WO2009095590A1 - Method for transmitting vod content - Google Patents

Method for transmitting vod content Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2009095590A1
WO2009095590A1 PCT/FR2009/050093 FR2009050093W WO2009095590A1 WO 2009095590 A1 WO2009095590 A1 WO 2009095590A1 FR 2009050093 W FR2009050093 W FR 2009050093W WO 2009095590 A1 WO2009095590 A1 WO 2009095590A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
content
communication equipment
network
service information
communication
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/FR2009/050093
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Mary-Luc Champel
Ali Boudani
Original Assignee
Thomson Licensing
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Thomson Licensing filed Critical Thomson Licensing
Publication of WO2009095590A1 publication Critical patent/WO2009095590A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
    • H04N7/17309—Transmission or handling of upstream communications
    • H04N7/17318—Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
    • H04N21/235—Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/433—Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
    • H04N21/4331—Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/435—Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/4508—Management of client data or end-user data
    • H04N21/4532—Management of client data or end-user data involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/47—End-user applications
    • H04N21/472—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content
    • H04N21/47202—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
    • H04N21/63—Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
    • H04N21/632—Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/83—Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
    • H04N21/84—Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors

Definitions

  • the invention relates to streaming live streaming content, possibly multimedia, to communication equipment connected to broadcast networks (or infrastructures).
  • the invention relates to all broadcast networks (or infrastructures), wired or wireless, able to broadcast continuously and live (or slightly delayed) content (possibly multiplexed) to communication equipment. It may therefore be a wired network, such as a network with medium or high speed data transmission lines, for example xDSL lines (for "x Digital Subscriber Line") or cables or optical fibers, or a terrestrial broadcasting network (for example DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DBM or DAB) or satellite or hybrid (ie terrestrial) (for example DVB-H) and satellite).
  • xDSL lines for "x Digital Subscriber Line”
  • a terrestrial broadcasting network for example DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DBM or DAB
  • satellite hybrid (ie terrestrial) (for example DVB-H) and satellite).
  • communication equipment is understood to mean any type of communication equipment that is part of or that can connect to at least one broadcast network as well as to a wired or non-wired communication network. It may therefore be, for example, fixed or mobile (or cellular) telephones, fixed or portable computers, personal digital assistants (or PDAs, including “pocket PCs"), content receivers (such as decoders, residential gateways (or “residential gateways”) or STBs ("Set-Top Boxes”)), provided that they are equipped with communication means capable of exchanging content data packets, for example of type IP ("Internet Protocol").
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • content here refers to a set of data that defines a television or video or audio program (radio or musical) or games or multimedia, or a computer file (or "data").
  • the video-on-demand service (or
  • VOD Video On Demand
  • VOD Video On Demand
  • the client can, for example, send a request to a content provider via a communication network, and the provider sends him each requested content in point-to-point mode (or "unicast").
  • the disadvantage of this method lies in the fact that it monopolizes many resources of the communication network.
  • Another method is to use a broadcast network to provide broadcast mode VOD service ("multicast” or "multicast”).
  • a content provider or an operator broadcasts content (possibly multiplexed on the same channel, for example in the case of a DVB-T network) for several clients. All content can be sent to all customers in a group for storage, and each customer can only use one of the stored contents if they have paid for the usage rights.
  • the broadcast content is also stored by the content provider (or the operator) in a centralized server or in distributed servers accessible via a communication network.
  • This second method is advantageous in terms of using the resources of the broadcast network.
  • a client's (communication) equipment has not received at least some of the broadcasted content, it must retrieve this missing part from a centralized server or from distributed servers, via a network of communication, which monopolizes resources of the latter and requires several operations at its core network (or "core network").
  • core network or "core network”
  • a variant of operation consists in distributing the contents between the different customers of a group and in exchanging selected contents between customers in peer-to-peer mode.
  • This variant is notably described in the document "P2Proxy: peer-to-peer proxy caching scheme for VOD service", Lee et al, Proceedings, Sixth International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Multimedia Applications, pp. 272-277, Los Alamitos, CA, USA, 2005, IEEE Comput.Soc.
  • This mode of operation may prove difficult to implement when the upload rate is substantially less than the download bit rate, which is particularly the case in ADSL type networks, and when a customer must simultaneously transmit content to several other customers.
  • some of the memory of the communication equipment of most customers is unnecessarily monopolized by content that does not interest them at all.
  • the invention therefore aims to improve the situation in the case of content broadcast continuously and live.
  • the invention firstly proposes a method, dedicated to the transmission of contents to communication equipments which are connected to a content broadcasting network and to a communication network, and consisting of: selected content to be transmitted live to communication equipment via the broadcast network service information indicating that they correspond to a video-on-demand (VOD) service, and then
  • a communication equipment when a communication equipment receives content transmitted live, to store locally all or part of this content if it is associated with service information and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of this equipment Communication ; the method according to the invention being further characterized in that, when a communication device has not received at least part of a content associated with service information and corresponding to at least one profile associated with its user , it proceeds to the recovery, via the communication network and according to a peer-to-peer transmission mode (or P2P (for "Peer to Peer”)), of the not received part of this content from another equipment communication that has received and stored this part of the content.
  • P2P peer-to-peer transmission mode
  • the method according to the invention may comprise other characteristics that can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular: - we can associate service information with content by adding this service information to a set of information defining the content within an electronic program guide (or EPG) which is transmitted to the communication equipment via the broadcast network before the start of transmission contents that it defines;
  • EPG electronic program guide
  • service information can be associated with content by adding this service information to the beginning of the content, before it is transmitted to the communication equipment via the broadcast network.
  • the invention also proposes a control device for a communication equipment, capable of being connected to a content broadcasting network and a communication network, and responsible for determining whether content transmitted directly and received by this communication equipment is associated with service information, indicating that it corresponds to a video-on-demand (VOD) service, and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of the communication equipment, and in the affirmative to store all or part of this content; said control device according to the invention being furthermore arranged for, when the communication equipment has not received at least part of a content associated with service information and corresponding to at least one profile associated with its user , recovering, via the communication network and in a peer-to-peer (P2P) transmission mode, the non received part of this content from another communication equipment which has received and stored this part of the content.
  • P2P peer-to-peer
  • the device according to the invention may comprise other characteristics that can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:
  • the invention also proposes a communication equipment, intended to be connected to a streaming network and live content and a communication network, and equipped with a control device of the type shown above.
  • the invention is particularly well suited, although in a non-limiting manner, to the broadcasting of contents by means of a broadcasting network whose type is chosen from (at least) DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DMB and DAB.
  • the object of the invention is to enable communication equipment which is connected to a streaming network.
  • Streaming and live (or slightly delayed) content and a communication network, store content that corresponds to a video-on-demand service (VOD) as well as at least one profile associated with their user.
  • VOD video-on-demand service
  • the broadcast network and the communication network can be confused.
  • the network of communication also ensures the dissemination of content.
  • the broadcast network (R1) is DVB-T type.
  • the invention is not limited to this type of broadcast network. It concerns indeed any type of broadcast network (or infrastructure), wired or wireless, capable of streaming live content (possibly multiplexed) to communication equipment. It may therefore be a wired network, such as a network with medium or high speed data transmission lines, such as for example xDSL type lines or cables or optical fibers, or a terrestrial broadcasting network (for example DVB-H, T-DBM or DAB) or satellite or hybrid.
  • a wired network such as a network with medium or high speed data transmission lines, such as for example xDSL type lines or cables or optical fibers, or a terrestrial broadcasting network (for example DVB-H, T-DBM or DAB) or satellite or hybrid.
  • the communication network (R2) is a wired network (for example of the ADSL type) offering IP access.
  • the invention is not limited to this type of communication network. It concerns indeed any type of communication network capable of wireline transmission or wave transmission of content data packets (possibly IP type). It may therefore also be a wired network with cables or optical fibers, or a non-wired network, possibly of mobile or cellular type.
  • the communication equipment (Ti) customers are content receivers type STB (Set-Top Box). But, the invention is not limited to this type of communication equipment.
  • It relates in fact to any type of communication equipment capable of receiving content, especially continuously and live, a broadcast network and exchange content data packets, by wire or by wave , especially in a peer-to-peer mode, with other communication equipment or network equipment via a communication network. It may also be a fixed or mobile phone (or cellular), a computer or laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a content receiver (as per example a decoder or a residential gateway).
  • PDA personal digital assistant
  • the broadcasted content are television programs (video). But, the invention is not limited to this type of content. It concerns indeed any type of content consisting of a set of data that can be broadcast in the form of data packets (possibly multiplexed). It may also be audio content, such as audio programs (radio or music), games, multimedia content, or computer files (or "data").
  • the invention provides a method comprising three main steps.
  • a first main step consists in associating with certain selected content that must be transmitted continuously and directly (or only slightly later) to (communication) equipment Ti via an R1 broadcast network, service information indicating that correspond to a video-on-demand (or VOD) service.
  • This service information thus constitutes a
  • VOD extension signaling to a device Ti that the content with which it is associated can be retrieved from at least one other equipment Ti '(which will then act as a server), once broadcast live, according to the mode called "at the request ".
  • the service information may be in the form of a new dedicated information field whose value may be defined by one or more bits.
  • VOD extensions can optionally use different VOD extensions to, for example, differentiate different VOD services.
  • the aforementioned association can be done according to at least two methods.
  • a first, indirect method is to add service information to a set of information that defines a selected content in an Electronic Program Guide (EPG). Guide)).
  • EPG Electronic Program Guide
  • An EPG is a file which is generated by a content provider (such as television programs) and which is regularly transmitted to the equipment Ti via the broadcast network R1 before the transmission of the contents begins. he defines.
  • An EPG includes in particular for each content (here a television program) a summary, fields defining its type, its live broadcast duration and the start and end times of its live broadcast.
  • This first method can be implemented during the generation of the EPGs, for example by selection by a technician of an option dedicated to the addition of a VOD extension according to instructions provided by the content provider (or the operator of the broadcast network R1).
  • the EPGs thus completed are then transmitted (broadcast) to the equipment Ti customers R1 broadcast network.
  • a second method, direct type consists of adding service information at the beginning of a selected content (for example in a header field), before it is transmitted to the equipment Ti via the broadcast network R1.
  • This second method can for example be implemented by the content server SC, which is responsible for transforming the contents into content data packets so that they can be broadcast by the transmission means of the broadcast network R1, depending instructions provided by the content provider (or the operator of the broadcast network R1).
  • a second main step is to transmit each service information associated with a content to be broadcast to the equipment Ti, via the broadcast network R1, either before the transmission of this content (in the case of the use of the first method), or at the beginning of this transmission
  • a third main step is finally taking place at the level of the equipment Ti which receives the contents broadcast continuously and directly by the broadcast network R1. More specifically, when a device Ti receives content transmitted continuously and directly, all or part of the local content is stored locally. This content if it is associated with a service information (VOD extension) and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of this equipment Ti.
  • VOD extension service information
  • a user profile is a set of data that defines preferences and / or habits of a user in terms of program type.
  • a profile may be defined by a user by means of a configuration application running in his equipment Ti. It is a kind of content filtering file.
  • a device Ti can store one or more user profiles with possibly different priority levels.
  • a Ti device may use content that is being broadcast live but not associated with a VOD extension. However, in this case the content is not stored locally to be available offline for the user of the equipment Ti and for other users.
  • a device Ti must be associated with a control device Di.
  • association is the fact of coupling a device Di to a device Ti, and in this case the device Di is an element (such as a card or an electronic box) external to the equipment Ti, or the integrating a device Di into a device Ti.
  • a device Di can be produced in the form of electronic circuits ("hardware"), or software modules ("software”), or a combination of software modules and software. electronic circuits.
  • a device Di, associated with a device Ti is responsible for determining whether content, which has just been transmitted continuously and directly and to be received by this equipment Ti, is associated with service information (extension VOD). and corresponds to at least one user profile, and if so to store this content. It will be noted that the storage can be done in the device Di or in the equipment Ti associated with a device Di.
  • the selection (or filtering) of the contents that correspond to each User profile used by a Ti equipment can be done by the Ti equipment.
  • its associated device Di only has to determine whether the selected (or filtered) contents are associated with VOD extensions.
  • the device Di can provide both the filtering according to each user profile used locally and the verification of the association of a selected content to a VOD extension.
  • a device Di preferably acts at the level of the content decoder of a device Ti.
  • This local storage of content associated with a VOD extension is to make this content available to the user of the equipment Ti and users of other equipment Ti 'for possible use in deferred and therefore on demand.
  • the invention thus enables a user to store selected contents in order to use them optionally later.
  • the invention also allows a device Ti to recover from another equipment Ti '(i' ⁇ i), which has received and stored the entirety of a (or which is in the course of reception and storage of a) content associated with a VOD extension, at least part of this content that it could not receive live (for example because it was not yet connected or that packages of the content does not have not arrived). This recovery is done via the communication network R2 and in a peer-to-peer transmission mode (P2P). It is controlled by the device Di of the equipment Ti.
  • P2P peer-to-peer transmission mode
  • the associated device Di can recover, via the communication network R2 and according to the mode of transmission peer-to-peer, the non received part of the content from another equipment Ti 'who received and stored this part of the content and who will then act as a server for the requesting Ti equipment that constitutes a customer. It should be noted that this recovery is not necessarily systematic. Indeed, if the user of a Ti equipment, who has not received a part of a content, do not wish to use this content, it is useless to recover the missing content part from other equipment Ti 'acting as a server.
  • a device Di can, for example, send to a predetermined device a request to communicate to it the communication address of a device Ti 'which has received a given content in full, and on receipt of this address it establishes a communication mode. P2P with the equipment Ti 'to ask him to transmit all or part of the content he has stored.
  • the equipment Ti can transmit to the equipment Ti, during the live broadcast of a content associated with a VOD extension, an information message containing the communication address of one or more other equipments Ti 'which receive and store this content.
  • These information messages may for example be transmitted by the broadcast network R1 to the equipment Ti concerned by means of a signaling protocol.
  • the equipment Ti can exchange these information messages.
  • a device Di can thus at any time establish communication in P2P mode with equipment Ti 'designated in an information message to ask him to transmit all or part of the content he has stored.
  • the signaling protocol can also be used to signal to a device Ti the number of devices Ti 'that use at least one user profile identical or similar to the one (s) it uses. This can in particular make it possible to constrain a device Ti to store a content associated with a VOD extension when the number of devices Ti, connected to its communication network R2 and using a similar user profile, is (very) weak.
  • the recovery of content data packets can be done at the initiative of the user of a device Ti or to the initiative of the device Di associated with a device Ti when it sees that it has not received all or part of a content associated with a VOD extension. The latter case requires that the device Di constantly observe the packets of content data that are received by its equipment Ti, which are associated with a VOD extension and which correspond to one of the user profiles stored by said equipment Ti.
  • control device communication equipment and transmission method described above, only by way of example, but it encompasses all variants that may be considered by man of the art in the context of the claims below.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a method dedicated to the transmission of content to communication equipment (T1, T2) connected to a content broadcasting network (R1) and to a communication network (R2). The method comprises: i) associating to certain content to be transmitted live to communication equipment (T1, T2), via the broadcasting network (R1), a piece of signalling information indicating that said content correspond to a video-on-demand (VOD) service; ii) transmitting each piece of service information to the communication equipment (T1, T2) before the transmission of the associated content or at the beginning of said transmission; and iii), when a communication equipment (T1) receives a content transmitted live, locally storing a portion or the whole of said content if it is associated with the service information and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of the communication equipment (T1).

Description

PROCEDE DE TRANSMISSION DE CONTENUS VOD METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING VOD CONTENTS
Domaine technique de l'inventionTechnical field of the invention
L'invention concerne la diffusion en continu et en direct de contenus, éventuellement multimédia, vers des équipements de communication connectés à des réseaux (ou infrastructures) de diffusion.The invention relates to streaming live streaming content, possibly multimedia, to communication equipment connected to broadcast networks (or infrastructures).
L'invention concerne tous les réseaux (ou infrastructures) de diffusion, filaires ou non filaires, capables de diffuser en continu et en direct (ou en léger différé) des contenus (éventuellement multiplexes) à destination d'équipements de communication. Il pourra donc s'agir d'un réseau filaire, tel qu'un réseau à lignes de transmission de données à moyen ou haut débit, comme par exemple des lignes de type xDSL (pour « x Digital Subscriber Line ») ou des câbles ou encore des fibres optiques, ou d'un réseau de diffusion terrestre (par exemple de type DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DBM ou DAB) ou satellitaire ou encore hybride (c'est- à-dire à la fois terrestre (par exemple DVB-H) et satellitaire).The invention relates to all broadcast networks (or infrastructures), wired or wireless, able to broadcast continuously and live (or slightly delayed) content (possibly multiplexed) to communication equipment. It may therefore be a wired network, such as a network with medium or high speed data transmission lines, for example xDSL lines (for "x Digital Subscriber Line") or cables or optical fibers, or a terrestrial broadcasting network (for example DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DBM or DAB) or satellite or hybrid (ie terrestrial) ( for example DVB-H) and satellite).
Par ailleurs, on entend ici par « équipement de communication » tout type d'équipement de communication faisant partie d'un, ou pouvant se connecter au moins à un, réseau de diffusion ainsi qu'à un réseau de communication filaire ou non filaire. Il pourra donc s'agir, par exemple, de téléphones fixes ou mobiles (ou cellulaires), d'ordinateurs fixes ou portables, d'assistants numériques personnels (ou PDAs, y compris les « pocket PCs »), de récepteurs de contenus (comme par exemple des décodeurs, des passerelles résidentielles (ou « residential gateways ») ou des STBs (« Set-Top Boxes »)), dès lors qu'ils sont équipés de moyens de communication propres à échanger des paquets de données de contenus, par exemple de type IP (« Internet Protocol »).Furthermore, here "communication equipment" is understood to mean any type of communication equipment that is part of or that can connect to at least one broadcast network as well as to a wired or non-wired communication network. It may therefore be, for example, fixed or mobile (or cellular) telephones, fixed or portable computers, personal digital assistants (or PDAs, including "pocket PCs"), content receivers ( such as decoders, residential gateways (or "residential gateways") or STBs ("Set-Top Boxes")), provided that they are equipped with communication means capable of exchanging content data packets, for example of type IP ("Internet Protocol").
En outre, on entend ici par « contenu » un ensemble de données qui définit un programme de télévision ou de vidéo ou audio (radiophonique ou musical) ou de jeux ou multimédia, ou encore un fichier informatique (ou « data »).In addition, "content" here refers to a set of data that defines a television or video or audio program (radio or musical) or games or multimedia, or a computer file (or "data").
Etat de l'art Comme le sait l'homme de l'art, le service de vidéo à la demande (ouState of the art As known to those skilled in the art, the video-on-demand service (or
VOD (« Video On Demand »)) consiste à fournir à un client un ou plusieurs contenus qui l'intéressent.VOD ("Video On Demand") is to provide a customer with one or more content of interest.
Pour ce faire, le client peut par exemple adresser une requête à un fournisseur de contenus, via un réseau de communication, et le fournisseur lui transmet chaque contenu demandé en mode point-à-point (ou « unicast »). L'inconvénient de cette méthode réside dans le fait qu'elle monopolise beaucoup de ressources du réseau de communication.For this purpose, the client can, for example, send a request to a content provider via a communication network, and the provider sends him each requested content in point-to-point mode (or "unicast"). The disadvantage of this method lies in the fact that it monopolizes many resources of the communication network.
Une autre méthode consiste à utiliser un réseau de diffusion pour assurer le service VOD en mode diffusion (« broadcast » ou « multicast » (point à multipoints)). Dans ce cas, un fournisseur de contenus (ou un opérateur) diffuse des contenus (éventuellement multiplexes sur un même canal, comme par exemple dans le cas d'un réseau DVB-T) à destination de plusieurs clients. Tous les contenus peuvent être adressés à tous les clients d'un groupe afin qu'ils les stockent et chaque client ne peut utiliser l'un des contenus stockés que s'il a payé des droits d'utilisation correspondant. On notera que les contenus diffusés sont également stockés par le fournisseur de contenus (ou l'opérateur) dans un serveur centralisé ou dans des serveurs distribués accessibles via un réseau de communication.Another method is to use a broadcast network to provide broadcast mode VOD service ("multicast" or "multicast"). In this case, a content provider (or an operator) broadcasts content (possibly multiplexed on the same channel, for example in the case of a DVB-T network) for several clients. All content can be sent to all customers in a group for storage, and each customer can only use one of the stored contents if they have paid for the usage rights. Note that the broadcast content is also stored by the content provider (or the operator) in a centralized server or in distributed servers accessible via a communication network.
Cette seconde méthode est avantageuse en terme d'utilisation des ressources du réseau de diffusion. Cependant, lorsque l'équipement (de communication) d'un client n'a pas reçu une partie au moins d'un contenu diffusé, il doit récupérer cette partie manquante auprès d'un serveur centralisé ou de serveurs distribués, via un réseau de communication, ce qui monopolise des ressources de ce dernier et nécessite plusieurs opérations au niveau de son cœur de réseau (ou « core network »). On comprendra que ce type de récupération de paquets de données de contenus constitue un réel problème pour les opérateurs de réseau du fait du nombre sans cesse croissant de clients. En outre, cette méthode nécessite d'utiliser un ou plusieurs serveurs de (très) grandes capacités de stockage, dont les coûts sont d'autant plus élevés que les capacités de stockage sont grandes. Afin d'améliorer la situation, il a été proposé, notamment dans le document « Neighbors-buffehng-based video-on-demand architecture », Taleb et al, Signal Processing: Image communication, vol. 18, n°7, pp. 515-526, Aug. 2003, Elsevier, qu'un client récupère auprès d'un autre client, en mode pair à pair (ou P2P (pour « peer to peer »)), une partie d'un contenu dont la diffusion en VOD a déjà commencée. L'inconvénient majeur de ce mode de fonctionnement réside dans le fait qu'il impose que des clients stockent la totalité des contenus diffusés en VOD ce qui nécessite qu'ils disposent à leur tour d'une grande capacité de stockage et ce qui les contraint à monopoliser inutilement des ressources de stockage pour de nombreux contenus que leurs utilisateurs n'utiliseront vraisemblablement pas.This second method is advantageous in terms of using the resources of the broadcast network. However, when a client's (communication) equipment has not received at least some of the broadcasted content, it must retrieve this missing part from a centralized server or from distributed servers, via a network of communication, which monopolizes resources of the latter and requires several operations at its core network (or "core network"). It will be understood that this type of recovery of content data packets is a real problem for network operators because of the ever-growing number of customers. In addition, this method requires the use of one or more servers of (very) large storage capacity, the costs of which are higher when the storage capacities are large. In order to improve the situation, it has been proposed, in particular in the document "Neighbors-buffehng-based video-on-demand architecture", Taleb et al, Signal Processing: Image communication, vol. 18, No. 7, pp. 515-526, Aug. 2003, Elsevier, which a client retrieves from another client, in peer-to-peer (P2P) mode, a part of a content whose VOD broadcast has already begun. The major disadvantage of this mode of operation lies in the fact that it requires that customers store all content broadcast in VOD which requires that they in turn have a large storage capacity and what forces them to unnecessarily monopolize storage resources for many content that their users will not likely use.
Une variante de fonctionnement consiste à répartir les contenus entre les différents clients d'un groupe et à échanger des contenus choisis entre clients en mode pair à pair. Cette variante est notamment décrite dans le document « P2Proxy: peer-to-peer proxy caching scheme for VOD service », Lee et al, Proceedings, Sixth International Conférence on Computational Intelligence and Multimedia Applications, pp. 272-277, Los Alamitos, CA, USA, 2005, IEEE Comput.Soc. Ce mode de fonctionnement peut s'avérer difficile à mettre en oeuvre lorsque le débit en émission (« upload ») est sensiblement inférieur au débit en réception (« download »), ce qui est notamment le cas dans les réseaux de type ADSL, et lorsqu'un client doit simultanément transmettre des contenus vers plusieurs autres clients. En outre, une partie de la mémoire des équipements de communication de la plupart des clients est inutilement monopolisée par des contenus qui ne les intéressent pas du tout.A variant of operation consists in distributing the contents between the different customers of a group and in exchanging selected contents between customers in peer-to-peer mode. This variant is notably described in the document "P2Proxy: peer-to-peer proxy caching scheme for VOD service", Lee et al, Proceedings, Sixth International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Multimedia Applications, pp. 272-277, Los Alamitos, CA, USA, 2005, IEEE Comput.Soc. This mode of operation may prove difficult to implement when the upload rate is substantially less than the download bit rate, which is particularly the case in ADSL type networks, and when a customer must simultaneously transmit content to several other customers. In addition, some of the memory of the communication equipment of most customers is unnecessarily monopolized by content that does not interest them at all.
L'art antérieur connaît également, par la demande de brevet américain N° US 2006/0212892 (Ochoa Optics), un système de distribution vidéo. Résumé de l'inventionThe prior art also knows, by the US patent application No. US 2006/0212892 (Ochoa Optics), a video distribution system. Summary of the invention
L'invention a donc pour but d'améliorer la situation dans le cas de contenus diffusés en continu et en direct.The invention therefore aims to improve the situation in the case of content broadcast continuously and live.
A cet effet, l'invention propose tout d'abord un procédé, dédié à la transmission de contenus à des équipements de communication qui sont connectés à un réseau de diffusion de contenus et à un réseau de communication, et consistant : - à associer à certains contenus choisis devant être transmis en direct à des équipements de communication via le réseau de diffusion une information de service signalant qu'ils correspondent à un service de vidéo à la demande (VOD), puisFor this purpose, the invention firstly proposes a method, dedicated to the transmission of contents to communication equipments which are connected to a content broadcasting network and to a communication network, and consisting of: selected content to be transmitted live to communication equipment via the broadcast network service information indicating that they correspond to a video-on-demand (VOD) service, and then
- à transmettre chaque information de service aux équipements de communication avant la transmission du contenu associé ou au début de cette transmission, ettransmitting each service information to the communication equipment before transmission of the associated content or at the beginning of this transmission, and
- lorsqu'un équipement de communication reçoit un contenu transmis en direct, à stocker localement tout ou partie de ce contenu s'il est associé à une information de service et si il correspond à au moins un profil associé à l'usager de cet équipement de communication ; le procédé selon l'invention étant en outre caractérisé en ce que, lorsqu'un équipement de communication n'a pas reçu une partie au moins d'un contenu associé à une information de service et correspondant à au moins un profil associé à son usager, il procède à la récupération, via le réseau de communication et selon un mode de transmission de type pair à pair (ou P2P (pour « Peer to Peer »)), de la partie non reçue de ce contenu auprès d'un autre équipement de communication qui a reçu et stocké cette partie du contenu.when a communication equipment receives content transmitted live, to store locally all or part of this content if it is associated with service information and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of this equipment Communication ; the method according to the invention being further characterized in that, when a communication device has not received at least part of a content associated with service information and corresponding to at least one profile associated with its user , it proceeds to the recovery, via the communication network and according to a peer-to-peer transmission mode (or P2P (for "Peer to Peer")), of the not received part of this content from another equipment communication that has received and stored this part of the content.
Le procédé selon l'invention peut comporter d'autres caractéristiques qui peuvent être prises séparément ou en combinaison, et notamment : - on peut associer une information de service à un contenu en adjoignant cette information de service à un ensemble d'informations définissant le contenu au sein d'un guide de programmes électronique (ou EPG (« Electronic Program Guide »)) qui est transmis aux équipements de communication via le réseau de diffusion avant le début de la transmission des contenus qu'il définit ;The method according to the invention may comprise other characteristics that can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular: - we can associate service information with content by adding this service information to a set of information defining the content within an electronic program guide (or EPG) which is transmitted to the communication equipment via the broadcast network before the start of transmission contents that it defines;
- en variante, on peut associer une information de service à un contenu en adjoignant cette information de service au début du contenu, avant qu'il ne soit transmis aux équipements de communication via le réseau de diffusion.alternatively, service information can be associated with content by adding this service information to the beginning of the content, before it is transmitted to the communication equipment via the broadcast network.
L'invention propose également un dispositif de contrôle pour un équipement de communication, propre à être connecté à un réseau de diffusion de contenus et à un réseau de communication, et chargé de déterminer si un contenu transmis en direct et reçu par cet équipement de communication est associé à une information de service, signalant qu'il correspond à un service de vidéo à la demande (VOD), et si il correspond à au moins un profil associé à l'usager de l'équipement de communication, et dans l'affirmative pour stocker tout ou partie de ce contenu ; ledit dispositif de contrôle selon l'invention étant en outre agencé pour, lorsque l'équipement de communication n'a pas reçu une partie au moins d'un contenu associé à une information de service et correspondant à au moins un profil associé à son usager, procéder à la récupération, via le réseau de communication et selon un mode de transmission de type pair à pair (P2P), de la partie non reçue de ce contenu auprès d'un autre équipement de communication qui a reçu et stocké cette partie du contenu.The invention also proposes a control device for a communication equipment, capable of being connected to a content broadcasting network and a communication network, and responsible for determining whether content transmitted directly and received by this communication equipment is associated with service information, indicating that it corresponds to a video-on-demand (VOD) service, and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of the communication equipment, and in the affirmative to store all or part of this content; said control device according to the invention being furthermore arranged for, when the communication equipment has not received at least part of a content associated with service information and corresponding to at least one profile associated with its user , recovering, via the communication network and in a peer-to-peer (P2P) transmission mode, the non received part of this content from another communication equipment which has received and stored this part of the content.
Le dispositif selon l'invention peut comporter d'autres caractéristiques qui peuvent être prises séparément ou en combinaison, et notamment :The device according to the invention may comprise other characteristics that can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:
- il peut être chargé de déterminer si un contenu transmis en direct est associé à une information de service en recherchant si cette dernière a été adjointe à un ensemble d'informations définissant ce contenu au sein d'un guide de programmes électronique (EPG) qui a été préalablement transmis aux équipements de communication via le réseau de diffusion avant le début de la transmission des contenus qu'il définit ; - en variante, il peut être chargé de déterminer si un contenu transmis en direct est associé à une information de service en recherchant si cette dernière a été adjointe au début du contenu avant qu'il ne soit transmis via le réseau de diffusion. L'invention propose également un équipement de communication, destiné à être connecté à un réseau de diffusion en continu et en direct de contenus et à un réseau de communication, et équipé d'un dispositif de contrôle du type de celui présenté ci-avant.it may be responsible for determining whether live streaming content is associated with service information by determining whether it has been added to a set of information defining that content within an electronic program guide (EPG) which has been previously transmitted to the communication equipment via the broadcast network before the start of the transmission of the contents that it defines; alternatively, it may be responsible for determining whether live broadcast content is associated with service information by searching for whether the latter has been added at the beginning of the content before it is transmitted via the broadcast network. The invention also proposes a communication equipment, intended to be connected to a streaming network and live content and a communication network, and equipped with a control device of the type shown above.
L'invention est particulièrement bien adaptée, bien que de façon non limitative, à la diffusion de contenus au moyen d'un réseau de diffusion dont le type est choisi parmi (au moins) DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DMB et DAB.The invention is particularly well suited, although in a non-limiting manner, to the broadcasting of contents by means of a broadcasting network whose type is chosen from (at least) DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DMB and DAB.
Brève description du dessinBrief description of the drawing
D'autres caractéristiques et avantages de l'invention apparaîtront à l'examen de la description détaillée ci-après, et du dessin annexé, sur lequel l'unique figure illustre de façon très schématique et fonctionnelle deux équipements de communication équipés chacun d'un dispositif de contrôle selon l'invention et connectés à un réseau de diffusion en continu et en direct de contenus et à un réseau de communication. Le dessin annexé pourra non seulement servir à compléter l'invention, mais aussi contribuer à sa définition, le cas échéant.Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the attached drawing, in which the single figure illustrates very schematically and functionally two communication equipment each equipped with a control device according to the invention and connected to a streaming network and live content and a communication network. The attached drawing may not only serve to complete the invention, but also contribute to its definition, if any.
Description détailléedetailed description
L'invention a pour objet de permettre à des équipements de communication, qui sont connectés à un réseau de diffusion en continuThe object of the invention is to enable communication equipment which is connected to a streaming network.
(« streaming ») et en direct (ou en léger différé) de contenus et à un réseau de communication, de stocker des contenus qui correspondent à un service de vidéo à la demande (VOD) ainsi qu'à au moins un profil associé à leur usager.("Streaming") and live (or slightly delayed) content and a communication network, store content that corresponds to a video-on-demand service (VOD) as well as at least one profile associated with their user.
Il est important de noter que le réseau de diffusion et le réseau de communication peuvent être confondus. Dans ce cas, le réseau de communication assure également la diffusion des contenus.It is important to note that the broadcast network and the communication network can be confused. In this case, the network of communication also ensures the dissemination of content.
Dans ce qui suit, on considère à titre d'exemple non limitatif que le réseau de diffusion (R1 ) est de type DVB-T. Mais, l'invention n'est pas limitée à ce type de réseau de diffusion. Elle concerne en effet tout type de réseau (ou infrastructure) de diffusion, filaire ou non filaire, capable de diffuser en continu et en direct des contenus (éventuellement multiplexes) à destination d'équipements de communication. Il pourra donc s'agir d'un réseau filaire, tel qu'un réseau à lignes de transmission de données à moyen ou haut débit, comme par exemple des lignes de type xDSL ou des câbles ou encore des fibres optiques, ou d'un réseau de diffusion terrestre (par exemple de type DVB- H, T-DBM ou DAB) ou satellitaire ou encore hybride.In the following, we consider as a non-limiting example that the broadcast network (R1) is DVB-T type. But, the invention is not limited to this type of broadcast network. It concerns indeed any type of broadcast network (or infrastructure), wired or wireless, capable of streaming live content (possibly multiplexed) to communication equipment. It may therefore be a wired network, such as a network with medium or high speed data transmission lines, such as for example xDSL type lines or cables or optical fibers, or a terrestrial broadcasting network (for example DVB-H, T-DBM or DAB) or satellite or hybrid.
Par ailleurs, on considère dans ce qui suit, à titre d'exemple non limitatif, que le réseau de communication (R2) est un réseau filaire (par exemple de type ADSL) offrant un accès IP. Mais, l'invention n'est pas limitée à ce type de réseau de communication. Elle concerne en effet tout type de réseau de communication capable de transmettre par voie filaire ou par voie d'ondes des paquets de données de contenus (éventuellement de type IP). Il pourra donc s'agir également d'un réseau filaire à câbles ou fibres optiques, ou d'un réseau non filaire, éventuellement de type mobile ou cellulaire. Compte tenu des choix illustratifs effectués ci-avant, on considère dans ce qui suit, à titre d'exemple non limitatif, que les équipements de communication (Ti) des clients sont des récepteurs de contenus de type STB (Set-Top Box). Mais, l'invention n'est pas limitée à ce type d'équipement de communication. Elle concerne en effet tout type d'équipement de communication capable de recevoir des contenus, notamment en continu et en direct, d'un réseau de diffusion et d'échanger des paquets de données de contenus, par voie filaire ou par voie d'ondes, notamment selon un mode pair à pair, avec d'autres équipements de communication ou équipements de réseau via un réseau de communication. Il pourra donc s'agir également d'un téléphone fixe ou mobile (ou cellulaire), d'un ordinateur fixe ou portable, d'un assistant numérique personnel (ou PDA), ou d'un récepteur de contenus (comme par exemple un décodeur ou une passerelle résidentielle).Furthermore, it is considered in the following, by way of non-limiting example, that the communication network (R2) is a wired network (for example of the ADSL type) offering IP access. However, the invention is not limited to this type of communication network. It concerns indeed any type of communication network capable of wireline transmission or wave transmission of content data packets (possibly IP type). It may therefore also be a wired network with cables or optical fibers, or a non-wired network, possibly of mobile or cellular type. Given the illustrative choices made above, it is considered in the following, by way of non-limiting example, that the communication equipment (Ti) customers are content receivers type STB (Set-Top Box). But, the invention is not limited to this type of communication equipment. It relates in fact to any type of communication equipment capable of receiving content, especially continuously and live, a broadcast network and exchange content data packets, by wire or by wave , especially in a peer-to-peer mode, with other communication equipment or network equipment via a communication network. It may also be a fixed or mobile phone (or cellular), a computer or laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a content receiver (as per example a decoder or a residential gateway).
Sur l'unique figure seuls deux équipements Ti ont été représentés. Par conséquent, l'indice i prend les valeurs 1 et 2. Mais cet indice i peut prendre n'importe quelle valeur supérieure ou égale à 2. Enfin, on considère dans ce qui suit, à titre d'exemple non limitatif, que les contenus diffusés sont des programmes de télévision (vidéo). Mais, l'invention n'est pas limitée à ce type de contenu. Elle concerne en effet tout type de contenu constitué d'un ensemble de données pouvant être diffusé sous forme de paquets de données (éventuellement multiplexes). Il pourra donc s'agir également de contenus audio, comme par exemple des programmes audio (radiophoniques ou musicaux), de jeux, de contenus multimédia, ou encore de fichiers informatiques (ou « data »).In the single figure only two Ti equipment have been represented. Therefore, the index i takes the values 1 and 2. But this index i can take any value greater than or equal to 2. Finally, the following is considered, by way of non-limiting example, that the broadcasted content are television programs (video). But, the invention is not limited to this type of content. It concerns indeed any type of content consisting of a set of data that can be broadcast in the form of data packets (possibly multiplexed). It may also be audio content, such as audio programs (radio or music), games, multimedia content, or computer files (or "data").
L'invention propose un procédé comprenant trois étapes principales.The invention provides a method comprising three main steps.
Une première étape principale consiste à associer à certains contenus, choisis qui doivent être transmis en continu et en direct (ou en léger différé) à des équipements (de communication) Ti via un réseau de diffusion R1 , une information de service signalant qu'ils correspondent à un service de vidéo à la demande (ou VOD). Cette information de service constitue ainsi uneA first main step consists in associating with certain selected content that must be transmitted continuously and directly (or only slightly later) to (communication) equipment Ti via an R1 broadcast network, service information indicating that correspond to a video-on-demand (or VOD) service. This service information thus constitutes a
« extension VOD » signalant à un équipement Ti que le contenu auquel il est associé peut être récupéré auprès d'au moins un autre équipement Ti' (qui agira alors comme serveur), une fois diffusé en direct, selon le mode dit « à la demande »."VOD extension" signaling to a device Ti that the content with which it is associated can be retrieved from at least one other equipment Ti '(which will then act as a server), once broadcast live, according to the mode called "at the request ".
L'information de service peut se présenter sous la forme d'un nouveau champ d'information dédié dont la valeur peut être définie par un ou plusieurs bits.The service information may be in the form of a new dedicated information field whose value may be defined by one or more bits.
On notera que l'on peut éventuellement utiliser des extensions VOD différentes afin, par exemple, de différencier des services de VOD différents.Note that one can optionally use different VOD extensions to, for example, differentiate different VOD services.
L'association précitée peut se faire selon au moins deux méthodes.The aforementioned association can be done according to at least two methods.
Une première méthode, de type indirect, consiste à adjoindre une information de service à un ensemble d'informations qui définit un contenu choisi dans un guide de programmes électronique (ou EPG (Electronic Program Guide)). Il est rappelé qu'un EPG est un fichier qui est généré par un fournisseur de contenus (tels que des programmes de télévision) et qui est régulièrement transmis aux équipements Ti via le réseau de diffusion R1 avant le début de la transmission des contenus qu'il définit. Un EPG comprend notamment pour chaque contenu (ici un programme de télévision) un résumé, des champs définissant son type, sa durée de diffusion en direct et les horaires de début et de fin de sa diffusion en direct.A first, indirect method is to add service information to a set of information that defines a selected content in an Electronic Program Guide (EPG). Guide)). It is recalled that an EPG is a file which is generated by a content provider (such as television programs) and which is regularly transmitted to the equipment Ti via the broadcast network R1 before the transmission of the contents begins. he defines. An EPG includes in particular for each content (here a television program) a summary, fields defining its type, its live broadcast duration and the start and end times of its live broadcast.
Cette première méthode peut être mise en œuvre lors de la génération des EPGs, par exemple par sélection par un technicien d'une option dédiée à l'adjonction d'une extension VOD en fonction d'instructions fournies par le fournisseur de contenus (ou l'opérateur du réseau de diffusion R1 ). Les EPGs ainsi complétés sont ensuite transmis (diffusés) aux équipements Ti des clients du réseau de diffusion R1.This first method can be implemented during the generation of the EPGs, for example by selection by a technician of an option dedicated to the addition of a VOD extension according to instructions provided by the content provider (or the operator of the broadcast network R1). The EPGs thus completed are then transmitted (broadcast) to the equipment Ti customers R1 broadcast network.
Une seconde méthode, de type direct, consiste à adjoindre une information de service au début d'un contenu choisi (par exemple dans un champ d'entêté), avant que ce dernier ne soit transmis aux équipements Ti via le réseau de diffusion R1.A second method, direct type, consists of adding service information at the beginning of a selected content (for example in a header field), before it is transmitted to the equipment Ti via the broadcast network R1.
Cette seconde méthode peut par exemple être mise en œuvre par le serveur de contenus SC, qui est chargé de transformer les contenus en paquets de données de contenus afin qu'ils puissent être diffusés par les moyens de transmission du réseau de diffusion R1 , en fonction d'instructions fournies par le fournisseur de contenus (ou l'opérateur du réseau de diffusion R1 ).This second method can for example be implemented by the content server SC, which is responsible for transforming the contents into content data packets so that they can be broadcast by the transmission means of the broadcast network R1, depending instructions provided by the content provider (or the operator of the broadcast network R1).
Une deuxième étape principale consiste à transmettre chaque information de service associée à un contenu à diffuser aux équipements Ti, via le réseau de diffusion R1 , soit avant la transmission de ce contenu (dans le cas de l'utilisation de la première méthode), soit au début de cette transmissionA second main step is to transmit each service information associated with a content to be broadcast to the equipment Ti, via the broadcast network R1, either before the transmission of this content (in the case of the use of the first method), or at the beginning of this transmission
(dans le cas de l'utilisation de la seconde méthode).(in the case of using the second method).
Une troisième étape principale se déroule enfin au niveau des équipements Ti qui reçoivent les contenus diffusés en continu et en direct par le réseau de diffusion R1. Plus précisément, lorsqu'un équipement Ti reçoit un contenu transmis en continu et en direct, on stocke localement tout ou partie de ce contenu si il est associé à une information de service (extension VOD) et si il correspond à au moins un profil associé à l'usager de cet équipement Ti.A third main step is finally taking place at the level of the equipment Ti which receives the contents broadcast continuously and directly by the broadcast network R1. More specifically, when a device Ti receives content transmitted continuously and directly, all or part of the local content is stored locally. this content if it is associated with a service information (VOD extension) and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of this equipment Ti.
Il est rappelé qu'un profil d'usager est un ensemble de données qui définit des préférences et/ou des habitudes d'un usager en terme de type de programme. Un profil peut par exemple être défini par un usager au moyen d'une application de configuration tournant dans son équipement Ti. Il constitue une espèce de fichier de filtrage de contenus.It is recalled that a user profile is a set of data that defines preferences and / or habits of a user in terms of program type. For example, a profile may be defined by a user by means of a configuration application running in his equipment Ti. It is a kind of content filtering file.
Il est important de noter qu'un équipement Ti peut stocker un ou plusieurs profils d'usager disposant de niveaux de priorité éventuellement différents.It is important to note that a device Ti can store one or more user profiles with possibly different priority levels.
Il est également important de noter qu'à la demande d'un usager un équipement Ti peut utiliser un contenu qui est en cours de diffusion en direct mais qui n'est pas associé à une extension VOD. Cependant, dans ce cas le contenu n'est pas stocké localement en vue d'être disponible en différé pour l'usager de l'équipement Ti et pour d'autres usagers.It is also important to note that at the request of a user a Ti device may use content that is being broadcast live but not associated with a VOD extension. However, in this case the content is not stored locally to be available offline for the user of the equipment Ti and for other users.
Pour mettre en œuvre cette troisième étape, un équipement Ti doit être associé à un dispositif de contrôle Di. On entend ici par « associer » soit le fait de coupler un dispositif Di à un équipement Ti, et dans ce cas le dispositif Di est un élément (comme par exemple une carte ou un boîtier électronique) externe à l'équipement Ti, soit le fait d'intégrer un dispositif Di dans un équipement Ti. On comprendra donc qu'un dispositif Di, selon l'invention, peut être réalisé sous la forme de circuits électroniques (« hardware »), ou de modules logiciels (« software »), ou encore d'une combinaison de modules logiciels et de circuits électroniques. Un dispositif Di, associé à un équipement Ti, est chargé de déterminer si un contenu, qui vient d'être transmis en continu et en direct et d'être reçu par cet équipement Ti, est associé à une information de service (extension VOD) et correspond à au moins un profil d'usager, et dans l'affirmative de stocker ce contenu. On notera que le stockage peut se faire dans le dispositif Di ou dans l'équipement Ti associé à un dispositif Di.To implement this third step, a device Ti must be associated with a control device Di. Here is meant by "associating" is the fact of coupling a device Di to a device Ti, and in this case the device Di is an element (such as a card or an electronic box) external to the equipment Ti, or the integrating a device Di into a device Ti. It will thus be understood that a device Di, according to the invention, can be produced in the form of electronic circuits ("hardware"), or software modules ("software"), or a combination of software modules and software. electronic circuits. A device Di, associated with a device Ti, is responsible for determining whether content, which has just been transmitted continuously and directly and to be received by this equipment Ti, is associated with service information (extension VOD). and corresponds to at least one user profile, and if so to store this content. It will be noted that the storage can be done in the device Di or in the equipment Ti associated with a device Di.
La sélection (ou le filtrage) des contenus qui correspondent à chaque profil d'usager utilisé par un équipement Ti peut être fait(e) par l'équipement Ti. Dans ce cas, son dispositif Di associé n'a plus qu'à déterminer si les contenus sélectionnés (ou filtrés) sont associés à des extensions VOD. Dans une variante, le dispositif Di peut assurer à la fois le filtrage en fonction de chaque profil d'usager utilisé localement et la vérification de l'association d'un contenu sélectionné à une extension VOD.The selection (or filtering) of the contents that correspond to each User profile used by a Ti equipment can be done by the Ti equipment. In this case, its associated device Di only has to determine whether the selected (or filtered) contents are associated with VOD extensions. In a variant, the device Di can provide both the filtering according to each user profile used locally and the verification of the association of a selected content to a VOD extension.
Pour effectuer les tâches précitées, un dispositif Di agit préférentiellement au niveau du décodeur de contenus d'un équipement Ti.To perform the aforementioned tasks, a device Di preferably acts at the level of the content decoder of a device Ti.
Le but de ce stockage local d'un contenu associé à une extension VOD est de mettre ce contenu à la disposition de l'usager de l'équipement Ti et d'usagers d'autres équipements Ti' en vue d'une éventuelle utilisation en différé et donc à la demande.The purpose of this local storage of content associated with a VOD extension is to make this content available to the user of the equipment Ti and users of other equipment Ti 'for possible use in deferred and therefore on demand.
L'invention permet ainsi à un usager de stocker des contenus choisis afin de les utiliser éventuellement en différé. L'invention permet également à un équipement Ti de récupérer auprès d'un autre équipement Ti' (i' ≠ i), qui a reçu et stocké l'intégralité d'un (ou qui est en cours de réception et de stockage d'un) contenu associé à une extension VOD, une partie au moins de ce contenu qu'il n'a pas pu recevoir en direct (par exemple du fait qu'il n'était pas encore connecté ou bien que des paquets du contenu ne lui sont pas parvenus). Cette récupération se fait via le réseau de communication R2 et selon un mode de transmission de type pair à pair (P2P). Elle est contrôlée par le dispositif Di de l'équipement Ti. Plus précisément, lorsqu'un équipement Ti n'a pas reçu une partie au moins d'un contenu associé à une extension VOD et correspondant à au moins un profil associé à son usager, le dispositif associé Di peut procéder à la récupération, via le réseau de communication R2 et selon le mode de transmission de type pair à pair, de la partie non reçue du contenu auprès d'un autre équipement Ti' qui a reçu et stocké cette partie du contenu et qui va alors agir en tant que serveur pour l'équipement Ti demandeur qui constitue un client. On notera que cette récupération n'est pas obligatoirement systématique. En effet, si l'usager d'un équipement Ti, qui n'a pas reçu une partie d'un contenu, ne souhaite pas utiliser ce contenu, il est inutile de récupérer la partie de contenu manquante auprès d'un autre équipement Ti' agissant en tant que serveur.The invention thus enables a user to store selected contents in order to use them optionally later. The invention also allows a device Ti to recover from another equipment Ti '(i' ≠ i), which has received and stored the entirety of a (or which is in the course of reception and storage of a) content associated with a VOD extension, at least part of this content that it could not receive live (for example because it was not yet connected or that packages of the content does not have not arrived). This recovery is done via the communication network R2 and in a peer-to-peer transmission mode (P2P). It is controlled by the device Di of the equipment Ti. More specifically, when a device Ti has not received at least a portion of a content associated with a VOD extension and corresponding to at least one profile associated with its user, the associated device Di can recover, via the communication network R2 and according to the mode of transmission peer-to-peer, the non received part of the content from another equipment Ti 'who received and stored this part of the content and who will then act as a server for the requesting Ti equipment that constitutes a customer. It should be noted that this recovery is not necessarily systematic. Indeed, if the user of a Ti equipment, who has not received a part of a content, do not wish to use this content, it is useless to recover the missing content part from other equipment Ti 'acting as a server.
Toute technique connue de l'homme de l'art peut être utilisée pour récupérer tout ou partie d'un contenu associé à une extension VOD en mode P2P.Any technique known to those skilled in the art can be used to recover all or part of a content associated with a P2P mode VOD extension.
Ainsi, un dispositif Di peut par exemple adresser à un équipement prédéterminé une requête demandant de lui communiquer l'adresse de communication d'un équipement Ti' qui a reçu intégralement un contenu donné, et à réception de cette adresse il établit une communication en mode P2P avec l'équipement Ti' afin de lui demander de lui transmettre tout ou partie du contenu qu'il a stocké.Thus, a device Di can, for example, send to a predetermined device a request to communicate to it the communication address of a device Ti 'which has received a given content in full, and on receipt of this address it establishes a communication mode. P2P with the equipment Ti 'to ask him to transmit all or part of the content he has stored.
Dans une variante, on peut par exemple transmettre aux équipements Ti, pendant la diffusion en direct d'un contenu associé à une extension VOD, un message d'information contenant l'adresse de communication d'un ou plusieurs autres équipements Ti' qui reçoivent et stockent ce contenu. Ces messages d'information peuvent par exemple être transmis par le réseau de diffusion R1 aux équipements Ti concernés au moyen d'un protocole de signalisation. En variante, les équipements Ti peuvent s'échanger ces messages d'information. Un dispositif Di peut ainsi à tout moment établir une communication en mode P2P avec un équipement Ti' désigné dans un message d'information afin de lui demander de lui transmettre tout ou partie du contenu qu'il a stocké.In a variant, it is possible for example to transmit to the equipment Ti, during the live broadcast of a content associated with a VOD extension, an information message containing the communication address of one or more other equipments Ti 'which receive and store this content. These information messages may for example be transmitted by the broadcast network R1 to the equipment Ti concerned by means of a signaling protocol. Alternatively, the equipment Ti can exchange these information messages. A device Di can thus at any time establish communication in P2P mode with equipment Ti 'designated in an information message to ask him to transmit all or part of the content he has stored.
On notera que le protocole de signalisation peut être également utilisé pour signaler à un équipement Ti le nombre d'équipements Ti' qui utilisent au moins un profil d'usager identique ou similaire à celui (ceux) qu'il utilise. Cela peut notamment permettre de contraindre un équipement Ti à stocker un contenu associé à une extension VOD lorsque le nombre d'équipements Ti, connectés à son réseau de communication R2 et utilisant un profil d'usager similaire, est (très) faible. On notera également que la récupération de paquets de données de contenu peut se faire à l'initiative de l'usager d'un équipement Ti ou bien à l'initiative du dispositif Di associé à un équipement Ti lorsqu'il s'aperçoit que ce dernier n'a pas reçu tout ou partie d'un contenu associé à une extension VOD. Ce dernier cas nécessite que le dispositif Di observe en permanence les paquets de données de contenu qui sont reçus par son équipement Ti, qui sont associés à une extension VOD et qui correspondent à l'un des profils d'usager stockés par ledit équipement Ti.It will be noted that the signaling protocol can also be used to signal to a device Ti the number of devices Ti 'that use at least one user profile identical or similar to the one (s) it uses. This can in particular make it possible to constrain a device Ti to store a content associated with a VOD extension when the number of devices Ti, connected to its communication network R2 and using a similar user profile, is (very) weak. Note also that the recovery of content data packets can be done at the initiative of the user of a device Ti or to the initiative of the device Di associated with a device Ti when it sees that it has not received all or part of a content associated with a VOD extension. The latter case requires that the device Di constantly observe the packets of content data that are received by its equipment Ti, which are associated with a VOD extension and which correspond to one of the user profiles stored by said equipment Ti.
L'invention ne se limite pas aux modes de réalisation de dispositif de contrôle, d'équipement de communication et de procédé de transmission décrits ci-avant, seulement à titre d'exemple, mais elle englobe toutes les variantes que pourra envisager l'homme de l'art dans le cadre des revendications ci-après. The invention is not limited to the embodiments of control device, communication equipment and transmission method described above, only by way of example, but it encompasses all variants that may be considered by man of the art in the context of the claims below.

Claims

REVENDICATIONS
1. Procédé de transmission de contenus à des équipements de communication (Ti) connectés à un réseau (R1 ) de diffusion de contenus et à un réseau de communication (R2), caractérisé en ce qu'il consiste i) à associer à certains contenus devant être transmis en direct à des équipements de communication (Ti) via ledit réseau de diffusion (R1 ) une information de service signalant qu'ils correspondent à un service de vidéo à la demande, puis ii) à transmettre chaque information de service auxdits équipements de communication (Ti) avant la transmission du contenu associé ou au début de cette transmission, et iii) lorsqu'un équipement de communication (Ti) reçoit un contenu transmis en direct, à stocker localement tout ou partie de ce contenu s'il est associé à ladite information de service et si il correspond à au moins un profil associé à l'usager dudit équipement de communication (Ti), et en ce que, lorsqu'un équipement de communication (Ti) n'a pas reçu une partie au moins d'un contenu associé à une information de service et correspondant à au moins un profil associé à son usager, il procède à la récupération, via ledit réseau de communication (R2) et selon un mode de transmission de type pair à pair, de la partie non reçue dudit contenu auprès d'un autre équipement de communication (Ti') qui a reçu et stocké cette partie du contenu.A method of transmitting contents to communication equipment (Ti) connected to a content broadcasting network (R1) and to a communication network (R2), characterized in that it consists in: i) associating with certain contents to be transmitted directly to communication equipment (Ti) via said broadcast network (R1) service information indicating that they correspond to a video-on-demand service, then ii) to transmit each service information to said equipment prior to transmission of the associated content or at the beginning of this transmission, and iii) when a communication equipment (Ti) receives content transmitted live, to store all or part of this content locally if it is associated with said service information and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of said communication equipment (Ti), and in that, when a communication equipment (Ti) has not received u at least a part of a content associated with service information and corresponding to at least one profile associated with its user, it proceeds to the recovery, via said communication network (R2) and in an even transmission mode peer, said non-received portion of said content to another communication equipment (Ti ') that has received and stored this portion of the content.
2. Procédé selon la revendication 1 , caractérisé en ce que l'on associe une information de service à un contenu en adjoignant cette information de service à un ensemble d'informations définissant ledit contenu au sein d'un guide de programmes électronique (EPG) qui est transmis auxdits équipements de communication (Ti) via ledit réseau de diffusion (R1 ) avant le début de la transmission des contenus qu'il définit.2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a service information is associated with a content by adding this service information to a set of information defining said content within an electronic program guide (EPG). which is transmitted to said communication equipment (Ti) via said broadcast network (R1) before the start of the transmission of the contents that it defines.
3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 , caractérisé en ce que l'on associe une information de service à un contenu en adjoignant cette information de service au début dudit contenu, avant qu'il ne soit transmis auxdits équipements de communication (Ti) via ledit réseau de diffusion (R1 ).3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the service information is associated with a content by adding this service information at the beginning of said content, before it is transmitted to said equipment. of communication (Ti) via said broadcast network (R1).
4. Dispositif de contrôle (Di) pour un équipement de communication (Ti) propre à être connecté à un réseau (R1 ) de diffusion de contenus et à un réseau de communication (R2), caractérisé en ce qu'il est agencé pour déterminer si un contenu transmis en direct et reçu par ledit équipement de communication (Ti) est associé à une information de service, signalant qu'il correspond à un service de vidéo à la demande, et si il correspond à au moins un profil associé à l'usager dudit équipement de communication (Ti), et dans l'affirmative pour stocker tout ou partie de ce contenu, et en ce qu'il est agencé, lorsque ledit équipement de communication (Ti) n'a pas reçu une partie au moins d'un contenu associé à une information de service et correspondant à au moins un profil associé à son usager, pour procéder à la récupération, via ledit réseau de communication (R2) et selon un mode de transmission de type pair à pair, de la partie non reçue dudit contenu auprès d'un autre équipement de communication (Ti') qui a reçu et stocké cette partie du contenu.4. Control device (Di) for a communication equipment (Ti) capable of being connected to a content broadcasting network (R1) and to a communication network (R2), characterized in that it is arranged to determine if content transmitted live and received by said communication equipment (Ti) is associated with service information, indicating that it corresponds to a video-on-demand service, and if it corresponds to at least one profile associated with the user of said communication equipment (Ti), and if so to store all or part of this content, and in that it is arranged, when said communication equipment (Ti) has not received a part at least content associated with service information and corresponding to at least one profile associated with its user, for recovering, via said communication network (R2) and in a peer-to-peer transmission mode, the part not received from said content from other communications equipment (Ti ') that has received and stored this portion of the content.
5. Dispositif selon la revendication 4, caractérisé en ce qu'il est agencé pour déterminer si un contenu transmis en direct est associé à une information de service en recherchant si cette dernière a été adjointe à un ensemble d'informations définissant ledit contenu au sein d'un guide de programmes électronique (EPG) qui a été préalablement transmis auxdits équipements de communication (Ti) via ledit réseau de diffusion (R1 ) avant le début de la transmission des contenus qu'il définit.5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that it is arranged to determine if a content transmitted live is associated with a service information by searching if it has been added to a set of information defining said content within an electronic program guide (EPG) which has been previously transmitted to said communication equipment (Ti) via said broadcast network (R1) before the start of the transmission of the contents it defines.
6. Dispositif selon la revendication 4, caractérisé en ce qu'il est agencé pour déterminer si un contenu transmis en direct est associé à une information de service en recherchant si cette dernière a été adjointe au début dudit contenu avant qu'il ne soit transmis via ledit réseau de diffusion (R1 ).6. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that it is arranged to determine if a content transmitted live is associated with a service information by checking if the latter has been added at the beginning of said content before it is transmitted. via said broadcast network (R1).
7. Equipement de communication (Ti), propre à être connecté à un réseau (R1 ) de diffusion de contenus et à un réseau de communication (R2), caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend un dispositif de contrôle (Di) selon l'une des revendications 4 à 6.7. Communication equipment (Ti), capable of being connected to a network (R1) for broadcasting content and a communication network (R2), characterized in that it comprises a control device (Di) according to one of claims 4 to 6.
8. Utilisation du dispositif de contrôle (Di), de l'équipement de communication (Ti) et du procédé de transmission selon l'une des revendications précédentes dans le cas d'un réseau de diffusion (R1 ) d'un type choisi dans un groupe comprenant au moins DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DMB et DAB. 8. Use of the control device (Di), the communication equipment (Ti) and the transmission method according to one of the preceding claims in the case of a broadcasting network (R1) of a type chosen from a group comprising at least DVB-T, DVB-H, T-DMB and DAB.
PCT/FR2009/050093 2008-01-29 2009-01-23 Method for transmitting vod content WO2009095590A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0850539 2008-01-29
FR0850539 2008-01-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2009095590A1 true WO2009095590A1 (en) 2009-08-06

Family

ID=39734877

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/FR2009/050093 WO2009095590A1 (en) 2008-01-29 2009-01-23 Method for transmitting vod content

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2009095590A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2968880A1 (en) * 2010-12-13 2012-06-15 Tv Numeric Audio-visual content distribution and consumption system, has remote control to select between mode of live broadcast of audio-visual content and delivery of content from storage unit through location data in response to request
WO2013068423A1 (en) * 2011-11-07 2013-05-16 Youview Tv Limited Methods and apparatus for displaying broadcast television programmes

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020194598A1 (en) * 2001-06-15 2002-12-19 Connelly Jay H. Method and apparatus for continuously and opportunistically driving an optimal broadcast schedule based on most recent client demand feedback from a distributed set of broadcast clients
WO2005125206A2 (en) * 2004-06-14 2005-12-29 Vvond, Inc. System and method for providing virtual video on demand
US20060150123A1 (en) * 2005-01-05 2006-07-06 Digital Networks North America, Inc. Method and system for reconfiguring a selection system based on layers of categories descriptive of recordable events
US20060212892A1 (en) * 1999-08-27 2006-09-21 Ochoa Optics Llc Video distribution system

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060212892A1 (en) * 1999-08-27 2006-09-21 Ochoa Optics Llc Video distribution system
US20020194598A1 (en) * 2001-06-15 2002-12-19 Connelly Jay H. Method and apparatus for continuously and opportunistically driving an optimal broadcast schedule based on most recent client demand feedback from a distributed set of broadcast clients
WO2005125206A2 (en) * 2004-06-14 2005-12-29 Vvond, Inc. System and method for providing virtual video on demand
US20060150123A1 (en) * 2005-01-05 2006-07-06 Digital Networks North America, Inc. Method and system for reconfiguring a selection system based on layers of categories descriptive of recordable events

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2968880A1 (en) * 2010-12-13 2012-06-15 Tv Numeric Audio-visual content distribution and consumption system, has remote control to select between mode of live broadcast of audio-visual content and delivery of content from storage unit through location data in response to request
WO2013068423A1 (en) * 2011-11-07 2013-05-16 Youview Tv Limited Methods and apparatus for displaying broadcast television programmes

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP3054652B1 (en) Dynamic adjustment of the transmission mode in a satellite communication system
WO2008155181A1 (en) Device for managing the reception by terminals of multimedia content transmitted by infrastructures using different transmission techniques
FR2902266A1 (en) METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING THE COMMUNICATION BANDWIDTH
EP1964313A1 (en) Method for transmitting digital television services, corresponding gateway and network
WO2018172707A1 (en) Method for recommending a communication stack
EP2947888B1 (en) Adaptive method for downloading digital content for a plurality of screens
EP3646196B1 (en) Method and device for downloading audiovisual content
EP3231190B1 (en) Method and devices for transmitting a data stream according to a multipoint transmission mode
WO2009095590A1 (en) Method for transmitting vod content
EP2273786A1 (en) Access control to digital content
FR2933213A1 (en) METHOD FOR DISPLAYING USER INTERFACE AND CORRESPONDING TRANSMISSION METHOD
US20090193476A1 (en) Method for live transmission of content with a view to defered recovery in P2P mode after division, and control device and associated equipment
EP3149918B1 (en) Content downloading and network availability
EP2083554A1 (en) Method for direct transmission of content intended to be recovered later in P2P mode after being split, and associated control device and equipment
EP1400088B1 (en) Method and system for audio-visual materials broadcasting from a server
FR3054765B1 (en) METHOD FOR READING EQUIPMENT OF MULTIMEDIA CONTENT WITH TARGET DELAY IN RELATION TO DIRECT LESS THAN MAXIMUM DELAY GIVES
EP2446608B1 (en) Technique of access control by a client entity to a service
WO2024013463A1 (en) Improved hybrid adaptive video streaming
EP2854367B1 (en) Method for processing a request to deliver a stream of data, method for managing delivery resources, related devices and computer program
EP2553900B1 (en) Adaptable data stream transmission
FR2921781A1 (en) Content e.g. video content, controlling device e.g. electronic case, for e.g. set top box, has message with non-received packet addressed via network such that data packet is transmitted to equipment to complete sequence of received packets
FR3031643A1 (en) METHOD FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND PROTOCOLIAL OPERATION OF A CONTENT DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
WO2015044566A1 (en) Enhanced protocol conversion in a telecommunications network for providing services having improved quality of service
FR3079099A1 (en) METHOD FOR DIFFUSION OF CONTENT
EP2056572A1 (en) Pull from peer method to acquire missing parts of a content file from a group

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 09706686

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 09706686

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1