System, method and device for realizing multimedia service

• US 20100088722A1
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Yong
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 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 end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A realization system, method and device for multimedia service are provided. In the realization system for multimedia service, a service middleware receives multimedia service location information updated by users, multimedia service scheduling policy and device maintenance information of a service control proxy and loads them onto a service location register; the service middleware starts up or stops corresponding service control proxy according to device maintenance information of the service control proxy; the service location register authenticates a user multimedia service control request according to multimedia service location information and determines a service control proxy for the user through authentication according to multimedia service scheduling policy; the user multimedia service control request is forwarded to a determined service control proxy; the determined service control proxy provides multimedia service interactive control with an interactive electronic program guide and multimedia service control with a service server. The control flow of multiple multimedia services is unified.

Claims

1. A system for realizing a multimedia service, comprising a service control request access subsystem, a service location register, a service middleware, a service control proxy, an interactive electronic program guide, EPG, and a service server, wherein

the service middleware is configured to receive multimedia service location information updated by a subscriber, multimedia service scheduling policy of the service control proxy and device maintenance information of the service control proxy, to load them respectively to the service location register, and to start up or stop the corresponding service control proxy according to the device maintenance information of the service control proxy;

the service control request access subsystem is configured to receive a subscriber multimedia service control request and forward the request to the service location register;

the service location register is configured to authenticate the subscriber multimedia service control request according to the multimedia service location information, to determine the service control proxy for a subscriber having passed the authentication, according to the multimedia service scheduling policy, and to forward the subscriber multimedia service control request to the determined service control proxy; and

the service control proxy is configured to perform multimedia service interaction control with the interactive EPG and to perform multimedia service control with the service server according to the subscriber multimedia service control request.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service middleware comprises:

a subscriber service location management module, configured to receive a request from a subscriber for updating the multimedia service location information, and to load the multimedia service location information updated by the subscriber to the service location register;

a service scheduling policy management module, configured to receive multimedia service scheduling policy of the service control proxy input by a system manager, and to load the multimedia service scheduling policy to the service location register; and

a service control proxy management module, configured to receive device maintenance information of the service control proxy input by a system manager, to start up or stop the corresponding service control proxy according to the device maintenance information, and to load the device maintenance information multimedia service of the service control proxy to the service location register.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service location register comprises:

a service location register communicating unit, configured to realize communication with the service control request access subsystem, the service middleware and the service control proxy, respectively;

a service location information storing unit, configured to store the subscriber multimedia service location information received by the service location register communicating unit from the service middleware;

a service control request authenticating unit, configured to authenticate the subscriber multimedia service control request forwarded by the service control request access subsystem according to the subscriber multimedia service location information stored in the service location information storing unit;

a service scheduling policy storing unit, configured to store the multimedia service scheduling policy received by the service location register communicating unit from the service middleware; and

a service control proxy selecting unit, configured to determine the service control proxy for the subscriber having passed the authentication, according to the multimedia service scheduling policy stored in the service scheduling policy storing unit, and to forward the subscriber multimedia service control request to the determined service control proxy via the service location register communicating unit.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service control proxy comprises:

a service control proxy communicating unit, configured to communicate respectively with the service location register, the service middleware, the service server, and the interactive EPG;

an operation controlling unit, configured to start up or stop the service control proxy according to a control command received by the service control proxy communicating unit from the service middleware; and

a service controlling unit, configured to perform multimedia service interaction control with the interactive EPG and to perform multimedia service control with the service server via the service control proxy communicating unit, according to the subscriber multimedia service control request received by the service control proxy communicating unit from the service location register.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service control request access subsystem comprises a set-top box and a Web server, wherein

the set-top box is configured to receive the subscriber multimedia service control request and to forward the request to the Web server;

and

the Web server is configured to forward the subscriber multimedia service control request to the service location register.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service control request access subsystem comprises a subscriber terminal device and a network access device, wherein

the subscriber terminal device is configured to receive the subscriber multimedia service control request and to forward the request to the network access device;

and

the network access device is configured to forward the subscriber multimedia service control request to the service location register.

7. A service middleware, comprising:

a subscriber service location management module, configured to receive a request from a subscriber for updating multimedia service location information, and to load the subscriber location information updated by the subscriber to a service location register;

a service scheduling policy management module, configured to receive multimedia service scheduling policy of a service control proxy input by a system manager, and to load the multimedia service scheduling policy to the service location register; and

a service control proxy management module, configured to receive device maintenance information of the service control proxy input by a system manager, to start up or stop the corresponding service control proxy according to the device maintenance information, and to load the device maintenance information multimedia service of the service control proxy to the service location register.

8. A service location register, comprising:

a service location register communicating unit, configured to realize communication with a service middleware, a service control request access subsystem, and a service control proxy, respectively;

a service location information storing unit, configured to store subscriber multimedia service location received by the service location register communicating unit from the service middleware;

a service control request authenticating unit, configured to authenticate the subscriber multimedia service control request forwarded by the service control request access subsystem according to the subscriber multimedia service location information stored in the service location information storing unit;

a service scheduling policy storing unit, configured to store multimedia service scheduling policy received by the service location register communicating unit from the service middleware; and

a service control proxy selecting unit, configured to determine a service control proxy for a subscriber having passed the authentication, according to the multimedia service scheduling policy stored in the service scheduling policy storing unit, and to forward the subscriber multimedia service control request to the determined service control proxy via the service location register communicating unit.

9. A service control proxy, comprising:

a service control proxy communicating unit, configured to realize communication respectively with a service location register, an interactive EPG, and a service server;

an operation controlling unit, configured to start up or stop the service control proxy according to a control command received by the service control proxy communicating unit from a service middleware; and

a service controlling unit, configured to perform multimedia service interaction control with the interactive EPG and to perform multimedia service control with the service server via the service control proxy communicating unit, according to a subscriber multimedia service control request received by the service control proxy communicating unit from the service location register.

10. A method of controlling a multimedia service, comprising:

receiving, by a service location register, a subscriber multimedia service control request;

authenticating, by the service location register, the multimedia service control request according to subscriber multimedia service location information;

determining, by the service location register, a service control proxy for a subscriber having passed the authentication, according to multimedia service scheduling policy of the service control proxy, and forwarding the multimedia service control request to the service control proxy; and

performing multimedia service interaction control with an interactive electronic program guide, EPG and performing multimedia service control with a service server by the service control proxy according to the multimedia service control request.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein performing multimedia service interaction control with an interactive EPG by the service control proxy specifically comprises:

creating, by the service middleware, a session for a subscriber according to the multimedia service control request, and requesting the service server for assignment of service resources;

performing, by the service server, resource scheduling, and sending a multimedia service playing parameter to the service middleware; and

starting up, by the service middleware, a session overtime monitor to monitor status of the session, and sending the multimedia service playing parameter to the service control proxy via the interactive EPG.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein performing multimedia service control with the service server by the service control proxy specifically comprises:

sending, by the service control proxy, a multimedia service playing parameter to a data broadcast server, and the data broadcast server broadcasting the multimedia service playing parameter to the subscriber;

sending, by the service control proxy, the multimedia service control request to the service server, and transmitting, by the service server, the multimedia service requested by the subscriber to a subscriber set-top box; and

receiving, by the subscriber set-top box, the multimedia service transmitted from the service server according to the received multimedia service playing parameter.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein loading the subscriber multimedia service location information to the service location register comprises:

receiving, by the service middleware, multimedia service location information changed by the subscriber and submitting the information to the service location register; and

loading, by the service location register, the multimedia service location information changed by the subscriber.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein loading the multimedia service scheduling policy to the service location register comprises:

receiving, by the service middleware, the multimedia service scheduling policy and submitting the policy to the service location register; and

loading, by the service location register, the multimedia service scheduling policy.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the service middleware, a device information maintenance request from the service control proxy;

starting up or stopping, by the service middleware, the corresponding service control proxy according to the maintenance information of the service control proxy, and submitting the maintenance information of the service control proxy to the service location register; and

loading, by the service location register, the maintenance information of the service control proxy.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

when the subscriber sends a multimedia service process control request to a multimedia service process control request access subsystem during the process of transmitting the multimedia service;

sending, by the multimedia service process control request access subsystem, the subscriber multimedia service process control request to the service location register;

forwarding, by the service location register, the subscriber multimedia service process control request to the service control proxy that provides service to the subscriber multimedia service;

sending, by the service control proxy, the multimedia service process control request to the service server; and

performing, by the service server, control operation on the multimedia service according to the multimedia service process control request.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

triggering, by the service control proxy, by timing multimedia service status report processing to report multimedia service status to the interactive EPG, and reporting, by the interactive EPG, the multimedia service status to the service middleware that provides the multimedia service; and

triggering, by the service control proxy, by timing to send a heartbeat message to the service server, and holding, by the service server, the multimedia service of the subscriber according to the heartbeat message.

18. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

when the subscriber sends a request to stop the multimedia service to the multimedia service process control request access subsystem during the process of transmitting the multimedia service;

sending, by the service control request access subsystem, the subscriber multimedia service stop request to the service location register;

forwarding, by the service location register, the multimedia service stop request to the service control proxy that provides service to the subscriber multimedia service;

sending, by the service control proxy, the request to stop the multimedia service to the service server, and clearing, by the service server, the multimedia service session and releasing the assigned resources; and

requesting, by the service control proxy, the interactive EPG to stop the subscriber multimedia service, instructing, by the interactive EPG, the service middleware to stop the subscriber multimedia service, and instructing, by the service middleware, the data broadcast server to stop broadcasting the multimedia service playing parameter, canceling multimedia service management session, and releasing the resources.

19. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

when the subscriber multimedia service normally completes;

sending, by the service server, a multimedia service normal completion notifying message to the service control proxy when the multimedia service normally completes;

sending, by the service control proxy, a request to stop the multimedia service to the service server, clearing, by the service server, the multimedia service session and releasing the assigned resources, requesting, by the service control proxy, the interactive EPG to stop the multimedia service, instructing, by the interactive EPG, the service middleware to stop the multimedia service, and instructing, by the service middleware, the data broadcast server to stop broadcasting the multimedia service playing parameter, canceling multimedia service management session, and releasing the resources; and

notifying, by the service control proxy, the service location register of a multimedia service completion message, the service location register notifying the service control request access subsystem of the multimedia service completion message.

20. A computer readable medium on which is stored a computer program, which, when executed by a computer unit, will cause the computer unit to perform the steps:

receiving a subscriber multimedia service control request;

authenticating the multimedia service control request according to subscriber multimedia service location information; and

determining a service control proxy for a subscriber having passed the authentication, according to multimedia service scheduling policy of the service control proxy, and forwarding the multimedia service control request to the service control proxy.