Method of distributing real time data streams across a multimedia network as well as a mediation device and a multimedia network therefore

• US 8,180,911 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Banet, Franz-Josef, Jenisch, Markus, Köstering, Nina, Lautenschlager, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US10/862,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,898 Days
• Field of Search: 709230-237, 725/123
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of distributing real time data streams across a multimedia network to receiving terminals, wherein a selected real time data streams is transmitted from a media server to a specific receiving terminals, wherein a mediation device is located between said media server and the receiving terminals, that a bi-directional communication with said media server is terminated at said media server for receiving data streams destined for the selected terminal and that said data streams are further forwarded to said selected terminal by means of a uni-directional communication protocol, and also a mediation device and a multimedia network therefore.

Claims

1. A method of distributing real time data streams across a multimedia network to receiving terminals, wherein a real time data stream is transmitted from a media server to a receiving terminal at an end of a subscriber of the real time data stream,

wherein a mediation device is located in between the media server and the receiving terminal,

wherein a bi-directional communication between the media server and the mediation device is terminated at the mediation device for receiving the real time data stream destined for the receiving terminal,

wherein the real time data stream is further forwarded from the mediation device to the receiving terminal via a uni-directional distribution network by means of a uni-directional communication protocol,

wherein a bi-directional communication is not supported in the uni-directional distribution network,

wherein quality control of the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal via the uni-directional communication network is performed in the mediation device at least by means of controlling the bi-directional communication, and

wherein the real time data stream comprises a multimedia data stream comprising audio and video data,

wherein control information is transmitted from a telephone terminal associated with the receiving terminal to the media server or the mediation device for controlling the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal, and

wherein an address of the receiving terminal is determined by carrying out the following steps:

the telephone terminal receiving the address of the receiving terminal by means of a short range communication between the receiving terminal and the telephone terminal; and

the telephone terminal passing the address to the multimedia network.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the telephone terminal transmits a signal requesting the receiving terminal to transmit an identity of the receiving terminal to the telephone terminal, receives a signal including the identity of the receiving terminal from the receiving terminal, and informs the media server or the mediation device of the identity of the receiving terminal so that the real time data stream is transmitted to the receiving terminal based on the identity of the receiving terminal.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the real time data stream is encrypted within the network before sent to the receiving terminal, and

wherein after the authentication and authorisation passes, the telephone terminal receives an electronic key for decryption of the real time data stream from the media server or the mediation device, and transmits the electronic key to the receiving terminal.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein billing to the subscriber is performed after identification of the subscriber and according to a selected service.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein a mapping of the address of the receiving terminal and an identity of the subscriber of the real time data stream is stored in the multimedia network,

wherein the receiving terminal is determined by identifying the subscriber and retrieving the address of the receiving terminal by looking up the mapping.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving terminal is not allowed to send a request for the real time data stream through the uni-directional distribution network connecting the mediation device and the receiving terminal based on the uni-directional communication protocol.

7. A method according to claim 1, the uni-directional communication protocol comprises an Asynchronous Serial Interface protocol.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the telephone terminal is a wireless terminal.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving terminal is a set-top box that converts the real time data stream for display in a display unit, or a corresponding unit that is contained in the display unit and converts the real time data stream for display in the display unit,

wherein the telephone terminal requests information on the real time data stream from the media server before the real time data stream is forwarded to the receiving terminal, and the information is sent to the receiving terminal in response to the request of the telephone terminal, and

wherein the information sent to the receiving terminal is used by the subscriber of the real time data stream to control the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal by sending control information to the media server or the mediation device using the telephone terminal.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the telephone terminal is a mobile terminal,

wherein the mobile terminal requests information on the real time data stream from the media server before the real time data stream is forwarded to the receiving terminal, and the information is sent to the receiving terminal in response to the request of the mobile terminal, and

wherein the information sent to the receiving terminal is used by the subscriber of the real time data stream to control the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal by sending the control information to the media server or the mediation device using the mobile terminal.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the information sent to the receiving terminal comprises menu information for selecting the real time data stream and time information on the real time data stream.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mediation device is connected to the media server through the Internet by using the Internet protocol (IP), and the controlling the bi-directional communication for the quality control is performed through the Internet.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the uni-directional communication protocol comprises an Asynchronous Serial Interface protocol, and

wherein the bi-directional communication with the media server terminated at the mediation device is performed by using at least one of the Internet protocol (IP), a real time control protocol (RTCP) and a real time protocol (RTP) defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the telephone terminal controls operation of the receiving terminal, and

wherein the operation comprises at least one of playing, stopping, fast forwarding and fast reversing of the real time data stream.

15. A mediation device for mediating real time data streams between a media server and a receiving terminal at an end of a subscriber of the real time data stream, wherein the mediation device comprises:

a unit which terminates a bi-directional communication with the media server for receiving a real time data stream destined for the receiving terminal; and

a unit which further transmits the real time data stream to the receiving terminal via a uni-directional distribution network by means of a uni-directional communication protocol,

wherein a bi-directional communication is not supported in the uni-directional distribution network,

wherein quality control of the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal via the uni-directional communication network is performed in the mediation device at least by means of controlling the bi-directional communication, and

wherein the real time data stream comprises a multimedia data stream comprising audio and video data,

wherein control information is transmitted from a telephone terminal associated with the receiving terminal to the media server or the mediation device for controlling the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal, and

wherein the telephone terminal receives an address of the receiving terminal by means of a short range communication between the receiving terminal and the telephone terminal, and the telephone terminal passes the address to the media server or the mediation device.

16. A mediation device according to claim 15, wherein the receiving terminal is not allowed to send a request for the real time data stream to the mediation device through the uni-directional distribution network connecting the mediation device and the receiving terminal based on the uni-directional communication protocol.

17. A mediation device according to claim 15, wherein the receiving terminal is a set-top box that converts the real time data stream for display in a display unit, or a corresponding unit that is contained in the display unit and converts the real time data stream for display in the display unit,

wherein the telephone terminal requests information on the real time data stream from the media server before the real time data stream is forwarded to the receiving terminal, and the information is sent to the receiving terminal in response to the request of the telephone terminal, and

wherein the information sent to the receiving terminal is used by the subscriber of the real time data stream to control the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal by sending control information to the media server or the mediation device using the telephone terminal.

18. The mediation device according to claim 15, wherein the unit which terminates the bi-directional communication with the media server is connected to the media server through the Internet by using an Internet protocol (IP), and the controlling the bi-directional communication for the quality control is performed through the Internet.

19. The mediation device according to claim 18, wherein the uni-directional communication protocol comprises an Asynchronous Serial Interface protocol, and

wherein the bi-directional communication with the media server terminated at the mediation device is performed by using at least one of the Internet protocol (IP), a real time control protocol (RTCP) and a real time protocol (RTP) defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

20. The mediation device according to claim 15,

wherein the telephone terminal transmits a signal requesting the receiving terminal to transmit an identity of the receiving terminal to the telephone terminal, receives a signal including the identity of the receiving terminal from the receiving terminal, and informs the media server or the mediation device of the identity of the receiving terminal so that the real time data stream is transmitted to the receiving terminal based on the identity of the receiving terminal.

21. The mediation device according to claim 15, wherein the telephone terminal controls operation of the receiving terminal, and

wherein the operation comprises at least one of playing, stopping, fast forwarding and fast reversing of the real time data stream.

22. A multimedia network comprising:

a media server that stores a real time data stream;

a receiving terminal that is disposed at an end of a subscriber of the real time data stream, and downloads the real time data stream; and

a mediation device comprising;

a unit which terminates a bi-directional communication with the media server for receiving the real time data stream destined for the receiving terminal; and

a unit which further transmits the real time data stream to the receiving terminal via a uni-directional distribution network by means of a uni-directional communication protocol,

wherein a bi-directional communication is not supported in the uni-directional distribution network,

wherein quality control of the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal via the uni-directional communication network is performed in the mediation device at least by means of controlling the bi-directional communication, and

wherein the real time data stream comprises a multimedia data stream comprising audio and video data,

wherein control information is transmitted from a telephone terminal associated with the receiving terminal to the media server or the mediation device for controlling the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal, and

wherein the telephone terminal receives an address of the receiving terminal by means of a short range communication between the receiving terminal and the telephone terminal, and the telephone terminal passes the address to the media server or the mediation device.

23. The multimedia network according to claim 22, wherein the receiving terminal is not allowed to send a request for the real time data stream to the mediation device through the uni-directional distribution network connecting the mediation device and the receiving terminal based on the uni-directional communication protocol.

24. A multimedia network according to claim 22, wherein the receiving terminal is a set-top box that converts the real time data stream for display in a display unit, or a corresponding unit that is contained in the display unit and converts the real time data stream for display in the display unit,

wherein the telephone terminal requests information on the real time data stream from the media server before the real time data stream is forwarded to the receiving terminal, and the information is sent to the receiving terminal in response to the request of the telephone terminal, and

wherein the information sent to the receiving terminal is used by the subscriber of the real time data stream to control the transmission of the real time data stream from the media server to the receiving terminal by sending control information to the media server or the mediation device using the telephone terminal.

25. The multimedia network according to claim 22, wherein the unit which terminates the bi-directional communication with the media server is connected to the media server through the Internet by using an Internet protocol (IP), and the controlling the bi-directional communication for the quality control is performed through the Internet.

26. The multimedia network according to claim 25, wherein the uni-directional communication protocol comprises an Asynchronous Serial Interface protocol, and

wherein the bi-directional communication with the media server terminated at the mediation device is performed by using at least one of the Internet protocol (IP), a real time control protocol (RTCP) and a real time protocol (RTP) defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

27. The multimedia network according to claim 22,

wherein the telephone terminal transmits a signal requesting the receiving terminal to transmit an identity of the receiving terminal to the telephone terminal, receives a signal including the identity of the receiving terminal from the receiving terminal, and informs the media server or the mediation device of the identity of the receiving terminal so that the real time data stream is transmitted to the receiving terminal based on the identity of the receiving terminal.

28. The multimedia network according to claim 22,

wherein the telephone terminal controls operation of the receiving terminal, and

wherein the operation comprises at least one of playing, stopping, fast forwarding and fast reversing of the real time data stream.