Method for classifying network connections and transmitting multimedia data

• US 7,516,233 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Jen-Li
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US11/160,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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

Abstract

A data transmission method for classifying network connections and transmitting multimedia data is described. After distinguishing multimedia connections from non-multimedia connects, multimedia packets are classified and consolidated into packet groups and then the packet groups are transmitted. The method for transmitting multimedia data comprises the following steps. First, determine whether a connection is used for transmitting multimedia data or not. If it does, the packets are consolidated into a packet group. Finally, forward the packet group according to a predetermined order after the packet group is assembled.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for classifying network connections, comprising the steps of:

(A) inspecting a network connection for transmitting at least a data packet, wherein the data packet of the network connection includes a source transmission port and a destination transmission port;

(B) comparing the source transmission port and the destination transmission port of the data packet with a transmission port data table of a non-multimedia transmission protocol;

(C) determining the network connection to be a non-multimedia network connection when any one of the source transmission port and the destination transmission port falls into the transmission port data table of the non-multimedia transmission protocol;

(D) comparing the source transmission port and the destination transmission port with a transmission port data table of a multimedia transmission protocol when none of the source transmission port and destination transmission port falls into the transmission port data table of the non-multimedia transmission protocol;

(E) determining the network connection to be a multimedia network connection when any one of the source transmission port and the destination transmission port falls into the transmission port data table of the multimedia transmission protocol; and

(F) determining if the network connection is a multimedia network connection according to a transmission history of an application program that opened the network connection when none of the source transmission port and destination transmission port falls into the transmission port data table of the multimedia transmission protocol,

wherein steps (A) through (F) are executed in the order as they appear.

2. The network connection classification method of claim 1, wherein the step (F) of determining if the network connection is a multimedia network connection according to the transmission history further comprises:

(F1) updating the transmission history using the network connection, wherein the transmission history includes the contents of a plurality of packets;

(F2) comparing the updated transmission history with the characteristic of a multimedia transmission protocol;

(F3) determining the network connection to be a multimedia network connection when the updated transmission history conforms to the characteristic of the multimedia transmission protocol;

(F4) determining a relationship between a quantity of compared packets and a pre-determined value when the updated transmission history does not conform to the characteristic of the multimedia transmission protocol;

(F5) returning to step (F1) when the packet quantity is smaller than the pre-determined value; and

(F6) determining the network connection to be a non-multimedia network connection when the packet quantity is greater than the pre-determined value.

3. The network connection classification method of claim 2, wherein the characteristics of the multimedia transmission protocol includes the content of the plurality of packets.

4. A computer implemented multimedia data transmission method, comprising the steps of:

(A) determining if the transmission protocol of a network connection for transmitting a packet is the Transmission Control Protocol or not;

(B) if the transmission protocol of the network connection is the Transmission Control Protocol, determining if the network connection has already been registered in a connection table according to the source address, the source transmission port, the destination address and the destination transmission port of the network connection;

(C) if the network connection has not been registered in the connection table, adding the network connection into the connection table as unclassified and classifying the network connection to be a multimedia network connection or a non-multimedia network connection;

(D) if the network connection has already been registered in the connection table and is unclassified, classifying the network connection to be a multimedia network connection or a non-multimedia network connection;

(E) if the network connection has already been registered in the connection table and is classified, determining if the network connection is a multimedia network connection according to the registered classification in the connection table;

(F) adding the packet into a packet group if the network connection is a multimedia network connection; and

(G) transmitting the packet group according to a pre-determined sequence after the consolidation of the packet group is complete,

wherein the step of classifying a network connection into a multimedia network connection or non-multimedia network connection further includes;

if the source transmission port or the destination transmission port of the network connection is a transmission port of a non-multimedia transmission protocol, classifying the network connection to be a non-multimedia network connection;

if the source transmission port or the destination transmission port of the network connection is a transmission port of a multimedia transmission protocol, classifying the network connection to be a multimedia network connection; and

if the source transmission port or the destination transmission port of the network connection is neither a transmission port of a non-multimedia transmission protocol nor a transmission port of a multimedia transmission protocol, classifying the network connection to be a multimedia network connection or a non-multimedia network connection according to a transmission history of an application program that opened the network connection.

5. The multimedia data transmission method of claim 4, wherein the step of classifying the network connection according to the transmission history further includes:

updating the transmission history with the network connection;

if the transmission history conforms to the characteristic of a multimedia transmission protocol, classifying the network connection to be a multimedia network connection;

if the transmission history does not conform to the characteristic of the multimedia transmission protocol and the number of packets analyzed through the application program using the multimedia data transmission method has reached a pre-determined value, classifying the network connection to be a non-multimedia network connection; and

if the transmission history does not conform to the characteristic of the multimedia transmission protocol and the number of packets analyzed through the application program using the multimedia data transmission method has not reached the pre-determined value, temporarily suspending the classification of the network connection.

6. The multimedia data transmission method of claim 5, wherein the multimedia data transmission method uses the content of the packets registered by the transmission history to determine if the transmission history conforms to the characteristic of a multimedia transmission protocol.

7. The multimedia data transmission method of claim 4, wherein the packet is classified into three different types including image packets, sound packets and general data packets and each packet group comprises a plurality of packets of the same type.

8. The multimedia data transmission method of claim 4, wherein the step of transmitting the packet group further includes:

directly transmitting the already consolidated packet group when the packets cannot be fully consolidated within a predetermined time period.

9. A method for transmitting data through classification of network connections, comprising the steps of:

(A) determining if the transmission protocol of a network connection is the Transmission Control Protocol or not, wherein the network connection includes a plurality of first packets;

(B) directly transmitting the first packets through the network connection when the transmission protocol is not the Transmission Control Protocol;

(C) determining if the network connection has already been registered in a connection table when the transmission protocol of the network connection is the Transmission Control Protocol;

(D) if the network connection has not been registered in the connection table, adding the network connection to the connection table, registering the network connection as unclassified, and directly executing the step (F) below;

(E) determining if the network connection has already been classified as a multimedia network connection or a non-multimedia network connection when the network connection has already been registered in the connection table;

(F) classifying the network connection as a multimedia network connection or a non-multimedia connection according to a classification method when the network connection has not yet been classified;

(G) directly transmitting the first packets through the network connection when the network connection is a non-multimedia network connection;

(H) directly executing the step (J) below when the network connection is the multimedia network connection;

(I) directly transmitting the first packets through the network connection when the network connection has already been classified and the network connection is a non-multimedia network connection;

(J) adding the first packets to a packet group when the network connection has already been classified and the network connection is the multimedia network connection; and

(K) transmitting the packet group through the network connection.

10. The data transmission method of claim 9, wherein the classification method includes:

(L1) inspecting the network connection, wherein the network connection includes a source transmission port and a destination transmission port;

(L2) comparing the source transmission port and the destination transmission port with a transmission port data table of a non-multimedia transmission protocol;

(L3) determining the network connection to be a non-multimedia network connection when any one of the source transmission port and the destination transmission port falls into the transmission port data table of the non-multimedia transmission protocol;

(L4) comparing the source transmission port and the destination transmission port with the transmission port data table of a multimedia transmission protocol when any one of the source transmission port and destination transmission port does not fall into the transmission port data table of the non-multimedia transmission protocol;

(L5) determining the network connection to be a multimedia network connection when any one of the source transmission port and the destination transmission port falls into the transmission port data table of the multimedia transmission protocol; and

(L6) determining if the network connection is a multimedia network connection according to the transmission history of an application program that opened the network connection when any one of the source transmission port and destination transmission port does not fall into the transmission port data table of the multimedia transmission protocol.

11. The data transmission method of claim 10, wherein the step (L6) of determining if the network connection is a multimedia network connection according to the transmission history further comprises:

(M1) updating the transmission history using the network connection, wherein the transmission history includes the content of a plurality of second packets;

(M2) comparing the updated transmission history with the characteristic of a multimedia transmission protocol;

(M3) determining the network connection to be a multimedia network connection when the updated transmission history conforms to the characteristic of the multimedia transmission protocol;

(M4) determining a relationship between a quantity of compared second packets and a pre-determined value when the updated transmission history does not conform to the characteristic of the multimedia transmission protocol;

(M5) returning to step (M1) when the packet quantity is smaller than the pre-determined value; and

(M6) determining the network connection to be a non-multimedia network connection when the packet quantity is greater than the pre-determined value.

12. The data transmission method of claim 11, wherein the characteristics of the multimedia transmission protocol includes the content of the second packets.

13. The data transmission method of claim 9, wherein the first packets are classified into three different types including image packets, sound packets and general data packets and each packet group comprises a plurality of packets of the same type.

14. The data transmission method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the packet group further includes:

directly transmitting the already consolidated packet groups when the first packets cannot be fully consolidated within a predetermined time period and continuing with the consolidation of unconsolidated first packets.

15. The data transmission method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the packet group further includes:

directly transmitting the already consolidated packet groups when the packet quantity within any one of the packet groups reaches a pre-determined value and continuing with the consolidation of unconsolidated first packets.