Gateway for local encoding of digital terrestrial television content into adaptive content segments over http (HAS)

Abstract

Method for managing access by a management entity (G) to content available on at least one content server including a first server (SOTT) providing said content in the form of data segments through a data telecommunications network (WAN) and a second server providing a broadcasting service separate from said data telecommunications network (WAN), said method comprising in said management entity: a request for access (S2) to content from the second server (STNT) when the content is a particular content; an encoding (S3) of a stream of segments from said particular content; a publication (S4) of information relating to said particular content adapted to allow decoding of said stream of segments. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Gateway for local encoding of digital terrestrial television content into adaptive content segments over http (HAS) FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the distribution of content, in particular audio-visual content, through telecommunications networks to end customers with a view to their production for users.

[0002] It applies particularly to distribution by management entities, deployed on equipment and intended to broadcast this content in the form of segments.

[0003] A very significant part of the distribution of audio-video content is carried out from a server of a content provider to customers through public telecommunications networks without control over it. The audio-video content distribution service is generally provided by an entity separate from the public telecommunications network operator, and in particular from the Internet access provider. This type of service is typically called "over-the-top service" or, in English, "OTT service".

[0004] These over-the-top distribution services, OTT, include the private distribution of audio-video content, via platforms or social networks, but also distributions of “video on demand” or real-time content, from a content server.

[0005] OTT online services allow access to all types of media, whether audio, video or text. For example, there are music, podcast, film, series, documentary, press, etc. services.

[0006] The broadcasting of audio-video content in OTT is traditionally based on broadcasting content in the form of segments. The same content can be made available in different streams of segments, the segments then having different sizes corresponding to different resolutions. Clients retrieve the content segment by segment, these segments corresponding to a chosen resolution. This resolution can be dynamically modified during the broadcasting of the content, depending in particular on the bandwidth available on the telecommunications network connecting the content server and the end client, and the load of the latter.

[0007] This type of service and this technology enabling their deployment, however, pose a very strong constraint on the telecommunications network, particularly when content is requested by a very large number of clients: the content server must then transmit streams of data segments, at various resolutions, to this set of customers.

[0008] It may therefore be necessary to oversize the telecommunications network in order to be able to absorb the traffic peaks encountered when broadcasting content with a high audience.

[0009] In order to significantly reduce constraints, it is possible to broadcast such content in "multicast" mode. It then becomes possible to share a transmission of the content, in a given resolution, from the content server to different nodes of a transmission tree in order to broadcast it to all the clients having requested this content in this resolution. This allows for enormous bandwidth savings.

[0010] However, this technology requires modifying the infrastructure of the telecommunications network in order to be able to deploy such a transmission tree, consisting for example of nodes adapted to implement the IGMP protocol (for "Internet Group Management Protocol" in English) defined in RFC 3376 of 1TETF for its version 3.

[0011] There is therefore a need to improve the current state-of-the-art proposals. Summary of the invention

[0012] The invention aims to avoid having to make modifications to the telecommunications network, since the latter can be managed by an entity separate from that managing the audio-visual content server. It therefore aims to rely solely on the capabilities of the equipment of the local networks of the end users.

[0013] For these purposes, according to a first aspect, the present invention can be implemented by a method for managing access by a management entity to content available on at least one content server including a first server providing said content in the form of data segments through a data telecommunications network and a second server providing a broadcasting service distinct from said data telecommunications network, comprising, in said management entity: - a request for access to content from the second server when the content is a particular content; - an encoding of a stream of segments from said particular content; - a publication of information relating to said particular content adapted to enable decoding of said stream of segments.

[0014] Thus, this gateway makes it possible in particular to divert significant traffic to a third-party network, such as OTT, for example, separate from the data telecommunications network (Internet), and also to offer a unified view of the content available from content services of different types.

[0015] According to preferred embodiments, the invention comprises one or more of the following features which can be used separately or in partial combination with each other or in total combination with each other: - the broadcasting service distinct from the said telecommunications network is a digital terrestrial television service, DTT. This broadcasting method can therefore be used, but other broadcasting services are also possible. - the said particular content is content whose audience is above a given threshold. Thus, as soon as a content has a high audience (current or predicted), and therefore likely to generate a significant load on the network, it is possible to take advantage of the local functionalities of the gateway to relieve the network and the content servers. - the method comprises a pre-determination of a particular content, said determination being based on traffic predictions for available content. This makes it possible to avoid congestion in the event of a traffic peak and to allow only an "after the fact" reaction. The prediction makes it possible to switch to a separate streaming service even before the network and the first content server are actually loaded. - the said information includes a set of manifests generated by the management entity. Thus, for customers, all content is presented and accessible in the same way. - said manifests and said segments are only relative to a single resolution of said particular content, which makes it possible to minimize the load on the gateway assuming that that of the local network is not very penalizing.

[0016] Another aspect of the invention relates to an entity for managing access by a client to content available on at least one content server, including a first server providing said content in the form of data segments through a data telecommunications network and a second server providing a broadcasting service separate from said data telecommunications network, said management entity comprising a processor configured to carry out the following steps: - a request for access to content from the second when the content is a particular content; - an encoding of a stream of segments from said particular content; - a publication of information relating to said particular content adapted to enable decoding of said stream of segments

[0017] Another aspect of the invention relates to a gateway comprising a management entity as previously described. Also, another aspect of the invention relates to a client comprising a management entity as previously described.

[0018] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program capable of being implemented on a management entity, the program comprising code instructions which, when executed by a processor, carry out the steps of the method as previously defined.

[0019] Another aspect of the invention relates to a data medium on which at least one series of program code instructions has been stored for the execution of a method as previously defined.

[0020] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] [Fig.l] illustrates a context for implementing a method according to embodiments of the invention,

[0022] [Fig.2] illustrates an example of functional architecture of a management entity according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0023] [Fig.3] shows a diagram of a timing diagram of a method according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0025] In [Fig.l] is illustrated a WAN telecommunications network making it possible to route data streams representing audio-visual content, formed of segments, from a content server S0Tt to clients C1, C2.

[0026] These data streams may be streams associated with audio-video content (i.e. containing video data and / or audio data), and possibly interactive content corresponding for example to video games. These may be on-demand content or live content, of the IPTV type (acronym for “Internet Protocol Television” in English), but other transmission modes are also possible.

[0027] This telecommunications network can typically be composed of several interconnected networks, in particular an access network allowing customers to connect to a main network (itself made up of an interconnection of subnetworks) or "backbone" in English. This WAN network is commonly called the Internet.

[0028] The clients can be connected to a local area network, LAN, for example a wireless local area network, allowing them to access a gateway to the Internet access network. This wireless local area network, commonly called WLAN for "Wireless Local Area Network" in English, can comply with the Wi-Fi protocols, or wifi, as specified in the IEEE 802.11 family (or ISO / IEC 8802-11) standards documents.

[0029] This LAN local area network can be an internal network in a home (home network), for example, making it possible to connect all the equipment, or clients, of a user or a family. The LAN local area network can also be an internal network of a company, making it possible to connect the equipment, or clients, of the different users of the company.

[0030] Clients can be of different types, their common point being to have means allowing connection to the network. These are essentially radiocommunication components and electronic and computer components allowing the implementation of the protocol stacks necessary for the management of the protocols associated with the network and the reception and transmission of data packets.

[0031] Clients can also produce audio-video content. This can be produced on a screen contained or associated with the clients, or via a projector, or via loudspeakers, for example, in the case of audio-only content (radio, etc.).

[0032] The clients C1, C2 can be of different types: computer (laptop or fixed), mobile communication terminal of the “smartphone” type, digital tablet, connected television, etc.

[0033] The television can be natively connected or through an associated device such as, for example, a TV stick connected to the television, generally via HDMI. An example of an external device communicating with a TV is Chromecast. The Chromecast is a real-time multimedia streaming device (multimedia gateway) developed and marketed by Google. The device plugs into the HDMI port of a television and communicates, via Wi-Fi connection, with another device connected to the Internet (computer, smartphone, tablet, etc.), in order to display on the television the multimedia content received from an application compatible with Google Cast technology, from the Google Chrome browser on a computer, or from certain Android devices.

[0034] These different clients are also provided for the reception and processing of content segments.

[0035] In particular, they may have a software application (for example a browser) allowing access to web servers or others, which make it possible to make audio-video content available to the users of the clients. Thus, the various exchanges between the clients and the S0Tt content servers can be carried out in accordance with the protocols commonly used on the Internet network, in particular the HTTP protocol.

[0036] Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH or MPEG-DASH or HAS) is a streaming format standard for Internet-based audiovisual content. It is based on preparing content in different presentations of varying quality and bitrate, divided into short segments (a few seconds). Each of these segments is made available individually using an exchange protocol. The main targeted protocol is HTTP, as the title indicates, but the specification explicitly allows other protocols (e.g., FTP) to be used. The organization of the segments and the associated parameters are published in a manifest in XML format.

[0037] The ISO / IEC 23009 standard finalized at the end of 20111,2 defines the format of the manifest as well as that of the segments based on MPEG container formats: ISO Base Media File Format (ISO / IEC 14496-12) and MPEG-2 Transport Stream (ISO / IEC 13818-1), and gives indications for the definition of other segment formats.

[0038] This distribution mode is typically called ABR for “Adaptive Bit Rate” in English.

[0039] The different resolutions in which a content is available are published in the manifest file. Clients can choose the desired resolution from those available when they request the following segments of the content. They can thus dynamically adapt to the bandwidth available on the WAN network based on an estimated or measured rendering.

[0040] The resolutions correspond to qualities of the video (and / or audio) content and consequently to different speeds on the telecommunications network.

[0041] The qualities available in ABR may vary depending on the video streaming platform used, but in general and currently, common qualities include: - Very Low Quality: Often suitable for users with very slow or unstable internet connections, this quality can have a resolution of 240p and a bitrate of 200 kbps. - Low quality: This quality is suitable for more stable but still relatively slow internet connections, with a resolution of 360p and a bitrate of 400-700 kbps. - Standard quality: This quality is suitable for most Internet connections, with a resolution of 480p or 720p and a bit rate of 800 kbps to 2 Mbps. - High quality: This quality is suitable for fast and reliable internet connections, with a resolution of 1080p and a speed of 2-5 Mbps. - Very high quality: this quality is suitable for very fast Internet connections, with a resolution of 4K and a speed of more than 10 Mbps.

[0042] It is important to note that the available qualities may vary depending on the user and network bandwidth capabilities, as well as the quality and complexity of the video content being streamed. The manifest file can then be modified based on variations made at the network or content server level.

[0043] A management entity G may further be provided. This management entity is located in the local area network LAN. It may be implemented by equipment connected to this local area network.

[0044] This equipment may be a gateway for access to the data telecommunications network (Internet), or a client (telecommunications terminal, computer, television, etc.). This equipment may also be a decoder (or “set top box” in English). It may also be a separate piece of equipment, specifically designed to implement the functionalities of the management entity G.

[0045] The management entity G may have the function of allowing clients C1, C2 to access the content offered by the content server(s) SOtt. In particular, it may aggregate content offered by different content servers and present it under a uniform interface.

[0046] In particular, the management entity G can publish information relating to the content available from different content servers so that clients can have access to it and can possibly select it to trigger their download.

[0047] In particular, the management entity G can retrieve the manifests from the different content servers Either and publish them to the clients so that they can select a desired content in a desired resolution, and trigger the downloading of the desired segments.

[0048] The download can be done through the management entity G or directly from the content server to the client. In this second case, the role of the management entity G is to provide the manifest which contains the reference of the segments to be retrieved from an identified content server S0Tt.

[0049] In addition, the management entity may aggregate content from heterogeneous sources. In particular, it may be provided that it has an interface allowing the reception of digital terrestrial television (DTT) content from a DTT content server.

[0050] Digital terrestrial television (DTT) is a method of broadcasting multimedia content, mainly video, via a specific network of terrestrial retransmitters. Depending on the country, different standards have been established. For example, the DVB-T standard for Europe, ATSC for the United States, DTMB for China, etc.

[0051] Other content broadcasting services, distinct from the WAN telecommunications network, may also be used by the management entity G (and the equipment implementing it), such as a cable broadcasting service, a satellite broadcasting service, etc.

[0052] [Fig.2] illustrates a functional, very high level and schematic architecture, of such a management entity G, according to one embodiment.

[0053] As mentioned previously, this management entity comprises a first interface II adapted to receive contents in the form of data segments from a first contents server S0Tt through a WAN data telecommunications network.

[0054] It also comprises a second interface 12 adapted to receive contents from an STNT server of a broadcasting service distinct from said data telecommunications network, as previously explained. This interface is distinct since the routing of the data coming from the STNT server uses technical means distinct from those of the WAN data telecommunications network borrowed for the segments coming from the SOtt- content servers.

[0055] It also includes TRT processing means making it possible to implement the various mechanisms described, and in particular the production of information relating to the contents for clients connected to the management entity, via a third interface 13.

[0056] It further comprises an encoder E adapted to encode a stream of segments from content received from the second interface 12, as well as a fourth interface 14 adapted for receiving management messages.

[0057] In [Fig.2], the hatched arrows illustrate a possible flow of manifests, while the solid arrows illustrate other types of traffic, including content segments or continuously transmitted content.

[0058] It should be noted that this figure illustrates a functional architecture for explanatory purposes only. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the management entity may include many other functions and that the illustrated functions may interact in different ways.

[0059] As mentioned previously, this management entity G is a functional entity capable of being integrated into different equipment linked to the local network LAN.

[0060] The equipment implementing this management entity G may in particular comprise a gateway adapted to provide access to the data telecommunications network (Internet) to the customer. It may also have the function of providing a local LAN network for these customers (WiFi router, etc.). An example of such domestic equipment is the Livebox™ from the Orange company.

[0061] The equipment implementing the management entity G may also comprise a client C1, C2.

[0062] The equipment implementing the management entity G may also comprise a decoder, or “set top box”, STB, in English. Such a decoder is conventionally deployed for the reception and decoding of content from distribution networks such as for digital terrestrial television, TNT.

[0063] The equipment implementing the management entity G may also comprise specific equipment, or within a client. For example, it may be integrated into a “TV key” type device. Thus, such a TV key may provide connectivity to a television (or similar equipment) and, at the same time, the functionalities specific to the management entity G.

[0064] According to all these implementations, the management entity G is connected to the home local area network LAN, so that all clients can access it and benefit from its functionalities.

[0065] [Fig.3] illustrates a flowchart of a process that can be implemented by this management entity G.

[0066] In a step SI, a particular content is determined.

[0067] This content can be determined from among the contents available on the content servers or it can be content not available on these servers.

[0068] This content may be determined due to a high audience or a forecast of high audience. In particular, the particular content may be content whose audience (current or predicted) is greater than a given threshold.

[0069] For example, content related to an important event is likely to generate a large audience and therefore be determined as special content. For example, an important football match, a news program on a human or natural disaster, an important political event (speech by the President of the Republic, etc.), etc. are events that can give rise to significant traffic.

[0070] The determination of the particular content(s) may be based on traffic predictions for available content.

[0071] In particular, one (or more) particular contents can be selected by an administrator or by an automatic system having access to traffic trends and adapted to establish forecasts or to determine traffic threshold crossings associated with the different contents.

[0072] A management device MD (in [Fig.l]) can then transmit a management message to the management entity G (for example on its interface 14) indicating a particular content that the management entity G can thus determine.

[0073] When a content is thus determined, that is to say when the content is a particular content, in a step S2, the gateway can transmit a request for access to this particular content to the server STNr of a broadcasting service distinct from the data telecommunications network WAN. The implementation of the access request can depend on the type of server and the underlying technology. It can typically be a subscription. This access request can trigger the transmission by this server STnt of the particular subscribed content to the interface 12 of the management entity G.

[0074] In a step S3, the management entity G can then encode the content received from the STNT server into a stream of content segments. These segments are for example compliant with the encoding for dynamic adaptive streaming distribution on HTTP (HAS for “HTTP Adaptive Streaming” in English).

[0075] Since the content received on the interface 12 is not routed through a data telecommunications network, it is not subject to fluctuations in load and traffic and therefore does not have to be adaptive. Generally speaking, this content consists of a continuous data stream, without segmentations according to different resolutions.

[0076] Typically, the various terrestrial digital television broadcasting standards exploit the MPEG transport stream. The content mainly consists of a stream of MPEG frames that the management entity G can receive on an ongoing basis.

[0077] A major difference is that reception is done continuously, as it happens, without the need for the receiver (here the management entity G) to request the content segment by segment, by sending as many requests to the transmitter (here the content server) on the basis of a manifest. On the contrary, once subscribed to a content, the receiver receives the corresponding data until it takes an action to interrupt this transmission.

[0078] The management entity G comprises means E for encoding this continuous flow into segments, conforming to an underlying technology, for example for HAS broadcasting.

[0079] The encoded segments can be stored in a memory contained or associated with the management entity G. This storage can be temporary, until the segments are transmitted to the clients having requested them.

[0080] The encoded segments can be individually retrieved by the clients C1, C2.

[0081] Furthermore, in a step S4, the management entity G can publish information relating to the particular content adapted to allow the clients C1, C2 to retrieve the stream of previously encoded segments and to decode it.

[0082] In particular, in one embodiment, this information may comprise a set of manifests generated by the management entity G and relating to these segment streams. These manifests (generally in XML format) contain the data allowing clients to retrieve the segments, individually, in the desired resolution from among those available (i.e. those for which segments have been encoded).

[0083] According to one embodiment, the manifests and segments encoded in step S3 relate only to a single resolution of the particular content.

[0084] Indeed, dynamic adaptive transmission ABR / HAS is interesting for compensating for bandwidth fluctuations on a telecommunications network. When the bandwidth is low, the client can opt for a low resolution in order to to be able to continue accessing the content, at the expense of degraded quality.

[0085] However, it is reasonable to assume that the load and bandwidth of a LAN vary little. Due to the few network constraints, therefore, only one quality of segments can be encoded.

[0086] It is thus possible to save the resources of the management entity G (i.e. of the equipment implementing it), by avoiding encoding the same content in several resolutions.

[0087] Thus, the contents from an STNT server, for example digital terrestrial television (DTT), can be accessible via a management entity G in the same way as if they were contents provided by an over-the-top distribution service, OTT.

[0088] In other words, the offer of content from digital terrestrial television, TNT, or other heterogeneous sources, can thus be integrated into a CDN content distribution network (“Content Delivery Network” in English).

[0089] Thus, customers can have a unified view of the different available contents. Whether the content is available on a content server through a data network (Internet), in OTT mode, or on a separate server, in TNT mode, can be invisible to the customer. He can thus access all kinds of contents, independently of the underlying broadcasting technology, through a uniform interface provided by the management entity G.

[0090] The management entity G can in particular propose application behaviors corresponding to the different scenarios, while possibly masking these differences for the client user.

[0091] Through an interface available on its client C1, C2, in collaboration with the management entity G, a user can navigate through the different available contents. These can be available from a SOTT server providing content segments, or from a STRT server providing a continuous flow. These different mechanisms can be highlighted on the interface, for information, or hidden from the user.

[0092] When the user selects content available on a SOtt server, the management entity G indicates to the client, via a manifest, to fetch the segments corresponding to this content directly on this server (in unicast mode). When the user selects content available on a STRT server, the management entity G produces for the client a manifest exposing the segments encoded locally by the management entity G, and indicating to retrieve them directly on this management entity G.

[0093] It is also possible to set up a dynamic adaptive multicast broadcasting system of the mABR type (multicast ABR). In this case, the contents available in multicast will also find a place on the interface proposed by the entity management G, and will thus be available to Cl, C2 customers.

[0094] Thus, when content is subject to significant traffic, it can be made available via a broadcasting network separate from the data telecommunications network, for example by a digital terrestrial television service TRT, and offered to customers via the management entity G which can be implemented on equipment that they usually use.

[0095] Where this particular content is also available via a S0lid server of an OTT distribution service, access to this content may be masked and replaced by access to the content available from the TRT service. Thus, the user will no longer be able to access the content via the data network and thus contribute to its load.

[0096] On the one hand, the user experience is improved since access to the content is no longer degraded by the load of the data network or the SOtt server, and on the other hand the latter no longer contributes to this load by no longer requesting the SOtt server.

[0097] This avoids congestion of the WAN data telecommunications network, by offloading, for high-audience content, to a third-party distribution mode, separate from the telecommunications network.

[0098] In addition, the reception of content from this third-party distribution method (for example digital terrestrial television TNT) can be shared and redistributed locally to a set of clients connected to the local LAN network.

[0099] Finally, let us also specify here that the term "entity" can correspond to a software component as well as to a hardware component or a set of hardware and software components, a software component itself corresponding to one or more computer programs or sub-programs or, more generally, to any element of a program capable of implementing a function or a set of functions as described for the modules concerned. In the same way, a hardware component corresponds to any element of a hardware assembly capable of implementing a function or a set of functions for the module concerned (integrated circuit, smart card, memory card, etc.).

[0100] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the examples and the embodiment described and shown, but is defined by the claims. It is in particular susceptible of numerous variants accessible to those skilled in the art.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing access by a management entity (G) to content available on at least one content server including a first server (Either) providing said content in the form of data segments through a data telecommunications network (WAN) and a second server providing a broadcasting service separate from said data telecommunications network (WAN), said method comprising in said management entity: - a request for access (S2) to content from the second server (STnt) when the content is a particular content; - an encoding (S3) of a stream of segments from said particular content; - a publication (S4) of information relating to said particular content adapted to enable decoding of said stream of segments.

2. Method according to the preceding claim in which said broadcasting service distinct from said telecommunications network is a digital terrestrial television service, DTT.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which said particular content is content whose audience is greater than a given threshold.

4. Method according to the preceding claim, comprising a prior determination of a particular content, said determination being based on traffic predictions for available content.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said information comprises a set of manifests generated by the management entity and relating to said flow of segments.

6. Method according to the preceding claim in which said manifests and said segments relate only to a single resolution of said particular content.

7. Management entity (G) for access by a client (C) to content available on at least one content server (SOtt) including a first server providing said content in the form of data segments through a data telecommunications network (WAN) and a second server (STNT) providing a separate broadcasting service said data telecommunications network (WAN), said management entity comprising a processor configured to carry out the following steps: - a request for access (S2) to content from the second server (STNT) when the content is a particular content; - an encoding (S3) of a stream of segments from said particular content; - a publication (S4) of information relating to said particular content adapted to allow said client to decode said stream of segments.

8. Gateway comprising a management entity (G) according to the preceding claim.

9.

10. Client comprising a management entity according to claim 7. Computer program capable of being implemented on a management entity, the program comprising code instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the method defined in claims 1 to 6.

11. Data carrier on which at least one series of program code instructions has been stored for executing a method according to one of claims 1 to 6.

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