WO2007020119A2

WO2007020119A2 - Method, network node and peer network for providing current additional information in a peer network

Info

Publication number: WO2007020119A2
Application number: PCT/EP2006/063422
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gero BÄSE
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2005-08-17
Filing date: 2006-06-21
Publication date: 2007-02-22
Also published as: DE102005038886A1; WO2007020119A3

Abstract

During the transfer of files such as films in a peer-to-peer network, additional information such as advertising from the transfer sources is made available. According to the invention, the method preferably makes available additional information that already exists in the target computer, or information that exists in the transfer sources. In addition, criteria such as the age or type of additional information is also taken into account. This enables bandwidth to be spared and appropriate customised, current additional information to be made available in the peer-to-peer network.

Description

description

Method, network node and peer network for providing up-to-date additional information in a peer network

The invention relates to a method for providing a current additional information in a data transmission from at least one source station to a destination station according to the preamble of claim 1, a network node according to the preamble of claim 12 and a peer network according to the preamble of claim 13.

The exchange of information in today's networks, such as the Internet, usually works on the client-server principle. This means that a computer or a group of computers that represent a server provide information. Other network nodes or computers that need this information retrieve it from the server.

This method has the disadvantage that the load that distributes information lies exclusively with the server. The server must itself answer all requests for specific information and send the information to the appropriate clients who have made the request.

This is particularly disadvantageous when certain information is new and is therefore retrieved by very many clients in a short time. An example of such information is an update to a software, such as an update to an operating system. With such information, it is necessary to provide a heavy duty server capable of carrying the burden of the requests. Such a server is costly. If the number of queries for the information goes back within a short time, the server is no longer busy. The investment in the powerful server system is therefore superfluous after a short time. An alternative that avoids the disadvantages mentioned are peer networks. These are networks of equal stations. An example of such a peer network are today's common peer-to-peer networks. Such peer networks are generally logical networks, which typically include a portion of stations of a larger network, such as the Internet.

The most important feature of peer networks is that each station can act as a server and as a client at the same time. This means that each station can retrieve information and also provide information. If new information, such as a software update, is to be made available in a peer network, each station automatically offers that part of the software update that is already stored on this station for download to other stations of the peer Network.

In general, a server is still necessary, which provides the information, such as the software update to the peer network, at least for starters. The main burden of information distribution is no longer with this server, but with the nodes of the peer network. These peer nodes are generally computers of participants in the network. These computers are burdened in so far with the information distribution, as is possible according to their equipment. This means that the additional burden on the users of these computers generally goes unnoticed and that the load distribution is thus merely a better utilization of already existing resources.

In the case of a client-server connection, the transfer of up-to-date or personalized additional information such as advertising is easily possible because the server has all such information ready and can respond to a request by a client with the correct information. An update of Additional information only needs to be done on the server.

On the other hand, peer networks have the disadvantage that a transfer of current or personalized additional information is generally not possible since additional information available at the peer nodes quickly becomes obsolete and the decentralized organization of the peer network makes the updating of this information more difficult.

Furthermore, peer networks have the disadvantage that personalized information can not be made available, since the information provided by peer nodes such information was personalized in the best case for the respective source station and are therefore not personalized for the destination stations.

The object underlying the invention is to specify a method for providing at least one actual additional information in a peer network, which avoids the abovementioned disadvantages.

This object is achieved by a method for providing additional information according to claim 1, a network node according to claim 12 and a peer network according to claim 13.

In the method for providing additional information, the following steps are carried out in a data transmission from at least one source station to a destination station in a peer network: a) determination of additional information sufficient for an insertion criterion b) insertion of the additional information in the data transmission

By selecting an additional information that satisfies the insertion criteria is achieved that the additional information better to the particular situation, that is, the destination station or, for example, the download time is tuned.

Insertion in this context means that the additional information is made available on the destination station. The additional information can be stored on the destination station for later use or used immediately. The insertion includes as a use the display in a window or, for example, the playing of a multimedia content.

To provide at least two additional information, the steps a) and b) according to the invention are carried out for at least one of the additional information items. At least one of these steps is preferably performed multiple times for the provision of a plurality of additional information, that is, at least once for each additional information.

In this way, a whole range of additional information can advantageously be made available to the destination station in a transmission in a peer network.

It is preferably at least used as one of the Einsetzungskriterien whether the additional information is already stored on at least the source and / or the destination station. Advantageously, the additional information for insertion into the data transmission is only transmitted from the source station to the destination station if it is not present on the destination station. If it is already present on the destination station, the transfer is no longer necessary for the insertion and the stations will save bandwidth for the transfer.

In an advantageous embodiment and further development of the invention, the determination is carried out until an additional information satisfying the insertion criteria has been determined or until an abort criterion is met. As such a termination criterion, for example, the elapsed during the determination of the additional information time or Number of additional information found that did not meet the criteria for the placement.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, at least part of the additional information present on at least one of the stations is determined to determine the additional information, and at least one additional information is selected based on the insertion criteria from the additional information thus determined.

This results in the advantage that targeted additional information can be determined, which is certainly present on one of the stations. As a result, the cost of determining the additional information is reduced.

Advantageously, one or more of the following criteria may additionally be used as further insertion criteria:

- The age of the additional information, which is determined by means of a date or time mark of the existing additional information;

- an identifier of origin and / or type of additional information;

- a genre of a film from which the additional information is taken; and or

- Metadata that identifies the existing additional information.

This results in the advantage that the additional information used is current or not outdated, since in this way, for example, a maximum age can be determined. Furthermore, there is the advantage that the additional information used can be personalized. This means that the additional information is, for example, adapted to the destination station. Examples include an adaptation to the genre of a movie or other file downloaded from the destination station or adaptation to a profile the user of the destination station who previously saved it.

It is advantageous if metadata are added to the additional information used during the insertion as an additional sub-step. In retrospect, this facilitates personalization by the metadata that is then available, at least for this additional information. Such meta-data is the additional information. The metadata may, for example, denote the content type of the additional information, e.g. Advertising, movie trailer, offer. They may also give more detailed content information, such as Car advertising or rating of an advertised movie. Furthermore, the metadata may also indicate the formal type of additional information, e.g. HTML advertising windows or flash advertising, movie trailers or audio information.

It is advantageous if, in the event that no additional information satisfying the insertion criteria is found, new insertion criteria are determined and a further search is made for additional information based on the new insertion criteria. It makes sense to choose less restrictive criteria here, for example to increase the permitted age of the additional information. This procedure can also be repeated several times, for example with more and more new application criteria.

Preferably, in the event that no additional information satisfying these criteria is found with the insertion criteria or the new appointment criteria, additional information is used by another station. This further station can, for example, be a server on the Internet or in the peer network.

In an advantageous embodiment of the method, an insertion time is determined for the additional information to which this additional information is used in the transmission. In this way, the additional informa- For example, they can be put in a specific order. Furthermore, it is possible to group the additional information into blocks and also to determine the order of the individual additional information in these blocks, such as advertising blocks.

The insertion time for additional information may refer to a file that is transmitted during the data transmission and in which the additional information is used, for example, a point in a movie. But it is also possible that the time of insertion is an absolute time. This is especially useful if the additional information should not be displayed in connection with the file at the destination station, but, for example, immediately, so while the data transmission. It is also possible that the data transmission is a video-on-demand data transmission in which a transmitted movie is displayed with only a slight delay. In this case, for example, the additional information could be displayed immediately and the transmitted film for it to be interrupted for a short time.

If a relative time is determined as the time of insertion, it is also possible to modify the transmitted file in such a way that the additional information is always displayed at the corresponding relative time when the file is executed or displayed. In the case of a film, this means, for example, that the additional information, in this case normally a video, is inserted directly into the film.

It is also possible to change the order of additional information already present on the destination station from the file from which it originated.

The network node is designed to transmit data in a peer network. Furthermore, it contains means for carrying out the method according to the invention, that is, the steps a) and b) for at least one additional information. The peer network consists of a plurality of network nodes, of which at least one part are network nodes according to the invention, which are designed to carry out the method according to the invention.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. Showing:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a peer network with two source station and a destination station;

Figure 2 shows a television system with a television and an associated set-top box.

The peer network PN according to FIG. 1 contains two source stations and one destination station ZS. The source stations QS1, QS2 and the destination station ZS do not necessarily differ in this case, rather they are equally entitled to stations QS1, 2, ZS in the peer network PN. Each of the stations QSl, QS2, ZS in

Peer network PN could be destination station ZS and / or source station QSl, QS2. This corresponds to the execution of today's peer-to-peer networks.

The first source station QS1 contains a file D to be obtained from the destination station ZS. This file is a movie in this example. Furthermore, the first source station QSl contains additional information ZIl. The second source station QS2 contains the file D and additional information ZI2.

In this example, the source stations QS1, QS2 have the file D stored completely and without additional information ZI1 ... 3. According to the method used in today's peer-to-peer networks, it is also possible that the file D is only partially present at the source stations QS1, QS2. It is also possible that the file already contains other additional information at the source stations. The destination station ZS has not stored the file D before the data transfer DU, but has stored additional information ZI3.

The file D is now to be transferred from the two source stations QSl, QS2 to the destination station ZS. In this case, according to known methods for peer networks PN, parts of the file D1 ... 4 are transmitted by the first source station QS1 and further parts of the file D1 ... 4 are transmitted by the second source station QS2. In addition, additional information ZI1 ... 3 should be used in this data transfer DU the file D according to the invention. It is not necessary for an entire part of the file D1... 4 to come from one of the source stations QS1, QS2; rather, the file D can also be obtained in substantially smaller parts from the source stations QS1, QS2. The division into the

Parts D1 ... 4 according to FIG. 1 merely represent the division resulting from the insertion of additional information ZI1. This division in turn can be reflected in the file D itself if the additional information ZI1 ... 3 is stored therein. Alternatively, the additional information ZI1 ... 3 but also immediately at the destination station ZS, for example, be displayed in a separate window, whereby the file D is not changed per se.

According to a first alternative embodiment, the destination station ZS determines an insertion time at which additional information is to be used in the data transmission. At this time, the destination station determines the additional information ZI1... 3 present on the stations QS1, QS2, ZS. From the thus determined additional information ZI1 ... 3 an additional information ZI1 ... 3 is selected. This selection is based on deployment criteria such as the criterion of whether additional information ZI1 ... 3 already exists on the destination station ZS.

In this embodiment, such additional information ZI3 are preferably selected, which are already present on the destination station ZS, as they are then no longer transmitted must be saved for insertion and thus at the destination station ZS transmission bandwidth. Therefore, in this example, at two insertion times, such additional information ZI3 is used. With only one insertion time, additional information ZI2 is selected, which is present on one of the two source stations QS1, QS2, in this case the second source station QS2.

In an alternative embodiment, the destination station determines any additional information that it would like to use in the data transfer DU. This is independent of the additional information available at the stations QS1, QS2, ZS. For example, this additional information can be determined from a list that is available on a station in the peer network PN. Thereafter, the destination station ZS checks whether this arbitrary additional information is present on one of the stations QS1, QS2, ZS. If this is not the case, another additional information, which is normally different from the first one, is determined and checked again whether it is present at one of the stations QS1, QS2, ZS.

This method is carried out until either additional information ZI1... 3 has been found which is available and also satisfies further insertion criteria, or until an abort criterion is met. In this embodiment, for example, serve as a termination criterion that the search for a suitable additional information ZI1 ... 3 may take no longer than half a second.

In both alternatives there is the possibility that no

Additional information is found that meets the Einsetzungskriterien. In this case, new insertion criteria are determined by increasing the allowed age of the additional information. An attempt is then again made to find a corresponding additional information.

If, after three such runs, there is no additional information that satisfies the new deployment criteria, then used additional information from another station of the peer network PN. This additional station serves as a server for new additional information that is to be distributed in the peer network PN and contains a large number of such additional information.

Another type of criterion used in this case is the type of additional information. Since the file obtained from the destination station ZS is a movie, in this case only those additional information are selected which are themselves video films. Inserted video footage is added to a meta date that identifies the additional information as video movies.

Further advantages of the invention can be inferred from the second embodiment according to FIG. In this embodiment, a set-top box STB is connected to a TV set TV. Furthermore, the set-top box STB is connected to a peer network PN, the peer network PN in turn contains many other set-top boxes STBl ... n, which in turn are connected to other televisions or other receivers , Furthermore, the peer network PN contains a server S of a company.

The set-top box STB inserts additional information into a currently running television program. This additional information relates to the set-top box STB from the peer network PN. When transferring new, not yet stored on the set-top box STB additional information from the peer network PN advantageously the inventive method is used, thereby ensuring that the inserted from the set-top box STB additional information is current and possibly also personalized for the user.

It is also possible here that the STB STB is subsidized, ie that its purchase price is reduced, since the buyer accepts that the STB set-top box has additional information. such as adding advertisements to current television programs.

In a further alternative embodiment, the set-top box STB is still able to obtain video-on-demand films from the peer network PN and display them on the television TV. Here, too, additional information that is available in the set-top box STB or the other set-top boxes STB1... N of the peer network PN is advantageously used.

The set-top box STB uses a lot of additional information for each film. In doing so, it determines the additional information ZI1 ... 3 suitable for the respective film, for example short advertising films and selects suitable advertising films on the basis of the film genre. For each of the commercials, an insertion time is determined relative to the movie runtime. As a result, the set-top box STB generates commercial blocks for which the movie is interrupted.

Claims

claims

1. A method for providing additional information (ZI1 ... 3) in a data transmission (DÜ) from at least one source station (QSl, QS2) to a destination station (ZS) in one

Peer network (PN), wherein the following steps are carried out: a) determination of an insertion criteria sufficient additional information (ZI1 ... 3) b) insertion of additional information (ZI1 ... 3) in the data transmission (DÜ)

2. The method of claim 1 for providing at least two additional information (ZI1 ... 3), wherein for providing the additional information (ZI1 ... 3), steps a) and b) is performed at least once.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that is used as an insertion criterion at least whether the additional information (ZI1 ... 3) on at least the source and / or the destination station (QSl, QS2, ZS) is already stored.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the additional information (ZI1 ... 3) for insertion into the data transmission (DÜ) from the source station (QSl, QS2) to the destination station (ZS) is transmitted only if they on the destination station (ZS) is not present.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, character- ized in that the determination is carried out until a the Einsetzungskriterien sufficient additional information (ZI1 ... 3) is determined or until an abort criterion is met.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the time elapsed during the determination or the number of additional information determined (ZI1 ... 3) is used as a termination criterion.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3 to 6, characterized in that for the determination of the additional information (ZI1 ... 3) at least a part of at least one of the stations (QSl, QS2, ZS) existing additional information (ZI1 ... 3) and from the additional information (ZI1 ... 3) determined in this way at least one additional information item (ZI1 ... 3) is selected on the basis of the insertion criteria.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that as Einsetzungskriterien additionally at least one of the following criteria is used:

- The age of the additional information (ZI1 ... 3), which is determined on the basis of a date and / or time mark the existing additional information (ZI1 ... 3);

- an identifier of origin and / or type of additional information (ZI1 ... 3);

- a genre of a film from which the additional information (ZI1 ... 3) is taken; and / or - metadata that identifies existing additional information (ZI1 ... 3).

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that in step b) in addition meta-data for additional information (ZI1 ... 3) are added as a sub-step.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least once new Einsetzungskriterien be determined, and step a) is carried out again, if no additional information (ZI1 ... 3) satisfying the set-criteria could be found.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an additional information (ZI1 ... 3) is used by another station in step b), provided that no additional information (ZI1 ... 3) satisfying the criteria of insertion or the new appointment criteria could be found ,

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein for the additional information (ZI1 ... 3) an insertion time is determined in which the additional information (ZI1 ... 3) is used.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the insertion time is an absolute time or a data transfer related time (DU).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a data file transmitted during data transmission (DU) is modified to maintain the relative time.

A network node configured at least for the transmission of data in a peer network (PN), characterized in that it contains means for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims.

16. Peer network with a plurality of network nodes, which are at least partially designed according to claim 15.