Patent EP0771099A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0771099A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Distributed multimedia service system
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1996-09-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-09-12
Abstract
Abstract A scheme for providing multimedia data in a distributed multimedia service system, capable of reducing a required bandwidth of the network and providing multimedia data to many users simultaneously. In a distributed multimedia service system in which a plurality of client devices are interconnected through a network and connected with a plurality of terminals for requesting and reproducing multimedia data, multimedia data obtained at each client device through the network in response to a request is cached into a client cache of each client device, in a unit of data to be continuously reproduced together. When a number of the client devices are grouped together to form a cluster in the system, multimedia data which is obtained at each client device belonging to the cluster through the network in response to a request and allocated to each client device within the cluster can also be cached into a cluster cache of each client device, in a unit of data to be continuously reproduced together.
Inventors
- 👤 Shigehiro Asano
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 10:55
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/80; H04L12/00; H04L12/02; H04L12/16; H04L12/18; H04L12/1859; H04L67/00; H04L67/50; H04L67/56; H04L67/568; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
A distributed multimedia service system using a network, comprising: a plurality of terminals for requesting and reproducing multimedia data; and a plurality of client devices, which are interconnected through the network and connected with said plurality of terminals, for providing requested multimedia data to said plurality of terminals according to requests, each client device having client cache means for caching multimedia data obtained through the network in response to a request in a unit of data to be continuously reproduced together.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 1, wherein each client device also has means for reserving resources necessary in providing a requested multimedia data to a requesting terminal, prior to a transfer of the requested multimedia data to the requesting terminal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 1, wherein each client device also has means for reserving resources necessary in obtaining a requested multimedia data through the network, prior to a. transfer of the requested multimedia data through the network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
The system of claim 1, wherein each client device also has: memory means for storing a frequency information for each multimedia data that can possibly be cached into the client cache means, the frequency information indicating a number of times for which each multimedia data were accessed; and means for executing a cache replacement processing for the client cache means according to the frequency information of each multimedia data stored in the memory means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the frequency information stored in the memory means is updated when a requested multimedia data cached in the client cache means is provided in response to a request and when a requested multimedia data obtained through the network is provided in response to a request.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
The system of claim 1, wherein each client device also has: memory means for registering an information as to whether each cached multimedia data in the client cache means is currently supplied to at least one terminal or not; and means for executing a cache replacement processing for the client cache means while a cached multimedia data which is currently supplied to at least one terminal is excluded from replacement targets according to the information registered in the memory means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
67 words
The system of claim 1, wherein a number of the client devices are grouped together to form a cluster, and each client device belonging to the cluster also has cluster cache means for caching multimedia data which is obtained through the network in response to a request and allocated to said each client device within the cluster, in a unit of data to be continuously reproduced together.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 7, wherein said each client device belonging to the cluster searches a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache means when the requested multimedia data does not exist in the client cache means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
The system of claim 7, wherein said each client device belonging to the cluster searches a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache means of other client devices belonging to the cluster when the requested multimedia data does not exist in both the client cache means and the cluster cache means of said each client device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system of claim 7, wherein said each client device belonging to the cluster searches a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache means of other client devices belonging to the cluster before requesting an original of the requested multimedia data in the system through the network.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1, wherein originals of the multimedia data are distributedly stored in said plurality of client devices.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 11, wherein each client device searches a requested multimedia data in the client cache means when an original of the requested multimedia data does not exist in said each client device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
85 words
A client device in a distributed multimedia service system in which a plurality of client devices are interconnected through a network and connected with a plurality of terminals for requesting and reproducing multimedia data, said client device comprising: means for providing a requested multimedia data to a requesting terminal connected to said client device according to a request; and client cache means for caching multimedia data obtained through the network in response to a request in a unit of data to be continuously reproduced together.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The client device of claim 13, further comprising means for reserving resources necessary in providing a requested multimedia data to a requesting terminal, prior to a transfer of the requested multimedia data to the requesting terminal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The client device of claim 13, further comprising means for reserving resources necessary in obtaining a requested multimedia data through the network, prior to a transfer of the requested multimedia data through the network.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
71 words
The client device of claim 13, further comprising: memory means for storing a frequency information for each multimedia data that can possibly be cached into the client cache means, the frequency information indicating a number of times for which each multimedia data were accessed; and means for executing a cache replacement processing for the client cache means according to the frequency information of each multimedia data stored in the memory means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
52 words
The client device of claim 16, wherein the frequency information stored in the memory means is updated when a requested multimedia data cached in the client cache means is provided in response to a request and when a requested multimedia data obtained through the network is provided in response to a request.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
77 words
The client device of claim 13, further comprising: memory means for registering an information as to whether each cached multimedia data in the client cache means is currently supplied to at least one terminal or not; and means for executing a cache replacement processing for the client cache means while a cached multimedia data which is currently supplied to at least one terminal is excluded from replacement targets according to the information registered in the memory means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
70 words
The client device of claim 13, wherein said client device is grouped together with a number of other client devices in the system to form a cluster, and said client device further comprises cluster cache means for caching multimedia data which is obtained through the network in response to a request and allocated to said client device within the cluster, in a unit of data to be continuously reproduced together.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The client device of claim 19, wherein said client device searches a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache means when the requested multimedia data does not exist in the client cache means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
51 words
The client device of claim 19, wherein said client device searches a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache means of other client devices belonging to the cluster when the requested multimedia data does not exist in both the client cache means and the cluster cache means of said client device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
43 words
The client device of claim 19, wherein said client device searches a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache means of other client devices belonging to the cluster before requesting an original of the requested multimedia data in the system through the network.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The client device of claim 13, wherein originals of the multimedia data are distributedly stored in said plurality of client devices in the system.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
The client device of claim 23, wherein said client device searches a requested multimedia data in the client cache means when an original of the requested multimedia data does not exist in said client device.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for providing multimedia data in a distributed multimedia service system in which a plurality of client devices are interconnected through a network and connected with a plurality of terminals for requesting and reproducing multimedia data, the method comprising the steps: providing a requested multimedia data from a client device to a requesting terminal connected to said client device according to a request; and caching multimedia data obtained at each client device through the network in response to a request, into a client cache of said each client device, in a unit of data to be continuously reproduced together.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of reserving resources necessary in providing a requested multimedia data from a client device to a requesting terminal, prior to a transfer of the requested multimedia data to the requesting terminal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of reserving resources necessary in obtaining a requested multimedia data at a client device through the network, prior to a transfer of the requested multimedia data through the network.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of: storing at each client device a frequency information for each multimedia data that can possibly be cached into the client cache of said each client device, the frequency information indicating a number of times for which each multimedia data were accessed; and executing a cache replacement processing for the client cache of said each client device according to the frequency information of each multimedia data stored at the storing step.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 28, wherein the frequency information stored at the storing step is updated when a requested multimedia data cached in the client cache means is provided in response to a request and when a requested multimedia data obtained through the network is provided in response to a request.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
86 words
The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of: registering at each client device an information as to whether each cached multimedia data in the client cache of said each client device is currently supplied to at least one terminal or not; and executing a cache replacement processing for the client cache of said each client device while a cached multimedia data which is currently supplied to at least one terminal is excluded from replacement targets according to the information registered at the registering step.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
81 words
The method of claim 25, wherein a number of the client devices are grouped together to form a cluster in the system, and the method further comprises the step of caching multimedia data which is obtained at each client device belonging to the cluster through the network in response to a request and allocated to said each client device within the cluster, into a cluster cache of said each client device, in a unit of data to be continuously reproduced together.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of searching a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache of said each client device belonging to the cluster when the requested multimedia data does not exist in the client cache of said each client device.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of searching a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache of other client devices belonging to the cluster when the requested multimedia data does not exist in both the client cache and the cluster cache of said each client device belonging to the cluster.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of searching a requested multimedia data in the cluster cache of other client devices belonging to the cluster before requesting an original of the requested multimedia data in the system through the network at said each client device belonging to the cluster.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 25, wherein originals of the multimedia data are distributedly stored in said plurality of client devices in the system.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 35, further comprises the step of searching a requested multimedia data in the client cache of each client device when an original of the requested multimedia data does not exist in said each client device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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