JP2003258918A - Av gateway device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize an AV gateway device which can access transparently to contents on the Internet from AV peripheral equipment connected to an AV network. <P>SOLUTION: The AV gate device 101 is connected to a broadband network 113 and an IEEE1394 serial bus 111 and obtains contents information stored on a contents server 114 on the broadband network 113. This contents server 114 is considered to be virtual IEEE1394 equipment storing contents for the IEEE1394 serial bus 111. Other IEEE1394 equipment 112 which is connected to the IEEE1394 serial bus 111 is able to access the virtual IEEE1394 as well. <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 an AV network constructed by connecting devices for handling video data, audio data, etc. and a content server on a wide area network and stored in the content server. An AV gateway that makes it possible to transparently access contents on a wide area network from a device on a local AV network by making data and the like appear to be stored on a virtual device on the AV network. It relates to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, television receivers (hereinafter referred to as TV
On the screen and on a personal computer (hereinafter PC)
, The screen display data indicating the function of the device and graphics or icons consisting of characters, etc. are displayed, and while watching this display, the desired function can be selected and operated by the remote control of the TV, etc. AV systems that can be controlled have been introduced.

Among them, recently, IEEE (Institute of E
There is increasing interest in an AV network that transmits and receives video / audio data by connecting a digital device such as a DVC to a transmission line by using a serial bus having an interface of electrical and electronic engineers (1394) standard. The reason is that the opportunity to equally communicate with other AV peripheral devices is periodically given without switching and connecting the AV peripheral devices forming each AV network. Since the bidirectional packet communication system is used in this AV network, there is an advantage that communication between AV peripheral devices becomes easy.

[0004]

Due to the above-mentioned advantages, recently, devices that can be used for AV networks using the IEEE 1394 standard have begun to be announced. In addition, at present, digital data that can be operated by AV peripheral devices is beginning to be stored even on a wide area network such as the Internet.

Therefore, when a new AV network is constructed by using a set top box (STB) or an AV / C controller which uses an interface of the IEEE 1394 standard, it is attempted to view contents on the Internet via a PC. Then, once PC
It was necessary to operate to download the content and transfer it to the AV peripheral device by the user. A state in which one device can access another device without being aware of a route or an intermediary device is called “transparent”. In the above method, AV peripheral devices transparently access contents on the Internet. There is a problem that you can not.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and a virtual AV peripheral device is
It exists on the network, and from other AV peripherals,
It is an object of the present invention to realize an AV gateway device that allows contents stored in a content server on the Internet to appear as if they were stored in a virtual AV peripheral device.

[0007]

According to the invention of claim 1 of the present application, an AV network to which one or more AV peripheral devices are connected as a local network, and a wide area network to which a content server storing content data is connected , And the control processing is mutually performed between the AV peripheral device and the content server.
An AV gateway device having a protocol conversion processing unit capable of transmitting and receiving data and commands to and from a plurality of AV peripheral devices connected to the AV network, wherein the protocol conversion processing unit is connected to the AV network. Network information storage means for storing the information of the AV peripheral device, and command protocol conversion means for converting a control command transmitted from the AV peripheral device into a control command for the content server;
Data protocol conversion means for performing protocol conversion of content data transmitted from the content server and relaying the content data transmitted from the content server when a reproduction request for content on the content server is received from the AV peripheral device by the control command. And are provided.

The invention of claim 2 of the present application is the AV of claim 1.
In the gateway device, the function of the protocol conversion processing means is realized by software, and a protocol conversion processing means acquisition means for acquiring a desired protocol conversion processing means from the content server is further provided, and the protocol conversion processing means acquisition means is used. By executing the protocol conversion processing means acquired on the AV gateway device, a dynamic function is added to the AV peripheral device.

The invention of claim 3 of the present application is the AV of claim 2
In the gateway device, user information management means for managing individual user information, and protocol conversion processing means for saving the protocol conversion processing means necessary for the AV peripheral device for each user based on the user information of the user information management means. A storage unit is further provided, and the protocol conversion processing unit acquisition unit acquires and executes a desired protocol conversion processing unit from the content server according to an instruction from the user, or saves the protocol conversion processing unit in the storage unit. It is characterized by doing.

The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is the AV according to claim 3.
In the gateway device, the protocol conversion processing means storage means stores the protocol conversion processing means that is no longer needed when the user switches the setting among the protocol conversion processing means acquired from the content server, and stores the protocol conversion processing means. The conversion processing means acquisition means first searches the protocol conversion processing means storage means for the protocol conversion processing means required at the time when the user switches the setting, and is not stored in the protocol conversion processing means storage means. In this case, the protocol conversion processing means is acquired from the content server.

The invention of claim 5 of the present application is the AV of claim 4
In the gateway device, the protocol conversion processing means further includes GUI information storage means for storing GUI information for configuring a graphical user interface for operating a function provided to the AV peripheral device,
When the protocol conversion processing unit having the specific GUI information storage unit operates, the GUI information storage unit is disclosed to the AV peripheral device, and the AV peripheral device acquires the GUI information from the GUI information storage unit. Then, a graphical user interface is displayed and a command protocol is issued according to the user's operation.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A of each embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
The V gateway device will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an AV gateway device according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a connection relationship between an AV network and a wide area network.
The IEEE 1394 device 112, which is an AV peripheral device, is, for example, a stereo component with a TV, PC, video, CD (compact disc) or MD (mini disc) standard music playback / recording function equipped with an IEEE 1394 standard interface. . These devices are connected to the IEEE 1394 serial bus 111 which is an AV network.

The IEEE 1394 equipment 112 includes an IEEE
When connected to the E1394 serial bus 111, there is a function of notifying other IEEE 1394 devices 112 on the IEEE 1394 serial bus 111 of the functions that the own device can provide. Therefore, each IEEE 1394 device 11
2 can grasp what kind of IEEE 1394 device 112 exists on the IEEE 1394 serial bus 111. Therefore, in such an AV network, for example, video data stored on the PC can be played back as a video, and music played by a stereo component can be stored on the PC.

On the other hand, the Internet 113 which is a wide area network
In the above content server 114, for example, moving image data of MPEG4 standard which is video data and music data of MP3 standard which is audio data are accumulated as content data. PC connected to the Internet 113
From the Internet standard protocol TCP /
If moving image data and music data are downloaded using the IP protocol, those contents can be played / viewed on the PC.

The AV gateway device 101 includes a protocol conversion processing means 102 and a network information management means 10.
6, IEEE 1394 protocol processing means 107, IE
EE1394 interface 108, TCP / IP protocol processing means 109, wide area network interface 11
0, and is connected to two networks, an IEEE 1394 serial bus 111 and the Internet 113.

The protocol conversion processing means 102 is an IEEE.
Control processing is mutually performed between the E1394 device 112 and the content server 114, and data and commands are transmitted and received between the plurality of IEEE 1394 devices 112 (AV peripheral devices) connected to the IEEE 1394 serial bus 111 (AV network). That enables
The function is realized by software.

The protocol conversion processing means 102 converts network information storage means 105 for storing information on AV peripheral devices connected to the AV network, and control commands sent from the AV peripheral devices into control commands for the content server 114. When a request to reproduce the content on the content server 114 is received from the command protocol conversion means 103 and the AV peripheral device by a control command, the content data transmitted from the content server 114 is protocol-converted and relayed to the AV peripheral device. And data protocol conversion means 104.

IEEE 1394 interface 108
Is an interface for connecting to the IEEE 1394 serial bus 111. Wide area network interface 1
Reference numeral 10 is an interface for connecting to the Internet 113.

The AV gateway device 101 regularly downloads and acquires a list of content data stored in the content server 114 on the Internet 113. If the content data is video data, the AV gateway device 101 uses the IEEE 13 of the video device.
94 Send device information. If the content data is music data, the stereo component IEEE 1394
Send device information.

The AV gateway device 101 collects information on devices existing on the IEEE 1394 serial bus 111 when it is activated. At least the GUID and the device type of each device are acquired, and to which device the AV gateway device itself is mapped is determined,
The information is recorded in the network information management means 106. For example, when the IEEE 1394 device 112 is an audio device, the AV gateway device 101 is set to the IE.
When the MD player is made to appear to the EE1394 device 112, the following information is recorded. 1) GUID and device type of IEEE 1394 device 112 2) IEEE 1394 device is AV gateway device 10
1) ROM information returned as a response when a Read request is sent to 3) Reference information to protocol conversion processing means 102

As a result, for the IEEE 1394 equipment 112 on the IEEE 1394 serial bus 111,
It seems as if a virtual video or stereo component exists on the IEEE 1394 serial bus 111, and contents are accumulated on the video or stereo component.

When the IEEE 1394 equipment 112 reproduces virtual video content, the IEEE 13
In accordance with the 94 protocol, a content reproduction request is transmitted as an AV.
It is transmitted to the gateway device 101.

The AV gateway device 101 receives the IEEE packet transmitted to itself by the IEEE 1394 interface 108, and performs the IEEE 1394 protocol processing on the received packet by the IEEE 1394 protocol processing means 107. The GUID of the transmission source is extracted, the network information management means 106 is searched, and the protocol conversion processing means 102 to be used is specified. A content reproduction request command is extracted from the packet received by the specified protocol conversion processing unit 102 and sent to the command protocol conversion unit 103.

Upon receiving such a content reproduction request command, the AV gateway device 101 converts the content reproduction request command into the content reproduction request procedure of the TCP / IP protocol by the command protocol conversion means 103, and outputs the content reproduction request request. To T
Content server 114 using CP / IP protocol
Send to.

Since the content server 114 and the AV gateway device 101 communicate using TCP / IP, the TCP / IP protocol processing means 109 performs the content reproduction request request and the protocol processing of the content data transmitted from the content server 114. To do.

When the AV gateway device 101 receives the content data transmitted by the TCP / IP protocol from the content server 114, the data protocol conversion means 104 converts the content data from the TCP / IP protocol to the IEEE 1394 protocol. Then, the content data is transmitted to the IEEE 1394 device 112 that has transmitted the content reproduction request command.

With the AV gateway device 101 having such a function, digital contents such as video data and music data stored in the content server 114 on the Internet 113 are stored in a virtual IEEE 1394 device on the AV network. It becomes possible to process it as if it were. Therefore, it is possible to transparently handle the contents on the Internet through the same interface as the digital contents accumulated in the video and stereo components.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 2 shows a configuration of an AV gateway device according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a connection relationship between an AV network and a wide area network.
Protocol conversion processing means 202 to content server 21
Since the configuration of 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment,
Detailed description is omitted.

The AV gateway device 201 is an IEEE
When a content reproduction request command is received from the IEEE 1394 device 212 on the 1394 serial bus 211, the command protocol conversion unit 203 converts the content reproduction request command into a content reproduction request procedure of the TCP / IP protocol used on the Internet 213. . When the AV gateway device 201 receives the content data from the content server 214, the content data is converted into the data protocol conversion means 20.
4 from TCP / IP protocol to IEEE139
Converted to 4 protocols. This content data is I
It is transmitted to the EEE1394 device 212. Since such a procedure is the same as that of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The AV gateway device 201 selects the appropriate protocol conversion processing means 202 from the type of digital contents stored in the contents server 214 and the set of virtual IEEE 1394 devices, thereby selecting the contents on the Internet 213. A transparent handling mechanism is realized. The AV gateway device 201
IEEE139 on the IEEE1394 serial bus 211
When the content reproduction request command is received from the four devices 212, the command protocol conversion unit 203 attempts to convert the content reproduction request command into the content reproduction request procedure of the TCP / IP protocol.

Appropriate command protocol conversion means 203
Is not present in the protocol conversion processing means 202, the protocol conversion processing means acquisition means 215 accesses the content server 214 and acquires the necessary protocol conversion processing means 202. The protocol conversion processing means acquisition means 215 is the downloaded protocol conversion processing means 2
02 is added to the existing protocol conversion processing means 202.

When the AV gateway device 201 receives the content data transmitted by the TCP / IP protocol from the content server 214, the data protocol conversion means 204 attempts to convert the content data from the TCP / IP protocol to the IEEE 1394 protocol. . Appropriate data protocol conversion means 2
If 04 does not exist, the contents server 214 is accessed and the protocol conversion processing unit 202 including the necessary data protocol conversion unit 204 is downloaded.
At this time, the protocol conversion processing means acquisition means 215 adds the downloaded protocol conversion processing means 202 to the existing protocol conversion processing means 202.

In this way, the AV gateway device 201
By providing the protocol conversion processing means acquisition means 215 in the above and additionally changing the protocol conversion processing means 202,
It is possible to realize dynamic function addition

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 3 shows a configuration of an AV gateway device according to a third embodiment of the present invention and a connection relationship between an AV network and a wide area network.
Since the configurations of the protocol conversion processing unit 302 to the protocol conversion processing unit acquisition unit 315 are the same as those in the second embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The AV gateway device 301 is an IEEE
When a content reproduction request command is received from the IEEE 1394 device 312 on the 1394 serial bus 311, the command protocol conversion unit 303 converts the content reproduction request command into a content reproduction request procedure of the TCP / IP protocol used on the Internet 313. . When the AV gateway device 301 receives the content data from the content server 314, the content data is converted into the data protocol conversion means 30.
4 from TCP / IP protocol to IEEE139
Converted to 4 protocols, IEEE 1394 equipment 312
Sent to. Since such a procedure is the same as that in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The user information management means 316 of the AV gateway device 301 uses the IEEE 1394 serial bus 31.
The user authentication information is requested for access from the IEEE 1394 device 312 on the No. 1 device. When the user authentication is completed with this user authentication information, it becomes possible to change the protocol conversion processing unit 302 for the IEEE 1394 equipment 312 to the individual setting of the user. The configuration of the protocol conversion processing unit 302 for each user, that is, the software thereof is stored in the protocol conversion processing unit storage unit 317, is read by the protocol conversion processing unit acquisition unit 315, and the protocol conversion processing unit 302 is rewritten. .

By thus providing the user information management means 316 in the AV gateway device 301, the configuration of the protocol conversion processing means 302 can be changed for each user.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 4 shows a configuration of an AV gateway device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention and a connection relationship between an AV network and a wide area network.
Since the configurations of the protocol conversion processing unit 402 to the protocol conversion processing unit acquisition unit 415 are the same as those in the third embodiment, detailed description will be omitted.

The AV gateway device 401 is an IEEE
When a content reproduction request command is received from the IEEE 1394 device 412 on the 1394 serial bus 411, the command protocol conversion unit 403 converts the content reproduction request command into a content reproduction request procedure of the TCP / IP protocol used on the Internet 413. . When the AV gateway device 401 receives the content data from the content server 414, the content data is converted into the data protocol conversion means 40.
4 from TCP / IP protocol to IEEE 1394
Converted to protocol. The converted content data is transmitted to the IEEE1394 device 412. Since such a procedure is the same as that of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The user information management means 416 of the AV gateway device 401 uses the IEEE 1394 serial bus 41.
The user authentication information is requested for access from the IEEE 1394 device 412 on the No. 1 device. With this user authentication information, when the user authentication is completed, the protocol conversion processing means 402 for the IEEE 1394 equipment 412 can be changed to individual user settings. The configuration of the protocol conversion processing unit 402 for each user is stored in the protocol conversion processing unit storage unit 417. When the desired protocol conversion processing means 402 is read by the protocol conversion processing means acquisition means 415, the protocol conversion processing means 402 is rewritten.

The protocol conversion processing means 402 which is no longer needed when the user switches the above settings is stored in the protocol conversion processing means storage means 417. Further, the protocol conversion processing means 402 required at the time when the user switches the setting is first searched from the protocol conversion processing means storage means 417. If found in this portion, it is taken out from the protocol conversion processing means storage means 417. If the protocol conversion processing means storage means 417 is not found by searching, the internet 413 is searched.
The upper content server 414 is accessed to acquire the necessary protocol conversion processing unit 402.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIG. 5 shows a configuration of an AV gateway device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention and a connection relationship between an AV network and a wide area network.
Since the configurations of the protocol conversion processing unit 502 to the protocol conversion processing unit storage unit 517 are the same as those in the fourth embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The AV gateway device 501 is an IEEE
When a content reproduction request command is received from the IEEE 1394 device 512 on the 1394 serial bus 511, the command protocol conversion unit 503 converts the content reproduction request command into a content reproduction request procedure of the TCP / IP protocol used on the Internet 513. . When the AV gateway device 501 receives the content data from the content server 514, the content data is converted into the data protocol conversion means 50.
4 from TCP / IP protocol to IEEE139
The content data is converted into four protocols. The converted content data is transferred to the IEEE 1394 device 51.
2 is sent. Since such a procedure is the same as that in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The AV gateway device 501 is an IEEE
The content reproduction request command is received from the 1394 device 512, and the appropriate protocol conversion processing unit 502 is selected. At this point, the selected protocol conversion processing means 5
02, the information of the graphical user interface (GUI) for using the function provided to the IEEE 1394 device 512, for example, the function of reproduction, PAUSE, etc. is read from the GUI information storage unit 518,
It is released to the EE1394 device 512. IEEE
The 1394 device 512 acquires the published GUI configuration information and displays the graphical user interface on its own device. By using the graphical user interface, the user can send a necessary command to the virtual IEEE 1394 device.

With such an AV gateway device,
It is possible to provide a graphical user interface according to contents on the Internet. For this reason, the AV gateway device is replaced by a virtual IEEE 1394
The convenience of the user who uses the device can be improved.

[0047]

According to the present invention, one or more virtual AV peripherals are present on the AV network, and the other AV peripherals are connected to the virtual AV peripherals in the content server on the Internet. The contents stored in can be made to appear as if they were stored. By using such an AV gateway device, contents on the Internet can be transparently accessed from an AV peripheral device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an AV gateway device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an AV gateway device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an AV gateway device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an AV gateway device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an AV gateway device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

101, 201, 301, 401, 501 AV gateway device 102, 202, 302, 402, 502 Protocol conversion processing means 103, 203, 303, 403, 503 Command protocol conversion means 104, 204, 304, 404, 504 Data protocol conversion Means 105, 205, 305, 405, 505 Network information storage means 106, 206, 306, 406, 506 Network information management means 107, 207, 307, 407, 507 IEEE1
394 protocol processing means 108, 208, 308, 408, 508 IEEE1
394 Interface 109, 209, 309, 409, 509 TCP / I
P protocol processing means 110, 210, 310, 410, 510 Wide area network interface 111, 211, 311, 411, 511 IEEE1
394 serial bus 112, 212, 312, 412, 512 IEEE1
394 device 113, 213, 313, 413, 513 internet 114, 214, 314, 414, 514 content server 215, 315, 415, 515 protocol conversion processing means acquisition means 316, 416, 516 user information management means 417, 517 protocol conversion Processing means storage means 518 GUI information storage means

Continued front page    F term (reference) 5B089 GA31 HA10 HA18 JB10 KA04                       KB04 KF05                 5C025 AA01 AA30 BA25 BA27 CA02                       CA09 CB03 CB10 DA08 DA10                 5K030 GA02 GA17 HA08 HD08 HD10                       KA05 LB15                 5K033 AA02 AA09 BA01 CB02 CB08                       DB18 EC03

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A local network, which is connectable to an AV network to which one or more AV peripheral devices are connected, and a wide area network to which a content server storing content data is connected. Control processing is mutually performed with the content server and a plurality of A's connected to the AV network.
An AV gateway device having a protocol conversion processing unit capable of transmitting and receiving data and commands to and from a V peripheral device, wherein the protocol conversion processing unit stores information about the AV peripheral device connected to the AV network. Network information storage means for storing; command protocol conversion means for converting a control command transmitted from the AV peripheral device into a control command for the content server; and contents of the content server on the content server by the control command from the AV peripheral device. An AV gateway device, comprising: a data protocol conversion unit which, when a reproduction request is received, converts the protocol of content data transmitted from the content server and relays the protocol to the AV peripheral device. 2. The function of the protocol conversion processing means is realized by software, and a protocol conversion processing means acquisition means for acquiring a desired protocol conversion processing means from the content server is further provided, and the protocol conversion processing means acquisition means is provided. Using the AV
The AV gateway device according to claim 1, wherein a dynamic function is added to the AV peripheral device by executing the protocol conversion processing unit acquired on the gateway device. 3. User information management means for managing individual user information, and protocol conversion processing for storing the protocol conversion processing means necessary for the AV peripheral device for each user based on the user information of the user information management means. Means storage means is further provided, and the protocol conversion processing means acquisition means acquires desired protocol conversion processing means from the content server and executes the protocol conversion processing means according to the user's instruction, or stores the protocol conversion processing means in the storage means. The AV gateway device according to claim 2, which is stored. 4. The protocol conversion processing means storage means stores, of the protocol conversion processing means acquired from the content server, the protocol conversion processing means which becomes unnecessary when a user switches the setting, The protocol conversion processing means acquisition means searches the protocol conversion processing means storage means for the protocol conversion processing means required at the time when the user switches the setting, and saves the protocol conversion processing means storage means. The AV gateway device according to claim 3, wherein when there is not, the protocol conversion processing means is acquired from the content server. 5. The protocol conversion processing means is a GUI for configuring a graphical user interface for operating a function provided to the AV peripheral device.
When the protocol conversion processing means having a specific GUI information storage means operates, further including GUI information storage means for storing information, the GUI information storage means is disclosed to the AV peripheral device, and the AV 5. The AV gateway device according to claim 4, wherein the peripheral device acquires GUI information from the GUI information storage means, displays a graphical user interface, and issues a command protocol according to a user's operation.