Data transmission system

• US 20020154703A1
• Filed: 02/01/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kubota, Ichiro, Kamiya, Shigeki
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/243 using M+N parallel active paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4385 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream decrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A transmission control unit (12) of a transmitting station (10) specifies usable plural transmission paths (20). A data supply unit (11) transfers movie contents file encoded by MPEG 4 to plural divisional distribution encoders (13) corresponding to the specified plural transmission paths (20). The respective divisional distribution encoders (13) divide movie contents file into plural divisional distribution data in which original data file can be restored by carrying out synthesis. Further, the transmitting station (10) transmits divided respective divisional distribution data through transmission paths different from each other. Respective receiving units (31) of a receiving station (30) respectively receive divisional distribution data from the plural transmission paths (20). A linking decoder (32) synthesizes plural divisional distribution data to restore original movie contents file. Thus, high speed transfer of contents file of large capacity can be carried out.

Claims

1. A data transmission system for distributing predetermined data through transmission paths, the data transmission system comprising:

a data transmitting apparatus including data supply means for supplying the data, transmission control means for dividing the data supplied by the data supply means into a predetermined number of data files to distribute the divided divisional data files, and data transmitting means for transmitting each of the distributed divisional data files respectively through a predetermined transmission path; and

a data receiving apparatus including data receiving means for receiving the divisional data files transmitted through the predetermined transmission paths, data receiving control means for restoring the received divisional data files into original data, and data output means for outputting the restored data.

2. The data transmission system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data supply means stores data files generated in advance, to deliver the stored data files as occasion demands.

3. The data transmission system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data supply means supplies data generated in real time.

4. The data transmission system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transmission control means of the data transmitting apparatus divides the data into data files corresponding to a number of transmittable paths in advance, to distribute each of the divisional data files respectively to the data transmitting means connected to the transmittable paths.

5. The data transmission system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transmission control means of the data transmitting apparatus divides the data in units of a predetermined transmission frame to distribute each of the divisional data files respectively to the data transmitting means.

6. The data transmission system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data transmitting means of the data transmitting apparatus further detects a state as to whether the transmission path connected to the transmitting means can be used or not, and transmits the detected state serving as transmission path information to the transmission control means, and

wherein the transmission control means of the data transmitting apparatus further collects the transmission path information to calculate a number of usable transmission paths to divide the data in correspondence the calculated number to distribute each of the divisional data files respectively to the usable data transmitting means.

7. The data transmission system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the transmission paths is formed by a plurality of transponders mounted in satellite.

8. A data transmitting apparatus for transmitting predetermined data through transmission paths, the data transmitting apparatus comprising:

data supply means for supplying the data;

transmission control means for dividing the data supplied by the data supply means into a predetermined number of data files to distribute the divided divisional data files; and

data transmitting means for transmitting each of the distributed divisional data files respectively through a predetermined transmission path.

9. A data receiving apparatus for receiving predetermined data through transmission paths, the data receiving apparatus comprising:

data receiving means for receiving a plurality of divisional data files transmitted through the plural predetermined transmission paths;

data receiving control means for restoring the plurality of the received divisional data files into original data; and

data output means for outputting the restored data.

10. A data transmission method for distributing predetermined data through transmission paths, the data transmission method comprising the steps of:

inputting the predetermined data to divide the input data into a predetermined number of data files to generate divisional data files to transmit each of the divisional data files through a predetermined transmission path; and

receiving each of the divisional data files transmitted through the predetermined transmission paths to restore the received divisional data files into original data to output the restored data.

11. A data transmission system for transmitting moving picture data files through transmission paths, the data transmission system comprising:

a data transmitting apparatus including data dividing means for dividing one moving picture data file into a plurality of divisional distribution data files which are restored to an original data file by synthesis, and data transmitting means for transmitting each of the divided divisional distribution data files to each of a plurality of transmission paths which are different from each other; and

a data receiving apparatus including data receiving means for receiving the plural divisional distribution data files from the plurality of the different transmission paths, and restoring means for synthesizing the plurality of the received divisional distribution data files to restore one moving picture data file.

12. A data transmitting apparatus for transmitting moving picture data files through transmission paths, the data transmitting apparatus comprising:

data dividing means for dividing one moving picture data file into a plurality of divisional distribution data files which are restored to an original data file by synthesis; and

data transmitting means for transmitting each of the divided divisional distribution data files to each of a plurality of transmission paths which are different from each other.

13. A data receiving apparatus for receiving moving picture data files through transmission paths, the data receiving apparatus comprising:

data receiving means for receiving, from each of a plurality of transmission paths which are different from each other, a plurality of divisional distribution data files which are restored to an original data file by synthesis; and

restoring means for synthesizing the plurality of received divisional distribution data files to restore one moving picture data file.

14. A data transmission method for transmitting moving picture data files through transmission paths, the data transmission method comprising the steps of:

dividing one moving picture data file into a plurality of divisional distribution data files which are restored to an original data by synthesis;

transmitting each of the divided divisional distribution data files to each of a plurality of transmission paths which are different from each other;

receiving the plurality of divisional distribution data files from the plurality of the different transmission paths; and

synthesizing the plurality of the received divisional distribution data files to restore one moving picture data file.

15. A data transmission system for transmitting movie contents files through satellite transponders, the data transmission system comprising:

a data transmitting apparatus including data dividing means for dividing one movie contents file into a plurality of divisional distribution data files which are restored to an original data file by synthesis, and data transmitting means for transmitting each of the divided divisional distribution data files to each of a plurality of satellite transponders which are different from each other; and

a data receiving apparatus including data receiving means for receiving the plurality of divisional distribution data files from the plurality of the different satellite transponders, and restoring means for synthesizing the plurality of the received divisional distribution data files to restore one movie contents file.

16. A data transmitting apparatus for transmitting movie contents files through satellite transponders, the data transmitting apparatus comprising:

data dividing means for dividing one movie contents file into a plurality of divisional distribution data files which are restored to an original data file by synthesis; and

data transmitting means for transmitting each of the divided divisional distribution data files to a plurality of satellite transponders which are different from each other.

17. A data receiving apparatus for receiving movie contents files through satellite transponders, the data receiving apparatus comprising:

data receiving means for receiving, from a plurality of different satellite transponders, a plurality of divisional distribution data files which are restored to an original data file by synthesis; and

restoring means for synthesizing the plurality of received divisional distribution data files to restore one movie contents file.

18. A data transmission method for transmitting movie contents files through satellite transponders, the data transmission method comprising the steps of:

dividing one movie contents file into a plurality of divisional distribution data files which are restored to an original data file by synthesis;

transmitting each of the divided divisional distribution data files to a plurality of satellite transponders which are different from each other;

receiving the plurality of divisional distribution data files from the different plural satellite transponders; and

synthesizing the plurality of the received divisional distribution data files to restore one movie contents file.