JP2005094396A - Data reproducing device having data communication function and data reproducing method therein - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data reproducing device having a data reproducing function and a data reproducing method in the data reproducing device, with which reproduction data which can be distributed by data communication can appropriately be reproduced. <P>SOLUTION: An on-vehicle AV unit 100 is provided with a communication part 110 transmitting/receiving data; a list display means for displaying a list showing a distributing source of reproduction data and a bit rate required for streaming reproduction of reproduction data through the communication part 110; a judging means for comparing communication speed of the communication part 110 with the bit rate of the list display means and judging whether reproduction data can be streaming-reproduced or not; a communication control means for controlling the communication part 110 and receiving and accumulating reproduction data of the distributing source, which is judged that it cannot be reproduced while reproduction data of the distributing source, which is judged that it cannot be reproduced, is streaming-reproduced; and a reproducing means for reproducing reproduction data which is judged so that it can be reproduced by the judging means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a data reproduction apparatus having a data communication function and a data reproduction method in the data reproduction apparatus, and more particularly to a data reproduction apparatus capable of streaming reproduction of reproduction data received via communication such as a network.

  With the development of information / communication, transmission / reception of data using the Internet or the like has become widespread in electronic devices such as AV devices, portable terminals, personal computers and the like. In particular, in home communication environments, high-speed data communication is possible by using ADSL, optical fiber, etc., and a large amount of data can be obtained in a short time due to the development of compression technology for music and video data. It has become possible to do.

  With such a background, in addition to the function of reproducing audio and video data recorded on a CD, DVD, etc., an AV device can download audio and video data from a server via the Internet and reproduce it. is there. Furthermore, in addition to the playback after downloading all the audio and video data from the server to a hard disk or the like, streaming playback that performs playback in real time simultaneously with the reception of data has been put into practical use.

  In mobile communication, data transmission / reception is performed via a network such as the Internet because the wireless communication speed is improved. For example, an in-vehicle audio device and a navigation device receive voice data and data necessary for navigation by wireless communication by incorporating a wireless communication device or connecting a mobile phone or a mobile terminal.

  In the case of wireless data communication, better wireless quality is required when the communication speed is increased, which requires large transmission power. In view of these points, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for realizing a data communication / voice communication service at an optimal communication speed according to the quality of a wireless line.

JP 2000-101680 A

  However, wireless data communication such as mobile communication is slower in communication speed than the wired home Internet environment, so it is possible to receive audio and video data from the server and stream it appropriately. There are cases where it is not possible. For example, when using Internet radio, multiple content addresses and the bit rates required to stream them are listed on the display, but some of them may be streamed because the communication speed is not enough. There is something I can't do. When such a high bit rate content is played back by streaming, the audio and video are interrupted. On the other hand, in order to avoid this, when all the content data is downloaded, the content data displayed in the list cannot be reproduced continuously, and a storage capacity for storing the content data must be secured in the apparatus. Don't be.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described conventional problems and provides a data reproducing device having a data reproducing function capable of appropriately reproducing data for reproduction that can be distributed by data communication, and a data reproducing method in the data reproducing device. For the purpose.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a data reproduction apparatus and a data reproduction method in the data reproduction apparatus that can efficiently reproduce the reproduction data that can be distributed by wireless communication.

  A data reproducing apparatus having a data communication function according to the present invention communicates communication means that enables data transmission and reception, a list indicating a distribution source of reproduction data and a bit rate necessary for streaming reproduction of the reproduction data. A list presenting means to be presented via the means, a determination means for comparing the communication speed of the communication means and the bit rate of the list presenting means to determine whether or not the reproduction data can be played back by streaming, and the communication means. A communication control means for receiving and storing the reproduction data of the distribution source determined to be unreproducible while streaming the reproduction data of the distribution source determined to be reproducible, and the reproduction made reproducible by the determination means Reproduction means for reproducing data for use.

  Preferably, the determination unit determines that playback is possible when the communication speed of the communication unit is higher than the bit rate, and determines that playback is not possible when the communication speed is lower than the bit rate. More preferably, the communication control means sets the communication speed of the communication means to the first communication speed for streaming reproduction of the reproduction data, and the first for storing the reproduction data of the distribution source determined to be unreproducible. When the first communication speed is higher than the bit rate of the reproduction data of the distribution source, the determination unit determines that the reproduction data is reproducible.

  A data reproduction method in a data reproduction apparatus having a data communication function according to the present invention includes the following steps. A step of presenting a list of distribution sources of reproducible reproduction data and a bit rate necessary for streaming reproduction of the reproduction data; and a communication speed of the data reproduction apparatus for the first communication speed for streaming reproduction and for buffer reception The step of setting the second communication speed is compared with the first communication speed and the bit rate. When the first communication speed is higher than the bit rate, it is determined that reproduction is possible, and the first communication speed is bit. A step of determining that playback is not possible when the rate is lower than the rate, and receiving the playback data of the delivery source determined to be playable at the first communication speed and performing streaming playback, while Receiving and storing the reproduction data at the second communication speed.

  According to the present invention, it is determined whether or not the playback data of the distribution source is capable of streaming playback, and the playback data determined to be unplayable while streaming playback of the playback data based on the determination result is stored. Thus, even if the communication speed is insufficient compared to the bit rate, it is possible to appropriately perform the streaming reproduction of the reproduction data. Further, since a part of the communication capacity is allocated to the storage of the reproduction data, even when there are a plurality of reproduction data, they can be reproduced efficiently and continuously.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. The data reproducing apparatus having the data communication function according to the present invention is preferably realized in an in-vehicle AV device that reproduces an audio signal or a video signal.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a usage example of an in-vehicle AV device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-vehicle AV device 100 is preferably mounted on the vehicle 200 and can acquire content data owned by a plurality of servers A, B, and C and the home server D via the network 300.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the in-vehicle AV device 100. The in-vehicle AV device 100 includes a communication unit 110 that can be wirelessly connected to the network 300, a reproduction unit 120 that reproduces reproduction data acquired from the communication unit 110, and a storage unit that stores data received by the communication unit 110. 130, a display unit 140 that displays information, video, and the like on a display, an input unit 150 that inputs instructions and data from a user, and a system control unit 160 that controls the operation of each unit. The Although not shown here, the in-vehicle AV device 100 reads reproduction data recorded on a recording medium such as a CD, DVD, MD, etc., and receives a radio wave by a radio method or a television method. You may have the function to do.

  The communication unit 110 may be a communication device built in the in-vehicle AV device, or the in-vehicle AV device 100 may have a communication function by connecting a mobile phone or a mobile terminal. . The communication unit 110 is connected to the network 300 via a predetermined base station by wireless communication, and receives content data from a server or the like as necessary. The communication unit 110 also includes a buffer memory for buffering content data received from the server.

  The reproduction unit 120 has a function of performing streaming reproduction of reproduction data received from the server. Normally, the reproduction data stored in the server is encoded or compressed in a format such as MP3 or WMA, and the reproduction unit 120 decodes or expands the encoded reproduction data. The decoded audio data is converted into an analog signal by the DAC and output from the speaker as an audible sound through an amplifier, while the video data is displayed on the display unit 140.

  The storage unit 130 stores audio data and video data recorded on a CD, DVD, or the like, or stores a program for controlling the operation of the in-vehicle AV device 100. Furthermore, music data, video data, etc. received from the server can be downloaded. The storage unit 130 is preferably configured using a readable / writable large-capacity hard disk or semiconductor memory.

The display unit 140 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display or a plasma display,
The reproduced video is displayed, or the content data acquired from the server is displayed. Furthermore, by displaying a screen waiting for input and a screen for output results on the display, it is possible to interface with the user.

  The input unit 150 includes an input device such as an operation button or a remote controller, and receives an input from the user to the in-vehicle AV device 100 and transmits it to the system control unit 160. The system control unit 160 includes a microprocessor and a microcomputer, and includes a program for controlling the operation of each unit.

  The main feature of the in-vehicle AV device 100 according to the present embodiment is that the playback data distributed from the server is streamed and the other playback data is buffered (accumulated), and a plurality of content data is continuously efficient. It has a function to reproduce well. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation for such reproduction, and will be described along this flowchart.

  It is assumed that the user gives an instruction to reproduce content data held in a plurality of servers via the input unit 150 (step S101). For example, it is assumed that the user instructs the reproduction of a plurality of radio programs on the Internet radio or instructs the reproduction of a plurality of music pieces.

  In response to an instruction from the user, the system control unit 160 presents a list of radio programs or songs (step S102). That is, the system control unit 160 searches for a corresponding radio program or music from the server via the communication unit 110, creates or obtains a list of content data as shown in FIG. 4, and displays it on the display. The in-vehicle AV device 100 may be preinstalled in the storage unit 130 with a program for searching for such various content data, or creates a list of content data according to a program on a specific server. You may make it do.

  In the content list, the address or URL of the distribution source, the reproduction data stored in the address (here, the song title is taken as an example), and the bit rate necessary for reproducing the reproduction data in a stream are listed. Is done. For example, the distribution source of the song title A is the server A, and a bit rate of 100 kbps is required for streaming playback of the server A. Similarly, the distribution source of the song title B is the server B, and the bit rate is 90 kbps. The distribution source of the song title C is the server C, and the bit rate is 72 kbps. The distribution source of the song title D is the home server D, and the bit rate needs 120 kbps.

  Next, the system control unit 160 sets the communication speed of the communication unit 110 (step S103). Assuming that the communication speed of the communication unit 110 of this embodiment is 144 kbps, 2/3 (96 kbps) of the communication speed is allocated to streaming playback, and the remaining 1/3 (48 kbps) is used for buffering processing. To do. Of course, this assignment setting can be arbitrarily changed.

  Next, the system control unit 160 determines whether or not the music title shown in the content list can be played by streaming based on the communication speed setting (step S104). In order to perform streaming reproduction of the reproduction data, the reproduction cannot be appropriately performed unless the communication speed is at least higher than the bit rate of the reproduction data. For this reason, the system control unit 160 compares the communication speed set for streaming playback (96 kbps in this case) with the bit rate of the song title of the playback data shown in the list, and the communication speed is larger than the bit rate. If the communication speed is lower than the bit rate, it is determined that reproduction is not possible.

  When the determination of whether or not each song title is reproducible is completed, the determination result is shown in the list (step S105). Here, if it is determined that reproduction is possible, a circle is added, and if it is determined that reproduction is not possible, a cross is added.

  Next, the system control unit 160 preferably determines the playback order of the song names shown in the list, and displays this in the list (step S106). It should be noted here that when there is reproduction data determined to be reproducible, these data are reproduced before the reproduction data that is not reproducible. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the song titles B and C are reproducible, so that the playback order is at least before the song titles A and D. It is arbitrary whether to reproduce the song title B or C first, but here, the one with the smaller bit rate is reproduced first. For song titles A and D, the smaller bit rate is reproduced first. Therefore, in this example, the music titles C, B, A, and D are played in order.

  Next, the system control unit 160 performs streaming playback of the song title C having the earliest playback order, and performs buffering processing for the song title A that is determined to be unplayable during that time (step S107). As described above, since the communication speed 144 kbps of the communication unit 110 is 96 kbps is allocated to streaming distribution and 48 kbps is allocated to buffering, in other words, 2/3 of the entire communication capacity is allocated to streaming distribution, 1/3 is allocated to the buffering process. Therefore, the song title C is received and streamed at a communication speed of 96 kbps.

A part of the reproduction data for the song name A is stored in the buffer memory of the communication unit 110, and by storing a part of the data, streaming reproduction can be appropriately performed when the song name A is reproduced. For example, if the song name A has a bit rate of 100 kbps and 200 (seconds),
Since 200 (s)-{(96 kbps / 100 kbps) × 200 (s)} = 8 (s), data for 8 seconds is insufficient. For this reason, it is necessary to store data for 8 seconds in advance.

  Next, the system control unit 160 displays “playing” for the song name C and “buffering” for the song name A in the status column of the list (step S108).

  When the reproduction of the song name C is completed, the system control unit 160 starts streaming reproduction of the song name B which is the next reproduction order (step S109). When a certain amount of buffering for the song title A is completed, buffering for the song title D is started. The state at this time is shown in FIG. “Played” is displayed for the song name C that has been played, “playable” is displayed for the song name A that has been buffered, “playing” is displayed for the song name B, and “ “Buffering” is displayed.

  When the reproduction of the song title B is completed, the reproduction of the song title A is started next. As for the song name A, as described above, since data for 8 seconds is stored in the buffer memory in advance, streaming reproduction can be appropriately performed even at a bit rate faster than the communication speed. Thus, the operations of steps S107 and 108 are repeated until all the song names presented in the list are completed. As a result, continuous streaming playback can be performed on the music titles A to D shown in the list without worrying about the communication speed or bit rate.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the communication speed for streaming delivery of the communication unit 110 is determined based on the bit rate of the content data presented in the list. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the bit rate of the song titles A to D shown in the list is larger than 96 kbps, which is the communication speed for streaming delivery defined in the first embodiment, it is determined that the reproduction is possible. The song name to be played disappears. In order to avoid such a situation, the system control unit 160 sets an intermediate value 115 kbps between the maximum bit rate (130 kbps) and the minimum bit rate (100 kbps) as the communication speed for streaming delivery. In this way, it is determined that at least one song title can be streamed. In this case, the music title A is first played back by streaming, and at the same time, the buffering process for the curved surface C is performed.

  Furthermore, as for the communication speed of the communication unit 110, in addition to setting an intermediate value between the maximum bit rate and the minimum bit rate as described above, for example, the number of content data that can be reproduced and the content data that cannot be reproduced It is also possible to determine that the numbers are balanced. In the example of FIG. 5, the range of the communication speed S to be streamed may be 110 kbps <S <120 kbps.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. Deformation / change is possible.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the reproduction of audio data has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and reproduction of video data may be used. Furthermore, although the above embodiment has been described for the in-vehicle AV device, the present invention may be implemented in an electronic device or an electronic system having a data communication function and a function of reproducing received reproduction data. Furthermore, electronic devices and electronic systems such as AV devices are not necessarily limited to in-vehicle use.

  The data reproducing device having the data communication function according to the present invention can be used in audio devices, reproducing devices such as CDs and DVDs, electronic devices such as personal computers, and electronic systems.

It is a figure which shows the usage example of the vehicle-mounted AV apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the vehicle-mounted AV apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement flowchart of the data reproduction method in the data reproduction apparatus which concerns on a 1st Example. It is a figure which shows the example of the list | wrist in which the data for reproduction | regeneration concerning 1st Example, its bit rate, etc. were shown. It is a figure which shows the state by which the status of the list was updated. It is a figure which shows the example of the other data by which the data for reproduction | regeneration concerning 2nd Example, its bit rate, etc. were shown.

Explanation of symbols

100: AV equipment for vehicle installation, 110: Communication unit,
120: playback unit, 130: storage unit,
140: display unit, 150: input unit,
160: System control unit 200: Vehicle 300: Network

Claims (10)

A data reproducing device having a data communication function,
A communication means capable of sending and receiving data;
A list presenting means for presenting a list indicating a distribution source of reproduction data and a bit rate necessary for streaming reproduction of the reproduction data via the communication means;
A determination unit that compares the communication speed of the communication unit with the bit rate of the list presentation unit and determines whether or not the reproduction data can be streamed;
Communication control means for controlling the communication means, streaming the reproduction data of the distribution source determined to be reproducible, and receiving and storing the reproduction data of the distribution source determined to be unreproducible;
Reproduction means for reproducing the reproduction data made reproducible by the determination means;
A data reproducing apparatus having: The data reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit determines that reproduction is possible when the communication speed of the communication unit is higher than a bit rate, and determines that reproduction is not possible when the communication speed is lower than the bit rate. The communication control means uses a communication speed of the communication means as a first communication speed for streaming reproduction of reproduction data and a second for accumulating reproduction data of a distribution source determined to be unreproducible. 3. The data reproduction according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the reproduction data can be reproduced when the first communication speed is higher than a bit rate of the reproduction data of the distribution source. apparatus. The communication means has a buffer memory for storing a part of the reproduction data of the distribution source determined to be unreproducible, and the determination means reproduces the reproduction when a certain amount of the reproduction data is accumulated in the buffer memory. The data reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the data for use is determined to be reproducible. The determination unit compares the communication speed and the bit rate of the communication unit when there are a plurality of distribution source reproduction data shown in the list, determines the reproduction order of the reproduction data, and the reproduction unit reproduces the reproduction data. 5. The data reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reproducing data is reproduced according to an order. The data reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the data reproducing apparatus is mounted on a mobile body, and the communication means transmits and receives data by wireless communication. A data reproduction method in a data reproduction apparatus having a data communication function,
Presenting a list of distribution sources of playable data that can be delivered and a list of bit rates required for streaming playback of the play data;
Setting the communication speed of the data playback device to a first communication speed for streaming playback and a second communication speed for buffer reception;
The first communication speed is compared with the bit rate, and when the first communication speed is higher than the bit rate, it is determined that playback is possible, and when the first communication speed is lower than the bit rate, it is determined that playback is impossible. Steps,
The distribution source reproduction data determined to be reproducible is received and streamed at the first communication speed, and the distribution source reproduction data determined to be unreproducible is received and stored at the second communication speed. And a data reproducing method. The data reproduction method further includes a step of accumulating a part of reproduction data determined to be unreproducible and then receiving the remaining reproduction data at a first communication speed for streaming reproduction. Data playback method. The data reproduction method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising the step of comparing the first communication speed and the bit rate and determining a reproduction order of reproduction data of a plurality of distribution sources. The data reproduction method according to claim 7, wherein the data reproduction device is mounted on a mobile body, and the reproduction data is received from the outside via wireless communication.

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