JP2003250144A - Terminal device and information reproduction control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To limit a user's operation applied to sub-information forcibly inserted by a server apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: In order to realize the task above, the terminal of this invention includes: a start point detection section 22 for particularizing a packet of main information connected to a start packet of sub-information from first information of the number of packets indicative of the number of packets provided to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the main information to detect a start point of the sub-information; a skip command invalidating section 26 for inactivating a skip command in response to the detection of the start point of the sub-information; an end point detection section 22 for particularizing an end packet of sub-information from second information of the number of packets indicative of the number of packets provided to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the sub-information to detect an end point of the sub-information; and a skip command validating section 26 for releasing the inactivated skip command in response to the detection of the end point of the sub-information so as to validate the skip command. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a terminal device for receiving distributed information, and more specifically, to a terminal device and an information reproduction control method for restricting reproduction according to the contents of distributed information. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a service called VOD (Video On Demand) that delivers contents to users via a network.

[0003] VOD is a service that allows each user to view favorite content at any time, instead of viewing content unilaterally broadcast from a broadcasting station according to a program guide. .

A VOD server device that provides contents and a user terminal device that reproduces the contents are connected by a broadband transmission path, and the VOD server device is desired by the user in response to a request from the user terminal device. Deliver content.

[0007] Further, the user terminal device performs, for the VOD server device, content reproduction (content distribution), content reproduction stop (content distribution stop), skip operation for reproducing a desired portion of the content, and the like. You can send commands to be executed.
The VOD server device controls a content distribution operation to the user terminal device according to a command sent from the user terminal device.

[0006] Usually, a user who receives a VOD service is
VOD is charged as a consideration for viewing the content
It was necessary to pay to the operator of the server device, but by forcibly inserting a CM (Commercial Message) in the content that is distributed as in normal television broadcasting, the user's content viewing fee is low or free The method of making is also devised.

[0007] The above-mentioned operator who implements the VOD service collects an advertisement fee from a CM provider (hereinafter, also referred to as a sponsor) as a consideration for inserting a CM into the content,
Compensate the operating expenses covered by the user's viewing fees.

[0008]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, VOD
As described above, the server device can reproduce the content at a desired location by inputting the skip command from the user terminal device, so that a CM that is not necessary for the user is highly likely to be skipped. It gets expensive.

As described above, while the desired content is being reproduced on the user terminal device, if the user skips the CM as soon as the content is switched to the CM, the advertising effect of the CM cannot be expected, which is high. There is a problem that it will be a great loss for the sponsor who pays the advertising fee.

Therefore, the present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the operability for main information such as contents transmitted from the server device is left as it is, and the server device is forced to operate. Insert, eg C
An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal device and an information reproduction control method capable of restricting a user's operation of sub information such as M.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a terminal device according to the present invention is a terminal device connected to a server device via a network, the server device via the network. A receiving means for receiving a data stream composed of a plurality of packetized main information and a plurality of sub-information, an input means for inputting a predetermined command by a user, and a reproduction command input by the input means. Accordingly, a reproduction unit that reproduces the data stream received by the reception unit,
In accordance with the skip command input by the input means, the skip means skips the data stream received by the receiving means to a predetermined location, and is assigned to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the main information. Starting point detecting means for detecting a starting point of the sub information by specifying a packet of the main information to be connected to a start packet of the sub information from the first packet number information indicating the number of packets, and the sub point by the starting point detecting means. A packet assigned to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the sub information and a skip command invalidating unit for invalidating the skip command input by the input unit in response to the detection of the starting point of the information. The end packet of the sub information is determined by specifying the end packet of the sub information from the second packet number information indicating the number. The end command detecting means for outputting and the skip command for canceling the invalidation of the skip command and validating the skip command input by the input means in response to the detection of the end point of the sub information by the end point detecting means. It is characterized by comprising an enabling means.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an information reproduction control method according to the present invention is connected to a server device via a network, and a plurality of packetized packets transmitted from the server device via the network. In the receiving step, a receiving step of receiving a data stream consisting of the main information and a plurality of sub-information, an input step of inputting a predetermined command by the user, and a receiving command input in the input step are received in the receiving step. Information reproduction of the terminal device including a reproduction step of reproducing the data stream described above, and a skip step of skipping the data stream received in the reception step to a predetermined location according to a skip command input in the input step. In the control method, it is added to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the main information. A starting point detecting step of detecting a starting point of the sub information by specifying a packet of the main information connected to a start packet of the sub information from the first packet number information indicating the number of packets; In response to the detection of the starting point of information, a skip command invalidation step of invalidating the skip command input by the input step, and a packet added to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the sub information. The end point detecting step of detecting the end point of the sub information by specifying the end packet of the sub information from the second packet number information indicating the number, and the end point of the sub information being detected by the end point detecting step. Accordingly, the invalidation of the skip command is canceled, and the skip command input in the above input step is validated. Characterized in that it comprises a step.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a terminal device and an information reproduction control method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

The present invention is applied to the content distribution system shown as a schematic diagram in FIG.

The content distribution system is based on the VOD (Vide
On Demand) server device 10 and terminal device 20 are connected via a network.

The VOD server device 10 includes a content storage unit 11 that stores a plurality of contents to be provided to the terminal device 20 via the network.

The content storage unit 11 stores a plurality of contents of video data and audio data or a plurality of contents of audio data. In addition, when transmitting the above-mentioned content to the terminal device 20, the VOD server device 1 concerned is stored in the content storage unit 11.
Advertising information such as products forcibly inserted with 0 (hereinafter CM
(Called Commercial Message)).

The content and CM stored in the content storage unit 11 are, for example, MPEG2 (Moving Pic).
It is compression-encoded in the compression format specified by the ture Experts Group phase2).

The VOD server device 10 retrieves the content requested from the content storage unit 11 in response to the content transmission request from the terminal device 20 via the network, and the retrieved content is networked to the terminal device 20. Deliver via the network. VOD server device 1
When the content is distributed to the terminal device 20, 0 also reads out a predetermined CM stored in the content storage unit 11 and forcibly inserts it into a predetermined portion of the content.

The content and the CM are packetized 1
The stream of the book is transmitted to the terminal device 20 that has made a content transmission request via the network.

The terminal device 20 responds to a user operation.
A content transmission request is issued to the VOD server device 10, and the desired content transmitted from the VOD server device 10 is received via the network. In addition, the terminal device 20
Reproduces the received content and provides it to the user.

The terminal device 20 includes a network interface 21 as shown in FIG. 2 and a CM (Commercial Mes- sage).
sage) detecting section 22, reproducing section 23, display section 24, audio output section 25, and control section 26.

The network interface 21 is an interface for connecting to a network.

The CM detection unit 22 is provided at the subsequent stage of the network interface 21, and is a single line in which a plurality of contents and CMs as shown in FIG. 3 transmitted from the VOD server device 10 via the network are multiplexed. From the stream, the start point indicating the CM start position and the end point indicating the CM end position are detected.

A method of detecting the CM start point and end point by the CM detection unit 22 is, for example, that the data format of the stream transmitted from the VOD server device 10 and the CM is MPEG2-TS (Transport Stream) (hereinafter,
If it is a transport stream), it will be as follows.

The transport stream is a transport stream packet (Tran) having the structure shown in FIG.
VO is multiplexed and separated in units of sport stream packet)
It is transmitted from the D server device 10 to the terminal device 20.

The transport stream packet is a packet having a fixed length of 188 bytes, and an adaptation field is provided between a header portion and a payload portion for writing actual data. Can be provided. In the adaptation field, additional information regarding the stream can be written.

The presence / absence of the adaptation field and payload is determined by the adaptation field control part in the header part of the transport stream packet. Figure 4
As shown in, the adaptation field control is "0".
In the case of "1", only the payload part exists, in the case of "10", only the adaptation field exists, and "1"
In the case of 1 ", the adaptation field and the payload part are present in the transport stream packet.

In this adaptation field,
There is a field called Splice Count Down.

The splice count down is a counter indicating the number of transport stream packets having the same PID (PacketIdentification) indicating the packet identification information. As shown in FIG. In the direction of reducing the number of stream packets, for example, ... 3, 2, 1, 0, -1, -2,
-3 ..., and the counted information is shown in the splice count down area of each transport stream packet.

For example, this splice countdown is used when the CM station of the transport stream including the content and CM transmitted from the center station is replaced by the local station.

As shown in FIG. 5, the splice countdown of the transport stream packet of the content counts down to 0 with a positive value,
The CM's transport stream packet splice countdown is negative and counts down from -1.

By utilizing this splice count down function, a splice count up for counting the number of transport stream packets in the direction of increasing is provided, and sprite count down and sprite count down are performed. By applying Up to the transport stream packet, the start and end points of the CM can be detected.

As shown in FIG. 6, the CM detection unit 22 sets the next transport stream packet with the splice count down to "3 → 2 → 1 → 0" as the CM start point, A transport stream packet with a splice count of "-3 → -2 → -1 → 0" has been spliced up, and a transport stream packet with a splice count of "0" is the end point of the CM. To determine.

According to this method, when the splice count has a negative value, it can be determined that it is the CM section.

The CM detection unit 22 performs the C conversion as described above.
When the start point of M and the end point of CM are detected, the control unit is informed that the start point of CM or the end point of CM has been detected. The stream that has passed through the CM detection unit 22 is transmitted to the reproduction unit 23.

The reproducing section 23 demultiplexes the content input through the CM detecting section 22 into video data and audio data, decodes each with a dedicated decoder, and reproduces the content. The decoded video data is sent to the display unit 24, and the audio data is sent to the audio output unit 25.

Under the control of the control unit 26, the reproducing unit 23 executes a content or CM reproducing operation, a content skipping operation, and a content or CM reproducing stopping operation.

The display unit 24 is a liquid crystal display or the like for outputting and displaying the video data of the content decrypted by the reproducing unit 23.

The audio output unit 25 is a speaker or the like that outputs the audio data of the content reproduced by the reproduction unit 23 as audio.

The control unit 26 centrally controls the operation of the terminal device 20.

Further, the control unit 26 controls the operation of the reproducing unit 23, the content reproducing operation, the content skipping operation, the stopping operation of the content being reproduced, etc. in response to a command input from the user. When a reproduction request is made by the user, the control unit 26 first sets the VOD server device 10.
Requesting the transmission of the content via the network.

Furthermore, the control unit 26 includes the CM detection unit 2
In response to the detection of the CM start point in step 2, the skip command input by the user is ignored, and the CM detection unit 22
In response to the detection of the end point of the CM, the playback unit 23 is controlled so that the Kip command input by the user becomes valid.

As described above, in the terminal device 20 of the content distribution system, the CM detecting unit 22 detects the CM starting point, C from the plurality of contents and CM transmitted as one stream from the VOD server device 10 via the network.
The CM in the stream can be detected by detecting the end point of M.

Next, the operation when the user inputs a skip command while the content or CM is in the reproducing state will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG.

The terminal device 20 includes the VOD server device 10
It is assumed that the stream including the content and the CM is transmitted from the computer through the network and either the content or the CM is reproduced by the reproducing unit 23.

In step S1, the user inputs a skip command from the input unit (not shown) of the terminal device 20. The input skip command is sent to the control unit 26.

In step S2, the control unit 26 having received the skip command determines whether or not the CM detection unit 22 has detected the starting point indicating the CM start point. The control unit 26 advances the process to step S3 when the starting point is detected by the CM detection unit 22, and advances the process to step S6 when the starting point is not detected.

Since the starting point is not detected when the process proceeds to step S3, the starting point is detected when the process is advanced to step S5.
M is in a reproducing state.

In step S3, the control unit 26 determines that the content is being reproduced because the starting point has not been detected, and reproduces the content so as to be skipped according to the skip command input in step S1. The part 23 is controlled.

In step S4, the control unit 26 determines whether or not the user has input a skip stop command, which is a command for stopping the skip operation of the content, from an input unit (not shown). When the skip stop command is not input, the control unit 26 returns the process to step S2 and determines whether the starting point is detected,
If the skip stop command is input, the process proceeds to step S9.

In step S5, the control section 26 controls the reproducing section 23 so that the content being reproduced in which the skip command is being executed is brought into the reproducing state again in response to the skip stop command input in step S4. Control.

In step S6, the control unit 26 determines that the CM is being reproduced in response to the detection of the starting point, and invalidates the skip command input in step S1 and ignores it. do. This allows
The skip command input in step S1 is ignored and not executed.

Note that the skip command input during CM reproduction does not respond due to the input of a command that is ignored when the start point is detected, but the state in which the skip command is input continues.

In step S7, the control unit 26 determines whether or not a skip stop command for stopping the input of the skip command has been input. The control unit 26 advances the process to step S8 when the skip stop command is not input, and advances the process to step S10 when the skip stop command is input.

Since the CM is being reproduced here, even if the skip stop command is input, the C being reproduced is reproduced.
There is no change in M, and only the input state of the skip command is stopped.

In step S8, the control section 26 sets C
The M detection unit 22 determines whether or not the end point indicating the end point of the CM has been detected. When the end point is detected, the control unit 26 advances the process to step S9, and when the end point is not detected, the control unit 26 returns the process to step S7 and enters a standby state for determining whether a skip stop command is input. .

In step S9, the control section 26 determines that the CM being reproduced is ended and the reproduction of the content is started by detecting the end point, and the skip command input in step S1 is validated. . Control unit 2
When the process of step S8 ends, step 6 advances the process to step S3, and controls the reproducing unit 23 so that the content is skipped as described above.

In step S10, the control unit 26
The input of the skip command is canceled, and the reproducing unit 23 is controlled to continue the CM reproducing operation.

As described above, even if the skip command is input during the CM reproduction, the CM to be reproduced can show the role of the advertisement to the user without being skipped.

Further, as described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, it is determined whether or not the CM starting point is detected after the skip command is input. If the starting point is detected, the input skip command is ignored. In addition to the above method, the start point of the CM is detected during the content reproduction, so that the skip command from the user cannot be input, or conversely, the end point of the CM is detected during the reproduction of the CM. It may be possible to input a command.

This is, for example, a GU whose operations such as content reproduction, stop, and skip are displayed on the display unit 24.
It can be applied to the case of performing via I (Graphical User Interface).

For example, the skip button for inputting a skip command shown on the GUI cannot be operated by the user when the CM starting point is detected, and can be operated by the user when the CM ending point is detected. Becomes

Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8, the operation when the user inputs a skip command in the state where the reproduction of the content or CM is stopped will be described.

In step S21, the user inputs a skip command from the input unit (not shown) of the terminal device 20. The input skip command is sent to the control unit 26.

In step S22, the control unit 26 having received the skip command determines whether or not the CM detection unit 22 has detected the starting point indicating the CM start point.
The control unit 26 advances the process to step S26 when the starting point is detected, and advances the process to step S23 when the starting point is not detected.

When the process proceeds to step S23, the starting point has not been detected, so the state is stopped during the reproduction of the content. When the process proceeds to step S26, the starting point has been detected and the CM is stopped during the reproduction of the CM. It is in a state of

In step S23, the control unit 26
Since the starting point has not been detected, it is determined that the content is in the stopped state during the reproduction of the content, and the content is controlled to be skipped according to the skip command input in step S21.

In step S24, the control unit 26
It is determined whether the user has input a skip stop command, which is a command for stopping the content skip operation, from an input unit (not shown). If the skip stop command has not been input, the control unit 26 proceeds to step S
The process is returned to step 22, and it is determined whether or not the starting point is detected. If the skip stop command is input, the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, the control unit 26
The content for which the skip command is being executed is controlled to be in a stopped state in accordance with the skip stop command input in step S24.

At step S26, the control section 26
In response to the detection of the starting point, it is determined that the CM is in a stopped state during reproduction, and processing for invalidating and ignoring the skip command input in step S1 is performed. As a result, the skip command input in step S1 is ignored and not executed.

In step S27, since the skip command is ignored, the state before the skip command is input, that is, the state stopped during the CM reproduction, is continued.

As described above, when the reproduction is temporarily stopped during the reproduction of the CM and the skip command is input, the CM is not skipped and the role of the advertisement can be shown to the user even if the reproduction is executed again.

[0074]

As is apparent from the above description, in the terminal device of the present invention, the first point indicating the number of packets given to each of a plurality of continuous packets forming the main information by the starting point detecting means. In response to detecting the starting point of the sub information by specifying the packet of the main information to be connected to the start packet of the sub information from the packet number information, the skip command input by the skip command invalidating means is invalidated, and the sub information The skip operation for can be eliminated.

With this, since the user's free operation on the sub information in the stream can be restricted, when the sub information is advertisement information or the like, a very high advertisement effect can be given to the user via the terminal device. It is possible.

Further, as is clear from the above description,
The information reproduction control method of the present invention comprises:
The starting point of the sub information is detected by identifying the main information packet connected to the start packet of the sub information from the first packet number information indicating the number of packets added to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the main information. Accordingly, the skip command input in the skip command invalidation step can be invalidated, and the skip operation for the sub information can be eliminated.

With this, since the user's free operation on the sub information in the stream can be restricted, when the sub information is advertisement information or the like, it is possible to give a very high advertisement effect to the user via the terminal device. And

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration of a content distribution system shown as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of a terminal device in the content distribution system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a stream transmitted from a VOD server device in the content distribution system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a transport stream packet transmitted from a VOD server device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a splice countdown of transport stream packets.

FIG. 6 is a splicing count down and splice of a transport stream packet applied as an example of a method of detecting a starting point and an ending point of a CM (Commercial Message) in the content distribution system shown as the embodiment of the present invention It is a diagram for explaining the count-up.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an operation when a skip command is input during reproduction of a stream in the content distribution system.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an operation when a skip command is input in a state in which reproduction of a stream is stopped in the content distribution system.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 VOD (Video On Demand) server device, 11
Content storage unit, 20 terminal device, 21 network interface, 22 CM (CommercialMessag
e) detection unit, 23 reproduction unit, 24 display unit, 25 audio output unit, 26 control unit

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Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A terminal device connected to a server device via a network, the data stream comprising a plurality of packetized main information and a plurality of sub information transmitted from the server device via the network. Receiving means for receiving a predetermined command by a user, reproducing means for reproducing the data stream received by the receiving means in response to a reproducing command inputted by the input means, and the input means. The skip means for skipping the data stream received by the receiving means to a predetermined location according to the skip command input by the means, and the number of packets added to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the main information. Connecting the start packet of the sub information from the first packet number information indicating A starting point detecting means for detecting a starting point of the sub information by specifying a packet of information, and a skip command input by the input means in response to the starting point of the sub information detected by the starting point detecting means. By specifying the end packet of the sub information from the skip command invalidating means for invalidating and the second packet number information indicating the packet number given to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the sub information, End point detecting means for detecting the end point of the sub information, and in response to the end point of the sub information detected by the end point detecting means, cancel invalidation of the skip command,
A terminal device, comprising: a skip command validation unit that validates a skip command input by the input unit. 2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the main information is content including video data and / or music data, and the sub-information is advertisement information. 3. Receiving for receiving a data stream comprising a plurality of packetized main information and a plurality of sub-information, which are connected to a server device via a network and are transmitted from the server device via the network. Process, an input process of inputting a predetermined command by the user, a reproduction process of reproducing the data stream received in the reception process according to a reproduction command input by the input process, and an input process of the input process. In the information reproduction control method of the terminal device, which comprises a skip step of skipping the data stream received in the receiving step to a predetermined location according to a skip command, each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the main information. Start of the sub information from the first packet number information indicating the number of packets assigned to Starting point detecting step of detecting the starting point of the sub information by specifying the packet of the main information to be connected to the packet, and in accordance with the starting point of the sub information detected by the starting point detection step, by the input step A skip command invalidation step of invalidating an input skip command, and second packet number information indicating the number of packets added to each of a plurality of consecutive packets forming the sub information, from the end packet of the sub information The end point detection step of detecting the end point of the sub-information by specifying, and in response to the end point of the sub-information detected by the end point detection step, cancel invalidation of the skip command,
And a skip command validating step of validating the skip command input in the input step. 4. The information reproduction control method according to claim 3, wherein the main information is content including video data and / or music data, and the sub information is advertisement information.