阅读说明：本技术 多媒体串流及网路装置及其运作方法 (Multimedia streaming and network device and operation method thereof ) 是由 吴亦宽 于 2018-08-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种多媒体串流及网路装置，包括：路由模块、储存模块及处理模块。处理模块执行储存模块的应用程序以执行包括下列步骤的多媒体串流及网路装置运作方法。透过局域网路通讯埠接收实体机上盒的第一串流要求封包；开启路由模块对应于局域网路通讯埠的群播及硬件卸载功能；运作机上盒虚拟机，以执行机上盒功能；接收对应机上盒虚拟机的第二串流要求封包；开启路由模块对应于处理模块通讯埠的群播及硬件卸载功能；使路由模块将视讯串流透过局域网路通讯埠及处理模块通讯埠分别传送至实体机上盒及机上盒虚拟机进行处理并播放。(A multimedia streaming and networking device, comprising: the device comprises a routing module, a storage module and a processing module. The processing module executes the application program of the storage module to execute the multimedia streaming and network device operation method comprising the following steps. Receiving a first serial request packet from the physical set-top box through a local area network communication port; starting the multicast and hardware unloading functions of the routing module corresponding to the local area network communication port; operating the set-top box virtual machine to execute the set-top box function; receiving a second streaming request packet corresponding to the on-board virtual machine; starting the multicast and hardware unloading functions of the routing module corresponding to the communication port of the processing module; the routing module transmits the video stream to the physical set-top box and the set-top box virtual machine for processing and playing through the local area network communication port and the processing module communication port respectively.)

1. A multimedia streaming and networking device, comprising:

a routing module;

a storage module configured to store an application program; and

a processing module, electrically coupled to the routing module and the storage module, configured to perform network communication via the routing module, and access the application program from the storage module, so as to execute a multimedia streaming and network device operation method when executing the application program, the multimedia streaming and network device operation method comprising:

receiving a first serial request packet of an external physical set-top box through a local area network communication port;

starting a multicast and hardware offload (hardware offload) function of the routing module corresponding to the local area network communication port;

operating a one-machine box-loading virtual machine to execute one-machine box-loading functions;

receiving a second streaming request packet corresponding to the set-top box virtual machine;

opening a multicast and hardware unloading function of the routing module corresponding to a communication port of a processing module; and

the routing module transmits at least one video stream from a remote server and corresponding to the first and second stream request packets to the physical set-top box and the set-top box virtual machine through the local area network communication port and the processing module communication port respectively for processing and playing.

2. The multimedia streaming and networking device of claim 1, wherein the step of enabling the multicast and hardware offload function further comprises:

storing the information of the LAN communication port and the set-top box in a multicast group list;

updating a multicast register of the routing module to add to the LAN communication port;

storing the information of the processing module communication port and the set-top box virtual machine in the multicast group list; and

updating the multicast register of the routing module to add to the processing module communication port.

3. The multimedia streaming and networking device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the first stream request packet and the second stream request packet correspond to the same channel;

enabling the routing module to transmit a video stream request packet to the remote server according to the channel; and

the routing module receives the video stream from the remote server, and further transmits the video stream to the physical set-top box and the set-top box virtual machine for processing and playing through the local area network communication port and the processing module communication port, respectively.

4. The multimedia streaming and networking device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the first stream request packet and the second stream request packet correspond to a first channel and a second channel which are different;

enabling the routing module to transmit a first video stream request packet to the remote server according to the first channel;

the routing module receives the first video stream from the remote server, and further transmits the first video stream to the physical machine upper box through the local area network communication port for processing and playing;

enabling the routing module to transmit a second video stream request packet to the remote server according to the second channel;

the routing module receives the first video stream from the remote server, and further transmits the first video stream to the set-top box virtual machine through the communication port of the processing module for processing and playing.

5. The multimedia streaming and networking device of claim 1, wherein the routing module receives the first video stream from the remote server from a wide area network communication port.

6. A multimedia streaming and network device operation method is applied to a multimedia streaming and network device, the multimedia streaming and network device includes a routing module, a storage module configured to store an application program, and a processing module electrically coupled to the routing module and the storage module, wherein the processing module is configured to perform network communication via the routing module and access the application program from the storage module, so as to execute the multimedia streaming and network device operation method when executing the application program, the multimedia streaming and network device operation method includes:

receiving a first serial request packet of an external physical set-top box through a local area network communication port;

opening a multicast and hardware unloading function of the routing module corresponding to the local area network communication port;

operating a one-machine box-loading virtual machine to execute one-machine box-loading functions;

receiving a second streaming request packet corresponding to the set-top box virtual machine;

opening a multicast and hardware unloading function of the routing module corresponding to a communication port of a processing module; and

the routing module transmits at least one video stream from a remote server and corresponding to the first and second stream request packets to the physical set-top box and the set-top box virtual machine through the local area network communication port and the processing module communication port respectively for processing and playing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of enabling the multicast and hardware offload functions further comprises:

storing the information of the LAN communication port and the set-top box in a multicast group list;

updating a multicast register of the routing module to add to the LAN communication port;

storing the information of the processing module communication port and the set-top box virtual machine in the multicast group list; and

updating the multicast register of the routing module to add to the processing module communication port.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the first stream request packet and the second stream request packet correspond to the same channel;

enabling the routing module to transmit a video stream request packet to the remote server according to the channel; and

the routing module receives the video stream from the remote server, and further transmits the video stream to the physical set-top box and the set-top box virtual machine for processing and playing through the local area network communication port and the processing module communication port, respectively.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the first stream request packet and the second stream request packet correspond to a first channel and a second channel which are different;

enabling the routing module to transmit a first video stream request packet to the remote server according to the first channel;

the routing module receives the first video stream from the remote server, and further transmits the first video stream to the physical machine upper box through the local area network communication port for processing and playing;

enabling the routing module to transmit a second video stream request packet to the remote server according to the second channel;

the routing module receives the first video stream from the remote server, and further transmits the first video stream to the set-top box virtual machine through the communication port of the processing module for processing and playing.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the routing module receives the first video stream from the remote server from a WAN port.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to multimedia streaming and networking technologies, and more particularly, to a multimedia streaming and networking device and an operating method thereof.

Background

With the advent of the network era, multimedia streaming film suppliers have grown up and provided different film supply modes. Since the multimedia streaming video data is transmitted via the network, a general user must simultaneously install a network device and a multimedia streaming device to access the network via the network device and process the video streaming received from the network via the multimedia streaming device.

For users, the network device and the multimedia streaming device not only have higher purchase cost, but also need to occupy larger space. However, the network device and the multimedia streaming device are integrated into a composite device, which cannot provide multicast (multicast) and hardware offload functions at the same time, and thus the composite device itself cannot receive multicast packets or the amount of operations of the processor is increased.

Therefore, how to design a new multimedia streaming and network device and its operation method to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks is an urgent problem to be solved in the industry.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a multimedia streaming and network device, comprising: the device comprises a routing module, a storage module and a processing module. The storage module is configured to store an application program. The processing module is electrically coupled to the routing module and the storage module, is configured to perform network communication through the routing module, and accesses the application program from the storage module to execute the multimedia streaming and network device operation method when executing the application program, and the multimedia streaming and network device operation method includes: receiving a first serial request packet of an external physical set-top box through a local area network communication port; starting the multicast and hardware offload (hardware offload) function of the routing module corresponding to the local area network communication port; operating the set-top box virtual machine to execute the set-top box function; receiving a second streaming request packet corresponding to the on-board virtual machine; starting the multicast and hardware unloading functions of the routing module corresponding to the communication port of the processing module; and the routing module transmits at least one video stream from the remote server and corresponding to the first and second stream request packets to the physical set-top box and the set-top box virtual machine through the local area network communication port and the processing module communication port respectively for processing and playing.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for operating a multimedia streaming and network device, which is applied to a multimedia streaming and network device, the multimedia streaming and network device including a routing module, a storage module configured to store an application program, and a processing module electrically coupled to the routing module and the storage module, wherein the processing module is configured to perform network communication via the routing module and access the application program from the storage module, so as to execute the method for operating the multimedia streaming and network device when executing the application program, the method comprising: receiving a first serial request packet of an external physical set-top box through a local area network communication port; starting the multicast and hardware unloading functions of the routing module corresponding to the local area network communication port; operating the set-top box virtual machine to execute the set-top box function; receiving a second streaming request packet corresponding to the on-board virtual machine; starting the multicast and hardware unloading functions of the routing module corresponding to the communication port of the processing module; and the routing module transmits at least one video stream from the remote server and corresponding to the first and second stream request packets to the physical set-top box and the set-top box virtual machine through the local area network communication port and the processing module communication port respectively for processing and playing.

The invention has the advantages that the multimedia streaming and network device can receive the video streaming of the remote server through the routing module to process and play simultaneously by the multicast of the local area network communication port and the communication port of the processing module and the opening of the hardware unloading function. Therefore, the multimedia streaming and network device can make the set-top box virtual machine supporting software perform multicast video streaming while maintaining the hardware unloading function of the physical set-top box.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multimedia streaming and networking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for operating a multimedia streaming and networking device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system implemented by multimedia streaming and networking devices according to an embodiment of the invention.

[ notation ] to show

1: multimedia streaming and networking device

101: application program

104: processing module

112: local area network communication port

116: group broadcast temporary storage

160: box port on physical machine

201-208: step (ii) of

3: system for controlling a power supply

302: network software bridge

306: multicast control layer

REQ: video stream request packet

SRE 2: second stream request packet

100: routing module

102: storage module

110: wide area network communication

114: processing module communication port

150: remote server

200: multimedia streaming and network device operation method

300: box on machine virtual machine

304: multicast group list

INFO1, INFO 2: information

SRE 1: first stream request packet

VS: video streaming

Detailed Description

Please refer to fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a multimedia streaming and networking device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The multimedia streaming and networking apparatus 1 comprises: a routing module 100, a storage module 102, and a processing module 104.

The routing module 100 is a network communication module with routing function. In one embodiment, the routing module 100 may communicate with an external wide area network to access the remote server 150. Further, the routing module 100 may also communicate with a local area network to communicate with, for example, but not limited to, the physical set-top box 160 shown in FIG. 1.

In one embodiment, the routing module 100 includes a plurality of communication ports for performing different network communications. For example, the routing module 100 includes a wide area network communication port 110, a local area network communication port 112, and a processing module communication port 114. The routing module 100 may communicate with an external WAN via WAN port 110, with LAN via LAN port 112, and with the processing module 104 via processing module port 114.

In various embodiments, the storage module 102 can be, for example but not limited to, a random access storage module (RAM), a read only storage module (ROM), a flash memory module, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a flash disk, a magnetic tape, a database accessible via a network, or other storage modules known to those skilled in the art that can perform the same functions. The storage module 102 is configured to store the application 101. In other embodiments, the storage module 102 may also be configured to store other applications, machine-executable instructions, data, or a combination thereof.

The processing module 104 is electrically coupled to the routing module 100 and the storage module 102. Thus, the processing module 104 can access the network through the routing module 100, and communicate with, for example, but not limited to, the remote server 150 and the physical set-top box 160. The processing module 104 can also access the storage module 102 to store the processed data in the storage module 102 and retrieve the data stored in the storage module 102 for processing.

In one embodiment, the processing module 104 is configured to access the application 101 from the storage module 102 and perform the functions of the multimedia streaming and network device 1 accordingly.

In more detail, after the application 101 is executed by the processing module 104, the multimedia streaming and the network device 1 can simultaneously execute the function of multimedia streaming and the function of network routing. For example, the multimedia streaming and networking device 1 can receive the video stream VS from the remote server 150 through the routing module 100 when the software set-top box function operated by the processing module 104 and/or the external physical set-top box 160 requests the video stream, and further perform the set-top box function operated by the processing module 104 and/or transmit the video stream to the physical set-top box 160 for processing and playing in a multicast manner.

Please refer to fig. 2 and fig. 3. The detailed functions of the multimedia streaming and network device 1 will be described in the following paragraphs with reference to fig. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method 200 for operating a multimedia streaming and networking device according to an embodiment of the invention. The method 200 for operating a multimedia streaming and network device can be applied to the multimedia streaming and network device 1 of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a system 3 implemented by the multimedia streaming and networking device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Wherein the application 101, when executed by the processing module 104, operates as a system 3 for performing the method 200 for multimedia streaming and network device operations.

The system 3 includes a software portion and a hardware portion. The software component, which includes the set-top box virtual machine 300, the network software bridge 302, and the multicast group manifest 304, is a software module that is executed by the processing module 104 of fig. 1 after executing the application 101. Thus, the following description of the operations of the set-top box virtual machine 300, the network software bridge 302, and the multicast group list 304 can be understood as actions performed by the processing module 104 after the application 101 is executed.

The hardware portion includes the routing module 100 of fig. 1. The network software bridge 302 is a software and hardware communication interface between the set-top box virtual machine 300 and the routing module 100, and includes a multicast control layer 306 as a processing core for communicating and configuring with respect to multicast.

The method 200 for operating a multimedia streaming and networking device comprises the following steps (it should be understood that the steps mentioned in the present embodiment, except for the specific sequence mentioned above, can be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously according to the actual requirement).

In step 201, the first serial request packet SRE1 corresponding to the physical set-top box 160 is received by the mbs layer 306 through the lan communication port 112 of the routing module 100.

In one embodiment, the physical set-top box 160 may receive a command from, for example, but not limited to, a remote control operated by a user to generate the stream request packet 301, further causing the mbs layer 306 to receive the first stream request packet SRE1 through the lan communication port 112 of the routing module 100.

The stream request packet 301 may include information related to the video stream that the user wants to view, such as but not limited to a code of a certain channel.

In step 202, the multicast control layer 306 starts the multicast and hardware offload functions of the routing module 100 corresponding to the lan communication port 112.

In one embodiment, the multicast control layer 306 stores the information INFO1 of the lan communication port 112 and the phy box 160 in the multicast group list 304. The multicast group list 304 is stored in the storage module 102 of fig. 1, but not limited thereto.

The multicast control layer 306 then updates the multicast register 116 of the routing module 100 to add to the LAN port 112.

In this manner, the multicast control layer 306 can configure the software (multicast group list 304) and the hardware (multicast register 116) to enable the routing module 100 to open the multicast and hardware offload functions of the corresponding lan communication port 112.

In one embodiment, the first streaming request packet SRE1 is an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) packet, and the mbs group list 304 is a network group Management Protocol (mp) group list for multicast communication and configuration.

In step 203, the set-top box virtual machine 300 is operated to access hardware resources, such as but not limited to multimedia streaming and network device 1, to perform set-top box functions.

In one embodiment, multicast control layer 306 may construct a virtual system environment by executing, for example, but not limited to, the Xen architecture or other operating systems, to further establish and manage on-machine box virtual machine 300 in the virtual system environment.

In step 204, a second stream request packet SRE2 corresponding to the on-board box virtual machine 300 is received.

In one embodiment, the second stream request packet SRE2 may be generated by a user via an external remote controller, received by a corresponding receiving module (not shown) of the multimedia stream and network device 1, and transmitted to the processing module 104 for processing by the box virtual machine 300 operating on the processing module 104.

The second stream request packet SRE2 may include information about the video stream that the user wants to view, such as but not limited to the code of a certain channel.

In step 205, the multicast control layer 306 starts the multicast and hardware offload functions of the communication port 114 of the processing module corresponding to the routing module 100.

In one embodiment, the multicast control layer 306 stores the information INFO2 of the processing module communication port 114 of the routing module 100 and the set-top box virtual machine 300 in the multicast group list 304.

The multicast control layer 306 then updates the multicast register 116 of the routing module 100 to add to the processing module port 114.

In this manner, the multicast control layer 306 can configure the software (multicast group list 304) and the hardware (multicast register 116) to enable the routing module 100 to open the multicast and hardware offload functions of the corresponding processing module communication port 114.

In one embodiment, the second stream request packet SRE2 is an nmp packet, and the mbs list 304 is an nmp group list for multicast communication and setup by the nmp.

In step 206, it is determined whether the first streaming request packets SRE1 and SRE2 correspond to the same channel.

When the first stream request packets SRE1 and SRE2 correspond to the same channel, the routing module 100 transmits the video stream VS corresponding to the first and second stream request packets SRE1 and SRE2 from the remote server 150 to the physical set-top box 160 and the set-top box virtual machine 300 through the lan communication port 112 and the processing module communication port 114 for processing and playing, respectively, in step 207.

In more detail, the routing module 100 only needs to transmit a single video stream request packet REQ to the remote server 150 and receive a single video stream VS from the remote server 150 through the wan communication port 110, so as to transmit the single video stream REQ to the physical set-top box 160 and the set-top box virtual machine 300 by multicast.

For example, the routing module 100 transmits the video stream request packet REQ when first receiving the first stream request packet SRE1, and transmits the video stream REQ to the physical set-top box 160 when receiving the video stream VS. Subsequently, when the second stream request packet SRE2 is received, the received video stream VS can be directly distributed to the set-top box virtual machine 300 without transmitting the video stream request packet REQ again.

For the set-top box 160, the routing module 100 directly transmits the video stream VS through the lan communication port 112 in a hardware-offload manner, and does not need to perform software processing, so as to achieve the effect of accelerating the transmission speed of the video stream VS. For the set-top box virtual machine 300, the routing module 100 transmits the video stream VS through the processing module communication port 114 and is processed by the set-top box virtual machine 300 running in software, so as to achieve the effect that the software can also participate in multicast.

When the first serial request packets SRE1 and SRE2 correspond to different first and second channels, in step 208, the routing module 100 transmits the video stream VS corresponding to the first serial request packet SRE1 from the remote server 150 to the physical set-top box 160 through the lan communication port 112 for processing and playing, and transmits the video stream VS corresponding to the second serial request packet SRE2 to the set-top box virtual machine 300 through the processing module communication port 114 for processing and playing.

In more detail, the routing module 100 needs to transmit two different video stream request packets REQ to the remote server 150 and receive two different video streams VS from the remote server 150 to be transmitted to the physical set-top box 160 and the set-top box virtual machine 300, respectively.

It should be noted that in an implementation case, taking the lan communication port 112 corresponding to the physical set-top box 160 as an example, the mbs layer 306 actually transmits the video stream request packet REQ to the remote server 150 through the routing module 100 after storing the information INFO1 in the mbs group list 304, and further receives the video stream VS from the remote server 150 through the wan communication port 110 of the routing module 100 after receiving the request and initiating transmission of the video stream VS at the remote server 150. At this time, the video stream VS is still processed by the software (the processing module 104). The mbs layer 306 then updates the mbs register 116 of the routing module 100 to add to the lan port 112 so that the subsequent video stream VS is directly transmitted by the hardware (routing module 100) to the physical set-top box 160 for processing.

Since the routing module 100 has already started the multicast and hardware offload functions, the video stream VS does not need to be processed by the multicast control layer 306, and can be received by the routing module 100 from the wan communication port 110, and then directly transmitted to the stb 160 through the lan communication port 112 for processing and playing.

It is noted that the flow of fig. 2 illustrates that the request for the video stream is first made by the physical set-top box 160, and then made by the set-top box virtual machine 300. However, in other embodiments, the request for the video stream may be made by the set-top box virtual machine 300 before the request for the video stream is made by the physical set-top box 160.

Also, the system 3 of fig. 3 is only shown as an example. In other embodiments, it is also possible to operate a system comprising different software modules depending on the application 101 executed by the processing module 104.

The invention has the advantages that the multimedia streaming and network device can receive the video streaming of the remote server through the routing module to process and play simultaneously by the multicast of the local area network communication port and the processing module communication port and the opening of the hardware unloading function. Therefore, the multimedia streaming and network device can make the set-top box virtual machine supporting software perform multicast video streaming while maintaining the hardware unloading function of the physical set-top box.

The above description is only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention, and any modifications, equivalents and improvements made within the spirit of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.