RU2606314C1 - Method and system of media content distribution in peer-to-peer data transmission network - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: information technologies.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to content distribution in data transmission networks. In one of preferred embodiments of disclosed invention proposed method, comprising steps, at which: on server side receiving request to provide media content, determining media content to be transmitted to user device, adding to one or more fragments of said content, at least one digital identifier, creating unique content copy, intended for transfer of each of said users requesting said content, separating each said unique copy of content onto unique segments, containing fragments with said digital identifier, and common segments, not containing identifiers, wherein unique segments are connected to corresponding user information, initiated request to provide said content, receiving, at least, one unique segment of content from server and initiating receiving of common segments, initiating transmission of said content common segments to other peer-to-peer network users.

EFFECT: technical result consists in reduction of server load when transmitting content due to transfer between users peer-to-peer process.

24 cl, 11 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The claimed invention relates to the field of distribution of content in data networks, in particular to a method and system for transmitting media content in peer-to-peer networks while protecting content from unauthorized transmission and distribution.

BACKGROUND

Today, there are implementations for the distribution of content in peer-to-peer networks for both static (film, melody, audiobook, etc.) and dynamic (video streaming, live television or sports broadcasts, etc.) content. All of them generally implement the following approach:

- content (file) is divided into segments;

- Clients (programs installed on users' computers) establish connections with each other directly;

- Clients exchange file segments with each other, ensuring each other has all segments of the source file.

Obviously, with this implementation, the content ultimately received by each of the customers is strictly the same for all customers.

The bittorrent protocol (http://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0003.html) is used to distribute static content in a peer-to-peer network. This protocol is open, and there are many implementations of it in different programming languages (C / C ++, java, etc.) and for various platforms (Windows, Linux, etc.)

For the distribution of dynamic content in a peer-to-peer network, the bittorrent live protocol is used (patent US 9094263 B2, 07.28.2015), as well as services such as peer5.com and streamroot.com, which use the open WebRTC library (https://ru.wikipedia.org / wiki / WebRTC).

In general, these implementations quite successfully solve the problem of delivering files to users using a peer-to-peer network, however, from the point of view of the needs of copyright holders publishing content on the network, it is necessary for each client to receive a unique copy of the file that would contain a digital identifier, for example, a digital watermark ( sign) identifying the client and his legal right to receive the required content. In this case, with unauthorized distribution of the file, it would become possible to track the source of the leak - a specific user who allowed the illegal distribution of content.

However, the simultaneous use of existing peer-to-peer technologies and digital watermarks is mutually exclusive due to the fact that for peer-to-peer exchange, the content must be exactly the same, and for digital watermarks - different for each recipient.

Thus, the current level of technology of the solutions present on the market is not aimed at solving the problem of protecting the distribution channel, but focuses only on solving the problem of distributed file delivery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is the creation of a new technology that will provide distributed file delivery through the use of a peer-to-peer network, while users will receive a unique copy of the content that will contain the user ID. At the same time, both the problem of network load on the server and the protection of the rights of the copyright holders of the content will be solved.

The technical results in the implementation of the present invention are to reduce the server load during the transfer of content, due to the peer-to-peer process of transferring data between users, increasing the degree of protection of the content from illegal distribution by detecting specific users that allow unauthorized copying and distribution of content.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the claimed invention, a method for distributing media content in a peer-to-peer data transmission network between a media content server and devices of peer-to-peer network users is claimed, comprising the steps of:

on the server side:

- receive a request for the provision of media content;

- determine the media content to be transmitted to the user device;

- add at least one digital identifier to one or more fragments of said content, the identifier being unique for each user initiating a request for said content;

- create a unique copy of the content, intended for transmission to each of the mentioned users requesting the mentioned content;

- divide each mentioned unique copy of the content into unique segments containing fragments with the mentioned digital identifier, and common segments that do not contain identifiers, the unique segments being associated with the information of the corresponding user who initiated the request for the provision of the said content;

- transmit to the appropriate user on the data network mentioned unique content segments;

- carry out the determination of peer-to-peer network users containing common segments of said content and transmitting this information to users requesting said content;

on the user device side:

- receive at least one unique segment of content from the server;

- initiate the reception of common segments of the mentioned content from other users of the peer-to-peer network and / or server;

- initiate the transfer of common segments of the mentioned content to other users of the peer-to-peer network.

In another preferred embodiment of the claimed invention, a system for distributing media content in a peer-to-peer data network comprising a server and a plurality of user devices is claimed, wherein

the server is configured to:

- receiving a request for the provision of media content;

- determining content to transmit to one or more user devices;

- creating a unique copy of the content for each of the user devices by adding at least one digital identifier to one or more pieces of content, the digital identifier of each copy of the content being unique for each user device that initiated a request for content;

- dividing each received said unique copy of the content into unique segments containing fragments with said digital identifier and common segments containing no identifiers, the unique segments being associated with the information of the corresponding user initiating the request for the provision of said content;

- transmitting to the corresponding user device via the data network the mentioned unique segments;

- the implementation of the definition of peer-to-peer network users containing common segments of said content, and the transmission of this information to users requesting said content;

a user device is configured to

- Receive unique segments of requested content from the server;

- receive common segments of the mentioned content from other users of the peer-to-peer network and / or server;

- transfer the common segments of the mentioned content to other users of the peer-to-peer network.

In another preferred embodiment of the claimed invention, a media content distribution server in a peer-to-peer data network is claimed, comprising:

- at least one processor;

- at least one memory;

moreover, at least one memory stores at least one software application, which, when executed by at least one processor, initiates the execution of the steps in which:

- determine media content for transmission to one or more user devices;

- add at least one digital identifier to one or more fragments of said content, the identifier being unique for each user (user device) that initiated a request for said content;

- create a unique copy of the content, intended for transmission to each of the mentioned users requesting the mentioned content;

- divide each mentioned unique copy of the content into unique segments containing fragments with the mentioned digital identifier, and common segments that do not contain identifiers, the unique segments being associated with the information of the corresponding user who initiated the request for the provision of the said content;

- transmit to the appropriate user on the data network mentioned unique content segments;

- carry out the determination of peer-to-peer network users containing common segments of said content;

and

- transmit information to other users about other users who can transmit common segments of the content.

In one particular embodiment of the claimed invention, a digital identifier is added to the same or different fragments of each copy of media content, or several digital identifiers are added to the same or different fragments of each copy of media content.

In another particular embodiment of the claimed invention, each user sends information about common segments of content that he can send to other users to a server, and this kind of information can be sent after a specified period of time.

In another particular embodiment, the client devices are configured to check the received content segments for integrity, for example, by checking the conformance of the hash sums of the segments, as well as the ability to store the received segments of the media content in encrypted form.

Other particular embodiments of the claimed invention will be described in detail later in the present application materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a general scheme for distributing media content.

FIG. 2 illustrates the general steps of a content distribution method.

FIG. 3 illustrates the steps of a method when creating a unique copy of content.

FIG. 4 illustrates an option to create unique content files using the same markup mask.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of creating unique content files using a random markup mask.

FIG. Figure 6 illustrates the option of creating unique content files using a random markup mask and creating segments for direct download from the server.

FIG. 7 illustrates a pattern for dividing unique copies of content files into segments.

FIG. 8-10 illustrate variations of content segment exchange schemes according to the claimed invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flow chart of a method for transmitting segments according to the claimed invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a media content transmission scheme according to the claimed invention. The claimed structure of the media content transfer system 100 includes a media content transfer server 110 comprising a media content storage 111. The server 110 may be either a single computer or several computing devices (server cluster). Server 110 may also be a supercomputer.

The media content storage 111 may be a data storage device (HDD, SSD, SD, Flash), which is directly part of the server 110, and can also be performed as a remote device for storing and transmitting information, such as a personal computer, cloud information storage, etc. p., exchanging data with server 110 via a data channel (LAN, WLAN, WAN, GSM).

The hardware of server 110, in general, includes one or more processors, RAM, ROM, as well as data storage devices (HDD, SSD, SD, Flash), input / output (I / O) interfaces, and at least at least one network interface.

Server 110 using a data network, for example, the Internet transmits media content requested by users 130-132. Users 130-132 are interconnected through a peer-to-peer data network (peer-to-peer or P2P).

The term “media content” referred to in these application materials refers to both the static type of content (film, melody, audiobook) and the dynamic type - video streaming, live television or sports broadcasts, radio broadcasts, etc.

Media content can be any type of audiovisual work, which is a video file or an audio file. Content can also be container format files (mkv, mp4, mov, ogg, etc.).

According to FIG. 2, a method 200 for transmitting media content is as follows.

User devices 130-132 perform the authorization process on server 110 (or on a resource associated with server 110) and sends a request to server 110 to receive media content.

At step 201, server 110 receives a request from at least one user device (130-132) to provide media content and, based on information identifying the user, creates a unique copy of the requested media content (step 202).

In FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the principle of creating a unique copy of the content. At step 2021, the server 110 determines the pieces of content and, at step 2022, inserts unique identifiers, in particular digital watermarks (tags) into the selected pieces of content, for example a frame, or a sequence of frames, or time periods (for an audio file).

In general, a digital identifier looks like some kind of digital mark is embedded in the content, for example, let it be a random 256-bit number:

4fdeeec697cdlcf85b0a65e4b6021eea8c4282ce2800e867f3cacd51b208fbbb.

User identification information is presented as:

UID = 075cde1b3e89a7715f92c46bf6f72e37abe84247

Next, the server 110 decides that the copy with the identifier:

4fdeeec697cd1cf85b0a65e4b6021eea8c4282ce2800e867f3cacd51b208fbbb

will be passed to the user with the identifier:

075cde1b3e89a7715f92c46bf6f72e37abe84247

and remembers this bunch.

Thus, the label 4fdeeec697cd1cf85b0a65e4b6021eea8c4282ce2800e867f3cacd51b208fbbb becomes the unique user ID 075cdelb3e89a7715f92c46bf6f72e37abe84247.

This scheme allows you to pre-prepare several copies of the tagged content and already at the time of the user's request to bind a specific copy to a specific user.

It is worth noting that various principles of embedding digital watermarks in content for protecting it are widely known from the prior art, both for static content (see, for example, patent RU 2405218, 11/27/2010), and for dynamic (see, for example , Methods of embedding digital watermarks in streaming video. Grigoryan AK, Avetisova NG - Information-management systems. - No. 2 (45). 2010).

At step 202, based on the identification information received from users (130-132), a unique copy of the content file is created for each of them, which is subsequently encoded (step 2023) with unique digital identifiers entered and then divided into segments (step 2024) for transmission to a specific user (step 203).

It is important to note the fact that the encoding step 2023 is optional and the inclusion of digital marks 2022 in the content file can be carried out in an already encoded file, if the implementation of watermarking technologies allows this. Also, step 2023 may be performed in parallel with step 203 of directly transmitting unique segments to one or more users (130-132).

Let us consider in more detail the principle of protecting content using digital identifiers. In FIG. 4-6, various implementation options for introducing digital identifiers into media content are presented. According to FIG. 4, in one embodiment of content protection, a marking mask may be used in which unique identifiers in certain said segments are entered in the initial (reference) file 300 containing segments 301 for each user who has requested a request for content.

For each user, files 310-330 are unique, as are segments of the content file 311, 321, 331 containing the digital identifier of the corresponding user.

When implementing the introduction of digital identifiers with the same markup mask, content segments containing fragments, for example frames, are selected the same in files 310, 320, 330 for each client.

According to FIG. 5 shows the principle of marking up content files for users using a random markup mask. In this case, the implementation of each unique copy of the content file 340, 350, 360 contains segments 341, 351, 361, which may be different, but may coincide, for example, the 12th segment in the files 350 and 360 may match, but each of of these segments (for file 350 and 360) will contain its unique digital identifier of the corresponding user.

Moreover, the sequence of segments 301 that do not contain a digital identifier for each client file 340, 350, 360 will be different.

In FIG. 6 shows the principle of marking up content files using a random mask and additional marking up of the initial parts of the file for their direct download from server 110 for the fastest start of playback. As can be seen from the illustration, segments 371, 381, 391 at the beginning of the content file can span the same number of fragments, while segments 301 that do not contain digital identifiers, as well as other segments 371, 381, 391 containing a digital identifier, can be different or identical, by analogy with the principle shown in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 7 illustrates the principle of segmenting content, which is implemented in step 2024 of FIG. 3.

For each client 130-132, a unique copy of the content file 1300, 1310, 1320 is created using any type of markup shown in FIG. 4-6. Then, using the software of the server 110, unique fragments are determined containing a digital user identifier 130-132. Each unique copy of the file is divided into segments for each of the users 130-132. The segments are common segments 1300, 1310, 1320 and unique segments 1301, 1311, 1321.

Common segments 1300, 1310, 1320 each of the respective users 130-132 can transfer to another user 130-132 (or several users) using a P2P connection, these segments do not contain fragments with a digital user ID. Each user receives the unique segments 1301, 1311, 1321 strictly from the server part 110, each of the unique segments 1301, 1311, 1321 may contain one or more fragments containing a digital user ID 130-132.

In FIG. 8 shows a variant of a scheme for transmitting unique segments in a data network for one client 130. Unique segments 1301 created on the server 110, for example file segments 5, 8, 14, are transmitted to the client 130, which initiated the request for receiving media content, directly from the server 110. General segments 1300, necessary for the reproduction of content, are also transmitted from the server 110 to the user device 130 due to the fact that there is not a single client on the network that can share common segments.

According to FIG. 9 in the case where two clients 130, 131 carry out a request for the same type of content from the server 110, unique content segments 1301, 1311 for each client are transmitted from the server 110. The common segments 1300, 1310 for each of the clients can be completely or partially transferred to each of the clients 130, 131 from the server part 110, or the client, for example 130, which previously received the content requested by the client 131, can transfer part of the common segments 1300 using a P2P connection. Request the rest of the common segments 1310 from the client 131 at server 110.

In FIG. 10 illustrates the principle of transmitting content segments in the case where a request for provision of content comes from three or more users 130-132.

By analogy with the principle of transmitting content segments shown in FIG. 8-9, with an increase in the number of users on the network requesting content, the server 110 analyzes the possibility of reducing the load by providing each of the users 130-132 with information about other users 130-132 containing common segments of the content that they can receive using P2P communication between themselves.

Unique segments for each of the users 130-132 are transmitted from the server 110. The common segments 1300, 1310 are transmitted between users in a P2P data network using a request from the corresponding user, for example, 132 to obtain the missing common segments to users 130 and 131.

The general principle of operation of the content transfer scheme will be discussed later with reference to the steps of the method shown in FIG. eleven.

Unique segments 1301, 1311, 1321 are transmitted when each of the users 130-132 who initiated the request for receiving media content connects to the server 110 via a data network, for example, the Internet. After the user 130-132 receives a unique content segment (step 204) or in parallel with this step, the client device of this user receives information from the server about other users on the network that contain common content segments 1300, 1310, 1320 that can be received by the specified by a user using a P2P connection. If at step 206 the users who can transfer the common content segments were not identified or not all the necessary content segments were received from them, then the user requests to receive the missing common content segments from the server (step 212).

Unique and common content segments can be provided in parallel for each of the users, in particular, this approach is relevant when there are still not enough users who can send the desired content segments using P2P transmission or when the user is the only user requesting this content name.

At step 207, when users are detected in a P2P network, each user who requests to receive content receives information from the server 110 about which user can receive common segments of the selected content 1300, 1310, 1320 from the user. This information is usually presented in the form IP addresses of network users.

When selecting the desired user at step 208, a P2P connection is established with him to obtain common segments that he can transmit. After receiving the segments in step 208, then in step 209, the client application on the user device 130-132 checks whether the number of segments is sufficient to play the mentioned content. If the number of segments is sufficient, then at step 210, playback of the content requested by the user is performed. If there are not enough segments for playback, then the execution of step 212 is initiated, in which the user device requests the missing segments from the server 110 (step 213).

After starting the playback of the content (step 210), the client application of the user device repeats the step of requesting unique pieces of content from the server 110. This, in particular, is relevant when receiving dynamic content, for example, viewing a live broadcast of a sports match on a website, as well as receiving static content , for example, a movie with a large size, which will take considerable time to download the entire file.

Each of the users 130-132 after receiving unique segments 1301, 1311, 1321 and common segments 1300, 1310, 1320 sends to the server information about the received segments of a specific name of the content for its subsequent use when informing other users about the segments that can be transferred to them in P2P network. This information is sent by each of the users to the server after a specified period of time, stored by the server for a specified time and used by the server to inform users about other users who can transfer common segments to a P2P network.

Unique segments of the content 1301, 1311, 1321 after receiving by users 130-132, requesting the necessary content, are used to record the facts of unauthorized distribution of content by one or more users. Upon detection of content on the network containing digital identifiers of users who legally received this content from content server 110, it is possible to establish the fact of unauthorized distribution of content and establish the specific user who allowed such distribution by comparing an illegal copy available on the network and containing the user ID with a reference file stored on the server.

Additionally, each application of the client device 130-132 upon receipt of segments (both unique and general) checks each of the segments for integrity. Typically, this type of check consists in checking, for example, a hash of the contents of a segment. This method is the most common, but does not limit other options for implementing content integrity checks. When checking the hash sums, the server calculates and informs the client devices about the parameters for checking the said hash sums of the segments received by them. The client device of the user then compares the received hash sum parameters.

After receiving unique content segments 1301, 1311, 1321, as well as common segments 1300, 1310, 1320, each client device 130-132 can encrypt each received content segment. Encryption takes place when the segment is saved (received from the server or another client). When playing and when sending to other users who request a segment, the transmitted segment is decrypted.

The user device mentioned in the present application materials may be a portable or stationary computer, for example, a PC, smartphone, tablet, game console, laptop.

In general terms, each of the client devices of users contains at least one processor, at least one memory, which stores instructions for execution by the processor that implement the execution of a software application designed to request media content from a server, receive and exchange it with other participants of the P2P network.

The description provided in this application discloses preferred embodiments of the claimed invention and should not be construed as limiting other, private options for implementing the claimed solution, not going beyond the scope of the requested legal protection.

Claims (56)

1. A method for distributing media content in a peer-to-peer data network between a media content server and devices of peer-to-peer network users, comprising the steps of: on the server side: - receive a request for the provision of media content; - determine the media content to be transmitted to the user device; - add at least one digital identifier to one or more fragments of said content, the identifier being unique for each user initiating a request for said content; - create a unique copy of the content intended for transmission to each of the mentioned users who initiated the request for the said content; - divide each said unique copy of the content into unique segments containing fragments with the said at least one digital identifier and common segments containing no identifiers, the unique segments being associated with the information of the corresponding user initiating the request for the provision of said content; - transmit to the appropriate user on the data network mentioned unique content segments; - carry out the determination of peer-to-peer network users containing common segments of said content and transfer of this information to users requesting receipt of said content; on the user device side: - receive at least one unique segment of content from the server; - initiate the reception of common segments of the mentioned content from other users of the peer-to-peer network and / or server; - initiate the transfer of common segments of the mentioned content to other users of the peer-to-peer network. 2. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the digital identifier is added to the same or different fragments of each of the copies of media content. 3. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that several digital identifiers are added to the same or different fragments of each of the copies of media content. 4. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that it further comprises the step of receiving by the server part from each of the users information about common segments of the content that it stores and can send to other users. 5. The method according to p. 4, characterized in that it further comprises the step of receiving on the server side from each of the users information about the number and volume of common segments of content that he received from other users, as well as information about the number and volume of common and unique segments content that he received from the server. 6. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the digital identifier is a digital watermark. 7. The method according to p. 4, characterized in that the transmission of data about user segments occurs after a specified period of time. 8. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the user device upon receipt of segments of media content carries out their storage in encrypted form. 9. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the user device checks the integrity of each received segment of media content. 10. The method according to p. 9, characterized in that the verification consists in comparing the hash sums of the segments. 11. A system for distributing media content in a peer-to-peer data network containing a server and a plurality of user devices, moreover the server is configured to: - receiving a request for the provision of media content; - determining content to transmit to one or more user devices; - creating a unique copy of the content for each of the user devices by adding at least one digital identifier to one or more pieces of content, the digital identifier of each copy of the content being unique for each user device that initiated a request for content; - dividing each received said unique copy of the content into unique segments containing fragments with said digital identifier and common segments containing no identifiers, the unique segments being associated with the information of the corresponding user initiating the request for the provision of said content; - carry out the determination of peer-to-peer network users containing common segments of said content and transfer of this information to users requesting receipt of said content; - transmitting to the corresponding user device via the data network the mentioned unique segments; a user device is configured to - Receive unique segments of requested content from the server; - receive common segments of the mentioned content from the server and / or other users of the peer-to-peer network; - transfer the common segments of the mentioned content to other users of the peer-to-peer network; - send information to the server. 12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the server stores information received from each of the users about the number and volume of common content segments that the user received from other users, as well as information about the number and volume of common and unique content segments that each user received from the server. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the digital identifier is added to the same or different fragments of each copy of the media content. 14. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that several digital identifiers are added to the same or different fragments of each copy of the media content. 15. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that each user device sends to the server information about common segments of the content that it can send to other users. 16. The system according to p. 15, characterized in that the transmission of data about common segments of content stored by the user occurs after a predetermined period of time. 17. The system of claim 11, wherein the digital identifier is a digital watermark. 18. The system according to p. 15, characterized in that the user device upon receipt of segments of media content carries out their storage in encrypted form. 19. The system according to p. 15, characterized in that the user device checks the integrity of each received segment of media content. 20. The system of claim 16, wherein the verification consists in comparing the hash sums of the segments. 21. A server for distributing media content in a peer-to-peer data network, comprising: - at least one processor; - at least one memory; moreover, at least one memory stores at least one software application, which, when executed by at least one processor, initiates the execution of the steps in which: - determine media content for transmission to one or more user devices; - add at least one digital identifier to one or more fragments of said content, the identifier being unique for each user initiating a request for said content; - create a unique copy of the content, intended for transmission to each of the mentioned users who initiated a request for the receipt of the said content; - divide each said unique copy of the content into unique segments containing fragments with at least one digital identifier and common segments not containing identifiers, the unique segments being associated with the information of the corresponding user initiating the request for the provision of said content; - transmit to the appropriate user on the data network mentioned unique content segments; - determine the users of the peer-to-peer network containing common segments of said content, and transmit this information to users requesting receipt of said content. 22. The server according to claim 21, characterized in that the server’s memory stores information received from each user about the number and volume of common segments of content that the user received from other users, as well as information about the number and volume of common and unique segments of content that each user received from the server. 23. The server according to claim 21, characterized in that it receives information from one or more users about common segments of the content received by them and which they can transfer to other users. 24. The server according to p. 23, wherein the reception of data about the common segments of the user’s content occurs after a specified period of time.

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