to use for data reception of the content with a first wireless communication network. And, in the inquiry, information on the screen of the wireless communication terminal to display the information that allows the user to recognize the currently unused amount of data in a specific usage amount for the second wireless communication network assigned to the user of the wireless communication terminal You may.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception unit, when using the second wireless communication network with the first wireless communication network to receive the data of the content, according to the use of the second wireless communication network, as described above Information that enables the user to recognize that the amount of unused data is reduced in one basic usage amount is displayed on the screen of the wireless communication terminal.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, if there is a request for discontinuance of the second wireless communication network from a user while using the second wireless communication network with the first wireless communication network to receive data of the content, or When the amount of unused data becomes 0 or less than a certain percentage of the specific amount of usage in the above-described basic amount of usage, the transmission and reception processing unit stops using the second wireless communication network and receives data currently received for the content. The data of the content corresponding to a quality lower than the quality of the data is received through the first wireless communication network.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the sender transmit / receive processing unit receives data received through the first wireless communication network while using the second wireless communication network together with the first wireless communication network to receive data of the content. While measuring the speed, identify the speed difference that the measured receiving speed is less than the required speed, and if the checked speed difference is larger than the allowable value, stop using the second wireless communication network, and the quality is lower than the current quality. Data of the corresponding content is received from the remote location.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit may compensate at least the speed difference in performing a series of requests to receive data of the content divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network. Each section for the content is specified in the series of requests so that an amount of data can be received via the second wireless communication network.

In an embodiment according to the present invention, the operation of receiving data of the content corresponding to a lower quality than the current quality may include a position on, or before, a reproduction time of the received data for the content of the current quality. The data point following the location is requested to be transmitted by designating the content corresponding to the low quality, or starting from one content piece described in the content fragment list for the content corresponding to the low quality. Is to constantly request pieces of content. The content piece list is received according to a request after the speed difference confirmation for the content corresponding to the low quality, or is received according to the request for the selected content before the data of the selected content is received. It may have been. In the latter case, the one piece of content is a piece of content belonging to the low quality content that is the same as or subsequent to the order of content of the currently received content piece for the current quality of content. .

According to another aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication terminal capable of accessing a plurality of wireless communication networks requests the channel configuration unit and the selected content to an external server through a first wireless communication network, and from the remote site according to the request. Providing data of the content received through the first wireless network to the processing unit via a data channel, and measuring a reception speed of the data, and wherein the reception speed measured for the content is determined by the current rate of the content. When a certain state is less than the required speed based on the speed required by the quality, a second wireless communication network is additionally used, so that the data of the content is divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network so as to be received. Sends a request to the remote site through the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network. At the time when the combined time elapses, after the operation is performed for a predetermined combined time or until the amount of data received after additional use of the second wireless communication network becomes a predetermined limit amount, through the first wireless communication network. If the reception speed of the data of the received content does not reach the required speed, the use of the second wireless communication network is stopped so that the data of the content corresponding to a quality lower than the current quality is transferred from the remote place to the first wireless communication network. And a second transmit / receive processing unit configured to perform an operation for receiving via

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the second transmission / reception processing unit is configured to perform the first transmission at the time when the combined time elapses or when the amount of data received after further use of the second wireless communication network reaches the limit. If the reception speed of the data of the content received through the wireless communication network is higher than the required speed, the use of the second wireless communication network for data reception of the content is stopped without changing the current quality.

In the above description of the present invention and the embodiment, the data amount confirmed by the second transmission / reception processing unit after the additional use of the second wireless communication network has reached the limit amount is the data received through the second wireless communication network. Or the amount of data received through both the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the specific state in which the reception rate does not reach the required rate is a state in which the reception rate is smaller than the required rate or in an unprocessed amount not provided to the processing unit in the data channel. The value may be less than a predetermined reference value.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the second transmission / reception processing unit is a method in which the time becomes shorter as the signal strength of any connection point of the first wireless communication network connected to receive data of the content is higher. The combined use time is determined or the limit amount is determined in such a manner that the amount thereof is small.

In embodiments according to the present invention, the allowance as described above is determined in the same manner as that determined by the plurality of reserved modes or by the amount of data currently unused at a particular usage amount for the second wireless communication network. Depending on the combination time or the limiting amount may be determined.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for adaptive control of content reception according to a reception state includes requesting an external server for a selected content through a first wireless communication network, and receiving the content received from a remote site according to the request. A first step of measuring data reception speed while providing data to a processing unit for decoding content data, and a required speed determined based on a speed required by the current quality of the content based on the reception speed measured for the content. And a second step of comparing with and a third step of selectively using a second wireless communication network according to the comparison result. The third step may further include using the second wireless communication network if the reception speed is smaller than a predetermined allowable speed, and the data of the content is divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network. Send a series of requests to the remote site through the first wireless network and the second wireless network to be received, and if the receiving rate is less than the allowable value than the required rate, then a rate lower than the receiving rate for the content Change to the desired quality such that data of the content is received from the remote without further use of the second wireless communication network.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a program supply apparatus includes a communication means capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the outside through communication, and a first application or a second application executed in a wireless communication terminal transmitted through the communication means. It comprises a storage means containing the application. Here, when the first application is executed in the wireless communication terminal, the first application includes a first function of configuring a data channel for providing content data to a processing unit for decoding content data, and a first wireless communication network for the selected content. A second function of requesting an external server through the data channel and providing the data of the content received from a remote place through the first wireless communication network to the processing unit through the data channel, and measuring a reception speed of the data; Identify a speed difference that the reception speed measured for the content does not reach a required speed based on a speed required by the current quality of the content, and add a second wireless communication network if the identified speed difference is within a predetermined tolerance. Using the data, the data of the content and the second wireless network and the second wireless A series of requests are transmitted to the remote site through the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network so as to be divided and received in a communication network. Program codes for performing a third function to be received from the remote location.

The second application may have a specific state in which the reception speed measured for the first function, the second function, and the content does not reach a required speed based on a speed required by the current quality of the content. In addition, by using a second wireless communication network, a series of requests are received through the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network so that the data of the content is divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network. A fourth function of performing the operation of transmitting to the remote location for a predetermined combined time or until the amount of data received after additional use of the second wireless communication network becomes a predetermined limit; and at the time when the combined time elapses, or the first 2 After the amount of data received after the additional use of the wireless communication network becomes the limiting amount, If the reception speed of the data of the content to be updated does not reach the required speed, the use of the second wireless communication network is stopped so that the data of the content corresponding to a quality lower than the current quality is transferred from the remote place to the first wireless communication network. Program codes for performing a fifth function to be received via a third party;

In the above-described wireless communication terminal, the above-described method, and the above-described apparatus, the processing unit for decoding comprises: a media processing unit configured to fetch or receive the content data from the data channel to decode or decode the content data. It is configured to include, and is implemented together in the execution entity including the channel configuration unit and the transmission and reception processing unit (or second transmission and reception processing unit). Alternatively, the processing unit for decoding corresponds to another execution entity that is separated from the execution entity and can be executed separately in the wireless communication terminal.

In addition, in the above-described wireless communication terminal, the above-described method, and the above-described apparatus, the required speed is a speed determined within a speed range specified including the required speed with respect to the speed required by the current quality. The speed range is specified including a constant speed range below the required speed or a constant speed range above the required speed. In addition, the first wireless communication network is not charged at the time of using the data service, or the cost incurred in the use of the data service after the present time under the condition that excludes the fixed cost to the user of the wireless communication terminal at the present time. 2 wireless networks, for example, less expensive than mobile networks.

At least one embodiment of the present invention described above, or described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings below, may be used as a Wi-Fi network that is relatively inexpensive or relatively inexpensive in the use of data services. While receiving and playing content data by using a wireless communication network alone, if the reception state where a phenomenon such as interruption of the play of the content or a break in a video or the like occurs may occur, the reception state is stabilized to some extent with respect to the content. Check the bandwidth required to make the play supportable, and if the required bandwidth is within the appropriate size, the play may be interrupted by additionally using another wireless network, for example, a mobile network, which has relatively high stability of data service. Ensures continuous continuity and ensures that the required bandwidth , Without value in consideration of the burden on the user of the service fee for the use of a mobile communication network using a mobile communication network in addition to lowering the quality of the content to be played.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a user who receives content data using a wireless communication network such as a Wi-Fi network having relatively high fluctuation in communication quality and plays the content data on the wireless communication terminal minimizes the use of a mobile communication network that may incur costs. At the same time, it is possible to enjoy watching the content in the same quality without interruption. Of course, according to another embodiment of the present invention, when using a mobile communication network further, by allowing a state such as a minimum disconnection or delay, it is possible to reduce the data usage of the mobile communication network to compensate for the bandwidth. In addition, when a large amount of usage is required through the mobile communication network, the mobile communication network is not used by lowering the quality of the content. Thus, even when a user watches arbitrary content using a wireless communication network having relatively high fluctuation in communication quality, Therefore, it is possible to enjoy comfort without worrying about the variability or being interrupted while watching. This greatly improves the convenience of users of a wireless communication terminal that enjoys contents such as video using a wireless communication network.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the user uses the mobile communication network, the user can obtain the user's consent or use the mobile communication network, so that the user can stop using the mobile communication network at any time. Thus, the user can be immersed in viewing the content using the wireless communication terminal without worrying about the cost.

1 illustrates the logical and externally connected components of a programmatic view of the relevant components of a wireless communication terminal in which an embodiment of a method of adapting a reception for content data according to its reception state is implemented according to the present invention. One,

2 illustrates a configuration of a wireless communication terminal in which a method for adapting reception of content data according to a reception state thereof is implemented according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is media index information describing information on a plurality of components of different qualities belonging to the content provided from a remote place when a live media content is requested according to an embodiment of the present invention. Is an example of

FIG. 4 is a fragment list file which describes information of media fragment files that can be provided in real time and are provided in real time when a request for transmission of one component provided live is requested according to an embodiment of the present invention. Is an example of

5 is a communication protocol for requesting the divided sections while appropriately dividing the content data into sections in order to receive the data of the designated content while selectively using a plurality of communication networks as necessary according to an embodiment of the present invention. Illustrates the process of creating a request document by

6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of adaptively selecting a reception quality or a reception method of content according to a current data reception state in a single network use state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of adaptively selecting a reception quality or a reception method of content according to a current data reception state in a communication network use state according to an embodiment of the present invention. ,

8 and 9 schematically illustrate schemes for measuring speed for data received via a wireless communication network, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining diagrammatically changing a reception quality or a reception method according to a comparison between a current reception speed of content and a required speed of the content, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a method of determining an interval of content to be received through the additional communication network to compensate for the bandwidth insufficient to maintain the quality of the received content through the additional communication network, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Represented by

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating information required for sorting in order upon reception of each section when allocating corresponding sections through a plurality of communication sockets for a specified content in a network combined state according to an embodiment of the present invention. The diagram shows the recording in association with the communication socket.

13 through 16 illustrate respective flowcharts for adaptively selecting a reception quality or a reception method of content according to a current data reception state in a single network use state according to other embodiments of the present invention. Will,

FIG. 17 illustrates that an allowable reference width indicating a shortage compensation range that is determined to maintain content quality by additionally using a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention is differently set in several predetermined modes. One,

FIG. 18 is a short-speed compensation range determined to further maintain a content quality by using a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention, according to the amount of data that can be used without additional cost. To illustrate what is determined,

19 is a diagram for describing a method of changing a reception quality or a reception method according to a comparison between a current reception speed of content and a speed required for better quality than the current quality of the content according to an embodiment of the present invention. Drawing for

20 is a flowchart illustrating a process of adaptively selecting a reception quality or a reception method of content according to a current data reception state according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 exemplarily shows that, in the embodiment according to FIG. 20, a time for temporarily maintaining content quality by additionally using a wireless communication network is determined according to signal strength of an access point of a wireless communication network currently receiving data. Will,

FIG. 22 is a view illustrating a required rate, which is an object compared with a current reception rate of content instead of a demand rate of the content, is determined from the demand rate of the content and the allowable reference width based on the required rate. Is a graphical representation of what is being set,

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a component for adaptively selecting a reception quality or a reception method of content based on an unprocessed state of content data according to another embodiment of the present invention. Here is an example of what is configured as an executable entity.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 illustrates the logical and externally connected components of a programmatic view of the relevant components of a wireless communication terminal in which an embodiment of a method of adapting a reception for content data according to its reception state is implemented according to the present invention. It is.

The logical configuration of the programmatic view of the wireless communication terminal 100 illustrated in the figure is the driving of hardware resources (illustrated in FIG. 2) of the wireless communication terminal 100, appropriate signal and / or information exchange with the corresponding resources. A media player 110 having a general operating system (Android, IOS, Window, etc.) or an operating system 100a specialized for the present invention, which is executed on the basis of the operating system 100a, to perform the Include. Of course, various applications other than these may be implemented in the wireless communication terminal 100, but are unnecessary in describing the principles and concepts of the present invention. ), The example is omitted. The operating system 100a may allocate a connection IP address for data service to each of the available wireless communication networks using hardware resources of the wireless communication terminal 100 by itself or at the request of an application, and operate a plurality of them. Can be. That is, it has a function to support multiple access. FIG. 1 shows that the operating system 100a abbreviates IP1 100a ₁ from the cellular network 11a to Wi-Fi wireless network 11b (hereinafter referred to as "Wi-Fi network"). It is an example that 100a ₂ ) are assigned to each other. Of course, the operating system 100a may set a single access IP address as needed or according to the current availability of the wireless communication network.

All or part of the media player 110 illustrated in the drawing may perform various operations described below as a process or an application implemented in the wireless communication terminal 100 and correspond to the application or process. The software, which is a collection of program codes, may be provided from a particular application server having mass storage means and connected to a communication network via the provided communication means. In this case, the software stored in the mass storage means of the application server is downloaded and installed in the memory unit (7 of FIG. 2) through the normal on-line purchase process. After installation, it may be executed as required or under specific conditions. In some cases, a component that performs at least some of the functions of the media player 110, which will be described in detail below, may be in the form of middleware, or a platform on which applications are based, or the operating system ( As a part of 100a), the wireless communication terminal 100 may be pre-installed or may be pre-implemented in the main controller 10 of FIG. 2. In addition, since the media player 110 includes a hardware configuration, the hardware may perform some of the functions described in detail below. Accordingly, the scope and scope of the present invention is not limited to the media player 110 whose configuration and operation method are described in detail in various embodiments according to the present invention.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the media player 110, the media processing unit 111 for processing the media data of the received content to be decoded, and the API (Application Program Interface) provided by the operating system (100a) And a transmission and reception processing unit 112 for generating and transmitting a communication socket through the media processing unit 111 and transmitting and receiving data to and from the outside through the generated communication socket. And a channel configuration unit 113 for allocating or generating a reception buffer 113a and a transmission buffer 113b, which are data channels for data transfer or exchange between the media processing unit 111 and the transmission / reception processing unit 112. In another embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission buffer may not be implemented. In an embodiment in which a transmission buffer is not implemented, the media processing unit 111 may provide data or request information to be transmitted to an external server according to a user's request through an argument or the like to the transmission / reception processing unit 112. Then, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 creates a request according to the communication protocol, for example, an HTTP request, and transmits it to the outside. In another embodiment according to the present invention, a UI processing unit for processing a user request may be implemented in the media player 110 as a separate process from the media processing unit 111. In the present embodiment, the UI processing unit provides the transmission / reception processing unit 112 with media or the like to transmit data or request information to be transmitted to an external server in response to a user's request.

The transmission and reception processing unit 112 checks the communication network currently accessible from the plurality of available

heterogeneous networks

11a, 11b, ... through the operating system 100a and uses an external server, for example, using a communication network required according to the conditions. For example, data is transmitted and received with the illustrated content server 12. In addition, even in the case of a change in the communication network usage method, for example, switching between the use of a single communication network and the use of multiple communication networks, the data buffered in the receiving buffer 113a is continuously received to ensure the continuity of the content currently being played. If necessary, a request according to a necessary communication protocol, for example, HTTP request is generated for each section of the content data and distributed to each network for transmission, or concentrated and transmitted to a single communication network. This operation of the transmission and reception processing unit 112 will be described in detail later. In addition, the media processing unit 111 may generate a request according to a necessary communication protocol in response to a request from a user and transmit the request to the external server by transmitting the request to the transmission / reception processing unit 112 through the transmission buffer 113b.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit 112, the media processing unit 111, and the channel configuration unit 113 may be a process respectively performed separately based on the operating system (100a). . Alternatively, the media player 110 including the transmission / reception processing unit 112, the media processing unit 111, and the channel configuration unit 113 may be implemented as a single process. In this case, the exchange of information or data between the two may be performed through a wide range of variables, internal variables or local functions and / or return values. Accordingly, the concept, the subject matter, and the desired effect of the present invention may require or require a process in which the transmission / reception processing unit 112, the media processing unit 111, and the channel configuration unit 113 are separated and executed separately. Although not all of the functions of each of the

components

111, 112, and 113 described below may be integrated into the media player 110 and may be implemented as a single process, it may be naturally achieved.

Meanwhile, the wireless communication terminal 100 having the logical configuration illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a hardware component as illustrated in FIG. 2 as a whole, and includes the cellular network 11a and the Wi-Fi network. (11b) may be any one of a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop having a mobile phone function, and the like, which can all be accessed. Referring to the configuration illustrated in the drawings in detail, a cellular modem 1a for modulating or demodulating a signal according to a method specified by a public mobile communication network, for example, a 2G, 3G, or 4G cellular network, for transmitting and receiving to and from the cellular network ( And a cellular codec 1b for encoding or decoding the encoded data according to a communication protocol adopted in the cellular network, and a Wi-Fi scheme. In the Wi-Fi modem 2a (a component including an RF signal processing module) which modulates or demodulates a signal according to a specified method of a wireless LAN network and transmits and receives a signal to and from a corresponding communication network. A Wi-Fi codec 2b for encoding data or decoding an encoded data frame according to the adopted communication protocol, a display panel 5 for displaying images, characters, etc., and arbitrary data. A display driver 4 for driving the display panel 5 to be visually displayed on a null 5, a decoder 110a for decoding the input encoded video and audio data and outputting the video and audio signals; A touch sensor 6a attached to the front of the display panel 5, a keypad 6b provided with a key and / or a button, and on the touch sensor 6a and the keypad 6b. An input control unit 6 which detects a user input and / or a selection and outputs corresponding input information, and an operation according to one of the above components so that an operation according to the input information from the input control unit 6 is performed. The main control unit 1 for controlling the display driver 4 for appropriately transmitting or receiving data from or receiving data from or controlling the data and displaying a UI screen for selecting a result or a desired operation of the user. 0) and the memory unit 7 which provides a data storage space necessary for the operation of the main control unit 10.

The main controller 10 executes pre-stored command codes such as firmware provided to the main controller 10 to drive hardware resources of the wireless communication terminal 100, appropriate signals with the corresponding resources, and / or By allowing the operating system 100a to perform information exchange to perform the intended function, and also by executing command codes corresponding to all or part of the media player 110, the media player (described in detail below) ( The operations of 110 are performed. In particular, the media processing unit 111 of the media player 110, through the appropriate API (Application Program Interface) provided by the operating system 100a for the data blocks of the encoded video or audio, if necessary, It is also possible to use a decoding operation that the decoder 110a processes in hardware.

The configuration of the wireless communication terminal 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 is just one example for specifically and exemplarily describing an embodiment for helping understanding the concept and the subject of the present invention, and according to the present invention. Terminals implementing the subject matter may further include components of various functions not shown in FIG. 2 or may exclude the illustrated components, and hardware components may be implemented in software or vice versa.

The adaptive reception operation according to the reception state of the content data, which is performed by the wireless communication terminal 100 whose logical configuration is illustrated around the media player 110 in FIG. 1, is performed as follows.

First, a user may use an input / output unit (the display panel 5, the touch sensor 6a, the keypad 6b, etc.) provided in the wireless communication terminal 100 to provide an appropriate information provided by the main controller 10. The media player 110 is activated through a user interface (UI). When the media player 110 is activated, the channel configuration unit 113 allocates the reception buffer 113a and the transmission buffer 113b to the memory unit 7 and allocates the allocated

buffers

113a, 113b) is shared between the media processing unit 111 and the transmission / reception processing unit 112. When the user directly inputs or selects a URL through the user UI for content selection provided by the media player 110 on the display panel 5 using the API of the operating system 100a, The media player 110 notifies the transmission / reception processing unit 112 of the URL, for example, “http://vod.airplug.com/video/movieA.mp4”, or a request according to the communication protocol. Alternatively, a request by a communication protocol specifying a particular content may be delivered via a call argument from another application, for example a browser, typically a user in a response received by the browser from any server. Sends an HTTP request according to the selected content item and receives the response, calling the media player 110 according to the MIME type described in the response and causing the response. The URL for the net entry is passed to the media player 110 via a call parameter, and in this case, if the media player 110 is not in the activated state, the operating system 100a sends the URL. As such, when a URL is received from another application through a call parameter, the media player 110 notifies the transmission / reception processing unit 112 of the URL or a request according to a communication protocol. do.

The transmission and reception processing unit 112 requests the creation of a new communication socket to the operating system 100a while providing an HTTP request for the received URL. In this case, the request may be for a communication network designated by the operating system 100a as a default for data service, or may designate a specific communication network. In order to designate a communication network, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 refers to the network connection information returned by inquiring of the operating system 100a. Since the network connection information includes a connection IP address and a connection type (for example, 3G mobile communication network, Wi-Fi network, etc.) when connected to a communication network, the connection type for the wireless communication network to be used currently. You can request the creation of a communication socket by specifying either or a connection IP address associated with it. For example, if it is confirmed that a plurality of communication networks are currently connected for data service (that is, when a plurality of access IP addresses IP1 and IP2 are allocated as shown in FIG. 1), the transmission / reception processing unit 112 You will specify the connection type for the Wi-Fi network.

The wireless communication terminal 100 supporting multiple access may be in a state in which a connection IP address is allocated from a plurality of

wireless communication networks

11a and 11b according to a current communication environment, or a single wireless communication network, eg For example, the access IP address may be allocated only to the cellular network 11a supporting mobile communication. However, the wireless communication terminal 100 may use both the cellular network 11a and the Wi-Fi network 11b to explain the principles, concepts, and technical spirits of the present invention as specific examples. Assume that you are in a state that exists.

The operating system 100a stores the information (for example, the protocol information described in the request, the name of the host field or the IP address, etc.) in the request by the communication protocol received from the transmission / reception processing unit 112. Identifies the destination IP address of the request on the basis of the request, and also assigns a port number according to the protocol of the request so that the term "IP address" (hereinafter referred to as "IP address") is used to include the port number. Specifies. In addition, according to the above-described assumption, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 (in some cases, the media player 110) may be requested to generate a communication socket to the access IP address allocated from the Wi-Fi network 11b. After determining the local IP address (IP: Port) to which the port number assigned to () is added, the destination IP address and the local IP address are paired, and a destination, for example, the content server 12 and the TCP is connected. Open a connection. When the TCP connection is successfully established, the operating system 100a returns the identifier of the generated communication socket to the transmission / reception processing unit 112 in response to the communication socket creation request.

When the identifier of the generated communication socket is returned, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 transmits the request according to the communication protocol, which has been previously notified, to the content server 12 through the communication socket specified by the identifier. At this time, the request by the communication protocol is transmitted through a hardware resource for the Wi-Fi network (the Wi-Fi codec 2b / Wi-Fi modem 2a), and according to the transmitted request, the content server ( A response from 12), for example, data associated with the selected content, is received at the wireless communication terminal 100 via the Wi-Fi network 11a. The received response is transmitted to the operating system 100a in the form of data via the Wi-Fi modem 2a and the Wi-Fi codec 2b, and the operating system 100a precedes the response. The transmission and reception unit 112 transmits the generated communication socket. On the other hand, each time the transmission and reception processing unit 112 transmits a request according to a communication protocol requesting the transmission of arbitrary content to the outside, a document indicating the request, for example, a request document created according to HTTP syntax. Save it for later use.

When the previously selected content is content that can be provided with various Quality of Service (QoS), the response received through the above process is mutually different in terms of quality or bitrate that can be provided for the corresponding content. It may be media index information containing a list of different components. This is true even when the selected content is live content provided in real time. 3 is an example of media index information showing that components of various qualities are provided in response to selecting and requesting live content.

The transmission and reception processing unit 112, if the received response is media index information containing a list of a plurality of components, and stores the information for its use, and then of the quality specified as default, For example, a media component (21 in FIG. 3 if live content) having a required bandwidth of 250000 to 350000 [bps] is selected. In another embodiment according to the present invention, the default designated component may be a component of the highest quality (22 in FIG. 3 in case of live content) in corresponding media index information. In addition, one component may be automatically selected from the media index information according to various conditions.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 is based on the operation environment information of the media player 110 in which a user selects a single component in the received media index information according to his / her preference. May optionally be performed. For example, if the "intelligent component selection" set in the operation environment information is active, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 selects one component as described above, and if it is inactive, the media index received by itself. The component list according to the information is displayed on the display panel 5. When the UI processing unit for processing input and output on the screen of the wireless communication terminal 100 is separately implemented in the media player 110, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 transmits the received media index information to the UI processing unit. When the UI processing unit displays the corresponding component list on the display panel 5 and the UI processing unit is not implemented separately, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 directly provides the operating system 100a. An appropriate API is called so that the received media index information is displayed on the display panel 5. The same is true for the screen output for other information in the following description of the embodiments of the present invention.

When a user selects one quality item, that is, a media component of the corresponding quality, from the displayed list according to the media index information received from a remote place, the information on the item (for example, in the case of live content) Source information ("http: //live.../videoMQ_index.m3u8") and the like in 21 are transmitted to the transmission / reception processing unit 112. As described above, according to an embodiment of implementing the media player 110, information on the selected item may be transmitted through the UI processor. The transmission / reception processor 112 records information on the quality, that is, a transmission speed (bandwidth) required for the normal play of the component that the component selected by the user or the component received according to the user's selection. The request for that component is then sent to the corresponding server, for example the content server 12. Of course, in this process, as described above, a communication socket for transmitting the request and receiving the response may be generated between the operating system 100a or a previously created communication socket. According to the above assumption, the request of the component at this time is also transmitted through the communication socket created to use the Wi-Fi network 11b.

The content server 12 constructs and transmits a response to the requested media component, and the response is received by the operating system 100a and transmitted to the transmission / reception processing unit 112 in the manner described above. The transmission and reception processing unit 112 extracts and stores meta data about content from the received response. The extracted metadata includes, in addition to the file description information described at the beginning of the response according to the protocol format for media file transmission, media information extracted at the beginning of the media file data, for example, playback time information. The file description information includes, for example, information on a MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) Type, an overall size of content data, and the like. When the transmission / reception processing unit 112 determines the size of the requested component, that is, the content of the designated quality, from the extracted metadata as described above, the section size (for example, 1% or 2%) of the size ( N bytes), and as illustrated in FIG. 5, a request document 31 for requesting the head section 311 of the corresponding component of the determined size is created based on the request document 30 previously stored. The transmission request is made through the operating system 100a. At this time, the communication socket that requested the corresponding component is closed and a new communication socket is generated and transmitted. When the data of the requested section is received, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 continuously performs an operation of creating and transmitting a request document specifying the next section. Of course, even before the data of the previously requested section is completed, the next section may be designated and requested.

If the previously requested component is live content, in response to the request, segment list information as illustrated in FIG. 4 is received. "Fragment" here corresponds to a certain amount of media data files configured in real time by the server. When the fragment list information is received for the component request, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 requests each fragment file sequentially from the first fragment 23 for the fragments described in the list information. Of course, when all the pieces are listed in the current piece list information, the request is made again based on the previously stored media index information, thereby receiving the updated piece list information, and the updated piece list information. If the last requested fragment (eg, "../segmentN _{k + 1} .ts") is listed in the next order (for example, "../segmentN _{k + 2} .ts"), You will be asked in turn from the piece.

As described above, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 reads the response data when the response according to the request for the section (or each piece) of each component is received from the operating system 100a through a communication socket. Data of the component section (or fragment) included in the response is moved in order to the receiving buffer 113a. As described above, the data amount to be moved to the reception buffer 113a is continuously counted, and the counted data amount is converted into a time value using a conversion factor for the current component described later. This is recorded in the destination variable. By this operation, the position value on the reproduction time until the data last stored in the reception buffer 113a is recorded in the reception point variable.

The media processing unit 111 draws out the media data accumulated in the reception buffer 113a in order in the same manner as described above, determines the decoding method based on the encoding information of the data recorded in the header of the data, and then Decode the media data partially or completely according to the determined decoding scheme. In case of partial decoding, the determined decoding scheme is also set in the decoder 110a. The partial decoding may be, for example, extraction of media packets on a block basis, picture basis, or GoP (Group of Pictures) basis. In the case of partial decoding as described above, the decoded media packets are applied to the decoder 110a to request decoding so that the video and audio signals thereof are output. The image data completely decoded by the media processing unit 111 is applied to the display driving unit 4 through the operating system 100a, so that the image data is visually represented in an area on the screen designated by the media player 110.

In the above-described embodiment, the media processing unit 111 withdraws the media data from the reception buffer 113a. However, in another embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 from the reception buffer 113a. Media data may be read and transferred to the media processing unit 111. In the present embodiment, when the media processing unit 111 notifies that the media data to be decoded needs to be added, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 recognizes this and preemptively preempts a predetermined amount of media data from the reception buffer 113a. FIFO) is read and transmitted to the media processing unit 111. Of course, instead of the actual data transfer method, the address information of the storage location where the read data is temporarily stored may be provided.

As described above, while the media data is received and provided to the media processing unit 111 using the Wi-Fi network 11b alone, the decoding is output on the screen of the wireless communication terminal 100. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the transmission / reception processor 112 performs a process of adaptively selecting a reception quality or a reception method of content according to a current data reception state. This process is described in detail below.

In order to perform an adaptive selection process of content reception quality or reception method, the transmission / reception processor 112 continuously measures the reception speed of media data while receiving and providing the media data to the media processing unit 111. do. As one method of measuring a reception speed, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 is received through the communication socket 51 generated between the operating system 100a and the reception buffer as illustrated in FIG. 8. The amount of media data to be moved to 113a is grasped for a certain time duration (T _int ), for example, for one second, and the current data reception speed is measured. In the example of the figure, (dB _M + dB _{M + 1} + dB _{M + 2} ) / T _int is the calculated current reception speed. Of course, the calculation of the reception speed, after receiving a request for the interval (or fragment) of the component, when receiving the media data starts to measure the reception rate from that time until the interval (or fragment) is completed. do. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the time T _Recv from the start of the reception until the reception of the size SS for the requested component 52 corresponding to the constant playback time amount 521 is _detected . To calculate the current receive rate (= SS / T _Recv ). In the case of a live content piece, the size can be known by multiplying the play time amount information (24 in FIG. 4) for each piece by the required speed previously identified for the component. For example, if the required speed is 300,000 bps and the play time of the piece is 10 seconds, the size of the piece is 375 kBytes (= 300,000 * 10/8 bits).

As another method for measuring the reception speed of data, the amount of unprocessed data that is not yet provided to the media processing unit 111, that is, not yet drawn out and accumulated in the reception buffer 113a, i. It is also possible to calculate the current reception speed. In this case, the reception speed is calculated by reflecting the speed by the amount of change per unit time of the reception buffer 113a in the required speed of the currently received component. For example, if the required speed of the component currently being received is V _reqBW and the reception buffer 113a is increased by DS per predetermined time T, the reception speed is calculated as V _reqBW + DS / T. If it is decreased, the reception rate is calculated as V _reqBW -DS / T. Of course, the calculation of the reception speed as described above is stopped when the reception buffer 113a is in a full state.

When any one of several methods described above is applied to the reception rate measurement, the average value of the reception speeds measured every time, for example, the average value of the latest reception speeds measured for a predetermined time, is continuously calculated according to the method. It can also be used as the current reception rate.

In performing the process illustrated in FIG. 6, the transmission / reception processor 112 first checks the buffering state of the reception buffer 113a repeatedly. For example, a value for an unprocessed amount, that is, a buffering amount, in the receiving buffer 113a that is not provided to the media processing unit 111 (this value may be a data size value or a time value. The conversion between will be described later. Here, the reference value is a value designated by time, for example, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, and the like. When the buffering amount is compared with the reference value, the reference value is converted into the same physical amount by the conversion factor α _{t_s} . . For example, a time value of a reference value is converted into a data size or the buffering amount is converted into a corresponding time value (in the present specification, the term "buffering value" is a time value converted from a buffering amount, or a buffering amount before conversion). Used to cover the size of. The conversion coefficient α _{t_s} is a required speed for the current component α _{t_s} = V _reqBW or a speed (α _{t_s} = V _reqBW / 8) converted into bytes. That is, when calculating a data size corresponding to a given time value, the given time value is multiplied by the conversion factor α _{t_s} , and when calculating a time value for a given data amount, the given data amount is converted into the converted time value. It is divided by the coefficient α _{t_s} . Since the conversion between the data size and the time value is naturally performed in other comparison operations, it is to be understood that such an operation is accompanied by the physical quantity conversion even though the comparison between the data size and the time is described herein. . Of course, according to the principles and concepts of the present invention described below, when another component different in quality from the current component is selected and received in order to adapt to the reception state, the conversion coefficient α _{t_s} is newly added. It applies the value by the required speed of the selected component.

If the buffering value of the reception buffer 113a is less than or equal to the reference value (S411), the transmission / reception processing unit 112 continuously checks the current reception speed as described above to be less than or equal to the required speed of the component currently being received. Check (S412). Instead of comparing the reception speed with the required speed of the current component, a change direction of the buffering amount may be checked. This is because the buffering amount will decrease if the current reception rate is lower than the required rate of the component. Therefore, the process of checking whether the current reception speed is less than or equal to the required speed of the component to receive may be replaced by a process of checking whether the buffering amount of the reception buffer 113a is unchanged or decreased. This is also true of various other embodiments described later.

If the current reception speed is higher than the required speed (as in the example of FIG. 9, the case where the reception time T _Recv is shorter than the playback time amount 521) corresponds to the current reception method, that is, the Wi. The reception method using the -Fi network 11b alone is maintained as it is, otherwise it corresponds to the case where the reception time T _Recv is longer than the reproduction time amount 521. Next, it is checked whether the difference between the two speeds is greater than or equal to a predetermined allowable reference width (S413). FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating the correlation between the physical quantities to be compared. If the current reception speed is not lower than the predetermined allowable reference width 61 or more than the required speed 60 of the current content ( 601), the transmission and reception processing unit 112 receives the current component by dividing the current component into a plurality of paths by additionally using the cellular network 11a (S416). A reception operation for a single media object in a network coexistence mode that additionally uses a cellular network will be described later.

In order to further use the cellular network 11a to maintain the current quality of the received content, the user may receive a response from the user by asking the user for further use of the cellular network before using the communication network together. If the user's response authorizes further use of the cellular network, the network combination operation described below is performed. Otherwise, the content quality is changed to a lower quality as described below. Inquiring a user of additional use of the cellular network may be directly performed by the transmission / reception processing unit 112, or when the media player 110 is provided with a separate UI processing unit for the user UI, the UI processing unit may cause the user to request the additional use of the cellular network. You can also ask and receive the response.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, when querying for further use of the cellular network, the user may recognize information on data usage and basic usage for the cellular network 11a, or a residual amount based on the basic usage. So that it is displayed on the display panel 5 so that it can be used. The basic usage amount refers to the amount of data that the user can use the data service as a fixed payment fee to the mobile communication provider to use the mobile communication service. Therefore, if the usage of the data service using the cellular network 11a exceeds the basic usage within the plan period, the user is additionally charged for the excess usage. The remaining amount means a data amount obtained by subtracting the current usage amount from the basic usage amount. A method of determining the usage amount of the cellular network 11a will be described later. According to the display of the information that allows the remaining amount to be known, the user can figure out how much more data services are available at no additional cost, and from the user's point of view, the available amount is not sufficient or the residual amount is reduced. If you do not wish to do so, you may not approve further use of the cellular network for further use queries. Of course, if the user determines that the remaining amount is free or otherwise wants to maintain the current quality of the content, he can authorize further use of the cellular network.

On the other hand, in the checking process (S413), if the current reception rate is lower than the predetermined allowable reference width 61 or more than the required rate 60 of the current content (602), the transmission and reception processing unit 112, By changing the quality of the content being received to a lower quality (S415), after lowering the speed required to play the video normally (63), the single network use mode is maintained. The request for changing the component to lower the quality of the content proceeds as follows.

The transmission / reception processor 112 checks previously stored media index information, selects a component that requires a next lower speed than a component currently being received or a speed that is lower than a current reception speed, and selects a lower component thereof. You create a request document that requires a quality component. At this time, a receiving point for the lower quality component is determined and described in the request document. The receiving point is calculated as follows. First, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 changes the conversion coefficient to a value for the component of the lower quality to be changed. For example, if the speed required by the component before the change is 300,000 bps for normal play (sequential and continuous play), and the speed required by the component of the quality to be changed is 180,000 bps, the value of the conversion factor is Change from 300,000 bps (or 37,500 Bytes / s) to 180,000 bps (or 22,500 Bytes / s). After changing the value of the conversion factor in this way, the conversion factor is multiplied by the value of the reception point variable as described above to obtain the data size. The data size thus obtained is described as a value specifying a destination point for the component to be changed. In some cases, it may be described as a value specifying a destination point for the component to be adjusted by adjusting a data size obtained by multiplying the value of the destination point variable by the conversion factor whose value is changed. Further, a data size obtained by subtracting or adding a predetermined value to the value of the reception point variable and multiplying the conversion factor whose value is changed may be designated as the reception point. In other words, a data point corresponding to a position before or after the position on the reproduction time of the last received data point before the quality change may be designated as a reception point for the component to be changed.

The transmission / reception processing unit 112 may request the operating system 100a for a request document created by writing a value specifying a reception point as described above, and generate and transmit a new communication socket. When creating and requesting a new communication socket, all communication sockets created to receive data of the component before the change are closed.

If the component that is currently being received is the live content, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 has a speed lower than the quality of the current component or lower than the current reception speed in the media index information stored therein. Select a component of the required quality, create a document requesting the component, transmit it to the corresponding server, for example, the content server 12, and when the fragment list information is received according to the transmission, the first fragment of the fragment list Requests are received sequentially.

In the case of non-live content, that is, video on demand (VOD) type content in which the media data constituting the content is already prepared, the content is divided into arbitrary sections in the same manner as the live content is provided. It may be provided as a fragment file for each section. For this special type of content, a list of all fragment files of that component when the first request was made to provide that component by specifying a component of arbitrary quality in the media index information received for that content request. Information can be provided from the server. Of course, the method of playing pieces received by sequentially requesting each piece file is performed in the same manner as in the case of live content. For this special type of content, when changing the current quality to the lower quality, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 requests the lower quality component and receives the fragment list information of the lower quality from the corresponding server. In the fragment list, a number indicating the order of content fragments that have been received for the component of the quality before the change (the sequence number is included in the corresponding file name as in the example of FIG. 4 (..N _k , N _{k + 1} , ..) It will be requested and received in order starting from the fragment corresponding to the same sequence number or the next sequence number). In the case of the special type of content, when there is an initial request for the corresponding content, fragment list information for each component may be provided together with media index information about components of various qualities of the content. Alternatively, when selecting and requesting a component of a desired quality from the media index information, in addition to the fragment list information for the component, each piece list information for the remaining components of other quality may be provided together. Therefore, in this case, the transmission and reception processing unit 112, in changing the current quality of the content, the fragment for the component of the change quality that has been received and stored before, without requesting the fragment list information for the component of the quality to be changed. The list information is used to determine the fragment file to request.

As described above, when data for the changed lower quality component is received, the received data is subsequently stored after the currently buffered data of the reception buffer 113a. From this point on, data corresponding to the data stored in the reception buffer 113a is calculated using the conversion factor whose value is changed, and the value of the reception point variable is updated so that the value is added.

On the other hand, when receiving a single media object using a plurality of communication networks (S416), the transmission and reception processing unit 112, the speed difference 64 that the current reception speed does not reach the required speed 60 of the component being received. ) (Hereinafter referred to as " lack bandwidth ") will be minimally supplemented through the cellular network 11a. For example, when the current reception speed is less than 10% of the required speed of the component, the transmission and reception processing unit 112, as illustrated in FIG. When requesting 71 using the Wi-Fi network 11b, the cellular network 11a is designated by requesting a section 72 having a size of at least 0.1 × N or more. Of course, in order to use the cellular network 11a, the operating system 100a is requested to generate a new communication socket in the same manner as described above, and then, through the generated communication socket, the corresponding section 72 is used. It will send a request document requesting. Unlike the example illustrated in FIG. 11, a data section to be received through the cellular network 11a may be designated as a section preceding the section to be received through the Wi-Fi network 11b. Even when the component to be received is live content, a method of receiving through the cellular network 11a by designating a partial section as described above may be applied as it is.

When receiving the same content by dividing the intervals through a plurality of wireless communication networks, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 must move to the reception buffer 113a according to the order of the intervals to which the data belongs regardless of the arrival order of the data. When a request document for requesting each section is transmitted, information that can be distinguished and identified by the request document, for example, the start position of the section requested by the request document, or a series to be given at the time of creating the request document As shown in Fig. 12, the number is recorded in association with the communication socket (80 _k , k = 1, 2,...) That transmitted the request document (81). According to another embodiment of the present invention, the number of the order in which the requested section is located on the divided sections may be recorded in association with the communication socket which transmitted the request document requesting the section. The identification information or the order information recorded in association with the communication socket thus grasps the order of the sections of the content data included in the response received through the communication sockets 80 _k , k = 1, 2, .. In this order, the interval data received from each communication socket (80 _k , k = 1, 2,...) Is moved to the reception buffer 113a. Referring to this example with respect to the example of Figure 12, first, after moving from the one communication socket (80 ₁ ) to the receiving buffer 113a by the data size requested by the request document of the identification number or sequence number 1, Although there is more data in the communication socket 80 ₁ , the data size required in the request document is withdrawn from another communication socket 80 ₂ in which the request document assigned with the next identification number or sequence number 2 is transmitted. It moves to the receiving buffer 113a.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, while receiving the content data using a plurality of communication networks, the transmission and reception processing unit 112, in real time to determine the amount of data using the cellular network (11a), which is previously identified It is added to the cellular network usage up to the last time and displayed in a separate window or a specific area on the screen of the wireless communication terminal 100 as real time usage. Such real-time usage is also displayed with the above-described basic usage information, so that the user can check the remaining amount in real time. For example, a progress bar, which is a graphic interface object having a default maximum value, may be displayed in real time. In addition, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 provides an input object, for example, a button, etc., which allows the user to stop using the communication network when displaying information such as real time usage directly or through a separate UI processing unit. Thus, the user can request to stop using the network at any time. Since the residual amount gradually decreases in the network combination process, the user is aware of this, and when the user does not want to further reduce the residual amount, the user presses the button to stop using the cellular network 11a. When the request is received through the operating system 100a, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 stops the current communication network concurrent mode, lowers the quality of the content as described above, and then switches to the single network use mode. The amount of data using the cellular network 11a is determined through the size of the section designated by the request document transmitted through the communication socket generated for use of the cellular network 11a, or read from the communication socket. By counting the amount of data stored in the buffer 113a, it is grasped | ascertained in real time.

As described above, by receiving content data using a plurality of communication networks, the cellular network 11a compensates for a service rate that the Wi-Fi network 11b does not sufficiently support, thereby providing a component of the current quality. Meet the required speed. Therefore, the smooth play of the media is continued without a phenomenon such as the interruption of the video or the play stoppage, which would occur if only the Wi-Fi network that provides the current insufficient service speed continues to be used.

In other embodiments according to the present invention, the process of the transmission and reception unit 112 adaptively selects a reception quality or a reception method according to a current data reception state in a single network use mode, as illustrated in FIG. 6. It may be done differently. 13 to 15 illustrate the methods accordingly. In the process illustrated in FIG. 13, the step of comparing the reception rate with the content request rate and the step of comparing the buffering value with the reference value are performed by changing the front and rear of the process as illustrated in FIG. 6. Is higher than the content request rate (S911), the current single network use mode is maintained as it is, otherwise (S911) the buffering value of the reception buffer 113a is compared with a reference value (S912) and illustrated in FIG. 6 according to the result. The remaining steps A1 are performed according to the flowchart. Only one of comparing the reception rate with the content request rate and comparing the buffering value with the reference value may be performed, and the remaining steps A1 illustrated in FIG. 6 may be performed according to the comparison result. 14 and 15 briefly illustrate the process accordingly. 14, if the buffering value of the reception buffer 113a is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value (S921), an operation of directly comparing the difference between the reception speed and the required speed with the above-described allowed reference width is performed. When the predetermined reference value is set to a value lower than the value initially buffered for the content play, the buffering value of the reception buffer 113a is less than or equal to the reference value. Since it is a reflection that the status that is less than the content request rate) is being continued, a single step of comparing only the buffering value with the reference value may be performed as in the present embodiment. In the embodiment according to FIG. 15, when the reception speed is less than or equal to the required speed of the content (S931), an operation of comparing the difference between the reception speed and the required speed with the allowable reference width is performed.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, an operation of comparing a difference between a content request rate of a reception rate and an allowable reference width without a process of comparing a buffering value with a reference value or a content request rate of a reception rate (FIG. 6, S413) may be performed immediately. In this case, however, only the magnitude of the difference is not considered, and the sign thereof is also considered. For example, by subtracting the reception rate from the content request rate, if the value is negative, the current single network use mode is maintained as it is. If it is positive and larger than the allowable threshold, the quality of the current content is lowered.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the operation of comparing the buffering value with a reference value and the operation of comparing the difference between the content request rate of the reception rate with the allowable reference width may be performed. In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 16, in the operation of comparing the reception speed with the required speed of the content (S941), it is confirmed that the degree to which the reception speed is smaller than the required speed of the content is within the allowable reference width or If it is determined that the size is greater than the allowable reference width, in each case, after comparing the buffering value of the reception buffer 113a with the reference value (S942, S952), lowering the quality of the current content or the cellular network 11a. In addition, an operation of receiving content data is performed.

On the other hand, as described above, even in a communication network combined mode in which data received using a plurality of communication networks is provided to the media processing unit 111 through the reception buffer 113a, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 continuously receives a reception state. Perform the process of checking. FIG. 7 illustrates a process performed by the transmission / reception processing unit 112 in a communication network coexistence mode. The transmission / reception processing unit 112 may be configured to execute the Wi-Fi network 11b for content data received by using a communication network. Only the data received through the check the receiving speed (S421). To this end, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 reads from the communication socket created for use of the Wi-Fi network 11b and moves to the reception buffer 113a in the continuous measurement of the data reception speed as described above. The reception speed is measured based only on the amount of data. In this way, the current reception speed is checked from the continuous data reception speed measurement only for the Wi-Fi network, and the reception speed is compared with the required speed of the component currently being received (S422).

If the reception speed is higher than the required speed of the content, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 switches from the current communication network concurrent mode to the single network use mode. That is, the request document requesting the section is no longer transmitted through the communication socket created for the use of the cellular network 11a. The communication socket is closed and the request document for the arbitrarily partitioning content sections is transmitted only through the communication socket created for use of the Wi-Fi network 11b.

If the checked reception speed is less than or equal to the required speed of the content (S422), the transmission / reception processing unit 112 checks whether the difference between the two speeds is greater than or equal to a predetermined allowable reference width (S423). As described above, the quality of the currently received content is lowered (S424). That is, a component having a required speed lower than the required speed of the currently received component is selected, and a request document requested from the next point of the currently received data is created and transmitted. The request document at this time must be transmitted using the Wi-Fi network 11b. Other operations according to the quality change, for example, change of the conversion factor, are performed in the same manner as described above. After the quality of the currently received content is lowered, the network is switched from the concurrent network mode to the single network use mode. The operation for switching to the single network use mode is the same as described in the case where the reception speed is higher than the content demand rate (S422).

In the above checking step (S423), if the difference between the two speeds is less than the allowable reference width, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 maintains the current communication network combined mode as it is. That is, the operation of receiving data of content by using both communication networks is continued. Of course, the usage ratio for both communication networks may be adjusted according to the insufficient bandwidth identified at this time.

In an embodiment according to the present invention, in a communication network combined mode in which the cellular network 11a is additionally used, the usage amount of the cellular network 11a is periodically checked according to a method described below, and the usage amount is determined by the cellular network. When the basic usage amount for the network 11a is exceeded, the use of the cellular network 11a is stopped and the communication mode is switched from the concurrent network mode to the single network usage mode. In this case, the transceiver 112 performs an operation of changing the quality of the current content to a lower quality. As described above, when the remaining amount becomes 0, or when the remaining amount becomes a predetermined percentage of the basic usage amount, for example, 5%, 2.5%, or 1%, as described above, Inquiry of continuous additional use of the cellular network with the indication of the current remaining amount, and based on the response to the inquiry, switch to single network use mode or continue to ignore the excess of the basic usage (11a) is used additionally.

In embodiments according to the present invention, the current reception speed (in the process according to FIG. 7, refers to the speed of data received through the Wi-Fi network) and the speed required by the content of the current quality (QoS). The allowable reference width to which the difference of the two is compared is not a fixed value, but is dynamically determined and used according to a current state, condition, or situation. Hereinafter, these cases will be described in detail.

First, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 determines that the quality of the content selected by the user or by the quality change as described above according to the reception state is the quality closest to the minimum guaranteed speed specified by the user (eg For example, when a component having the lowest required speed that is higher than the minimum guaranteed speed is selected from media index information received from an external server), or when the lowest quality among various qualities that the content can provide (for example, In the case where the component having the lowest demand rate is selected in the media index information, the allowable reference width is set to an infinite value and used. In other words, the allowable reference width has the largest value that the variable of the maximum digit allowed in computing of the main controller 10 can have. In this way, in practice, the difference between the reception speed and the content request rate cannot be more than the allowable reference width. Therefore, in the process illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, steps S415 and S424 of lowering the quality of the current content are never performed. In other words, when the current reception speed is less than or equal to the content demand rate, the communication network coexistence mode is maintained. Alternatively, the network combination mode may be released after a certain time. In more detail, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 tracks the time that elapses from the additional use time while additionally using the cellular network 11a while the current reception speed is maintained below the content demand rate. When the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time limit, the additional use of the cellular network 11a is stopped. This is to suppress the data usage for the cellular network 11a, which may burden the user even if video interruption or the like occurs in content play. Of course, the time limit may be set by the user in the operation environment information of the media player 110, so that the transmission / reception processor 112 may use it.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the size of the allowable reference width is determined according to the usage mode set by the user. In accordance with a service provision policy of an operator providing a communication service by establishing the cellular network 11a and the Wi-Fi network 11b having different communication infrastructures, the data service for the cellular network 11a is now usually based on a basic fee. The basic data amount is set for the above, and an additional cost is incurred when it is exceeded. The Wi-Fi network 11b is provided free of charge. Due to such a communication service usage environment, in an embodiment according to the present invention, it is determined whether the user will use the data service with the aspect of occurrence of costs due to the use of the data service and the homeostasis or continuity of the data service use as more important factors. Several usage modes to specify are provided for the user's selection. The usage modes include a "saving mode" for suppressing costs, a "convenience mode" for prioritizing user convenience, e.g., a home service or continuity of data services, and a "compensation for cost suppression and user convenience". Standard mode ”, wherein the media player 110 uses the API for the user UI provided by the operating system 100a at startup or when selecting new content for streaming from a remote location. By presenting them, one mode is selected by the user and recorded in the operation environment information or notified to the transmission / reception processing unit 112. The transmission and reception processing unit 112 confirms the usage mode in the operation environment information or determines the allowable reference width in a manner as illustrated in FIG. 17 according to the notified usage mode. Fig. 17 is a simple example of the allowable reference range being determined according to several modes, and basically, the degree of acceptance of the user for using the cellular network 11a, which may be expensive in the use of data services. Is determined according to the principle of determining the allowable reference width to be large and tolerating is small. If the allowable reference width is increased, the shortage compensation range of the Wi-Fi network, which maintains the current quality by additionally using the cellular network without lowering the quality of the content, is widened.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the allowable reference width may be determined according to the amount of data that a user uses the cellular network 11a. In the present embodiment, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 checks the amount of usage within the plan period (for example, month) for the data service of the cellular network 11a, and sets the user to the operation environment information. The allowable reference width is determined by comparing the basic usage amount with one bar and the difference (ie, remaining amount). Information on the data usage of the user of the wireless communication terminal 100, the terminal identification information obtained by the transmission and reception unit 112 through the API provided by the operating system (100a), for example, the subscriber's telephone number By providing to a specific external server designated in advance, it is possible to grasp the current usage within the plan period for the specific wireless communication network or each wireless communication network of the terminal from the information provided by the server as a response. In this case, the basic usage information may also be provided from the specific server. As another method of confirming the data usage, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 may grasp the data usage using each communication network for each plan period in real time from the data transmission / reception amount using each wireless communication network accumulated by the operating system 100a. have. 18 illustrates, as a graph, one rule in which the transmission and reception processing unit 112 determines the allowable reference width according to the remaining amount. Various rules may of course be applied in addition to the rules such as the graphs illustrated, but basically, the principle should be observed that the smaller the residual amount is, the smaller the allowable reference width is to be determined. This means that as the amount of data available to the cellular network is available at no additional cost, the narrower the coverage of the underspeed that can maintain the current content quality using the cellular network, the narrower the coverage, so that it can be easily induced to use a single network through quality change. To do this. Through this, the cost of using the data service is lowered as much as possible.

In an embodiment according to the present invention, the user may manually set the allowable reference width to an arbitrary value. To this end, the media processing unit 110, or the UI processing unit provided as a separate component of the media player 110, at the start of the media player 110, or at the request of the user, the acceptance criteria By providing a specific graphic interface object that can set a width, for example, a slider bar, to the display panel 5, a value for designating the underspeed compensation range can be input. The value input in this manner is used as described above by the transmission and reception processing unit 112 when necessary after being set in the operation environment information.

The above-described methods for adaptively selecting a reception quality or a reception method according to the reception state of the content data are for a case where the current reception speed does not reach the speed required by the content. However, the concept and subject matter of the present invention can also be applied when the current reception speed is sufficient compared to the required speed of the content. Hereinafter, an embodiment according to this will be described. Of course, the present embodiment may be performed when a component having a better quality than the quality of the component currently being received is identified from previously stored media index information.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the transmission and reception processing unit 112, while performing the process illustrated in FIG. It also compares with the speed required by the component. As a result of this comparison, as illustrated in FIG. 19, when the current reception speed is within the required speed 120 and the upgrade reference width 121 of the higher quality (1201) or is higher than the required speed 120 (122). ) Improves the quality of the content being received. That is, it changes to the higher quality component and requests it. At this time, if the current reception speed is faster than the request rate of the higher quality (120) (122), using only a single network, that is, Wi-Fi network to request a change to a higher quality component to increase the quality (this process Is performed in the same manner as the process of changing to the lower quality component as described above, if the current reception speed is within the required speed 120 and the enhancement reference width 121 of the higher quality (1201), The transmission / reception processor 112 additionally uses the cellular network 11a to compensate for the bandwidth 123 that is insufficient for the higher quality request rate 120. Since the method for replenishing the insufficient bandwidth 123 through the additional cellular network is performed in the same manner as the method described with reference to FIG. 11, a description thereof will be omitted.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, if the current reception speed is within or above the required speed 120 of the higher quality and the improvement reference width 121 or more than the required speed 122, the number of times is confirmed. Changes can be made to higher quality components as long as they last for a period of time or longer.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, when the cellular network 11a is additionally used to change to a higher quality component, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 may inquire the user about the change. If the user approves the query, change to a higher quality component. Otherwise, keep the current reception method. In addition, when inquiring the user to change to a higher quality component, as shown in the above-described embodiment, information that allows the user to recognize the remaining amount of the cellular network 11a may be displayed together. In addition, when the user approves the change to the higher quality component and additionally uses the cellular network 11a to perform an operation of the network combined mode for receiving the higher quality component, as in the above-described embodiment. In addition, the remaining amount that changes in real time according to the use of the cellular network 11a is displayed on the screen of the display panel 5 so that the user can check. Of course, as in the above-described embodiment, when the buttons and the like are selected by providing an input object, for example, a button or the like, which can stop using the communication network together on the screen, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 is a communication network. The mode is terminated, the content quality is lowered to the quality before being changed to the higher quality, and the single network use mode is switched.

On the other hand, the improved reference width may be determined and used in various ways as in the allowable reference width. In other words, depending on the usage mode, depending on the remaining amount, the allowable reference width may be determined by the same rule as the rule. Of course, it can be set according to the user's setting similarly to the allowable reference width.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the enhancement reference width may not be determined independently from the allowable reference width, but may be automatically determined in conjunction with the allowable reference width. For example, when the allowable reference width is determined, the enhancement reference width may be automatically determined as a percentage of the value of the allowable reference width, for example, 100%, 75%, 50%, or 25%.

In the above-described embodiments, depending on whether the difference between the current reception speed (this speed, as well as the average of the reception speeds measured several times over a period of time) and the content demand rate is within the allowable reference range, The quality of the current content is maintained by lowering the quality or by using an additional cellular network. That is, in performing the selective operation of lowering the quality of the content or additionally using the cellular network, the allowable reference range having a fixed value or a dynamically determined value was used as the basis of the selection. In another embodiment according to the present invention, the above selective operation is performed without using the allowable reference width as described above. FIG. 20 illustrates a process of adaptively selecting a reception quality or a reception method of content according to a reception state according to the present embodiment.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 20, while the transmission / reception processing unit 112 is currently receiving content data using the Wi-Fi network 11b alone, the quality of the content requires the current reception speed. Compared to the speed (S1301), and if the comparison determines that the current reception speed is less than or equal to the content demand rate, the cellular network 11a is additionally used to receive and divide the content data into a plurality of paths as described above. It becomes (S1302). At the start of the concurrent reception, a timer for a predetermined time value, for example, a temporary concurrent time of 10 seconds or 15 seconds, is driven to the operating system 100a, and the communication network concurrent mode is maintained. In this mode, as described above, in measuring the reception speed of the content, only the data received through the Wi-Fi network 11b is measured. When the timer for the provisional combined time is timed out and there is a notification from the operating system 100a (S1311), the transmission / reception processing unit 112 re-contents the data reception rate through the Wi-Fi network. Compare with the required speed of (S1312). As a result of the comparison, if the reception speed is still less than the required speed of the content, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 changes the quality of the current content to the lower quality in the same manner as described above (S1313). That is, a request document for requesting a component having a lower speed than that of the current component is prepared and requested to an external server. If, as a result of the comparison (S1312), if the reception speed is higher than the required speed of the content, then the use of the cellular network 11a is stopped, and the Wi-Fi network 11b is not changed without changing the quality of the content. Enter into a single network use mode for receiving content data by using.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the communication network combined mode may be maintained based on the provisional usage limit instead of the provisional combined time. In more detail, when the transmission / reception processing unit 112 enters the communication network coexistence mode according to a result of the comparison of the data reception rate with the content request rate (S1301), the transmission / reception processing unit 112 receives through the cellular network 11a to be used. Continuously counting the amount of data to be used (specifically, the amount of data received through a communication socket created for use of a cellular network), and if the counted amount corresponds to a predetermined temporary usage limit, As in the example, the data reception speed through the Wi-Fi network 11b is again compared with the required speed of the content (S1312), and the operation according to the result is performed. Alternatively, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 continuously counts the amount of data received through both communication networks (specifically, the amount of total data moved to the reception buffer 113a) in the communication network combined mode, If the counted amount corresponds to the temporary usage limit, as in the above-described embodiment, the data reception speed through the Wi-Fi network 11b is compared with the content request rate and the operation according to the result is performed. You can also do

According to the embodiment of FIG. 20, even when the speed of data service is temporarily reduced according to the general communication characteristics of the Wi-Fi network, a phenomenon such as disconnection of a video or a screen is broken while maintaining the current quality of content. Do not do it. In addition, when the reception state of the Wi-Fi network is not good for a certain period of time, in order to reduce the possibility of the user's cost incurred by the use of the service on the cellular network, the quality of the received content is reduced so that only the Wi-Fi network is used. Will be used.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, as a basis for further using the cellular network 11a, the media processing unit 111 does not compare the received rate with the content request rate (S1301). The process illustrated in FIG. 20 may be performed using a comparison of a reference value, that is, a buffering value of the reception buffer 113a with a predetermined reference value. That is, in the single network use mode, when the buffering value is less than the reference value, the cellular network 11a additionally uses the communication network combined mode.

As the provisional combined time as described above, a time value dynamically determined according to a reception signal state from a Wi-Fi network may be used instead of a fixed time value. The same applies to the above-mentioned provisional use limit. In other words, the temporary use limit may be dynamically determined and used. To this end, the transmission and reception processing unit 112, before entering the communication network combined mode, requests and receives information on the Wi-Fi network status to the operating system (100a). The operating system 100a controls the Wi-Fi modem 2a to physically search the Wi-Fi signal band for this request, after which the Wi-Fi modem 2a is the corresponding signal band. Reads identification information of each access point provided when detecting a valid signal, for example, a service set identifier (SSID) or a MAC address and a value of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the access point ( R11 of FIG. 2 returns this to the transmission / reception processing unit 112. The transmission and reception processing unit 112 determines the value of the provisional combined time (or provisional usage limit) based on the signal strength identified for the currently connected access point included in the returned information. 21 illustrates one rule for determining a value of a provisional combined time (or a provisional usage limit) according to signal strength. The rule of determining the provisional concomitant time (or provisional usage limit) illustrated as a graph in FIG. 21 is merely a mere example, and the higher the signal strength value of the currently connected connection point is, the higher the provisional concomitant time (or provisional usage limit) It goes without saying that a variety of rules not illustrated herein may be used as an embodiment of the present invention, in which the basic principles which lead to this shortening decision are followed. The higher the signal strength of the connected connection point, the higher the likelihood that the data reception speed will be higher. Therefore, by shortening the provisional concurrent time using the cellular network (or the temporary usage limit), the data reception speed can be reconfirmed quickly. Do it. This is because the use of the cellular network may be stopped while switching to the single network use mode in checking the reception speed (ie, comparing with the content request rate).

In addition, the provisional combined time may be set differently according to the reserved modes as described above, or differently according to the remaining amount of the cellular network 11a. Alternatively, the same applies to the temporary use limit. That is, in each graph illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, according to the graph obtained by replacing the allowable reference width with the provisional combined time or the provisional usage limit, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 determines the provisional combined time or provisional usage limit. Can be used.

In the method of changing the reception method or the reception quality of the content according to the reception state according to the above-described embodiments, the basis for the determination for the change is a speed difference from the required speed of the corresponding content of the reception speed. However, in other embodiments according to the present invention, the speed difference between the required speed and the receiving speed based on the required speed, not the required speed of the currently received content, may be used as the basis of the determination. FIG. 22 illustrates a range in which the required speed can be determined based on the speed required by the current quality, according to the present embodiment. For the speed 150 required by the content of the current quality, FIG. The range 1510 determined by each speed width corresponding to the α ratio of the speed (for example, 5%, etc.), and above, the β ratio of the speed (for example, 5%, 10%, etc.) do. The lower limit ratio α and the upper limit ratio β may be preset in the transmission / reception processing unit 112 or may be set by the user in operation environment information of the media player 110, respectively. In addition, the required speed is specified by the user within the set range 1510. This designation is made through a value that is responded to by the user upon the start of the media player 110 or the selection of content, or by the user within the range 1510 in the operating environment information. By setting the ratio. If the required speed or the rate at which the required speed is specified (for example, 99% of the required speed, etc.) is not specified, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 determines the speed 150 required by the content of the current quality. You can set the required speed by default.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 22, if the required speed 151 is designated as an arbitrary speed within the predetermined range 1510, the transmission / reception processing unit 112 sets the allowable reference width as described above to the required speed 151. (1521), and change the reception method (additional use of cellular network) according to whether the current reception speed is within the allowable reference width 1521 (152) or not (153) or change the reception quality. Will be lowered. Of course, the insufficient bandwidth that is supplemented through the cellular network by changing the reception method also becomes a speed difference 1522 that does not reach the specified required speed 151.

On the other hand, in the embodiments according to Fig. 22, the lower limit ratio α becomes zero, or the upper limit ratio β becomes zero, so that only the upper width or the lower width of the speed required by the current quality is required. The range in which the speed can be selected may be set.

The necessary speed as described above can also be applied in the judgment for raising the current quality to the higher quality. For example, the speed 120 required by a higher quality component, as illustrated in FIG. 19, is a range defined from the required speed upV _req 120 of the higher quality component, that is, (1-α). UpV _req to (1 + β) UpV _req is replaced by the required speed, and the operations described with reference to FIG. 19 are performed.

As described above, when the required speed is applied instead of the speed required by the content of the current quality, processes for comparing the reception speed and the required speed, which are described with respect to the methods according to the various embodiments described above (FIG. 6). S412 of FIG. 7, S422 of FIG. 13, S911 of FIG. 13, S931 of FIG. 15, and S941 of FIG. 16, the content demand rate may be replaced with the required rate and compared with the reception rate. Further, even in the embodiment according to FIG. 20 in which a communication network is used for a provisional concomitant time, the processes S1301 and S1312 in which the content request rate and the reception rate are compared are compared with the required rate and the reception rate determined as described above. It may be replaced by a process.

If the required speed is selected to be lower than the speed required by the content of the current quality, even if the current reception speed does not reach the content demand speed, the video may be cut off to some extent that is acceptable in video viewing. If there is a slight screen break, keep the Wi-Fi network alone, and use an additional cellular network if it falls below the acceptable limit (play quality supported by the required speed) within the allowable bandwidth. Will be replenished to the limit. When the required speed is higher than the required speed, the speed is supplemented to the required speed through the cellular network even when the reception speed is higher than the required speed, so that sufficient buffering for the current quality component, for example, maximum buffering, is required. It can be maintained. Thus, stable content play can be provided even when the communication quality of the Wi-Fi network is high.

In the embodiments described so far, the transmission and reception processing unit 112 and the channel configuration unit 113 have been implemented in an executable entity such as an application, for example, a player, which decodes and plays media content. In another embodiment according to the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 23, the transmission and reception processing unit 1622 and the channel configuration unit 1623 are separated from a media processor for playing content, for example, a media player 1610. It may also be included in the media relay 1620, which is implemented as an executed execution object. In the present embodiment, the media relay 1620 also executes all or part of command codes by the main control unit 10, thereby performing its intended function and being implemented as an independent application. At least some may be implemented in the form of middleware, platform, or operating system. Of course, as described above, the media relay 1620 may include hardware as a part of the configuration.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 23, the channel configuration unit 1623 is a local memory 1623a and an internal socket as a data channel for transmitting and receiving a request and a response of content data with the media player 1610 which is an external execution entity. 1602 is configured (c161). That is, the storage unit 7 allocates a storage space accessible to the transmission / reception processing unit 1622 to the memory unit 7, and also requests the operating system 100a to request the internal socket 1602 (here, an internal socket is an external device). It has the same configuration as a communication socket that is created for a session or the like that defines a logical connection for communicating with a server or the like, and is created for communication with an execution entity inside the wireless communication terminal 100 instead of an external entity. A communication socket is generated and notified to the transmission / reception processing unit 1622. The transmission / reception processing unit 1622, as in the above-described embodiments, information in which the section data of the content received through the communication socket for communicating with the external server in order or know the order in the local memory 1623a. After the temporary storage and the section of the stored content in order to read the internal socket (1602) and the internal socket (1601) created in the media player 1610 corresponding to the internal socket (1602) Through the media player 1610. Meanwhile, the channel configuring unit 1623 may configure the internal socket 1602 when a corresponding internal socket generation request is received from the operating system 100a according to an internal socket request of the media player 1610. have.

The transmission / reception processing unit 1622 may be configured to perform operations identical to those described with respect to the transmission / reception processing unit 112 in the aforementioned various embodiments (dynamic determination of an allowable reference value and a single network use mode according to a data reception state. Selective switching between modes, delivery of media index information received in response to a content request, user consent request for a concurrent network mode, etc.). However, the media player 1610 divides the received content data into sections. In delivery, they differ only from the embodiments implemented in the media player 110 in that they use local memory 1623a and internal sockets 1602 as data channels. In addition, in the present embodiment, the amount of data unprocessed (the amount of buffering not yet provided to the media processing unit 111) described in the above-described embodiments is not equal to that in the local memory 1623a. Corresponding to the amount of data not provided to the media player 1610 through the internal socket 1602. Therefore, in the above-described embodiments, the operation of comparing the buffering value with the reference value is replaced with the operation of comparing the reference value with the amount of data not provided to the media player 1610 in the local memory 1623a in this embodiment. . The transmission / reception processing unit 1622 requests the appropriate relay of the operating system 100a in response to a request by a communication protocol for requesting content data from the media player 1610, thereby closing the internal socket 1602. As described above, the sections of the content data received and stored in the local memory 1623a are transferred to the media player 1610 in the order of the sections, or the order information about the sections is transmitted to the media player. 1610, the data is transmitted through the internal socket 1602 together with the interval data according to a predetermined method. In this manner, the media player 1610 decodes the content data received in the order of the intervals through the internal socket 1601 and visually expresses it on the screen of the wireless communication terminal 100.

In addition, the media relay 1620 may also include an input / output unit for outputting visual information on the display panel 5 and performing an operation required for receiving an input from a user. In one embodiment, the media player 110 performs the same operation of outputting visual information required by the user and receiving an input or selection from the user. In the embodiment according to FIG. 23, the media relay 1610 is executed in the foreground mode, and the media relay 1622 is executed in the background mode. In order to output the visual information to the user and receive an input or selection thereof, the operating system may output the corresponding information to a specific notification area on the display panel 5 in a front mode or a back mode. Request 100a.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, for the functions implemented by the transmission and reception processing unit 1620 and the request by the communication protocol for requesting the content from the media player 1610, the content is divided into intervals. Prepare request documents in each section unit and transmit them to a remote server using a single communication network or multiple communication networks, and store the section data received in response to the request in the local memory 1623a in the order of the corresponding sections. The above-described functions and the above-described functions provided to the media player 1610 through the internal socket 1602 by reading content data stored in the local memory 1623a may be implemented as separate processes. .

Meanwhile, the

internal sockets

1601 and 1602 between the media player 1610 and the media relay 1620 are specific IP addresses promised to indicate to the operating system 100a that they are internal IP addresses, for example, “ 127.0.0.1 ”or“ localhost ”and the port number assigned to the partner application or process that wants to create an internal socket together are created.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, for the data channel, an inter-process communication (IPC) method supported by the operating system 100a may be used instead of an internal communication socket. The transmission / reception processing unit 1622 calls the API using an interprocess communication method, and the media player 1610 decodes each section data of the received content so that the media player 1610 can decode the content data in order. To be provided.

Up to now, the principle and concept of the present invention have been described in detail by taking a Wi-Fi network, which is a high-speed wireless LAN as an example of a wireless communication network used in a single network use mode. However, the principle and concept of the present invention is that, in addition to the Wi-Fi network, there is no charge in using the data service, or the cost of using the data service after excluding the fixed cost to the user at the present time is less than that of the cellular network. If there is another type of wireless network that costs (ie less costly to the user), then it can be applied to the wireless network and the cellular network as it is, so that the wireless network to be applied is different from that illustrated here. No scope of rights under this claim may be excluded.

Various embodiments of the present invention and the methods described in the embodiments may be selectively combined with each other in various ways as long as they are not compatible with each other.

As mentioned above, preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and those skilled in the art can improve other various embodiments within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention disclosed in the appended claims below. Changes, substitutions or additions will be possible.

Claims

A wireless communication terminal capable of accessing a plurality of wireless communication networks,

A channel configuration unit for configuring a data channel for providing content data to a processing unit for decoding content data;

Requesting the external server for the selected content through the first wireless communication network, and providing data of the content received through the first wireless communication network from a remote place according to the request to the processing unit through the data channel, And determine a speed difference that the reception speed measured for the content does not reach a required speed based on a speed required by the current quality of the content, and the identified speed difference is determined. If within the allowable value, a second wireless communication network is further used, so that a series of requests are received through the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network so that the data of the content is divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network. Transmit to the remote location, and if the speed difference is greater than the allowable value, the current quality The wireless communication terminal is configured to include a reception processing unit configured of the content corresponding to the low-quality data will cause the operation to be received from the remote location.
The method of claim 1,

The transmission / reception processing unit is configured to perform an operation according to a result of comparison with the allowable value of the speed difference when a value for an unprocessed amount not provided to the processing unit in the data channel is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value. .
The method according to claim 1 or 2,

The transmission and reception processing unit checks the speed difference and the allowable value of the speed difference when the reception speed is less than or equal to the required speed, or when an unprocessed amount not provided to the processing unit in the data channel is not changed or decreased. The wireless communication terminal is configured to perform an operation according to the comparison result.
The method of claim 1,

If the current quality is the lowest quality among the quality that the content can provide, or the quality that the content can provide is more than the quality specified by the user and the lowest quality, the transmission and reception processing unit, the tolerance is the speed difference A wireless communication terminal configured to set a value that can always be a larger value.
The method according to claim 1 or 4,

If the current quality is the lowest quality that the content can provide, or the lowest quality that is higher than the quality specified by the user among the quality that the content can provide, the identified speed difference is within the tolerance. And the second wireless communication network is configured to use the second wireless communication network only for a specified time limit.
The method of claim 1,

The transmission / reception processing unit is a mode that prioritizes the use convenience of the data service if the mode currently set in the plurality of modes reserved for setting in consideration of the occurrence cost and the convenience of use in the data service is a mode configured to suppress the occurrence of the cost. And to set the tolerance to a smaller value than when.
The method of claim 1,

The transmission and reception processing unit determines the allowable value based on a data amount not currently used in a specific usage amount for the second wireless communication network allocated to a user of the wireless communication terminal, but a smaller value than when the amount is not used is large. The wireless communication terminal to be determined as possible.
The method of claim 1,

The transmission / reception processing unit, when the reception speed is smaller than the second required speed based on the higher speed required by the better quality than the current quality, which may be provided for the content, is set to the first value. Further using a second wireless network, so that a series of requests are received so that the data of the content corresponding to the better quality is divided into the first wireless network and the second wireless network, and received the first wireless network and the second wireless network. And perform a quality upgrade operation of transmitting to the remote site via a communication network.
The method of claim 8,

And the transmission and reception processing unit is configured to perform the quality improvement operation when the state in which the reception speed is smaller than the second required speed within the reference value is maintained for a predetermined time or more.
The method of claim 8,

And the reference value is set to a value smaller than the allowable value.
The method according to claim 1 or 8,

The transmission / reception processing unit, before further using the second wireless communication network, asks the user for its approval, and the second wireless communication network together with the first wireless communication network for the content of the content only when there is the user's approval. A wireless communication terminal further configured for use for receiving data.
The method of claim 11,

In the inquiry for confirming the approval of the user, the transceiver unit includes information for allowing a user to recognize a currently unused amount of data in a specific usage amount for the second wireless communication network allocated to the user of the wireless communication terminal. And perform an operation of displaying on the screen of the wireless communication terminal.
The method according to claim 1 or 8,

The transmission / reception processing unit, when using the second wireless communication network together with the first wireless communication network to receive data of the content, is assigned to the user of the wireless communication terminal according to the use of the second wireless communication network. And cause information to be displayed on a screen of the wireless communication terminal so that the user can recognize that the amount of unused data is reduced in a particular usage amount for the second wireless communication network.
The method according to claim 1 or 8,

While using the second wireless communication network together with the first wireless communication network to receive data of the content, if a request for discontinuance of the second wireless communication network is received from a user, the transmission / reception processing unit is configured to perform the operation of the second wireless communication network. And discontinue use and cause data of the content corresponding to a quality lower than the quality of the data currently being received for the content to be received via the first wireless communication network.
The method according to claim 1 or 8,

While using the second wireless communication network together with the first wireless communication network to receive data of the content, the second wireless communication network assigned to a user of the wireless communication terminal according to the use of the second wireless communication network. When the amount of unused data in a specific usage amount becomes 0 or becomes smaller than a certain ratio of the specific usage amount, the transmission / reception processing unit stops using the second wireless communication network and lowers the quality of data currently received for the content. And perform an operation of causing data of the content corresponding to quality to be received through the first wireless communication network.
The method of claim 1,

The receiver transmit / receive processing unit measures the reception speed of the data received through the first wireless communication network while using the second wireless communication network together with the first wireless communication network to receive the data of the content, and receives the measured reception rate. If the speed difference is less than the required speed, and the identified speed difference is greater than the allowable value, the use of the second wireless communication network is terminated, and data of the content corresponding to a quality lower than the current quality is displayed. And further perform an operation for receiving from a remote location.
The method of claim 1,

The transmitting / receiving processing unit, when performing a series of requests to receive data of the content divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network, at least a data amount capable of compensating for the speed difference may be used for the second wireless communication network. And allowing each section for the content to be specified in the series of requests to be received via the wireless communication terminal.
The method of claim 1,

The operation of receiving data of the content corresponding to a quality lower than the current quality may include: a data point following a position in a reproduction time of the received data for the content of the current quality, or a position before or after the current quality; And specifying and transmitting a request for the content corresponding to the low quality.
The method of claim 1,

The operation of receiving data of the content corresponding to a quality lower than the current quality may include continuously requesting content pieces based on one content piece described in a content piece list for the content corresponding to the low quality. Include actions,

The content fragment list,

Received in response to a request after checking the speed difference for the content corresponding to the low quality, or

Prior to the reception of the data of the selected content, it was received according to a request for the selected content, in which case the one piece of content is the same as the order on the content of the content piece currently being received for the content of the current quality. Or a piece of content belonging to the low quality content in a subsequent order.
The method of claim 1,

The processing unit for decoding comprises a media processing unit configured to retrieve or receive the content data from the data channel to decode or decode the content data.

The processing unit for decoding may be implemented together with an execution entity including the channel configuration unit and the transmission / reception processing unit, or may correspond to another execution entity that may be separately executed from the execution entity and executed separately in the wireless communication terminal. And a wireless communication terminal.
The method of claim 1,

The required speed is a speed determined within a speed range specified including the required speed with respect to the speed required by the current quality,

And the speed range is specified including a predetermined speed range below the required speed or a predetermined speed range above the required speed.
The method of claim 1,

The first wireless communication network is not charged for the use of the data service, or the cost incurred in the use of the data service after the present time under the condition of excluding the fixed cost to the user of the wireless communication terminal at this time is the second wireless A wireless communication terminal that is less expensive than the communication network.
A wireless communication terminal capable of accessing a plurality of wireless communication networks,

A channel configuration unit for configuring a data channel for providing content data to a processing unit for decoding content data;

Requesting the external server for the selected content through the first wireless communication network, and providing data of the content received through the first wireless communication network from a remote place according to the request to the processing unit through the data channel, And configured to measure a reception speed, and further use a second wireless communication network when the reception speed measured for the content is in a specific state that is less than a required speed based on a speed required by the current quality of the content. And transmitting a series of requests to the remote site through the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network so that data of the content is divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network, and received. Determine the amount of data received during or after further use of the second wireless network If the reception speed of the data of the content received through the first wireless communication network does not reach the required speed at a time point after the execution until the limited amount is reached, the use of the second wireless communication network is terminated to exceed the current quality. And a transmission / reception processing unit configured to perform an operation of allowing data of the content corresponding to the low quality to be received from the remote site through the first wireless communication network.
The method of claim 23, wherein

The transmission / reception processing unit receives data of the content received through the first wireless communication network at the time when the combined time elapses or when the amount of data received after further use of the second wireless communication network becomes the limited amount. And if the speed is higher than the required speed, stopping the use of the second wireless communication network for receiving data of the content without changing the current quality.
The method according to claim 23 or 24,

The amount of data received after further use of the second wireless communication network is the amount of data received through the second wireless communication network, or the amount of data received through both the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network. Wireless communication terminal.
The method of claim 23, wherein

The specific state in which the reception rate does not reach the required rate may be a state in which the reception rate is smaller than the need, or a value for an unprocessed amount not provided to the processing unit in the data channel is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value. Wireless communication terminal.
The method of claim 23, wherein

The transmitting / receiving processing unit sets the concomitant time in a manner that the time is shorter, or the amount thereof is smaller, as the signal strength of any connection point of the first wireless communication network connected to receive the content data is higher. And determine the limit in a losing manner.
The method of claim 23, wherein

The transmission / reception processing unit is a mode that prioritizes the use convenience of the data service if the mode currently set in the plurality of modes reserved for setting in consideration of the occurrence cost and the convenience of use in the data service is a mode configured to suppress the occurrence of the cost. The radio communication terminal is configured to set the combined time or the limited amount to a smaller value than when.
The method of claim 23, wherein

The transmission / reception processing unit determines the concurrent time or the limited amount based on a data amount currently unused at a specific usage amount for the second wireless communication network assigned to a user of the wireless communication terminal, but is large when the amount of unused data is small. A radio communication terminal that is set to be smaller than when.
What is claimed is: 1. A method of receiving and playing content data using a plurality of communication networks, the method comprising:

Requesting an external server for the selected content through a first wireless communication network, and measuring the reception speed of the data while providing data of the content received from a remote place according to the request to a processor for decoding content data; Wow,

Comparing the reception speed measured for the content with a required speed determined based on a speed required by the current quality of the content;

Including the third step of selectively using the second wireless communication network according to the comparison result is made,

The third step,

If the reception speed is smaller than the required speed within the allowable value, the second wireless communication network is additionally used, so that a series of requests are received so that data of the content is divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network. Transmit to the remote site through a first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network;

If the reception speed is less than the allowable value than the required speed, change the quality to a quality that requires a speed lower than the reception speed for the content so that data of the content can be received from the remote location without additional use of the second wireless communication network. Adaptive control method of content reception according to the reception state.
In the program supply device for providing a program stored in the storage space through a communication network,

Communication means for transmitting and receiving data with the outside through communication,

It is configured to include a storage means for storing the application to be executed in the wireless communication terminal, transmitted through the communication means,

When the application is executed in the wireless communication terminal,

A function of configuring a data channel for providing content data to a processor for decoding content data;

Requesting the external server for the selected content through the first wireless communication network, and providing data of the content received through the first wireless communication network from a remote place according to the request to the processing unit through the data channel, The ability to measure the reception speed,

Identify a speed difference that the reception speed measured for the content does not reach a required speed based on a speed required by the current quality of the content, and further add a second wireless communication network if the identified speed difference is within a predetermined tolerance. And transmit a series of requests to the remote site via the first wireless network and the second wireless communication network such that data of the content is divided into the first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network, and the speed difference is And a program code for performing a function of causing data of the content corresponding to a quality lower than the current quality to be received from the remote site if larger than an allowable value.
In the program supply device for providing a program stored in the storage space through a communication network,

Communication means for transmitting and receiving data with the outside through communication,

It is configured to include a storage means for storing the application to be executed in the wireless communication terminal, transmitted through the communication means,

When the application is executed in the wireless communication terminal,

A function of configuring a data channel for providing content data to a processor for decoding content data;

Requesting the external server for the selected content through the first wireless communication network, and providing data of the content received through the first wireless communication network from a remote place according to the request to the processing unit through the data channel, The ability to measure the reception speed,

If the reception speed measured for the content falls below a required speed determined based on the speed required by the current quality of the content, a second wireless communication network is further used, so that the data of the content is stored. The operation of transmitting a series of requests to the remote site through the first wireless network and the second wireless communication network so as to be divided into a first wireless communication network and the second wireless communication network, for a predetermined combined time period or adding the second wireless communication network. The function to perform until the amount of data received after use reaches the set limit,

At the time when the combined time elapses, or after the amount of data received after the additional use of the second wireless communication network becomes the limiting amount, the reception speed of the data of the content received through the first wireless communication network becomes the required speed. Program code for performing a function of discontinuing use of the second wireless communication network so that data of the content corresponding to a lower quality than the current quality is received from the remote place through the first wireless communication network. Program feed configured.