Data transmission control method, data transmitting method, data transmitting apparatus, and receiving apparatus

• US 6,966,065 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2000
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Junya, Kitazato, Naohisa, Katayama, Yasushi, Murata, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/521,098
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 725/50, 725/91, 725/93, 725/94, 725/115, 725/116, 725/144, 725/146, 348/563, 348/564, 348/588, 348/705
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6433 : Digital Storage Media - Command and Control Protocol [DSM-CC]
• 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 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 : using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A client transmits an event of Event::Subscribe (“DSI_—CHANGED”) to a server. The server returns an event number set for a “DSI_—CHANGED” event to the client. After the event number is obtained, the client transmits Event::notify to the server and requests some event generation notice including “DSI_—CHANGED”. When there is a change in DSI of a karrusel which was received, namely, when the “DSI CHANGED” event is generated at a certain timing after Event::notify is received, the server transmits the event number corresponding to the “DSI_—CHANGED” event to the client as a response to Event::notify. The contents of the karrusel before the event number is generated is continuously used for a period of time during which the client transmits Session::detach to the server after the server notified the client of the generation of the event number.

Claims

1. A data transmission control method, comprising:

repetitively transferring a cyclic data unit for a desired period of time, the cyclic data unit including desired data that is also transferred,

processing the cyclic data unit by enabling a client that receives the cyclic data unit from a server to determine that the cyclic data unit contents were switched, and

switching control information included in the cyclic data unit, and

wherein processing the cyclic data is realized by setting a control information change event which denotes that the control information has been received under a standard of a predetermined interface, and

thereafter, executing at least—

a first process for allowing the client to transmit a subscribe event to indicate reception of the control information change event to the server, a second process for allowing the client to transmit an event notice requesting notification of generation of an event to the server, and

a third process for notifying the client that the control information change event has been generated when the changed control information is received by the server in response to the event notice request.

2. A data transmission control method according to claim 1, wherein transmission of the subscribe event as said first process is executed when the contents of the cyclic data unit are switched.

3. A data transmission control method according to claim 1, wherein transmission of the subscribe event as said first process is executed when a program of the client is activated.

4. A data transmission control method according to claim 1, wherein after the server notifies the client of generation of the control information change event by said third process, the client continuously uses the cyclic data unit before the control information change event in said third process is generated within a predetermined period of time until a release request of the cyclic data unit corresponding to said changed control information is transmitted to the server.

5. A data transmission control method, comprising:

repetitively transferring a cyclic data unit, the cyclic data unit including one or more data transmission units that are to be transferred for a predetermined period of time, each data transmission unit including an object that is related by a scenario description of a predetermined system, and

processing the cyclic data unit by enabling a client that receives the cyclic data unit from a server to be notified that the object has been updated, and

wherein control information whose contents are updated in accordance with the updating of the object and relate to the data transmission unit is included in the cyclic data unit,

said processing step including setting a control information updating event which denotes that the control information has been received under a standard of a predetermined interface, and

thereafter, executing at least—

a first process for allowing the client to transmit a subscribe event to indicate reception of the control information updating event to the server,

a second process for allowing the client to transmit an event notice requesting notification of generation of an event to the server, and

a third process for notifying the client that the control information updating event has been generated when the updated control information is received as a response by the server to said the event notice request.

6. A data transmission control method according to claim 5, wherein said third process adds identification information of the data transmission unit shown by the updated control information and notifies the client that a control information receiving event has been generated.

7. A data transmission control method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the subscribe event as part of said first process when a program of the client is activated or when the cyclic data unit is switched.

8. A data transmission control method according to claim 5, the method comprising executing said second process immediately after a response message for said event notice request from said server is obtained.

9. A data transmission control method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

including control information regarding the data transmission unit whose contents are updated in accordance with updating the object which belongs thereto in the cyclic data unit, and

said processing step executes at least—

a first process for allowing the client to transmit a subscribe event indicating reception of a control information updating event to the server,

a second process for allowing the client to notify the server of an object ID of an object of interest and allowing the server to return a data transmission unit ID which corresponds to the notified object of interest to the client,

a third process for allowing the client to form table information showing a correspondence between the object ID notified to the server side by said second process and the data transmission unit ID obtained from the server side by said second process,

a fourth process for allowing the client to transmit an event notice requesting notification of an event generation to the server,

a fifth process for adding the data transmission unit ID shown by the updated control information when the updated control information is received by the server in response to the event notice request in the server and notifying the client of generation of the control information updating event, and

a sixth process for allowing the client to search the data transmission unit ID of the table information which coincides with the data transmission unit ID obtained by said fifth process and specifying that the object shown by the object ID corresponding to the searched data transmission unit ID has been updated.

10. A data transmission control method according to claim 9, wherein the transmission of the subscribe event as said first process is executed when a program of the client is activated or when the cyclic data unit is switched.

11. A data transmission control method according to claim 9, wherein after a response message to the event notice request from the server was obtained, said fourth process is immediately executed.

12. A data transmission control method according to claim 5, wherein control information regarding the data transmission unit whose contents are updated in accordance with an updating of the object which belongs thereto is included in the cyclic data unit, and

said object updating notifying process executes—

a first process for allowing the client to transmit a subscribe event to request reception of a data transmission unit updating event to the server together with an object ID of an object of interest and allowing the server to set a data transmission unit updating event ID in response to the request and transmitting the data transmission unit updating event ID to the client,

a second process for allowing the client to form table information showing a correspondence between the object ID transmitted to the server by said first process and the data transmission unit updating event ID obtained from the server by said first process,

a third process for allowing the client to transmit an event notice requesting notification of the data transmission unit updating event to the server,

a fourth process for adding said data transmission unit updating event ID shown by the updated control information and set in correspondence to the object ID of the object included in the data transmission unit when the updated control information is received as a response to said event notice request in the server and notifying the client of a generation of the data transmission unit updating event, and

a fifth process for allowing the client to identify the object ID of the data transmission unit updating event ID of the table information which coincides with the data transmission unit updating event ID obtained by said fourth process and specifying the object shown by said identified object ID as an updated object.

13. A data transmission control method according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises executing the event notice request as said second process immediately after a response message for the event notice request from the server is obtained.