AV server apparatus and connection management method

• US 8,171,144 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukui, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Peling
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLOUD, JOIYA M
• Application Number:
  US12/162,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4013 Management of data rate on the bus systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

In connection management by a conventional server apparatus using IDs, a client apparatus cannot know an attribute of a connection corresponding to an ID. A server apparatus (10) is an AV server apparatus that distributes content to a client apparatus requesting content data. A communication unit (11) receives a logical connection establishment request or a physical connection establishment request from the client apparatus. A content data distribution unit (14) establishes a physical connection for distributing the content data to the client apparatus, when the physical connection establishment request is received. A connection information management unit (15) establishes a logical connection, when the logical connection establishment request is received or as a result of the establishment of the physical connection. The connection information management unit (15) further generates an ID (connection ID) that corresponds to the logical connection and belongs to a value range associated with a logical connection category (type).

Claims

1. An AV server apparatus that is connected to a network and distributes content to a client apparatus which requests content data, said AV server apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive a logical connection establishment request or a physical connection establishment request from a first client apparatus;

a content data distribution unit configured to establish a physical connection for distributing content data to the first client apparatus, when the physical connection establishment request is received by said communication unit; and

a connection information management unit configured to establish a logical connection and generate an ID, when the logical connection establishment request is received or the physical connection is established,

wherein said connection information management unit is configured to set the logical connection as one of a first-come first-served priority and a last-come first-served priority, by assigning, to the ID, a value that is associated with a logical connection category,

wherein said communication unit is configured to receive an ID list request from a second client apparatus,

wherein, when the logical connection category is set as the first-come first-served priority, said connection information management unit is configured to assign, to the ID, a value that prevents the ID from being obtained by the ID list request, and

wherein, when the logical connection category is set as the last-come first-served priority, said connection information management unit is configured to assign, to the ID, a value that allows the ID to be obtained by the ID list request.

2. The AV server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a connection information storage unit configured to store therein a correspondence list between the established logical connection and the generated ID.

3. The AV server apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the ID list request is a request for the correspondence list,

said connection information management unit is configured to select, according to which value range the ID belongs to, an ID that is to be included in a list to be transmitted in response to the ID list request, from the correspondence list stored in said connection information storage unit, and

said communication unit is configured to transmit the list including the selected ID, to the second client apparatus in response to the ID list request.

4. The AV server apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said communication unit is further configured to receive, from the second client apparatus, a termination request for requesting to terminate a logical connection, the termination request including designation of the ID included in the list transmitted in response to the ID list request, and

said connection information management unit is configured to terminate the logical connection corresponding to the designated ID.

5. AV server apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said communication unit is further configured to receive, from the second client apparatus, a termination request for requesting to terminate a logical connection, the termination request including designation of the ID included in the list transmitted in response to the ID list request, and

said connection information management unit is configured to judge whether or not to terminate the logical connection corresponding to the designated ID, according to which value range the designated ID belongs to.

6. The AV server apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein in said connection information management unit, a value range of IDs generated for established logical connections, a value range of IDs included in the list transmitted in response to the ID list request, and a value range of IDs for which the termination request is granted, are set to partially overlap each other.

7. The AV server apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a value of an ID that belongs to a specific value range is changed according to a specific rule, and information is assigned to the changed value of the ID.

8. The AV server apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said communication unit is configured to receive the physical connection establishment request to which a desired ID is attached, from the first client apparatus, and

said connection information management unit is configured to establish the logical connection by the establishment of the physical connection, and generate the desired ID for the first client apparatus.

9. The AV server apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein said connection information management unit is configured to generate a correspondence list between the ID, the logical connection, and identification information of the first client apparatus, and terminate the logical connection corresponding to the first client apparatus by termination of the physical connection with the first client apparatus, based on the identification information of the first client apparatus.

10. A connection management method for an AV server apparatus that is connected to a network and distributes content to a client apparatus which requests content data, said connection management method comprising:

receiving, at a communication unit, a logical connection establishment request or a physical connection establishment request from a first client apparatus;

establishing, using a content data distribution unit, a physical connection for distributing content data to the first client apparatus, when the physical connection establishment request is received in said receiving;

establishing, using a connection information management unit, a logical connection and generating, using the connection information management unit, an ID, when the logical connection establishment request is received or the physical connection is established; and

receiving, at the communication unit, an ID list request from a second client apparatus,

wherein said generating the ID includes setting the logical connection as one of a first-come first-served priority and a last-come first-served priority, by assigning, to the ID, a value that is associated with a logical connection category,

wherein, when the logical connection category is set as the first-come first-served priority, said generating the ID includes assigning, to the ID, a value that prevents the ID from being obtained by the ID list request, and

wherein, when the logical connection category is set as the last-come first-served priority, said generating the ID includes assigning, to the ID, a value that allows the ID to be obtained by the ID list request.