JP2003316682A - Information sharing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information sharing system for enabling a plurality of users to experience the same contents at the same time with simple equipment. <P>SOLUTION: In this system in which storing and reproducing means provided at a plurality of places respectively store common contents and the users at respective places respectively reproduce the stored contents, meta-data with described information on contents reproduced by one storing and reproducing means are transmitted to the other storing and reproducing means, and the other storing and reproducing means reproduces the contents described in the meta-data. A user existing at one place and the other user existing at the other place use their own storing and reproducing means to reproduce the common contents. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information sharing system in which a plurality of users at remote places share the same information (content).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A method of simultaneously sharing the same information by a plurality of users at distant places is to receive and reproduce broadcast radio waves (information) transmitted from a broadcasting station such as a television and a radio. Is common.

On the other hand, in a system based on communication using the Internet or the like, distribution of contents has become popular. This allows the user to enjoy the favorite content at his or her own convenience, but it is difficult to realize a sense of unity in which a plurality of users, who have realized the conventional broadcasting, simultaneously experience the same content. In addition,
Multicast in a communication-based system can be a means for multiple users to experience the same content at the same time, but it is difficult to realize at low cost because various controls are required for the network.

[0004]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, TV Anytime
Forum (http://www.tv-anytime.org) is proceeding with standardization on a method of storing a large amount of content in advance near a user and playing the content at an arbitrary time. The feature is that each user reproduces the stored content at an arbitrary time, and does not include an element for a plurality of users to experience sharing the same content at the same time.

On the other hand, in a broadcasting system, many users can easily experience the same content at the same time. But,
Although it has been put to practical use as a mass media because it requires a large amount of money for broadcasting facilities, it is not practical to apply it to a system in which contents are shared by a small number of people.

An object of the present invention is to provide an information sharing system that allows a plurality of users to simultaneously experience the same content with simple equipment.

[0007]

According to the information sharing system of the present invention, common contents are stored in storage / playback means provided at a plurality of locations, and users at each location play back the stored content. In the system, the metadata that describes information about the content played back by one of the storage / playback means is transmitted to the other storage / playback means, and the content described in the metadata is played back from the other storage / playback means. A user at one place and a user at the other place play common content from their respective storage / playback means.

As described above, the information about the content reproduced at one place is transmitted to the other place by using the metadata, and the content described in the metadata is reproduced at the other place, thereby separating Users in different locations can easily share the same content. Since the information necessary for reproducing the content is transmitted not by the content itself but by the metadata, a broadband network is not necessary, and the content can be shared by a simple and inexpensive system.

Further, the metadata describing the information about the content reproduced by one of the storage / reproducing means includes the reproduction time and the environmental information of the reproduction place, and the other storage / reproducing means indicates the time indicated by the metadata. You may make it include the means to display the content corresponding to environmental information. As a result, it is possible to display the content corresponding to the time and the environment information together with the common content even if there is a time difference between them or in different environments, and it is possible to have a closer pseudo sharing experience.

Further, at least one of the storage / reproduction means may be mounted on the mobile means, and the metadata may be transmitted from the mobile means via the mobile communication network. Further, the moving means includes means for acquiring position information and environment information, and includes the time of reproduction, the position information and environment information of the moving means in the metadata describing the information about the content reproduced by one of the storage / reproducing means, and the other. The storage / playback means may include means for displaying the content corresponding to the time, position information, and environment information indicated by the metadata.

[0011]

1 shows a first embodiment of an information sharing system of the present invention. In FIG. 1, one system 1 includes a storage device 11 that stores content, a playback device 12 that plays back the content, and a metadata transmission device 13 that creates and sends metadata describing information about the content to be played back. To be In the other system 2, a storage device 21 that stores content common to the storage device 11, a playback device 22 that plays back the content,
A metadata reception device 23 that receives the metadata and controls the reproduction of the content described in the metadata is provided. Metadata transmitting device 13 and metadata receiving device 23
Are connected via the communication network 100. In addition, communication network 1
00 may be a private communication network in addition to a public network such as a fixed telephone network or a mobile communication network. For example, in the case of a mobile communication network, the metadata transmission device 13 and the metadata reception device 23 A mobile phone may be used as the transmitting / receiving unit.

When the user of the system 1 operates the reproduction device 12 to reproduce the content from the storage device 11, the metadata transmission device 13 creates metadata describing information about the content (FIG. 2: s1). This metadata is transmitted from the metadata transmission device 13 to the communication network 10.
It is transmitted to the metadata reception device 23 of the system 2 via 0 (FIG. 2: s2). Upon receiving this metadata, the metadata reception device 23 notifies the reproduction device 22 of information regarding the content described in the metadata. The reproduction device 22 reproduces the content corresponding to this information from the storage device 21 (FIG. 2: s3). As a result, the system 1
Users of System 2 and users of System 2 can share the same content at about the same time.

Strictly speaking, the content reproduction time of the system 2 is delayed by the sum of the metadata transfer time and the processing time in the system, but this is not a problem from the viewpoint of content sharing. Further, even if the amount of content data is enormous, it is not the content itself that is transferred between the systems 1 and 2, but the metadata that describes the information necessary for reproduction, so the bandwidth and transfer time of the communication network 100 Does not matter.

FIG. 3 shows the second information sharing system of the present invention.
2 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the system 1 according to the first embodiment is provided with a clock 14, a position measuring device 15 that measures the position of the GPS 14 and the like, a sensor 16 that senses the external environment of the system 1, and time information, The position information and the external environment information are notified to the metadata transmission device 13, converted into metadata, and transmitted to the system 2.

The metadata receiving device 23 of the system 2 is
In addition to the information on the content being played on the system 1,
The time information, the position information, and the external environment information of the system 1 are acquired and notified to the playback device 22. The reproduction device 22 reproduces, from the storage device 21, contents corresponding to the time information, position information, and external environment information of the system 1 in addition to the contents reproduced by the system 1. As a result, it is possible to display common content as well as content corresponding to time and environment information, even if there is a time difference between them or in different environments.

In a system configuration in which a mobile phone or the like is used as a transmitting / receiving unit of the metadata transmitting device 13 and the metadata receiving device 23, the system 1 transmits voice or the like to the system 2, and the playback device 22 transmits content and voice. You may make it reproduce | regenerate together. Specifically, while the driver traveling in the car and the family at home play the same music as the content, the car travels in the rain by the environmental information detected by the sensor linked to the wiper. By notifying the family of what they are doing or by giving the driver a voice, a closer and more pseudo-shared experience is possible.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, users who are distant from each other can share the same content at almost the same time. This makes it possible to easily realize a feeling similar to broadcasting in which a plurality of people share the same content with a system with a small number of people.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of an information sharing system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a processing flow of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the information sharing system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 system 11,21 storage device 12,22 Playback device 13 Metadata transmission device 14 clock 15 Position measuring device 16 sensors 23 Metadata receiver

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In a system in which common contents are stored in storage / playback means provided in a plurality of locations, and users in each location play back the stored content, the content played back by one of the storage / playback means. Transmitting the metadata describing the information on the other storage / playback means,
The content stored in the metadata is played back from the other storage / playback means, and the user at one location and the user at the other location can play back the common content from their respective storage / playback means. A characteristic information sharing system. 2. The information sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the metadata that describes information about the content played back by the one storage / playback unit includes environmental information about a playing time and a playing place, and An information sharing system characterized in that the storage / reproduction means includes means for displaying contents corresponding to the time and environmental information indicated by the metadata. 3. The information sharing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the storing and reproducing means is mounted on the moving means.
The information sharing system, wherein the metadata is transmitted from the moving means via a mobile communication network. 4. The information sharing system according to claim 3, wherein the moving means includes means for acquiring position information and environment information, and the metadata describing the information about the content reproduced by the one storage / reproducing means. A means for displaying the contents corresponding to the time, position information and environment information indicated by the metadata in the other storage / reproduction means, including the reproduction time, the position information of the moving means and the environment information. Information sharing system.