Mediate server and real time delivery method between different networks

• US 6,138,163 A
• Filed: 04/16/1997
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Korea Telecom (KT Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hyeun-Tae, Nam, Ki-Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomson, William D.
• Application Number:
  US08/834,401
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.49, 395/200.48, 395/200.61, 395/200.33, 709/219, 709/218, 709/231, 709/203, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64761 directed to the server

Abstract

An improved mediate server and real time delivery method between different networks which is capable of receiving various video services on the low speed Internet in real time after a predetermined time, and by which it is possible to receive various video services based on the service reserving system, which includes a service browser directly connected to a high speed network server for transferring a server address, service type, and selection list by receiving a service browsing request from a user when a selection is received from the user, receiving a result whether a mediate function is needed, and providing a service, a real time controller for transferring a result to the service browser when there is not a mediate function by judging whether the mediate function is needed by receiving a server address, service type, and selection list from the service browser, determining the buffer size after measuring a traffic based on the connection to the server when the mediate function is needed, allocating the buffer, requesting the data to the server, and receiving/transferring the data, and a stream controller for transferring to the user by using the stream protocol when receiving a minimum data from the real time controller.

Claims

1. A mediate server for providing a real time video service between different networks having different network speeds, comprising:

a service browsing means directly connected to a high speed network server for transferring a server address, service type, and selection is received from the user, receiving a result whether a mediate function is needed, and providing a service;

a real time control means for transferring a result to the service browsing means when there is not a mediate function by judging whether the mediate function is needed by receiving a server address, service type, and selection list from the service browsing means, determining the buffer size after measuring a traffic based on the connection to the server when the mediate function is needed, allocating the buffer, requesting the data to the server, and receiving/transferring the data; and

a stream control means for transferring to the user by using the stream protocol when receiving a minimum data from the real time control means;

wherein said buffer size determination means is directed to determining the buffer size by the equation wherein the size of the buffer=the video file size*(the service request bandwidth-the traffic with the measured server)/the service request bandwidth.

2. The mediate server between different networks of claim 1, wherein said buffer managing means is directed to allocating the buffer by 10% more than the buffer size requested by the buffer size determination means since the video data is received by the packet unit.

3. A real time delivery method between different networks, comprising the steps of:

a first step for judging whether a mediate function is needed when a service browsing is requested by a user, and a selection list is received;

a second step for providing a real time video service after being connected with a server when the mediate function is not needed as a result of the first step; and

a third step for measuring a traffic with the server when the mediate function is needed as a result of the first step, determining the buffer size in accordance with a service dependent bandwidth, measuring traffic, and selection list file size, allocating the buffer, requesting a data to the server, and transferring a data to the user through a stream controller when the data as much as the buffer size is received;

wherein said third step includes the steps of;

a fourth step for judging whether a mediate function is needed after checking the service type and the video server address when receiving a mediate function judgement request together with the service type, the server address, and the selection list from the service browser;

a fifth step for informing to the service browser that the mediate function is not needed in the case that the mediate function is not needed as a result of the fourth step, and driving a measuring timer after being connected to the server when the mediate function is needed, and measuring the traffic until the measuring timer is stopped;

a sixth step for setting a traffic environment as a minimum value among the measured traffics, extracting the service request bandwidth in accordance with the service type from the service browser, extracting the file size of the selected list, and determining the buffer size in accordance with the measuring traffic, service request bandwidth, and selected list file size;

a seventh step for checking whether the buffer allocation function is available based on the determined buffer size, informing that the mediation is not available when the buffer allocation is impossible, allocating the buffer by providing a buffer identifier when the buffer allocation is possible, requesting the data of the selected list to the server by using the server address, and informing the receiving information of the server address, the selection list, and the buffer identifier to the receiving unit for receiving the data from the server;

an eighth step for checking the allocated buffer through the buffer identifier then the data of the list selected by the server which is transmission-requested, writing the received data into the allocated buffer, changing the writing position of each buffer, receiving the data until the received data is greater than or equal to the buffer size, and requesting the data transmission to the stream controller; and

a ninth step for changing the reading position of the buffer in accordance with the data transmission request, transmitting the data to the stream transmission, judging whether the buffer is empty, repeating the routine from the receiving process of the eighth step when there is not a data in the buffer, judging whether it is referred to the end of the file when there is a data in the buffer, repeating the routine from the stream transmission process when it is not referred to the end of the file, and terminating the routine when it is referred to the end of the file.

4. The real time delivery method between different networks of claim 3, wherein said seventh step includes a step for predicting a termination time during the service and informing the service is available after a predetermined time.

5. The real time delivery method between different networks of claim 3, wherein said buffer is operated in a circular queue method.