| 摘要 |
The invention relates to methods and devices of distributing data content in a live streaming peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In a first aspect of the present invention a method is provided of distributing data content in a P2P live streaming network comprising a plurality of peers and a streaming source periodically producing segments representing the data content to be distributed, wherein a group of the peers are assigned to download the data content from the streaming source and to distribute the downloaded data content to remaining peers in the P2P network. The method comprises making requests, from a first peer comprised in the group, for a current segment produced by the streaming source, the requests being made at a rate higher than a rate with which the segments are produced by the streaming source. Further, the method comprises announcing, if the first peer is the peer in the group being the first to download the current segment, that the current segment has been downloaded, wherein the network peers can download the current segment from said first peer; or else downloading the current segment from a second peer in the group being the first to download the current segment, which second peer announces the download of the current segment on the P2P network. |
