Video server and video distribution system using the same

• US 8,561,115 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hattori, Takehiro, Matsumura, Kouichi, Suzuki, Ken, Teshima, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): HOSSAIN, FARZANA E
• Application Number:
  US11/719,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,910 Days
• Field of Search: 725 91- 93, 725/95, 725/96, 725114-116, 725/131, 725/138, 725/139, 725144-145, 725/151
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26616 for merging a unicast channel into a multicast channel, e.g. in a VOD application, when a client served by unicast channel catches up a multicast channel to save bandwidth data multicast over packet-switching network H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• 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 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

There is provided a stream transmitter for generating and transmitting a digest stream that is a single stream into which digests, each having a predetermined time length, cut out from the respective plurality of video contents stored in a contents storage are combined. This configuration allows a user to view the digest stream, which collects the digests of the respective contents, and select a desirable program by viewing each digest.

Claims

1. A video server comprising:

a contents storage for storing video contents comprising a plurality of programs, each one of the plurality of programs having a respective content ID; and

a stream transmitter for generating and transmitting a digest stream that is a single stream into which a plurality of digests are combined, each of said digests having a predetermined time length, cut out from a respective different one of the plurality of programs stored in the contents storage , wherein

each one of the plurality of digests includes one or more parts cut from a corresponding one of the plurality of programs; and

each one of the digests is associated with the content ID of the corresponding one of the programs from which the respective one of the digests is cut, wherein

the stream transmitter is operable to transmit a plurality of the digest streams such that each one of the plurality of the digest streams includes the digests in a different order than other ones of the plurality of the digest streams, and wherein

a pausing period is provided in the digest streams respectively such that a rotation of the pausing period is performed among the digest streams.

2. The video server in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a transmission stream manager for instructing the stream transmitter to transmit the digest stream on receiving a request for the digest stream from a client machine, wherein the stream transmitter generates the digest stream on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager and transmits the same to the client machine.

3. The video server in accordance with claim 2, wherein the transmission stream manager, on receiving a request for a play back of a program stream corresponding to a digest included in the digest stream from the client machine which is receiving the digest stream, instructs the stream transmitter to transmit the program stream, and the stream transmitter transmits the program stream to the client machine on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager.

4. The video server in accordance with claim 2, wherein the transmission stream manager, on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of a digest from the client machine, instructs the stream transmitter to transmit a skip stream or a reverse stream, and the stream transmitter, on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager, generates a skip stream that is a predetermined number of the digests ahead or a reverse stream that is a predetermined number of the digests behind, and transmits the same to the client machine.

5. The video server in accordance with claim 2, wherein the transmission stream manager, on receiving a request for a play back of a program stream corresponding to a digest included in a digest stream, a skip stream or a reverse stream from the client machine, instructs the stream transmitter to transmit the program stream, and the stream transmitter transmits the program stream to the client machine on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager.

6. The video server in accordance with claim 2, wherein the transmission stream manager, on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of the digests from the client machine, instructs a transmission of the skip stream or the reverse stream that is being transmitted if existing, or a transmission of a new skip stream or a new reverse stream if not exists, and the stream transmitter, on a basis of the instruction from the transmission stream manager, transmits a skip stream that is a predetermined number of the digests ahead or a reverse stream that is a predetermined number of the digests behind to the client machine if there is being transmitted the skip stream or the reverse stream, or alternatively generates a skip stream that is a predetermined number of the digests ahead or a reverse stream that is a predetermined number of the digests behind to transmit the generated skip or reverse stream to the client machine if there is not being transmitted the skip stream or the reverse stream.

7. The video server in accordance with claim 2, wherein the transmission stream manager, at a time when one stream and another stream among a plurality of skip streams or reverse streams being transmitted coincide with each other in a starting time of transporting a digest included therein, instructs the stream transmitter to replace the another stream with the one stream for a client machine whose user is viewing the another stream and to discard the another stream, and the stream transmitter, on a basis of the instruction from the transmission stream manager, erases the another stream, which is one to be discarded among the plurality of skip streams or reverse streams, from a memory included inside thereof, and transmits the one stream, into which the another stream is to be unified, to the client machine.

8. The video server in accordance with claim 7, wherein the plurality of skip streams or reverse streams transmitted by the stream transmitter differ from each other in a transport period of each of the digests included therein, and at least two of the plurality of skip streams or reverse streams coincide with each other in a starting time of transporting a digest included therein to be transported after a certain number of digests being transported.

9. The video server in accordance with claim 2, wherein the stream transmitter, on receiving a request for a digest stream or a skip or a reverse of a digest from the client machine, instructs the stream transmitter to transmit a digest stream, a skip stream or a reverse stream, the stream transmitter, on a basis of the instruction from the transmission stream manager, selects a stream from the plurality of the digest steams being transmitted and transmits the selected stream to the client machine, the plurality of the digest streams being transmitted by the stream transmitter synchronize with each other in such a manner that the digests included in the plurality of the digest streams start to be transported at a same time, and each of the plurality of the digest streams being transmitted has a predetermined number of pausing periods every predetermined number of digests, and the plurality of the digest streams being transmitted include a predetermined number of pausing periods at a same transmission time and do not include the pausing periods that appear in a switched order of the plurality of digest streams in accordance with a skip or reverse instruction.

10. The video server in accordance with claim 1, wherein the digest stream is transmitted to a multicast address.

11. A video delivery system comprising a video server and a client machine, wherein the video server includes:

a contents storage for storing video contents including a plurality of programs, each one of the plurality of programs having a respective content ID;

a transmission stream manager for instructing a transmission of a digest stream on receiving a request for a digest stream from the client machine; and

a stream transmitter for generating the digest stream on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager and transmitting the same to the client machine; and

wherein the client machine includes;

a stream receiver for receiving the digest stream from the video server;

a decoder for decoding and outputting the received digest stream; and

a received stream manager for sending a request for transmission of a digest stream to the transmission stream manager of the video server on receiving a request for a digest stream from a user,

wherein said digest stream is a single stream comprised of a compilation of individual digests each from a respective different one of said plurality of programs, each of said individual digests having a predetermined time length, wherein each one of the individual digests includes one or more parts cut from the respective one of the plurality of programs; and

each one of the individual digests is associated with the content ID of the respective one of the programs from which the one of the individual digests is cut, and wherein the stream transmitter is operable to transmit a plurality of the direst streams such that each one of the plurality of the direst streams includes the digests in a different order than other ones of the plurality of the digest streams, and further wherein a pausing period is provided in the direst streams respectively such that a rotation of the pausing period is performed among the direst streams.

12. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 11, wherein

the transmission stream manager receives a request for the digest stream or for a play back of a program stream corresponding to a digest included in the digest stream from the client machine, instructs the stream transmitter to transmit the digest stream on receiving a request for the digest stream, and extracts the content ID of the digest included in the digest stream that identifies the program stream from the request for a play back of the program stream on receiving a request for a play back of the program stream to instruct the stream transmitter to transmit a program stream corresponding to the extracted content ID,

the stream transmitter, on receiving the instruction to transmit the digest stream from the transmission stream manager, generates and transmits a digest stream that is a single stream into which said individual digests cut out from the respective programs stored in the contents storage and the corresponding content IDs are combined so as to relate to each other, and, on receiving the instruction to transmit a program stream from the transmission stream manager, transmits a program stream corresponding to the content ID to the client machine,

the client machine further includes a digest information recorder for extracting the content IDs from the digest stream that are being received by the stream receiver and recording the same one after another, and

the received stream manager, on receiving a request for a play back of a program stream from a user, instructs the transmission stream manager to play back a program stream corresponding to the content ID acquired from the digest information recorder.

13. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the video server further includes a receiver numbers recorder for counting a number of receivers of the digest stream on receiving a request for transmission or discard of the digest stream from the transmission stream manager, the stream transmitter generates and transmits the digest stream on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager, and erases the digest stream from a memory included inside thereof when a count of the receiver numbers recorder becomes zero, and the received stream manager sends a request for transmission of the digest stream to the transmission stream manager on receiving a request for the digest stream from a user, and sends a request for discard of the digest stream to the transmission stream manager when receiving the digest stream is to be stopped.

14. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the transmission stream manager instructs the stream transmitter to transmit the digest stream on receiving a request for the digest stream from the client machine, sends a message to determine a reception status of the digest stream to the client machine in every predetermined period, and receives a response message to the message from the client machine, and the receiver numbers recorder counts a number of receivers of a digest stream on receiving a request for transmission of the digest stream, a response message or a notification of no reception of a response message from the transmission stream manager, the stream transmitter generates and transmits the digest stream on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager, and erases the digest stream from a memory included inside thereof when a count of the receiver numbers recorder becomes zero, and the received stream manager sends a request for transmission of the digest stream to the transmission stream manager on receiving a request for the digest stream from a user, and sends a response message indicating a reception status of the digest stream on receiving a message to determine the reception status from the transmission stream manager.

15. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 13, wherein

the transmission stream manager instructs the stream transmitter to transmit a skip stream or a reverse stream on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of a digest from the client machine,

the receiver numbers recorder counts a number of receivers of the digest stream on receiving a request for transmission or discard of a skip or a reverse from the client machine,

the stream transmitter generates the skip stream or the reverse stream on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager to output the same to the client machine, and erases the skip stream or the reverse stream from a memory included inside thereof when a count of the receiver numbers recorder becomes zero,

the stream receiver receives the digest stream, the skip stream or the reverse stream from the video server, the decoder decodes and outputs the received digest stream, skip stream or reverse stream, and

the received stream manager sends a request for transmission of the skip stream or the reverse stream to the transmission stream manager on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of the digest from a user, and sends a request for discard of the skip stream or the reverse stream to the transmission stream manager when receiving of the skip stream or the reverse stream is to be stopped.

16. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the transmission stream manager instructs the stream transmitter to transmit the skip stream or the reverse stream on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of the digest from the client machine, and sends a message to determine a reception status of a skip stream or a reverse stream to the client machine in every predetermined period to receive a response message to the message from the client machine, and the received stream manager sends a request for transmission of the skip stream or the reverse stream to the transmission stream manager on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of the digest from a user, and sends the response message indicating a reception status of the skip stream or the reverse stream on receiving the message to determine a reception status from the transmission stream manager.

17. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the transmission stream manager, on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of a digest from the client machine, instructs the stream transmitter to transmit a skip stream or a reverse stream, the stream transmitter generates a skip stream that is a predetermined number of the digests ahead or a reverse stream that is a predetermined number of the digests behind, and transmits the same to the client machine on receiving the instruction from the transmission stream manager, the stream receiver receives the digest stream, the skip stream or the reverse stream from the video server, the decoder decodes and outputs the received digest stream, skip stream or reverse stream, and the received stream manager sends a request for a skip or a reverse of a digest to the transmission stream manager on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of a digest from a user.

18. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 17, wherein

the transmission stream manager receives a request for a digest stream, a skip stream or a reverse stream, or for a play back of a program stream corresponding to a digest included in a digest stream, a skip stream or a reverse stream from the client machine, instructs the stream transmitter to transmit a digest stream, a skip stream or a reverse stream on receiving a request for the digest stream, the skip stream or the reverse stream, and extracts the content ID of the digest included in the digest stream that identifies the program stream from a request for a play back of the program stream on receiving a request for a play back of the program stream to instruct the stream transmitter to transmit a program stream corresponding to the extracted content ID,

the stream transmitter, on receiving the instruction to transmit a digest stream, a skip stream or a reverse stream from the transmission stream manager, generates and transmits a digest stream, a skip stream or a reverse stream that is a single stream into which said individual digests cut out from the respective plurality of programs stored in the contents storage and the corresponding content IDs are combined so as to relate to each other, and, on receiving the instruction to transmit the program stream from the transmission stream manager, transmits a program stream corresponding to the content ID to the client machine,

the client machine further includes a digest information recorder for extracting the content IDs from the digest stream, the skip stream or the reverse stream that are being received by the stream receiver and recording the same one after another, and

the received stream manager, on receiving a request for playing back of a program stream from a user, instructs the transmission stream manager to play back a program stream corresponding to the content ID acquired from the digest information recorder.

19. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 18, wherein

the transmission stream manager holds a stream list for recording the content IDs one after another that identify the programs respectively original of digests included in a digest stream, a skip stream or a reverse stream being transmitted by the stream transmitter, searches the stream list on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse of a digest from the client machine, transmits the skip stream or the reverse stream if there exists the skip stream or the reverse stream that is transporting a digest forwardly or backwardly next to a digest that is being received by the client machine at a present, and instructs a transmission of a new skip stream or a new reverse stream if there does not exist the skip stream or the reverse stream,

the stream transmitter, on a basis of the instruction from the transmission stream manager, transmits a skip stream that is a predetermined number of the digests ahead or a reverse stream that is a predetermined number of the digests behind to the client machine if there exists a skip stream or a reverse stream corresponding to the stream list, and generates and transmits a new skip stream or a new reverse stream if there does not exist a skip stream or a reverse stream corresponding to the stream list, and

the received stream manager, on receiving a request for a skip or a reverse from a user, instructs the transmission stream manager to play back of a skip stream or a reverse stream corresponding to a content ID acquired from the digest information recorder.

20. The video delivery system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the client machine further comprises a storage for storing a received digest stream, and the decoder decodes and outputs a digest stream fed from the stream receiver and the storage.