JP2007013364A - Content viewing and listening system and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize remote control according to a viewing and listening style of diversified contents in accordance with a case of individual viewing and listening or a case, in which two or more persons view and listen a large scale screen at the viewing and listening of a cable TV or the like through a set top box. <P>SOLUTION: Content in a system is acquired through an IP network 4, and the content is generated through a TV screen 2a. The system includes a PDA 1 having a touch panel 1a for entering user's operation and displaying data, and a set top box 2 for separating local displaying data generated from the TV screen 2a and remote displaying data generated from the touch panel 1a and selecting one out of displaying data included in the content, carrying out radio communication with PDA1, and displaying the remote displaying data on the PDA1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a content viewing system and a content viewing method for acquiring content such as video, audio, and character information through a network such as the Internet and outputting the content from an external output device such as a monitor or a speaker.

  In recent years, cable TV and Internet TV are becoming popular due to the development of communication networks. In this cable TV or Internet TV, video, audio, text information, etc. are received by a set top box through a cable or IP network and output from a TV monitor or the like. According to such a set-top box, terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, cable TV, and VOD (Video On Demand) distribution can be received in a lump, and programs spanning multiple channels can be viewed.

When viewing such a program, channel switching and program selection operations are usually performed with a remote controller. By the way, as described above, cable television and the like have become multi-channel, and the operation of the remote controller has become complicated due to the multi-functionality of devices such as set-top boxes and televisions. In addition, the number of remote control terminals tends to increase as the device becomes remote control. On the other hand, with the increase in the number of communication terminals such as mobile phones and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistance), the mobile phone terminals will also have the functions of a remote control. Technology has been proposed (eg PDA1).
JP2003-143670

  However, in recent years, the content provided by cable television and the like has been diversified, and simply by providing a remote control function to a mobile phone terminal or the like as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, a dial button is simply used. There is a problem that it is necessary to control only by the operation of, and can not cope sufficiently.

  In addition, since the display screen of the mobile phone terminal is small and the TV screen can be operated on a large screen compared to the display part of the mobile phone terminal, there is a demand for operation and viewing using the large screen effectively. is there. On the other hand, TVs are often viewed by multiple people such as family members, but depending on the content provided on the Internet, authentication information and personal information may be entered and presented, and a large screen may be viewed by multiple people. There is also a request to temporarily switch to personal viewing even when viewing.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above points, and when viewing content on a cable TV or the like, it appropriately corresponds to a case where a large screen is viewed by a plurality of people, a case where it is viewed personally, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a content viewing system and a content viewing method that enable remote control according to a variety of content viewing styles.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a system and method for acquiring content through a network, outputting the content from an external output device, and viewing the content, and remote input for inputting a user operation And a portable information terminal having a remote display for displaying display data.

  In the present invention, in the portable information terminal, the user operation in the remote input unit is transmitted through wireless communication, the user operation is received by wireless communication, and the output control unit outputs local display data from the external output device. Controls the cooperative operation with the remote display data based on the received user operation, performs wireless communication with the portable information terminal, and transmits the remote display data according to the control by the output control unit The received remote display data is received and output from the remote display unit.

  According to the present invention, among the content to be viewed, data to be viewed on a large screen such as a TV screen and data to be viewed at the user's hand can be separately displayed and output. The display mode can be made to correspond to each type of program to be performed, and the convenience can be improved. That is, display information and operations between the external output device and the portable information terminal can be shared and linked, and by complementing each other, the portable information terminal can be used as a sub-information display device of the external output device, It can function as a simple information input device and an authentication device, and the external output device can function as a display device and a high-performance information processing device of a portable information terminal.

  In the above invention, the output control unit and the wireless communication unit are provided on a management server arranged on the network, and the remote display data and the local display data are provided to the portable information terminal and the external output device through the network. It is preferable. In this case, since the display data provided to the external output device and the portable information terminal is controlled by the management server on the network, the external output device and the portable information may be provided as long as an interface connected to the network is provided. Linkage of display data can be realized without requiring a communication interface with the terminal.

  In the above invention, the local display data and the remote display data are included in the content and distributed through the network, and the output control unit is connected to the external output device and can directly communicate with the portable information terminal. The local display data output from the external output device and the remote display data output from the remote display unit are separated from the display data included in the content. Preferably, the wireless communication unit is selected and output, and the wireless communication unit is further disposed in the user side device and further has a function of transmitting data for remote display to the remote display unit. In this case, the remote display data and the local display data can be distributed together with the contents, and the user's home device such as a set-top box controls the linkage of these display data, and the system in the home Therefore, it is possible to select whether the screen to be output and displayed is a large screen or a display at hand, and it is possible to appropriately respond to user needs.

  In the above invention, the remote input unit is preferably a graphic interface virtually displayed on the remote display unit, and the remote display data is preferably for forming a graphic interface. In this case, the form of the remote input unit can be changed for each content, and a user interface suitable for the content can be provided.

  In the above invention, the remote display data is information for inputting authentication information for authenticating the user, and the remote input unit preferably has a function of inputting the authentication information. In this case, on screens that require authentication information and personal information to be entered, it is possible to perform operations using the remote input unit at hand, so that authentication information etc. is not seen by other viewers and security is improved. Can be achieved.

  In the above invention, the display data output control means is preferably software provided through a network and executed by an arithmetic processing unit in the set top box. In this case, a function to separate and select display data can be created on the service provider side and supplied to the user, and an interface corresponding to the type of service reflects the intention of the service provider side. The service can be improved.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when viewing content such as cable television through a set-top box or the like, it is suitable for cases where a large screen is viewed by a plurality of people, personal viewing, etc. Remote control according to the viewing style of diversified content becomes possible.

[First embodiment]
(Content viewing system)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the content viewing system according to the present embodiment. The “module” used in the description refers to a functional unit that is configured by hardware such as an apparatus or a device, software having the function, or a combination thereof, and achieves a predetermined operation. .

  The content viewing system according to the present embodiment is a system that acquires content through the IP network 4 and outputs the content from the television screen 2a. Specifically, this system includes a set-top box 2 connected to an IP network 4 via a modem 3, a TV screen 2a connected to the set-top box 2, and a remote controller that operates the set-top box 2. It is composed of PDA1.

  In this embodiment, the content is an image file, a music file, or an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) file that is streamed and distributed by the VOD system, in addition to video and audio signals, and is distributed from the content server 5 on the IP network 4, for example. . The content server 5 is a server computer that transmits information such as the above-mentioned file in a document system such as the World Wide Web (WWW) or software having a function thereof. The content server 5 stores information such as videos, sounds, HTML documents, and images. The information is stored, and the information is transmitted through the IP network 4 in response to a request from the set top box 2.

  The IP network 4 is a distributed type constructed by connecting various communication lines (public lines such as telephone lines, ISDN lines, ADSL lines, private lines, wireless communication networks) using the communication protocol TCP / IP. This is an IP network, and this IP network includes LANs such as 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX intranets (enterprise networks) and home networks.

  The modem 3 is a modulation / demodulation device that converts digital data transmitted from the set top box 2 into a voice signal and transmits it to a telephone line, or converts a voice signal received through the telephone line into digital data. This modem has a signal converter that converts an ADSL signal received through a public network to a LAN (10BASE-T, etc.) signal and vice versa in order to connect the information terminal device to the ADSL line. (ADSL modem) is also included. The ADSL modem may have a built-in splitter that separates ADSL signals and audio signals transmitted and received through the same public telephone line network. In the present embodiment, the modem 3 and the set top box 2 have a function of transmitting and receiving data by wireless communication such as wireless LAN.

  The PDA 1 is an arithmetic processing device including a CPU, and is a communication terminal having a wireless communication function and capable of mobile communication. The PDA 1 also has various functions such as a digital camera function, an application software execution function, or a GPS function.

  In particular, the PDA 1 includes a touch panel 1a. The touch panel 1a is a user interface that functions as a remote input unit that inputs a user operation and a remote display unit that displays display data. In this touch panel 1a, a graphic interface is virtually displayed on the display by remote display data transmitted from the application execution unit 23, and a character input or a click operation such as a button is performed on the display by a device such as the stylus pen 1b. The input operation signal is transmitted to the application execution unit 23 through the wireless interface 21.

  The set-top box 2 is a device that acquires and accumulates content from the IP network 4 and outputs it from the television screen 2a to allow viewing of video and audio. Specifically, the set top box 2 includes a content acquisition unit 22, a hard disk management unit 24, an application execution unit 23, a hard disk 26, a wireless interface 21, and an output interface 25.

  The content acquisition unit 22 is a circuit that provides a so-called tuner function that modulates a signal received by the modem 3, converts the signal into a predetermined digital signal, and outputs the digital signal. By changing the frequency (or code), the content acquisition unit 22 The contents of each channel such as wave broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, cable TV, radio broadcasting, etc. can be received. The content acquisition unit 22 also has a function of receiving the above-described network content such as HTML and moving image distribution through the modem 3 using a communication protocol such as TCP / IP. The reception signal received by the content acquisition unit 22 is output to the application execution unit 23 and can be recorded on the hard disk 26 through the hard disk management unit 24.

  Note that in this embodiment, the content acquisition unit 22 only acquires content from the IP network 4, but for example, receives broadcast radio waves with an antenna built in (or attached to) a circuit or provides a connection terminal for a TV antenna. The broadcast signal may be acquired by connecting to another antenna device.

  The hard disk 26 is a large-capacity storage device, and data input / output is controlled by the hard disk management unit 24. For example, the content received by the content acquisition unit 22 is stored, or the stored content is read in response to a request from the application execution unit 23.

  The application execution unit 23 is an arithmetic processing device that executes a program for viewing received content. The application execution unit 23 also has a function for starting and executing browser software. With this browser software, HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files, image files, and music files distributed by the content server 5 on the IP network 4 are provided. Can be downloaded, analyzed and displayed / reproduced to browse web pages, and broadcast content and net content (images and videos) can be combined and output in this web page.

  Further, in the application execution unit 23, as shown in FIG. 2, among the display data D2 included in the content D1 acquired by the content acquisition unit 22, local display data D3 to be output from the television screen 2a, and PDA1 It also has a function as an output control section that separates, selects and outputs remote display data D4 output from the side touch panel 1a.

  In the present embodiment, the application execution unit 23 selects display data (switching control) based on a user operation input from the touch panel 1a. In addition, input data (user operation signal) input from the touch panel 1a is transmitted to the content server 5 through the application execution unit 23. This allows the user to perform authentication procedures and procedures related to other services. It can be done on the screen at hand.

  In the present embodiment, the output control function in the application execution unit 23 is provided by download or the like from the content server 5 through the IP network 4, and is realized by software executed by the application execution unit 23 in the set top box 2. The

  The wireless interface 21 shown in FIG. 1 is a module that performs wireless communication with a portable information terminal, receives a user operation input from a remote input unit, and transmits remote display data to a remote display unit. . The wireless interface 21 is a module that receives an operation signal from the PDA 1 described above, in addition to an operation device such as a remote controller, and outputs the received operation signal to the application execution unit 23. The application execution unit 23 has a function of switching a channel to be displayed on the television screen 2a based on an operation signal received by the wireless interface 21.

  The output interface 25 is an interface for outputting the local display data separated and selected by the application execution unit 23 from the television screen 2a.

(How to view content)
By operating the content viewing system having the above configuration, the content viewing method of the present invention can be implemented. 3 to 5 are explanatory diagrams illustrating a viewing method according to the present embodiment.

(1) Browsing Stock Information FIG. 3 shows an example of browsing stock information as content. That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, the stock brand search or the like is performed on the PDA 1 at hand, and the stock price chart display or the like is performed on the TV screen 2a. On the touch panel 1a of the PDA 1, a direction key 1c for search, a text box for character input, and the like can be displayed.

  The operation of the system when browsing the stock information will be described. FIG. 2B is a sequence diagram showing the operation of this system.

  As shown in the figure, first, display data for brand search is displayed on the PDA 1 side, a text box for entering search conditions, etc. is displayed, and a list of brands is displayed as a search result (S101). . The user displays an issue by scrolling the issue list on the screen of PDA 1 and selects an arbitrary issue (here, issue A) (S102).

  The selected operation signal is transmitted to the set top box 2 side (S103 and S104). Based on this operation signal, a request to display information on the brand A is transmitted to the content server 5, and the information on the brand A is the content. Is transmitted from the content server 5 to the set top box 2 and displayed on the television screen 2a of the set top box 2 (S105). The display information of the brand A includes display data related to the transaction operation for the brand, and can be transferred to an arbitrary procedure (for example, “buy order” or “sell order”) by an operation on the TV screen 2a. It is like that.

  The user selects a transaction on the TV screen 2a (S106), and based on this, the display data for the selected transaction is transmitted to the PDA1 side (S107), and the transaction screen is displayed on the touch panel 1a (S108). The transaction operation can be started (S109).

  By browsing stock information like this, operations such as character search, input of characters, display of many stock lists, etc. should be operated and displayed on the PDA1 at hand and viewed on a large screen such as a stock chart Since the information is displayed on the television screen, the burden on the user can be reduced and the information can be displayed by effectively utilizing the large screen.

(2) Browsing news information FIG. 4 shows an example of browsing news information as content. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, browsing of news composed of a large number of characters is performed on the PDA 1 side, and video display is performed on the television screen 2a. On the touch panel 1a of the PDA 1, a direction key 1c for search, a text box for character input, and the like can be displayed.

  The operation of the system when browsing the news information will be described. FIG. 2B is a sequence diagram showing the operation of this system.

  As shown in the figure, first, a headline list for news selection is displayed on the TV screen 2a side (S201), and a direction key 1c is displayed on the PDA1 side. The desired headline can be selected by operating the PDA 1 (S202 and S203).

  The selected news text is transmitted to the PDA 1 side and can be viewed on the PDA 1 side (S204 and S205). In response to the display on the PDA 1 side, on the set top box 2 side, the browsed headline is regarded as already read (S206).

  Subsequently, on the television screen 2a side, a character string, video, and audio are prepared as local display data as information related to the browsed headline. When the user further requests information related to the already read headline, the user performs a selection operation on the PDA 1 side (S207 and S208). By this selection operation, for example, video and audio are reproduced on the set top box 2 side (S209), and a character string of the related information is transmitted to the PDA 1 side, and the text of the related information can be viewed on the PDA 1 side ( S210 and S211).

  According to such browsing of news information, the display of the news text, etc. is operated and displayed on the PDA 1 at hand, and information to be viewed on a large screen such as video is displayed on the TV screen, so the user's operational burden Can be reduced and information can be displayed using the large screen effectively.

(3) Authentication Operation FIG. 5 illustrates a case where a login screen as content is displayed. That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, input of authentication information such as a password is performed on the PDA 1 at hand. The touch panel 1a of the PDA 1 can display a text box for inputting characters and the like, but no display related to it is made on the TV screen 2a side.

  The operation of the system when performing this authentication operation will be described. FIG. 2B is a sequence diagram showing the operation of this system.

  As shown in the figure, when a transition is made to a login screen for a certain service on the TV screen 2a (S301), an authentication information input screen for the login screen is transmitted to the PDA1 side (S302), and the login screen is enlarged on the PDA1 side. (S303).

  The user inputs authentication information such as a user ID and a password on the login screen of the touch panel 1a on the PDA 1 side (S304). This input authentication information is transmitted from the PDA 1 to the set top box 2 side, and is transmitted to the content server 5 through the IP network 4 to perform authentication processing (S305 to S307). After the authentication is completed, service content is provided from the content server 5 (S308).

  According to such browsing of news information, since the screen for inputting authentication information is operated and displayed on the PDA 1 at hand, the burden on the user's operation can be reduced, and authentication information etc. can be transferred to other viewers. Therefore, the security can be improved.

(Example of change)
In the embodiment described above, the application execution unit and the wireless communication interface are provided in the set top box. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in FIG. May be provided.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the content viewing system according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the functions and the like are the same unless otherwise specified, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, in the first embodiment described above, the application execution unit provided in the set-top box and the communication server with the PDA 1 are provided in the content server 5 of the IP network 4 article, and the set-top box 2 and the PDA 1 Data transmission / reception between them is performed via the IP network 4.

  Specifically, a radio base station 6 is provided instead of the wireless interface 21 in the first embodiment, and the remote display data D4 and input data (operation signal) are transmitted through the radio base station 6 and the IP network 4 to the content server. Send to 5.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the content server 5 communicates with the application execution unit 23 in the set-top box 2 and transmits the local display data D3 to the set-top box 2, and the display data in the application execution unit 23. Remotely control the switching control.

  That is, the content server 5 acquires operation data from the PDA 1 via the radio base station 6, and based on this operation data, the display data display on the TV screen 2a and the display data display on the PDA 1 are linked. The remote control data D4 corresponding to this control is transmitted to the PDA 1, and switching in the application execution unit 23 is controlled.

  Thereby, according to the present embodiment, even if an interface for direct wireless communication is not provided between the set top box 2 and the PDA 1, the above-described display function is provided via the communication function to the IP network 4. Data switching control and the like can be executed.

[Example of change]
In the first and second embodiments described above, the system of the present invention has been described as an example using stock information and news browsing, authentication procedures, but the present invention is not limited to this, for example, In addition to watching videos on TV and on-demand distribution / recording, the system can be used for e-mails, browsers, music, online games, etc., a system in which a personal computer is integrated with a TV, and services provided by this system.

  In the above-described embodiment, the PDA 1 is used only as a remote controller of the system. However, by using the information processing function and the communication function of the PDA 1, it is possible to perform more advanced through data transmission / reception and information processing with respect to the network. Content viewing can be realized.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a content viewing system according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram conceptually showing an operation of the content viewing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a stock information viewing method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a news information viewing method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation method during authentication processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a content viewing system according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a content viewing system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram conceptually showing an operation of the content viewing system according to the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

D1… Content
D2 ... Display data
D3 ... Data for local display
D4 ... Remote display data
1 ... PDA
1a… Touch panel
1b ... stylus pen
1c… Direction key
2 ... Set top box
2a… TV screen
3 ... modem
4 ... IP network
5 ... Content server
6 ... Radio base station
21… Wireless interface
22… Content acquisition department
23… Application execution part
24… Hard Disk Management Department
25… Output interface
26… Hard disk

Claims (11)

A content viewing system for acquiring content through a network and outputting the content from an external output device,
Mobile information having a remote input unit for inputting user operations, a remote display unit for displaying display data, a function for transmitting user operations in the remote input unit, and a function for receiving remote display data output from the remote display unit A terminal,
An output control unit for controlling the cooperative operation of the local display data to be output from the external output device and the remote display data based on a user operation;
A wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the portable information terminal, receives a user operation input through the remote input unit, and transmits the remote display data in accordance with control by the output control unit And a content viewing system.   The output control unit and the wireless communication unit are provided on a management server disposed on the network, and the remote display data and the local display data are transmitted through the network to the portable information terminal and the external output device. 2. The content viewing system according to claim 1, wherein the content viewing system is provided. The local display data and the remote display data are included in the content and distributed through the network.
The output control unit is disposed in a user-side device installed at a position where the external output device is connected and can directly communicate with the portable information terminal, and among the display data included in the content , Selecting and outputting the local display data to be output from the external output device and the remote display data to be output from the remote display unit;
2. The content viewing system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is arranged in the user side device and further has a function of transmitting the remote display data to the remote display unit.   2. The remote input unit is a graphic interface virtually displayed on the remote display unit, and the remote display data is for forming the graphic interface. Content viewing system.   2. The content viewing according to claim 1, wherein the remote display data is information for inputting authentication information for authenticating a user, and the remote input unit has a function of inputting authentication information. system.   2. The content viewing system according to claim 1, wherein the output control unit is software provided through the network and executed by an arithmetic processing unit in the set top box. A method of acquiring content through a network, outputting the content from an external output device, and viewing the content,
In a portable information terminal having a remote input unit for inputting a user operation and a remote display unit for displaying display data, a step (1) of transmitting the user operation in the remote input unit through wireless communication,
The user operation input by the remote input unit is received, and in the output control unit, the cooperative operation between the local display data to be output from the external output device and the remote display data is received. (2) controlling based on
Performing wireless communication with the portable information terminal, and transmitting the remote display data according to the control by the output control unit (3);
Receiving the remote display data transmitted in step (3), and outputting the data from the remote display unit (4).   The output control unit and the wireless communication unit are provided on a management server disposed on the network, and the remote display data and the local display data are transmitted through the network to the portable information terminal and the external output device. 8. The content viewing method according to claim 7, wherein the content viewing method is provided. The local display data and the remote display data are included in the content and distributed through the network.
The output control unit is disposed in a user-side device installed at a position where the external output device is connected and can directly communicate with the portable information terminal, and among the display data included in the content , Selecting and outputting the local display data to be output from the external output device and the remote display data to be output from the remote display unit;
8. The content viewing method according to claim 7, wherein the wireless communication unit is further disposed in the user side device and further has a function of transmitting the remote display data to the remote display unit.   8. The remote input unit is a graphic interface virtually displayed on the remote display unit, and the remote display data is for forming the graphic interface. To watch the content of 8. The content display according to claim 7, wherein the remote display data is information for inputting authentication information for authenticating a user, and the remote input unit has a function of inputting authentication information. How to watch.