Communication method and apparatus using hypertext transfer protocol

• US 8,078,744 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yoon-soo, Cho, Joon-ho, Choi, Sang-hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US11/967,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20080256254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-231
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• 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 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A communication method for implementing a real-time streaming using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) in a network is provided. Chunked encoding of HTTP is applied so that information can be exchanged between a server and a client while an HTTP request is being progressed. Therefore, bidirectional communication between the client and the server using HTTP is possible without modifying an existing HTTP protocol, and real-time transmission can be implemented.

Claims

1. A communication method using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), the method comprising:

setting a streaming connection and a control connection between a client and a server;

transmitting an HTTP streaming request from the client to the server;

at the server, constructing a chunked encoding for the HTTP streaming request, and transmitting a first chunk response to the client through the streaming connection, wherein the first chunk response comprises the chunked encoding; and

transmitting a second chunk response from the server to the client through the streaming connection, wherein the second chunk response comprises a notification of the server,

wherein the notification of the server includes one of a session control message and a session change request message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, from the server, a third chunk response to the client through the streaming connection;

wherein the third chunk response comprises a query of a state of the client.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting an HTTP post request from the client to the server through the control connection;

wherein the HTTP post request comprises a response to the query of the state of the client; and

transmitting a dummy HTTP response from the server to the client through the control connection, in response to the HTTP post request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an HTTP post request from the client to the server through the control connection;

wherein the HTTP post request comprises a control request; and

transmitting a dummy HTTP response from the server to the client through the control connection, in response to the HTTP post response.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting, from the server, a fourth chunk response to the client through the streaming connection;

wherein the fourth chunk response comprises a response to the control request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the first or second chunk response is transmitted, timestamping is performed on each of the chunks using chunk-extension.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for performing the method of claim 1.

8. A communication apparatus using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), the apparatus comprising:

a server which is connected with a client through a streaming connection and a control connection;

wherein the server receives an HTTP streaming request from the client through the streaming connection, constructs chunked encoding for the HTTP streaming request and transmits a first chunk response to the client through the streaming connection, and transmits a second chunk response to the client through the streaming connection;

wherein the first chunk response comprises the chunked encoding, and the second chunk response comprises a notification of the server,

wherein the notification of the server includes one of a session control message and a session change request message.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the server transmits a third chunk response to the client through the streaming connection, and

wherein the third chunk response comprises a query of a state of the client.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 9, wherein the server transmits a dummy HTTP response to an HTTP post request to the client through the control connection, and

wherein the HTTP post request comprises a response to the query of a state of the client or a control request from the client.

11. The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the server transmits the fourth chunk response to the client through the streaming connection, and

wherein the fourth chunk response comprises a response to the control request from the client in a fourth chunk response.