KR20070024747A - Network linkage model used switching system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A streaming service device using network switching and a method thereof are provided to reduce work load and a resource expense of a server, and enable a user to view an image in real-time by transmitting a high quality image data in a short time. A streaming server guarantees fast data transmission for a streaming service. A P2P(Peer-to-Peer) communication server reduces the server load in a server transmission process of a client(400). A network switch(410) switches between a streaming server mode and a P2P server communication mode during the streaming service. The network switch includes a playing state analyzing module(411) for analyzing a media playing state, a buffering state analyzing module(412) for analyzing a data buffering state, and a network controller for controlling connection to streaming server or P2P server communication depending on an analysis result by analyzing the state of both modules.

Description

Streaming service device and method using network switching {Network linkage model used switching system and method}

1 illustrates bandwidths of a conventional P2P communication server and a streaming server.

2 is a block diagram of a streaming service using a streaming server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram of a streaming service using a client server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a block diagram of a client according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 illustrates an operation of a data buffering module stored in a client according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart of a streaming server side of a streaming service method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a flowchart of a client server side of a streaming service method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 illustrates a bandwidth of a streaming server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

200: streaming server 300: P2P search server

400a: Client A 400b: Client B

400: client 410: network switch

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for streaming service using network switching. More particularly, the present invention relates to a client server communication method for guaranteeing fast data transmission during a streaming service and a network switching using a P2P communication method for reducing a load on a server. The present invention relates to a streaming service apparatus and a method using the same.

Today, P2P service is widely used among various internet services. P2P is a short term for peer to peer. P2P service is a technology that allows users to share files without a server by connecting computers directly to each other. A service that lets you share files. Traditional web searches have allowed you to search for information only on a website and use information and files registered on the website, but this method provides a comprehensive search of the website, as well as the database of individuals or companies, to retrieve the information directly from your computer. There is an advantage to move to.

Recently, users' satisfaction has increased due to the increase of internet speed, that is, the increase of transmission bandwidth (which means that the amount of data to be transmitted is increased). Internet services are now available that enable viewing and listening to multimedia combined with videos via on-line search. A representative example is the multimedia streaming service. Streaming means not to download and execute large-scale audio data or video data (video data), but to transmit them in real time in succession.

Currently, services that can be supported through the above-mentioned multimedia streaming include live broadcasting services such as sports, news or live concerts, video on demand (VOD), and the like. Many internet service businesses such as movie theaters are emerging one after another.

Conventionally, when a client requests a streaming service, first, a P2P search server searches for access information about a client having media data, and then accesses the searched other client to play the media data. If this process fails and you do not receive access information about other clients with media data from the P2P search server, or if an error occurs when receiving data from another client retrieved from the P2P search server, access to the streaming server. Receive and play media data.

However, streaming data of such a structure is difficult to be serviced smoothly because it requires a high-definition image of more than the data transmission bandwidth that can be provided using a P2P communication model.

1 illustrates bandwidths of a conventional P2P communication server and a streaming server.

Streaming servers can transmit data with a bandwidth of 5Mbps, and most of them are mainly low quality video services that transmit data with a bandwidth between 400K and 1Mbps.

If the streaming server is in an environment where high-speed data transmission is guaranteed, such as a CDN (Content Delivery Network), high-definition video service is possible, but the P2P communication model method cannot use high-speed data transmission using a low bandwidth of 3Mbps. The streaming server has a problem in that the server-side resource cost increases in proportion to the number of users who receive the service when transmitting a high-quality video service to the client.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the load on the server and to transmit high quality image data in a short time so that the user can view the image in real time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a high quality image in a short time and at the same time reduce the resource cost of the server.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the above object, a network interworking model switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a P2P communication server that can reduce the load of the server in the server transmission process of the streaming server and the client to ensure fast data transmission during streaming service and It includes a network switch unit for switching the streaming server communication method and P2P server communication method in the streaming service.

In the network interworking model switching method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of analyzing a media playback state and a buffering state of data, analyzing a required data amount by analyzing a playback state and a buffering state of data, and a required data amount And selecting one of the streaming server communication and the P2P server communication through the network switch to connect to the server, and receiving and playing the media data from the connected server.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and the general knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the person having the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to a block diagram or a flowchart illustrating a streaming service apparatus and method using network switching.

At this point, it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and combinations of flowchart illustrations may be performed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions may be mounted on a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, those instructions executed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment may be described in flow chart block (s). It creates a means to perform the functions. These computer program instructions may be stored in a computer usable or computer readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement functionality in a particular manner, and thus the computer usable or computer readable memory. It is also possible for the instructions stored in to produce an article of manufacture containing instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block (s).

Computer program instructions It is also possible to mount on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, so that a series of operating steps are performed on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a computer-implemented process to perform the computer or other programmable data processing equipment. It is also possible for the instructions to provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block (s).

In addition, each block may represent a portion of a module, segment, or code that includes one or more executable instructions for executing a specified logical function (s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of order.

For example, the two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the corresponding function.

2 is a block diagram of a streaming service using a streaming server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In order for the client A 400a to play back an image, media setting information and media data that can be played for a predetermined time are required. In addition, since high-speed data transmission is required, the data is buffered enough to be connected to the streaming server 200 and to smoothly reproduce the video.

3 is a block diagram of a streaming service using a client server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

If the buffering of the data is sufficient, Client A (400a) receives the media data from the other Client B (400b) retrieved to the P2P search server (300). If the media playback processing speed is greater than the P2P communication bandwidth, the amount of data in the buffer is reduced to be smaller than the amount of data necessary for smooth playback. Then, the process as described above in FIG. 1 is performed again.

4 is a block diagram of a client according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The client 400 includes a data processing module 401, a data buffering module 402, a network switch unit 410, a streaming server communication module 403, a P2P server communication module 404, a data access module 405, and data. Consists of a reservoir 406.

The data processing module 401 processes and plays media data transmitted from the outside.

The data buffering module 402 performs a function of storing data until the media data transmitted from the outside and stored in the data storage 406 of the client 400 has a size required for image playback.

The streaming server communication module 403 connects to the streaming server 200 and performs a function of receiving media data.

The P2P server communication module 404 retrieves the client connection information having the media data from the P2P search server 300 and accesses the client B 400b searched at the P2P search server 300 to receive the media data. .

The data access module 405 reads the desired data into the data store 406 and passes it to the communication module.

The data store 406 temporarily stores data received through the communication module.

The network switch unit 410 performs a selection operation of the P2P communication server and the streaming server, and includes a playback state analysis module 411, a buffering state analysis module 412, and a network controller 413.

The play state analysis module 411 analyzes the media play state (start, search, pause, stop, etc.) of the client 400 in the streaming service and delivers the same to the network controller.

The buffering state analysis module 412 analyzes the state of the data store 406 in which the media data is buffered during the streaming service, and transmits the state to the network controller 413.

The network controller 413 analyzes the data requirements analyzed by the playback state analysis module 411 and the buffering state analysis module 412, and connects to the streaming server 200 to receive the media data. It determines whether to receive data to the client B (400b) retrieved through the function to operate the streaming server communication module 403 and P2P server communication module 404 according to the state.

5 illustrates the operation of the data buffering module 402 stored in the client in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

The data buffering module 402 is divided into a first threshold region 402a, a second threshold region 402b, and a third threshold region 402c.

The first threshold area 402a is an area of data 420 required for playback, and represents a data area for display and audio information on which media data is currently being played. When playing the media data requested by the client 400, the media data 420 required for the playback within the range of the first threshold 423a should be received from the server holding the media data. The buffering state analysis module 412 of the network switch unit 410 transmits the media data requested by the client 400 from the streaming server 200 to the data buffering module 402. The data 420 required for playback received by the data buffering module 402 is audio and video information on a scene currently played by the client 400 when media data is played back.

The second threshold area 402b is an area of the data 421 for smooth playback of the media data, and may vary in size depending on a state. Also, it is a data space to solve the speed difference between the streaming server communication model and the P2P communication model and the speed difference between the two communication models. The client 400 receives the data 400 necessary for the reproduction of the data buffering module 402 from the streaming server 200 and then removes the data 421 for the smooth reproduction of the data buffering module 402 to be transmitted. 2 is transmitted from the streaming server 200 by the command of the buffering state analysis module 412 of the network switch unit 410 within the threshold 423b. The data 421 for smooth playback of the data buffering module 402 may vary according to the transmission bandwidth of the media data, and is consumed in the conversion process of the network switch unit 410 of the streaming server communication model and the P2P communication model. The amount of data over time. The data 421 for smooth reproduction of the data buffering module 402 is a buffering state analysis module 412 of the network switch unit 410 for the data amount according to the time required for server conversion through the network model switch unit 410. It is received from the streaming server 200 by the command of. The data buffering module 402 receives the additional data 422 after receiving the data 421 for smooth reproduction.

The third threshold area 402c is an area of additional data 422 that does not affect the current media data reproduction, and is a data area to be used in the future. The additional data 422 may vary according to the bandwidth and size of the media data playback, and receive data from the streaming server 200 in the second threshold 423b according to the bandwidth of the media data, and receive the second threshold 423b. The excess data is connected to the P2P search server 300 using the P2P server communication module 314 by the server conversion command of the network controller 413 of the network switch unit 410 to have the media data requested by the client 400. Receives data from the client B (400b) connected to the P2P search server 300. Since the playback speed of the media data is faster than the media data rate transmitted to the client B 400b through the P2P search server 300, the buffering amount of the additional data 422 transmitted using the streaming server 200 gradually decreases. When the additional data 422 becomes 0 (zero), a server conversion command of the network controller 413 of the network switch unit 410 is received from the server transmitted by the client B 400b through the P2P search server 300. Media data is transmitted from the streaming server 200 through the streaming server communication module 403 of the client 400.

6 is a flowchart of a streaming server side of a streaming service method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The play state analysis module 411 of the network switch unit 410 analyzes the play state of the media data currently requested by the client 400. The buffering state analysis module 412 analyzes the buffering state of the current media data from the data buffering module 402 (S600).

The network controller 413 analyzes data requirements analyzed from the playback state analysis module 411 and the buffering state analysis module 412 (S610).

The client 400 operates differently according to the threshold requirement of the playing state and the buffering state of the media data to be played. It is determined whether more than a threshold amount of data for reproduction is necessary, and whether to connect to the string server 200 or the P2P search server 300 through the network controller 413 (S620).

If more than a threshold amount of data is needed for playback, the server accesses the string server 200 and receives media data (S630 and S640). In this case, when the client 400 is connected to the streaming server 200, the media data is transmitted from a server communication module (not shown) of the server-side streaming server 200 to play the media data. do. If the client 400 is not connected to the streaming server 200, it is impossible to receive media data.

7 is a flowchart of a client server side of a streaming service method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Received data from the streaming server 200 for data above a threshold amount for reproduction, and data exceeding the second threshold 423b (additional data 422) is converted by the server of the network controller 413 of the network switch unit 410. A client connected to the P2P search server 300 using the P2P server communication module 314 using the command and having the media data requested by the client 400 (for example, the client B 400b). Data is transmitted from)) (S700).

After searching for another client (for example, client B 400b) having the media data requested by the client 400, the media data is received (S710).

It is determined whether the state exceeds the second threshold 423b (S720). The playback speed of the media data is faster than the media data rate transmitted from the client B 400b through the P2P search server 300 so that the buffering amount of the additional data 422 transmitted using the streaming server 200 gradually decreases. If the additional data 422 is 0 (zero), since the second threshold 423b is not exceeded, the network switch unit (S) in the server received from the client B (400b) through the P2P search server 300 is used. The server receives a server conversion command of the network controller 413 of 410 and receives media data from the streaming server 200 through the streaming server communication module 403 of the client 400.

8 illustrates a bandwidth of a streaming server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The data is transmitted using the streaming server 200 until the second threshold 423b, which is a required amount of data 421 for smooth reproduction, is exceeded (800). In addition, the client B (400b) connected to the P2P search server 300 having the media data required by the client 400 by accessing the P2P search server 300 until the second threshold 423b falls below the amount of data. In step 810, data is transmitted.

According to the streaming service apparatus and method using the network switching of the present invention as described above has one or more of the following effects.

First, there is an advantage that can smoothly provide a high-definition streaming service.

Second, there is an advantage that can quickly play media when searching for media.

Third, there is an advantage of reducing the resource cost of the server by utilizing the client resources that are characteristic of the P2P communication model.

Fourth, there is an advantage that can reduce the excessive load of server network traffic by interworking with the P2P communication model.

Claims (5)

Streaming server to ensure fast data transmission in the streaming service; P2P communication server that can reduce the load on the server in the server transmission process of the client; And Network interworking model switching device including a network switch unit for switching the streaming server communication method and P2P server communication method in the streaming service. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network switch comprises a play state analysis module for analyzing a media play state and a buffering state analysis module for analyzing a buffering state of data. Network interworking model switching device that analyzes and controls a network controller that controls access to streaming server communication or P2P server communication according to the analysis status. Analyzing a media playback state and a buffering state of the data; Analyzing the media playback state and the buffering state of the data to analyze a required data amount; Selecting one of streaming server communication and P2P server communication through a network switch and connecting to the server according to the required data amount; And And receiving and playing the media data in the connected server. The method of claim 3, wherein the one of the streaming server communication and the P2P server communication is selected through a network controller of the network switch unit. The method of claim 4, wherein the network switch unit comprises a play state analysis module that analyzes the media play state and a buffering state analysis module that analyzes the buffering state of the data.

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