SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PEER-TO-PEER DATACASTING IN A BROADCASTING NETWORK

• US 20080287058A1
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kashyap, Praveen, Nahm, Kitae, Zheng, Esther Xing
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A system and method for peer-to-peer datacasting in a broadcasting network is disclosed. The method may include providing first and second peers and a source, wherein the first and second peers are configured to communicate data with the source via the broadcasting network, wherein each of the first and second peers stores an updatable software object, wherein the source stores the most recent version of the software object, and wherein the second peer is configured to communicate data with the source via the first peer. The method may also include receiving, at the first peer, an update request for a software object from the second peer and obtaining, at the first peer, the most recent version of the software object associated with the update request. The method may further include transmitting, at the first peer, the requested most recent version of the software object to the second peer and updating the software object of the second peer with the received software object.

Claims

1. A method of peer-to-peer datacasting in a broadcasting network, the method comprising:

providing first and second peers and a source, wherein the first and second peers are configured to communicate data with the source via the broadcasting network, wherein each of the first and second peers stores an updatable software object, and wherein the source stores the most recent version of the software object;

receiving, at the first peer, an update request for the software object from the second peer;

obtaining, at the first peer, the most recent version of the software object associated with the update request;

transmitting, at the first peer, the requested most recent version of the software object to the second peer; and

updating the software object of the second peer with the received software object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises:

determining whether the first peer includes the most recent version of the software object;

transmitting, at the first peer, the update request to the source if the first peer does not include the most recent version; and

receiving, at the first peer, the requested most recent version of the software object from the source.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising updating the software object of the first peer with the received software object.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second peers and the source form a tree structure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the source is 1) a parent peer of the first peer or 2) a server.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

communicating data between i) at least one additional peer and ii) the source and the first peer; and

obtaining and providing, at the at least one additional peer, the most recent version of the software object to the first peer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting network comprises a television broadcasting network.

8. A method of peer-to-peer datacasting in a digital communication network, the method comprising:

providing a first peer;

receiving, at the first peer, an update request for a software object, from a second peer;

transmitting the update request to a third peer, wherein each of the first, second and third peers stores an updatable software object;

receiving, at the first peer, the requested most recent version of the software object from the third peer;

updating the software object of the first peer with the received most recent version; and

transmitting the requested most recent version of the software object to the second peer so as to update the software object of the second peer with the received most recent version.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the update request to the third peer is configured to i) determine whether the third peer stores the most recent version of the software object, ii) transmit, at the third peer, the update request to a fourth peer if the third peer does not store the most recent version, iii) receive, at the third peer, the requested most recent version of the software object from the fourth peer and iv) update the software object of the third peer with the received most recent version.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the first, second and third peer includes at least one of the following:

a digital television, a set-top box, an Internet protocol (IP) TV, an interactive TV and a computing device configured to handle data broadcasting.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the software object includes at least one of the following:

a file, data, electronic program guide (EPG) data, software component, game application, and firmware which is used for operating the plurality of peers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first, second and third peers belong to a group which has a common interest.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the common interest group includes one of the following:

a group of peers using substantially the same kind of EPG data, a group of peers having the same model number, and a group of peers using substantially the same kind of firmware or software components.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third peers form a first tree structure along with other peers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first peer is a parent node of the second peer and a child node of the third peer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first, second and third peers form a second tree structure which at least partially overlaps with the first tree structure, and wherein a software object being transmitted along the first tree structure is at least partially different from a software object being transmitted along the second tree structure.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third peers form a mesh structure along with other peers.

18. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining the common portion between i) the most recent version of the software object and ii) the software object of the second peer;

determining the different portion between i) the most recent version of the software object and ii) the software object of the second peer; and

transmitting i) information configured to identify the common portion and ii) the different portion to the second peer.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the digital communication network comprises at least one of the following:

a broadcasting network, a television broadcasting network, a computer network, and Internet.

20. A system for peer-to-peer datacasting in a broadcasting network, the system comprising:

a controller being in data communication with a plurality of peers and a source, wherein each of the plurality of peers is configured to store an updatable software object, wherein one of the plurality of peers is configured to receive and store the most recent version of the software object from the source, and wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of peers such that the software objects of each of the plurality of peers are updated with the most recent version by way of sequential delegation of

     1) an update request and

     2) the most recent version of the software object between the plurality of peers.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the source is another peer.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a server configured to store location information of the source and transmit only the location information to a peer which requests the most recent version of the software object.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is incorporated into the server.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the source is a server.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the source is configured to notify the plurality of peers of the availability of the most recent version of the software object.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the most recent version of the software object includes expiration time of the version of the software object.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of peers includes at least one of the following:

a digital television, a set-top box, an Internet protocol (IP) TV, an interactive TV and a computing device configured to handle data broadcasting.

28. One or more processor-readable storage devices having processor-readable code embodied on the processor-readable storage devices, the processor-readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of peer-to-peer datacasting in a digital communication network, the method comprising:

providing a first peer;

receiving, at the first peer, an update request for a software object, from a second peer;

transmitting the update request to a third peer, wherein each of the first, second and third peers stores an updatable software object;

receiving, at the first peer, the requested most recent version of the software object from the third peer;

updating the software object of the first peer with the received most recent version; and

transmitting the requested most recent version of the software object to the second peer so as to update the software object of the second peer with the received most recent version.

29. A system for peer-to-peer datacasting in a broadcasting network, the system comprising:

means for providing a first peer;

means for receiving, at the first peer, an update request for a software object, from a second peer;

means for transmitting the update request to a third peer, wherein each of the first, second and third peers stores an updatable software object;

means for receiving, at the first peer, the requested most recent version of the software object from the third peer;

means for updating the software object of the first peer with the received most recent version; and

means for transmitting the requested most recent version of the software object to the second peer so as to update the software object of the second peer with the received most recent version.