ES2719695T3 - System to distribute and select multiple audio and / or video streams to active peripherals from a home server computer - Google Patents

Abstract

An audio and / or video flow distribution system, AV, comprising: - a plurality of active peripherals (14), each comprising: - means (36, 38) for receiving a plurality of broadcast channels of a plurality corresponding AV streams; - control means (40, 46, 48), comprising means for selecting one of the channels of said plurality of channels; - an interface (46, 48) to control the return of the AV flow; and - means for restitution of audio and / or video of the amplification (42, 44) of the AV flow of the channel selected by the control means, - a home server equipment (10) comprising: - means (22, 24, 26) to receive and / or store a plurality of AV streams; and - means (30, 32, 34) for emitting towards the active peripherals of said AV flows in a plurality of respective channels, this server equipment (10) storing an emission table defining a configuration of one or more groups, which gather , each one, at least one active peripheral, one peripheral belonging at most to a single group, each group being associated to a different AV flow and the groups being defined dynamically, modifiable at will over time, characterized in that The control means of each active peripheral (14) comprise: - said interface (46, 48) for controlling the return of the AV flow, which comprises a specific multifunction key (52) for assigning change; - means to access the broadcast table stored by the server equipment, to explore existing groups by selecting channels corresponding to the AV streams listed in the broadcast table; and - means for selectively: a) with a play / pause key (56) of said interface (46, 48) for controlling the return of the AV flow and in the absence of pressing on said specific multifunction key (52) of change of assignment, start the emission of the AV flow of the group to which the peripheral belongs, b) by one or several presses of said specific multifunction key (52) of change of assignment until the selection of the channel corresponding to an existing group, join to said existing group to which the peripheral does not belong; c) by means of one or more presses of said specific multifunction key (52) of change of assignment after having successively selected all the channels of the existing groups, create a new group; and d) by pressing said specific multifunction key (52) to change the assignment, if the group to which the peripheral belongs is a group that only contains this peripheral, delete the group to which the peripheral belongs, executing actions b), c) and d) with the sending to the server computer a corresponding order of reconfiguration of the groups suitable for carrying out an update of the emission table.

Description

DESCRIPTION

System to distribute and select multiple audio and / or video streams to active peripherals from a home server computer.

[0001] The invention relates to the distribution of multiple audio and / or video streams in the same house, house or apartment.

[0002] "Audio and / or video stream" or "AV stream" means content that can only be audio (music, radio ...), video only (slide show ...) or audio and video at the same time (television, cinema ...). Streams can be received live (traditional television multicast) or they can be present in the form of recordings stored in one of the equipment present in the home or remotely. Although the present invention is mainly set forth in the context of an audio stream emission, it will be understood that this application is not limiting and that the invention also applies to the broadcast of video or audio and video streams.

[0003] The multiplication of AV playback devices, in particular sound reproduction devices, in the same house means that practically all the rooms in that house are equipped with such a device.

[0004] In that house live several people (parents, children ...) who wish to have a different audiovisual context: listen to a favorite radio station, music that suits everyone's taste, watch a television series, etc. .

[0005] There are solutions that allow, from a centralized server (for example, a computer and a Wi-Fi router), to emit AV flows to different points of a house, transmitting the flows from that server to active peripherals located in each room and equipped with means of reception, amplification and reproduction of sound. The active peripherals affected by the invention are non-mobile audiovisual equipment, such as televisions, hi-fi systems, etc.

[0006] In this configuration, there is a dissociation between, on the one hand, the production of flows, centralized in a single server, common to housing - hereinafter referred to as "home server equipment" or "server" - and, by On the other hand, the reproduction of these flows, decentralized in each room of the house with devices generally devoid of their own source - hereinafter referred to as "active peripherals" -, which receive and emit the AV flow received from the server.

[0007] The selection by a user of the flow that he wishes to receive in the room in which he is located requires the application of source selection orders. These orders can be applied directly to the server, but this requires the user to move between the listening place and the server, or indirectly through a remote control, which can be a specific object or a smartphone equipped with a remote control application.

[0008] One of the difficulties is that active peripherals are by nature not very mobile, but their users, on the other hand, live in several rooms of the house and move a lot (bedroom, living room, kitchen, terrace ...) . They may want their audiovisual context to follow them, by having a personal audiovisual context in the room where they are at a given time.

[0009] With the solutions proposed so far, the user must reschedule the issuance of the flow by the server to take into account that movement, which quickly becomes very tedious.

[0010] US 2006/024858557 A1 describes a control interface that allows several multimedia devices to be grouped into separate sets to which particular playlists can be associated. However, this interface uses conventional means with scroll keys, menu navigation, etc., which in practice are not very convenient to use.

[0011] The document PE 1998 566 A1 describes another technique, adapted to the transmission of multimedia broadcast multicast data over a wireless telecommunications network, in which the incorporation of a marker in a packet header makes it possible to restrict the broadcast to a limited set of selected recipients.

[0012] The aim of the invention is to propose a simplified interface, which does not use a screen or scroll keys to modify the "assignment" parameters of the groups, that is, the parameters that define the distribution of peripherals between different groups intended to reproduce different respective AV streams.

[0013] More specifically, the object of the invention is to provide the user with an interface with simplified ergonomics, essentially by means of a single key dedicated to the aforementioned function of managing the allocation parameters.

[0014] In this way, the invention will make it possible to have a system that allows users to follow the movement and desires in the different rooms of the house, with a rapid reconfiguration of the active peripherals.

[0015] More specifically, the objective of the invention is to be able to control the following actions in a very simple and intuitive way from any of the active devices:

- start listening to a flow that is not heard anywhere else in the house;

- join a flow already issued by another home appliance;

- leave the sound system, to stop any sound emission in the place where the user is; or

- Resume listening to a preferred stream, which is no longer broadcast.

[0016] As we will see, the invention allows controlling these different actions directly from the active peripheral, without complex interface and without using any dedicated or programmed remote control on a smartphone.

[0017] More precisely, the invention proposes a system of the general type disclosed by the aforementioned document US 2006/0248557 A1, that is, it includes the elements listed in the preamble of claim 1.

[0018] The present invention is notable in that it includes, to achieve the objectives indicated above, the elements set forth in the characterizing part of claim 1.

[0019] The subclaims are directed to various particular and advantageous forms of implementation.

[0020] Next, we will describe an example of implementation of the device of the invention, with reference to the attached drawings in which the same numerical references designate identical or functionally similar elements from one figure to another.

Figure 1 schematically illustrates the AV flow emission system according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a functional block scheme of the home server equipment of the system in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a functional block scheme of one of the active peripherals of the system of Figure 1. Figure 4 illustrates in more detail the control interface of an active peripheral of Figure 3.

Figures 5a to 5d illustrate an example of the evolution of the emission configurations of AV flows over time in an apartment.

Figures 6 and 7 are flow charts illustrating the main stages of implementation of the system of the invention, detailing the stages of exploration of the different audiovisual context groups materialized by different groups of sound environments, as well as the selection, creation, elimination and reallocation of these groups of environments.

[0021] Figure 1 schematically represents the AV flow distribution system according to the invention, installed in the same house (house or apartment) and organized around a centralized equipment 10 forming a domestic server.

[0022] In this case, AV streams are audio streams (music, radio ...), but as mentioned in the introduction, this example is not limiting and the following description can be transposed to the broadcast of audio streams. and video at the same time (television, cinema ...), or purely video streams (slide show ....).

[0023] The server computer 10 is a box-type device connected to an Internet service provider via an ADSL cable link or an FTTH type fiber optic link. An example of such a box is the equipment distributed by the Free operator , Paris, France under the designation Freebox HD or Freebox V6. It is a multifunction interface box with an ADSL / FTTH modem and that implements telephony, IP network (via wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi wireless network), television and mobile (for example, using a femtocell type technology ).

[0024] In particular, the IP network allows the box 10 to be connected to a plurality of active peripherals here of the type "active loudspeakers" 14 located in different rooms of the house, each of these baffles being connected to the box 10 by a link 16 which can be a wired link, through an Ethernet network installed in the home, or a link through CPL boxes (in-line carrier currents) that allows the exchange of numerical data through pre-existing 230 V network power lines. 50 Hz, routing the information between the server 10 and the active baffles 14 by modulating one or more carriers (an example of such a PLC box is the combined power supply / PLC module block called Freeplug, manufactured by the service provider of Internet Free, Paris, France, which is intended to power the box- type equipment of this access provider). Another possibility for data exchange between server 10 and active baffles is the Wi-Fi wireless transmission, if the house does not have too many obstacles for radio transmission.

[0025] It will be noted that the active peripheral 14 can be presented in a different form than an active speaker, for example, a box-type device intended to be connected to a television but which can also reproduce only audio and to which the necessary control keys, or a computer equipped with a processor and an "line" audio output but without a speaker, designed to connect to a high fidelity system.

[0026] The server 10 can also be connected to a television 18 through a multimedia box 20, for example, the equipment distributed by the Free operator under the name Freebox HD or Freebox Player. said box integrates video decoder, hard disk, digital video recorder and software for the graphic display on the television and for the reception and processing of orders sent by the user, in particular for adjusting the parameters of the multimedia box 20 and server 10.

[0027] Figure 2 illustrates more accurately, in the form of functional blocks, the different elements implemented by the server equipment 10.

[0028] This may in particular comprise an interface 22 with the remote access provider to which it is connected via the ADSL / FTTH link 12, which allows it to receive audio streams from outside, intended to be broadcast to the different occupants of the living place. Alternatively or in addition, it may be an interconnection with a local server that forms the source of the audio stream, for example, through a properly configured web browser.

[0029] These audio streams may include.

- streaming streams broadcast continuously, whether music streams or Internet radio stations;

- downloaded streams, for example of the podcast type , which can be broadcast once they have been fully loaded and stored; or

- audio files stored in memory, for example on a hard disk 24 (integrated in the server or transferred to the multimedia box 20), so that each user, according to their own tastes, can compose music playlists by classifying different parts stored in memory.

[0030] Specifically, the generally limited capabilities of the technologies used (Wi-Fi, etc.) do not allow simultaneous broadcasting of all audio streams to the different active baffles. The links between the server 10 and the active speakers 14 are actually point-to-point links, with a single audio stream emitted to each peripheral at any given time, but each speaker can functionally access any of the potentially accessible audio streams. through an appropriate flow selection order directed to the server.

[0031] The audio streams collected, downloaded and / or stored in memory are processed by a microcontroller 26 that simultaneously delivers a certain number of audio streams 28 generated simultaneously and multiplexed in 30 for transmission to the various active speakers in the links. broadcast 16 via a Wi-Fi 32 or Ethernet 34 interface.

[0032] Figure 3 illustrates, in the form of a functional block diagram, the internal structure of an active speaker 14. It is an "amplified speaker" type device devoid of its own audio source (at least for the implementation of the invention) , which receives the audio streams emitted by the server 10 through the link 16. The active speaker 14 comprises Wi-Fi 36 or Ethernet reception circuits 38 which allow the audio streams to be collected to be applied to a microcontroller 40. This microcontroller selects one of the audio streams received from among those that have been emitted by the server, and applies this stream to an amplifier 42 that allows a loudspeaker 44 to be controlled.

[0033] On the other hand, the active speaker is provided with a control interface comprising, as shown in more detail in Figure 4, a set 46 of control keys, conventional in themselves (volume / -, silence of the speaker, play / pause, fast forward / reverse playback or previous / next track).

[0034] Characteristically of the invention, each active speaker is further provided with a specific control interface 48 comprising a key 52 for changing assignments, the role and operation of which will be explained later, in particular with reference to Figures 6 and 7, this key 52 being duplicated by a color indicator 54 capable of adopting a plurality of different colors, each corresponding to one of the audio streams emitted by the central server.

[0035] The key 52, in combination with the play / pause key 56 of the conventional interface 46, allows controlling various functions, namely.

- start of listening to an audio stream that is not heard anywhere else in the house;

- start listening to an audio stream already broadcast by another active speaker in the home;

- interruption, to stop any sound emission and eliminate the corresponding sound environment; or

- Resume listening to a preferred audio stream, which was no longer broadcast.

[0036] It should be noted that the control interface of the active loudspeaker is presented in a very simplified form and therefore allows extremely comfortable and intuitive use by any user. In particular, this interface is devoid of graphical interface with screen, drop-down menu, etc.

[0037] Figures 5a to 5d illustrate an example of evolution of the audio stream emission settings over time in a home.

[0038] In this example, the dwelling is an apartment comprising a living room (SEJ), a kitchen (CUI), a terrace (TER), three bedrooms (CH1, CH2, CH3) and a bathroom (Sd B) .

[0039] In each of these rooms an active loudspeaker 14 is installed coupled to a single server equipment located in any place of the house and simultaneously emits a plurality of audio streams that can be received by each of the active loudspeakers. 14, all audio streams coming from the same equipment, that is, the central server, unique to the home.

[0040] The server parameters have been previously set to select the audio streams to be broadcast, by any appropriate conventional means: by remote control of the TV 18 through the multimedia box 20, by a computer coupled to the server 10, by a smartphone in which a remote control application has been loaded, etc.

[0041] In the configuration illustrated in Figure 5a, corresponding for example to an afternoon situation, the apartment is only used by children, who have put their favorite sound environment in all living rooms (SEJ, CUI) and in their rooms (CH2, CH3).

[0042] This configuration is defined and memorized by the server in an emission table that defines, in this case, a single emission group, that is, a group A = {SEJ, CUI, CH2, CH3}.

[0043] The function of this broadcasting table is to answer the question "What baffles emit what stream? Knowing that it is possible to define several groups that each correspond to a broadcast of a different audio stream, and that a baffle only belongs at most a single group (a baffle only emits one flow, or no flow).

[0044] This emission table is an evolutionary table, modifiable over time according to the different selections made by users at the level of each active speaker.

[0045] Thus, for example, late in the afternoon, the configuration changes (Figure 5b) with the return of parents taking possession of the SEJ room and the CUI kitchen, with the children staying in their rooms CH2 and CH3 , and having parents and children each their sound environment.

[0046] As a result, the emission group A is divided into two groups B and C: B = {SEJ, CUI} and C = {CH2, CH3}.

[0047] Another modification (Figure 5c) may occur during dinner, all being on the TER terrace, where the parental sound environment is preferred, the sonorized kitchen being no longer being extended and the parental sound environment extending to the SDB bathroom and the room of parents CH1.

[0048] In this new configuration, the previous list B is modified to become D = {SEJ, TER, CH1, SDB}, while the list C = {CH2, CH3} remains unchanged.

[0049] During the rest of the night (Figure 5d) children enjoy the TER terrace, and parents watch television in the living room, so turn off the sound environment in that room. The above list D becomes E = {CH1, SDB} (parental sound environment reduced to the parents' room and bathroom) and list C becomes F = {CH2, CH3, TER} (the environment Children's sound extends to the terrace).

[0050] We see that the sound environments, which can be multiple in the same house, move over time: thus, in the example described, the parental sound environment begins in the living room and kitchen and ends in the bathroom And the bedroom.

[0051] A sound environment can also exist virtually, that is, it can be emitted by the server but not reproduced by any active speaker, as in the case of Figure 5a, where the parental sound environment is not present in any of the speakers. assets.

[0052] Next we will describe in more detail, with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the main stages of implementation of the invention, with the exploration of the different groups of sound environments, as well as the selection, creation, deletion and reallocation of these environment groups.

[0053] Changes in the sound environment are controlled by the interface illustrated in Figure 4, thanks in particular to the assignment change key 52 that allows to join an existing group or create a new one, providing the colored light pilot 54 information about the current group election. If you do not select a Beforehand, pressing the "play" button 56 activates a new sound environment that has not yet been played by any of the active loudspeakers in the house. As illustrated in Figure 6, pressing the key 52 allows to successively explore all the groups present, that is, those that are emitted by at least one active loudspeaker of the house (block 60), with control of the color indicator 54, which It has a multicolored LED, each color corresponding to a different group.

[0054] If the user reaches the last available group (block 62), then the speaker joins that group (block 66). Otherwise, another group is joined (block 64).

[0055] Figure 7 illustrates the main steps to determine a group to create or join.

[0056] After pressing key 52 (block 70), it is determined whether the baffle is the only one of the current group (block 72). If that is the case, the group is deleted (block 74), possibly with a timer. In all cases, the following group is selected (block 76): if that group has already been presented to the user (block 78) a new group is created (block 80). Then, the active speaker joins, either to this new created group, or to the current selected group (block 82) and awaits a user order (block 84), in particular, a press on the key reproduction 56.

[0057] It will be noted that, during the initial setting of the server parameters, it is possible and even often desirable to create "persistent groups", that is, groups that will survive the last constituent element and that, therefore, cannot be eliminated . These groups may, for example, correspond to a preferred radio station, a personal playlist , etc., so that the corresponding sound environment can be accessed by pressing key 52 without resetting the server parameters. The formation of persistent groups makes it possible to provide users with a quick way to find their favorite sound environment again, and a particular color can be assigned to these groups for color indicator 54, which will be used systematically to designate them, thus allowing to dispense with Graphical interface for regular use.

[0058] The fact of being able to dispense with an external control interface or parameter readjustment is an important aspect of the invention, insofar as the sound environment of a home is not an end in itself, but a simple comfort. Therefore, it is essential that the user can obtain the configuration he expects in a very short time and in the simplest way, without the need for additional accessories or navigation through a graphical interface.

Claims (6)

1. An audio and / or video flow distribution system, AV, comprising: - a plurality of active peripherals (14), each comprising: • means (36, 38) for receiving a plurality of broadcast channels of a corresponding plurality of AV streams; • control means (40, 46, 48), comprising means for selecting one of the channels of said plurality of channels; • an interface (46, 48) to control the return of the AV flow; Y • means for restitution of audio and / or video amplification (42, 44) of the AV flow of the channel selected by the control means, - a home server equipment (10) comprising: • means (22, 24, 26) for receiving and / or storing a plurality of AV flows; Y • means (30, 32, 34) for emitting towards the active peripherals of said AV flows in a plurality of respective channels, This server equipment (10) storing an emission table that defines a configuration of one or more groups, each one of which brings together at least one active peripheral, a peripheral belonging to at least one group, each group being associated with a flow Different AV and the groups being defined dynamically, modifiable at will over time, characterized in that the control means of each active peripheral (14) comprise: • said interface (46, 48) for controlling the return of the AV flow, which comprises a specific multifunction key (52) for assignment change; • means to access the broadcast table stored by the server equipment, to explore existing groups by selecting channels corresponding to the AV streams listed in the broadcast table; Y • means to selectively: a) with a play / pause key (56) of said interface (46, 48) for control of the return of the AV flow and in the absence of pressing on said specific multifunction key (52) of change of assignment, start issuing the AV flow of the group to which the peripheral belongs, b) by one or several presses of said specific multifunction key (52) of change of assignment until the selection of the channel corresponding to an existing group, join said existing group to which the peripheral; c) by means of one or more presses of said specific multifunction key (52) of change of assignment after having successively selected all the channels of the existing groups, create a new group; Y d) by pressing said specific multifunction key (52) to change the assignment, if the group to which the peripheral belongs is a group that only contains this peripheral, delete the group to which the peripheral belongs, executing the actions b), c) and d) with the sending to the server equipment a corresponding order of reconfiguration of the groups suitable for carrying out an update of the emission table. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for d) deleting the group to which the peripheral belongs is activatable means waiting for a timer after said pressing of said specific multifunction key (52) without further external action of a user in the control interface. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for a) initiating the emission of the AV flow of the group to which the peripheral belongs are means that can be activated by pressing a play key (56) of the control interface. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein each active peripheral comprises display means (54) (54) of the current selected broadcast channel. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the display means (54) comprises a color indicator capable of producing a different color for each different selected broadcast channel. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the home server equipment further comprises means (22) for interface with a remote or local server for accessing said plurality of AV streams.