JP3486092B2 - Method and apparatus for providing session information for IP multicast communication - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing session information transmitted to use a service by IP multicast communication on a computer network to a computer connected to the computer network. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art IP (In
ternet protocol) In a computer network capable of communication, general communication for transmitting data from one computer to another computer, that is, I
In P unicast communication, only one computer receives data in one transmission.

On the other hand, RFC (Request for Comments) 1
IGMP (Internet Group Managem) defined in 112
In IP multicast communication according to the ent Protocol), it is possible to simultaneously transmit data from one computer to a plurality of other computers (broadcast communication). Therefore, a single transmission allows a plurality of computers to simultaneously receive the same data.

A computer (user) who intends to use the above-mentioned service by IP multicast communication is
It is necessary to know the IP address, service port number, and media type of the computer (server) that provides the service. These pieces of information are transmitted as session information on the computer network, and it is necessary to receive the session information.

The session information is draft-ietf-mmusi.
c-sdp, draft-ietf-mmusic-sip, draft-ietf-mmusic-
Although the standardization work is being carried out by the technical study organization on the Internet with the text of sap, this session information is not always sent, but is sent at fixed time intervals. In addition, a dedicated application program (tool) is required to display and use this session information.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional method of providing session information of this type. Session information 3 is transmitted from a router 2 to a computer network 1 at regular time intervals, and the session information 3 is sent to the computer network 1. The connected computer 4 continues to access until the session information 3 is received, and after receiving the session information 3, the dedicated tool (the screen thereof) 5 is used to display.

WWW (World Wide Web) is a client / server system in which a server provides data such as text, image, video, and audio and reference information of these data in response to a client request. , HTTP (Hype
r Text Transfer Protocol) is used, and HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is mainly used as a data format. The client can display the data from the server by using a program called a browser.

HTML is a sentence shaping language for text-based sentences, and can specify the size, type, arrangement, etc. of characters, and can specify a link with another sentence. Further, not only the characters but also the display of a still image and the reproduction of a moving image or sound can be designated, and the corresponding application program can be started by designating the display data format.

There are many users and many types of browsers for WWW.

[0010]

As described above, IP
Session information is necessary to use the service by multicast communication, but it is not always sent, so it takes time to receive it, and a dedicated application program to display and use the session information. However, there is a problem in that the session information cannot be displayed on a WWW browser that has many users and is easy to obtain.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to display session information transmitted on a computer network to use a service by IP multicast communication at any time by using an existing WWW browser on a computer on the computer network. Further, it is to realize a method and apparatus for providing session information for IP multicast communication that enables acquisition of this information.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, session information transmitted to use a service by IP multicast communication on a computer network in which a plurality of computers can communicate with each other. In a method of providing session information for IP multicast communication, which provides a computer to a computer connected to the computer network, an IP address and a service port number of a computer (server) providing a service to one computer connected to the computer network. , And receives session information including the type of media and displays it in HTML format on the one computer.

According to the above configuration, it becomes possible to display the session information from another computer on the computer network by using the existing WWW browser and view the session information.

Further, it is characterized in that the session information can be accessed from another computer on the computer network by using the WWW server function on one computer.

According to the above configuration, the session information can be directly provided from one computer to another computer, and the time can be shortened as compared with the case where the other computer independently acquires the session information.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an embodiment of a method of providing session information for IP multicast communication according to the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those of the conventional example are represented by the same reference numerals. That is, 1 is a computer network, 2 is a router, 3 is session information, 4 is a computer, and 6 is a WW.
A browser for W (the screen thereof) 10 is an information providing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed configuration of the information providing apparatus 10, which is connected to the computer network 1 and has an IP address.
A computer capable of IP communication including multicast communication has a session information receiving means (function) 11, session information analyzing means 12, session information acquiring means 13, session information HTML converting means 14, session information storing means 15, and WWW server function. It is equipped with 16.

The session information receiving means 11 receives an IP multicast packet containing session information for IP multicast communication and stores it in a reception buffer (not shown).

The session information analyzing means 12 compares the IP multicast packet on the receiving buffer with the protocol for sending the session information. The session information acquisition unit 13 divides the session information into information defined in the protocol for sending the session information, and converts the information into text data. The session information HTML conversion means 14
An HTML tag is added to the information converted into text data. The session information storage means 15 saves (stores) the information added with the HTML tag as a file.

Incidentally, these session information analysis means 1
2, session information acquisition unit 13, H of session information
The TML conversion means 14 and the session information storage means 15 constitute a session information display function.

When the WWW server function 16 uses HTTP to access a file stored in the HTML format by another computer, the WWW server function 16 transfers the content of the file and the linked information from the file.

FIG. 4 shows the IP in the information providing device 10.
It is a flow chart which shows operation at the time of saving session information for multicast communication as a file of HTML format.

In such a configuration, the information providing device 1
When 0 receives the session information 3 transmitted from the router 2 on the computer network 1 at a constant time interval, 0 converts the session information 3 into the HTML format and stores it as a file. This operation is always performed, and the latest information is stored as a file.

In this state, when the user accesses the information providing device 10 from the computer 4 using the WWW browser 6 using HTTP, regardless of the transmission timing of the session information 3 from the router 2, the latest information is obtained at that time. Session information can be displayed on the WWW browser 6, and the session information can be acquired by accessing on the browser 6, whereby the service by IP multicast communication can be used. it can.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention,
I of a computer (server) that provides a service to one computer connected to a computer network
By receiving the session information including the P address, the service port number, and the type of the medium and displaying the session information in the HTML format on the one computer, the existing WWW is made available from other computers on the computer network.
It is possible to display the session information using the browser for viewing.

Further, the session information is provided from one computer directly to the other computer by making the session information accessible from the other computer on the computer network by using the WWW server function on the one computer. This makes it possible to reduce the time compared to the case where another computer acquires the session information independently.

Also, an application program can be started as a plug-in tool from the WWW browser, and a necessary application program can be started according to the type of media in the session information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a conventional method of providing session information for IP multicast communication.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a method for providing session information for IP multicast communication according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing details of an information providing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an operation of saving session information in HTML format.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: computer network, 2: router, 3: session information, 4: computer, 6: browser for WWW, 10: information providing device, 11: session information receiving means, 12: session information analyzing means, 13: session information acquisition Means, 14: session information HTML conversion means, 15: session information storage means, 16: WWW server function.

Front page continuation (56) References JP-A-9-101924 (JP, A) Shinoda et al., IP multicast packet reception in dial-up connection, IPSJ research report, Japan, Information Processing Society of Japan , November 7, 1997, Vol. 97 No. 104, pp37-42 Abe et al., IP multicast delivery method for large-scale networks, IEICE Technical Report, Japan, The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, October 31, 1997, Vol. 97 No. 353, pp31-36 V.I. Kumar, Kusunoki Translation, Internet Multicast MBone, INTERNET Exciting Technology Series, Nihon, Impress Co., Ltd., December 11, 1996, pp68-69 (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB) Name) H04L 12/56 H04L 12/18

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. An IP multicast which provides session information transmitted to use a service by IP multicast communication on a computer network in which a plurality of computers can communicate with each other, to a computer connected to the computer network. In the method of providing communication session information, I of a computer (server) that provides a service to one computer connected to a computer network.
A method of providing session information for IP multicast communication, characterized in that session information including a P address, a service port number, and a type of media is received and displayed in HTML format on the one computer. 2. The session information for IP multicast communication according to claim 1, wherein the session information can be accessed from another computer on the computer network by using the WWW server function on one computer. Method. 3. The session information is analyzed, necessary information is acquired, converted into an HTML format, and the converted data is stored to be displayed in an HTML format. A method for providing session information for IP multicast communication as described. 4. An IP multicast which provides session information transmitted to use a service by IP multicast communication on a computer network in which a plurality of computers can communicate with each other, to a computer connected to the computer network. A device for providing communication session information, a function of receiving session information including an IP address, a service port number, and a media type of a computer (server) that is connected to a computer network and provides a service, and the received session An apparatus for providing session information for IP multicast communication, comprising: a function for displaying information in HTML format. 5. The I according to claim 4, further comprising a WWW server function that enables access to session information in response to access from a computer on a computer network.
P Multicast communication session information providing device. 6. The display function comprises means for analyzing session information, means for obtaining necessary information from the analyzed information, means for converting to an HTML format, and means for storing the converted data. 6. The apparatus for providing session information for IP multicast communication according to claim 4 or 5.