JPH1146170A - Method for expressing multimedia contents, expression device and program storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize communication utilizing multimedia contents at a low communication cost and to customize the contents in a system where the multimedia contents are expressed as sets of objects. SOLUTION: Multimedia contents expression devices 1A, 1B of the user receive and store media objects 2A, 2B distributed by broadcast and share the media data. In the case of conducting communication by using the multimedia contents between the users, a script to specify the operation of the media objects 2A, 2B is generated and the script is communicated. Based on the script, multimedia contents expressions 4A, 4B are generated from the media objects 2A, 2B based on the script and outputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the technical fields of multimedia broadcasting, multimedia communication, and multimedia application. In particular, the present invention relates to multimedia objects such as video, CG (Computer Graphics), and sound. By expressing the media objects in advance by broadcasting, etc., multimedia content can be expressed simply by sending and receiving data such as scripts that associate media objects. The present invention relates to a multimedia content expression method, a multimedia content expression device, and a program storage medium for realizing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) has been connected via a network such as the Internet.
There is a service form for distributing contents such as three-dimensional CG using data such as e). Also, a technique of broadcasting multimedia contents to a large number of devices via the Internet or the like is used. It has also been considered to stream WWW (World Wide Web) data by ordinary wireless broadcasting.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A technology that enables video and other various media data to be shared between information processing apparatuses connected via a network, and enables communication with a partner using the media. Is useful. However, the amount of data flowing as a stream such as video is enormous, and a huge communication amount is required to transfer media such as video in a network communication system. For this reason, communication that requires frequent transfer of media data such as video in the network communication system presently has a problem of communication traffic. However, a problem of communication cost occurs.

[0004] As a solution to the problem of the communication cost, it is considered that media data is distributed by broadcasting, the distributed media data is shared with a communication partner, and communication is performed based on the media data. Can be However, in order to individually perform necessary communication, it is not enough to use uniformly distributed media data, and it is necessary to customize media data according to the purpose of communication.

[0005] However, in ordinary broadcasting or WWW broadcasting, only stream content distribution or entire application distribution can be performed, and a user who performs communication customizes media data and shares it with the other party. There was no mechanism.

As means for distributing an enormous amount of media, distribution using a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM may be considered, but there is a problem that large-scale distribution of fresh data is difficult. there were.

The present invention solves the above problems, realizes communication using multimedia contents at a low communication cost, enables customization of contents, and handles fresh data. The purpose is to:

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of generation of a scene from a media object according to the present invention.

In the present invention, multimedia contents are handled in units of objects such as video, CG, and sound, and each is distributed as a media object 2 by broadcasting.

[0010] In the user's multimedia contents expressing apparatus 1A, 1B, the media distributed by broadcasting is used.
Objects 2A and 2B are received and stored, and their media data is shared. The sharing here means
This means that a plurality of user terminals have the same data.

In order to communicate between users using multimedia contents, a script that defines the operation of the media objects 2A and 2B is created (object operation descriptions 3A and 3B), and the script is multiplied. Media / content expression device 1
Communication between A and 1B. In the multimedia content expression devices 1A and 1B, based on the script created by the user and the script received from the partner device, respectively,
Various media objects 2A and 2B are processed and combined, and output to a display device, a speaker device, and the like (expressions 4A and 4B).

FIG. 2 shows an example of handling and expressing media in units of objects. For example, as shown in FIG.
It is individually generated as image object data 2-3, and each of them is distributed by broadcasting. The multimedia content expression devices 1A and 1B receive and accumulate them, and when necessary, mutually communicate a script that defines these operations, and transmit the video object data 2-1, 2-2,. From the image object data 2-3 and the script, for example, FIG.
As shown in (B), processing for synthesizing multimedia objects is performed to express multimedia contents.

Thus, the multimedia contents expressing apparatuses 1A and 1B can display the common multimedia contents and communicate with each other only by communicating the script.

Although two multimedia content expression devices 1A and 1B are shown here, it is a matter of course that a media object is similarly processed among three or more multimedia content expression devices and multimedia content expression devices 1A and 1B are processed.
Communication using contents is also possible.

Although a large number of media objects 2 are distributed by broadcasting from a server, it is not necessary to store all of them in the multimedia content expression apparatuses 1A and 1B on the user side, and it is hard to store all of them. It is not realistic in terms of hardware. Therefore, the data of the media object 2 is distributed with the header of the field to which the object belongs, and the user interprets the header and selects and stores only the object of the necessary field.

The media object 2 has, in a header or the like, identification information unique to data to be used in a script that defines their operations. A program for realizing the above functions by the computers of the multimedia content expression apparatuses 1A and 1B can be stored in an appropriate storage medium such as a computer-readable portable medium memory, a semiconductor memory, and a hard disk.

[0017]

FIG. 3 shows an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. The media object server 20 includes a media object generation unit 21 that can handle multimedia such as images and sounds on an object basis (media object), and a media object transmission unit 22 that distributes the broadcast by broadcasting. Have.

Further, the multimedia content expression devices 1A and 1B selectively extract and store only necessary data for each user from a large amount of media objects distributed by broadcasting, and store the data between a plurality of users. , Media object selective storage units 10A and 10B for sharing media object data, media object operation defining units 11A and 11B for generating scripts describing operations / changes of media objects, and generated scripts The media object operation communication units 12A and 12B communicate between the users, and the expression units 13A and 13B such as viewers that process and express the media objects by specified operations.

Each media object transmitted from the media object transmitting unit 22 has data of each medium such as an image and a sound and an identifier unique to the data, and the data is shared between users by broadcasting. Sometimes, it is possible to associate media object data. Each media object has an identifier indicating the field to which it belongs, thereby facilitating selection in the media object selective storage units 10A and 10B.

The operation of the system shown in FIG. 3 is as follows. In the media object server 20,
The video generated by the media object generation unit 21,
Media objects such as three-dimensional CG and sound are distributed to the user by the media object transmitting unit 22 using broadcasting. It should be noted that a standard script that defines their operations may be delivered together with the delivery of the media object as needed.

Examples of the media object generated by the media object generating section 21 include a specific object of a scene in a video image. To a media object distributed by broadcasting, data for identifying the object (object identification header) and data indicating a field to which the object belongs (object field header) are added.

FIG. 4 shows an example of object data to be distributed. The object data distributed from the media object server 20 includes, for example, an object identification header, an object field header, and video object data first screen, second screen,... As shown in FIG. It consists of media data. The object identification header may be, for example, a distribution date and time, a broadcast station name, a channel number, and the like.
Hierarchical classification information is set. In this example, the fields are classified as large, medium, and small, and are respectively "animal", "dog", and "Akita dog".

In general, the objects required for communication are limited, and can be subdivided into, for example, a field of hobbies, such as baseball, soccer, golf, car,... Make object selection easier.

In the multimedia content expression devices 1A and 1B of each of the users U1 and U2, the media object selective storage units 10A and 10B refer to the object field header from a plurality of distributed media data. It is determined whether or not the data is necessary. When it is determined that the data is necessary, the data is stored in a storage device such as a DVD-RAM. Multimedia content expression device 1
A and 1B have means for registering necessary field information in advance for this selection. Of course, when the broadcast content is known from a program table or the like in advance, the media object to be saved may be selected according to the distribution date and time or the designation of the broadcast station instead of the field.

Thereafter, the media object operation defining sections 11A and 11B generate a script that defines the temporal arrangement, the spatial arrangement, the size, and the like of the media object necessary for the user to express. To generate this script, a GUI (Graphical User Interfac
It is desirable that a script editor using e) can be used. The script is not limited to text data defining the operation of the media object, but may be a computer language described by a mobile code in a network.

Media / object operation communication unit 12
A and 12B transfer the script of the operation data to the party with whom communication is desired. Expression units 13A, 13B
Then, based on the script generated by the own device and the script generated by the partner device, multimedia contents are expressed using the stored media objects. As a result, the multimedia content expressing apparatuses 1A and 1B at remote locations can output the same multimedia content only by transmitting and receiving the script without transmitting and receiving the entity of the media object.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, when a screen is generated by arranging a video object of a butterfly and a yacht on a background image, a screen of the video object is displayed for each screen of the video object. It is necessary to give the position within and the scaling factor of the object. In addition, since a plurality of objects may overlap, layer information that precedes and follows the objects is required.

If a script for providing information defining these is described, a scene as shown in FIG. 2B can be synthesized in real time by the viewer in the expression units 13A and 13B in FIG. As the combining method, a method of drawing a background first, then drawing an object (yacht) in the back, and further drawing an object (butterfly) in the foreground is used.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a video object, FIG. 6 shows an example of a script, and FIG. 7 shows an example of image generation by a script. As shown in FIG. O. 1, M. O. 2, M. O. There is a video object represented by M.3. O. 1 are video object data composed of frames F11, F12,. O. 2 are video object data composed of frames F21, F22,. O. The object of frame 3 is frame F3
It is assumed that the video object data is composed of 1, F32,.

On the other hand, for example, by giving a script as shown in FIG. 6, an image as shown in FIG. 7 can be generated. For example, the frame F2 shown in FIG.
Is based on the description of the script defining the frame F2 shown in FIG. O. 1 to the coordinates (x1
2, y12) at a magnification of 1 and then video
Object M. O. 2 is placed at the position of the coordinates (x22, y22) at an enlargement factor of 1, and then the video object M.2 is placed.
O. 3 is arranged at the position of coordinates (x32, y32) at an enlargement factor of 2.

In practice, mask data or the like for distinguishing a transparent portion from an opaque portion is used as each video object data. However, since it is a matter of design, a detailed description here will be omitted. Omitted. If the media object is audio, as a script:
For example, the size, speed, sound quality, etc. of the sound can be specified.

As described above, when a script for controlling an object as shown in FIG. 6 is transferred to a communication partner by communication, which object is determined by the object identifier described in the script, The content as shown in FIG. 7 can be reproduced by the motion control information described in the script. If the distribution date and time or broadcast station name data is used as the contents of the identifier for specifying the object distributed by the broadcast as described above, it is convenient to organize the media objects. Such a thing may be used.

FIG. 8 is a processing flowchart of the multimedia content expression device. Upon receiving the broadcast data (media object), the media object selective storage unit 10 determines whether the broadcast data is the same header as the object field header specified in advance (steps S1 and S2). In the case of the same header, the received broadcast data is stored as a file in the media
Store in the object storage device 30 (step S
3).

Media / object operation defining unit 11
Is a media object editor (script
The editor defines the temporal and spatial position and size of the object (step S4). Then, a script is created based on the specified data (step S
5).

Media / object operation communication unit 12
Sends the created script to another user (step S6). On the other hand, if there is a script from another user, the script is received (steps S7, S7).
8).

The expression unit 13 merges the created script with the script received from another user (Step S).
9) The multimedia content is represented by the script merged with the corresponding media object stored in the media object storage device 30 and output to an appropriate output device such as a display device according to the media (step). S10).

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By expressing multimedia contents as a set of media objects such as video, CG, and sound, and distributing the objects in advance, it is possible to communicate user-customized multimedia contents only by transmitting and receiving association data. It becomes possible to share with the other party.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of generating a scene from a media object according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of distributed object data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a video object.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a script.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of image generation by a script.

FIG. 8 is a processing flowchart of the multimedia content expression device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A, 1B Multimedia content expression device 2, 2A, 2B Media object 3A, 3B Description of object operation 4A, 4B Multimedia content expression

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 5/268 G06F 15/40 370G 7/08 H04N 7/08 Z 7/081 G06F 15/62 U // G06T 1/00

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A multimedia system for representing multimedia content as a set of media objects.
A content expression method, comprising: distributing the media object to a plurality of multimedia content expression devices in advance by broadcasting, storing the distributed media object, and associating the media object with each other. A step of transmitting and receiving a script defining an operation to be performed between the plurality of multimedia content expression devices; and a step of processing and outputting the stored media object by an operation defined by the script. A multimedia content expression method characterized by the following. 2. The multimedia content expression method according to claim 1, wherein the media object distributed by the broadcast has identification information unique to each data, and the media object is defined by the script based on the identification information. A multimedia content expression method characterized in that it is possible to associate the contents. 3. The multimedia content expression method according to claim 1, wherein the media object distributed by the broadcast is the media object.
In the process of storing the distributed media objects having the identification information indicating the field to which the object belongs, each user selectively stores only the necessary media objects using the identification information indicating the field specified in advance. A multimedia content expression method characterized by the following. 4. A multimedia content rendering device for outputting multimedia content represented as a set of media objects, comprising: means for receiving and storing media objects distributed by broadcasting; Means for creating / editing a script defining an operation by associating objects with each other; means for communicating the script with another media / content expression device; and an operation defined by the script. Means for processing and outputting the selected media object. 5. A program storage medium storing a program for realizing a multimedia content expression device that outputs multimedia content expressed as a set of media objects, wherein the program stores media objects distributed by broadcasting. A process of receiving and storing, a process of creating and editing a script that defines an operation by associating the media objects, a process of communicating the script with another media / content expression device, A program storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process of processing and outputting the stored media object by an operation specified by a script.