Method and system for providing content

• US 7,640,246 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Inventors: Nam Koong, Whon, Hur, Yoo-Shim
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang; Jieying
• Application Number:
  US11/103,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20050256880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and a system for providing content are disclosed where a plurality of user clients coupled by a mesh structure transmit large-size multimedia data at a high speed. A user client receives content data from other user clients or a content server. Even if many users request content, the load of a server does not increase because the content server and the user clients provide content together. A user client requests content data from a plurality of nodes and receive content data by way of a parallel/distribution method for a stable data receipt.

Claims

1. A method of providing content in a system where a content server and a plurality of user clients are in data communication with each other via a network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, at the content server, information for content that each of the user clients stores, wherein each of the plurality of user clients stores a communication agent configured to communicate data with the content server and the respective communication agents of the other user clients, and wherein the communication agent of each user client is not shared by the other user clients;

(b) receiving, at the content server, a content request signal from one of the plurality of user clients;

(c) generating, at the content server, address information for nodes having the requested content, corresponding to the content request signal, based on the content information received in (a); and

(d) providing the address information from the content server to the user client that has requested the content, wherein the node address information is configured to control the communication agent to establish connections between the user client and a plurality of nodes and to receive the requested content from at least one of the plurality of nodes by way of a parallel and distribution method,

wherein the content data comprise a plurality of blocks which are divided from the content data by a predetermined size and each of the blocks comprises a plurality of sub blocks which are divided from the block by a predetermined size, wherein the plurality of blocks and the plurality of sub blocks are transmitted by the at least one node and received by the user client via a communication network,

wherein the sub block data include header information including a resource identifier of the requested content, a block number and a sub block number, and wherein the resource identifier is indicative of the type of the requested content data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information, for playing content including meta information, to the user client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication agent comprises:

an agent manager module configured to provide content information stored in the user client and a user client identification number and to transmit the content request signal to the content server when a user requests content;

a cache manager module configured to manage content information stored in the user client;

a mesh manager module configured to establish the connections with nodes having the requested content and to receive the content by way of the parallel and distribution method; and

a player manager module configured to provide the content request signal to the agent manager module and to provide the received content to a content player.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mesh manager module comprises:

a node manager module configured to receive, from the content server, address information for nodes having the requested content;

a connection control module configured to establish the connection with a predetermined number of nodes among nodes included in the node address information and to receive different sub blocks from at least one of the nodes;

a sub block manager module configured to determine whether all sub blocks included in a block are received; and

a block manager module configured to provide block data to the player manager module when all sub blocks included in a block are received.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the connection control module comprises:

a module configured to determine whether a node where sub block transmission is completed, when a sub block data receipt error occurs in some nodes among nodes where the connection is established;

a module configured to request the sub block with the receipt error from the node where sub block transmission is completed; and

a module configured to establish a connection with new nodes using the node address information to receive sub block data with the receipt error when a node, in which a sub block receipt is completed, does not exist among nodes where the connection is established.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving content reservation request information from the user client; and

providing the user client with address information for nodes where the requested reservation content is stored.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing information comprises:

receiving an authentication request signal from the user client;

transmitting a response signal for the authentication request to the user client;

receiving a meta data request signal from the user client; and

transmitting the requested meta data to the user client in response to the meta data request signal.

8. The method of claim 6, the communication agent further comprises a reservation manager module configured to transmit the reservation request information and to manage reserved content information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication agent controls the user client to:

transmit connection request information and content information stored in the user client;

transmit the content request signal to the content server;

receive address information for nodes having the requested content;

establish connections with a plurality of nodes based on the node address information; and

receive content from at least one of the plurality of nodes by way of the parallel and distribution method.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication agent further controls the user client to store the received content in a cache memory of the user client.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication agent controls the user client to:

identify a node where sub block transmission is completed when a sub block data receipt error occurs in some nodes among nodes where the connections are established;

request the sub block with the receipt error from the node where sub block transmission is completed;

establish connections with new nodes based on the node address information to receive sub block data with the receipt error when a node, in which a sub block receipt is completed, does not exist among nodes where the connections are established.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the communication agents is downloaded from the server to at least one user client.

13. A server for providing content being in data communication with a plurality of user clients via a network, the server comprising:

a mesh control module configured to receive information for content stored in each of the plurality of user clients and to generate and provide node address information when one of the plurality of user clients requests content, wherein the node address information is indicative of which one of the plurality of user clients stores the requested content;

a content transmission module configured to transmit the requested content; and

a mesh information database configured to store the information for content which each of the plurality of user clients stores;

wherein each of the plurality of user clients stores a communication agent, and the node address information is configured to control the respective communication agent to establish connections between the respective user client and a plurality of nodes and to receive the requested content from at least one of the plurality of nodes by way of a parallel and distribution method, and wherein the communication agent of each user client is not shared by the other user clients and is configured to communicate data with the respective communication agents of the other user clients,

wherein the content data comprise a plurality of blocks which are divided from the content data by a predetermined size and each of the blocks comprises a plurality of sub blocks which are divided from the block by a predetermined size, wherein the at least one node is configured to transmit the plurality of blocks and the plurality of sub blocks, and the user client is configured to receive the transmitted plurality of blocks and sub blocks, via a communication network,

wherein the sub block data include header information including a resource identifier of the requested content, a block number and a sub block number, and wherein the resource identifier is indicative of the type of the requested content data.

14. The server of claim 13, further comprising a meta information database configured to store meta information for playing the requested content.

15. The server of claim 13, the communication agent comprises:

an agent manager module configured to provide content information stored in the user client and a user client identification number and to transmit a content request signal to the server when a user requests content;

a cache manager module configured to manage content information stored in the user client;

a mesh manager module configured to establish the connections with nodes having the requested content and to receive the content by way of the parallel and distribution method; and

a player manager module configured to provide the content request signal to the agent manager module and to provide the received content to a content player.

16. The server of claim 13, wherein the communication agent further comprises:

a module configured to identify a node where sub block transmission is completed when a sub block data receipt error occurs in some nodes among nodes where the connections are established;

a module configured to request the sub block with the receipt error to the node where sub block transmission is completed; and

a module configured to establish the connections with new nodes using the node address information to receive sub block data with the receipt error when a node, in which a sub block receipt is completed, does not exist among nodes where the connections are established.

17. The server of claim 13, wherein at least one of the communication agents is downloaded from the server to at least one user client.

18. A user client system being in data communication with a content server and other client systems via a network, the user client system comprising a communication agent, wherein the communication agent comprises:

an agent manager module configured to i) provide, to the content server, information for content stored in the user client system and a user client identification number, ii) to transmit, to the content server, a content request signal when a user requests content and iii) to receive, from the content server, address information for nodes having the requested content;

a cache manager module configured to manage content information stored in the user client system;

a mesh manager module configured to establish connections with nodes having the requested content and to receive the content by way of a parallel and distribution method; and

a player manager module configured to provide the content request signal to the agent manager module and to provide the received content to a content player, wherein the content comprises a plurality of blocks which are divided from the content data by a predetermined size and each of the blocks comprises a plurality of sub blocks which are divided from the block by a predetermined size, wherein at least one of the other client systems is configured to transmit the plurality of blocks and sub blocks, and the user client is configured to receive the transmitted plurality of blocks and sub blocks, via a communication network,

and

wherein the mesh manager module comprises;

a sub block manager module configured to determine whether all sub blocks included in a block are received; and

a block manager module configured to provide block data to the player manager module when all sub blocks included in a block are received,

wherein each of the other client systems comprises a communication agent, and wherein the communication agent of the user client system is not shared by the other client systems and is configured to communicate data with the respective communication agents of the other client systems,

wherein the sub block data include header information including a resource identifier of the requested content, a block number and a sub block number, and wherein the resource identifier is indicative of the type of the requested content data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the mesh manager module further comprises:

a node manager module configured to receive address information for nodes having the requested content; and

a connection control module configured to establish the connections with a predetermined number of nodes among nodes based on the node address information and to receive different sub blocks from at least one of the nodes.

20. A method of providing Internet broadcasting service in a system where a content server and a plurality of user clients are in data communication with each other via a network, the method comprising:

receiving, at the content server, information for content that each of the user clients stores;

receiving, at the content server, a broadcasting request signal from one of the plurality of user clients, wherein each of the user clients stores a communication agent configured to communicate data with the content server and the respective communication agents of the other user clients, and wherein the communication agent of each user client is not shared by the other user clients;

generating, at the content server, address information for at least one node having broadcasting data corresponding to the broadcasting request signal, based on the received content information; and

providing the address information from the content server to the user client that has requested the broadcasting data,

wherein the address information of the other user clients are configured to control the communication agent to establish connections between the user client and at least one of the other user clients having the broadcasting data and receive the broadcasting data from the at least one of the other user clients,

wherein the content data comprise a plurality of blocks which are divided from the content data by a predetermined size and each of the blocks comprises a plurality of sub blocks which are divided from the block by a predetermined size, wherein at least one of the other client systems is configured to transmit the plurality of blocks and sub blocks, and the user client is configured to receive the transmitted plurality of blocks and sub blocks, via a communication network,

wherein the sub block data include header information including a resource identifier of the requested content, a block number and a sub block number, and wherein the resource identifier is indicative of the type of the requested content data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication agent controls the user client to receive the broadcasting data by way of a parallel and distribution method.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the communication agents is downloaded from the server to at least one user client.

22. A method of receiving content in a system where a content server and a plurality of user clients are in data communication with each other via a network, the method comprising:

providing, to the content server, information for content stored in the plurality of user clients;

transmitting a content request signal to the content server;

receiving, from the content server, address information for nodes where the requested content is stored;

establishing connections with a plurality of nodes based on the received node address information;

receiving the requested content form at least one of the plurality of nodes by way of a parallel and distribution method, wherein the content comprises a plurality of blocks which are divided from the content data by a predetermined size and each of the blocks comprises a plurality of sub blocks which are divided from the block by a predetermined size, and wherein the plurality of blocks and the plurality of sub blocks are transmitted by the at least one node and received by the user client via a communication network;

determining whether all sub blocks included in a block are received; and

providing block data to the player manager module when all sub blocks included in a block are received,

wherein each of the plurality of user clients stores a communication agent configured to communicate data with the content server and the respective communication agents of the other user clients, wherein the communication agent of each user client is not shared by the other user clients,

wherein the sub block data include header information including a resource identifier of the requested content, a block number and a sub block number, and wherein the resource identifier is indicative of the type of the requested content data.

23. A method of providing content data in a communication network including a content server and a plurality of user clients, the method comprising:

receiving, at the content server, information for content that each of the user clients stores;

storing, at the content server, address information of user clients, which store certain content data that have been previously downloaded from the content server, wherein the content server and the plurality of user clients, being in data communication with each other, form a mesh network;

receiving, at the content server, a content request signal from one of the plurality of user clients (U1); and

providing, at the content server, to the one user client (U1), the address information of at least one user client (U2), which stores the requested content data, based on the stored address information to the user client (U 1) that has requested the content data, so as to allow the user client (U1) to access the at least one user client (U2) based on the provided address information and download the content data from the at least one user client (U2), wherein each of the plurality of user clients comprises a communication agent, wherein the communication agent is configured to control the respective user client to establish a connection, based on the provided address information, with at least one of the remaining user clients which stores content data, and to receive the content data from the at least one remaining user client by way of a parallel and distribution method, wherein the communication agent of each user client is not shared by the other user clients and is configured to communicate data with the content server and the respective communication agents of the other user clients,

wherein the content data comprise a plurality of blocks which are divided from the content data by a predetermined size and each of the blocks comprises a plurality of sub blocks which are divided from the block by a predetermined size, wherein at least one of the remaining user clients is configured to transmit the plurality of blocks and sub blocks, and the user client is configured to receive the transmitted plurality of blocks and sub blocks, via a communication network,

wherein the sub block data include header information including a resource identifier of the requested content, a block number and a sub block number, and wherein the resource identifier is indicative of the type of the requested content data.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one of the communication agents is downloaded from the server to at least one user client.