JP2008250483A - Content emulation device and content emulation method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a content emulation device and a content emulation method for improving the convenience of handling for a user by making it possible for a user to easily distinguish whether an operation mode is an emulation mode or a debug mode only by viewing an output screen. <P>SOLUTION: This content emulation device is provided with a switching means (23) for selectively switching a trace means (22) for tracing the operation of acquired content to valid and invalid, and when the trace means (22) is set to valid by a switching means (23), information (26) showing the result is prepared, and output to the outside so as to be displayed as a video with the content. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a content emulation apparatus and a content emulation method having a debugging function for emulating content operations.

  As is well known, in recent years, high-definition and high-performance AV (audio visual) content has appeared on the market, as represented by HD (high definition) DVD (digital versatile disk) and the like.

  A characteristic of HD DVD is that control of graphics, user events, and the like is realized by an extensible markup language (XML) or a European computer manufacturers association (ECMA) script.

  As a result, the content provider can provide the user with more multifunctional content, and the user can enjoy various experiences that cannot be achieved with the previous generation DVD.

  On the other hand, content producers need a development environment equivalent to an integrated development environment of a programming language, that is, a content debug environment, in order to produce such highly functional content.

  By the way, in an execution environment where event processing is performed at high speed as in HD DVD, enabling the debugging function affects the processing timing of the content emulation apparatus itself, and the debugging function is used. On the other hand, some problems may occur during content emulation.

Patent Document 1 describes an emulator used for debugging a system equipped with a microcomputer having a peripheral module, which is connected to a display via an interface and can be evaluated by displaying the operation of the peripheral module on the screen. The structure which was made is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-161192

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, so that the user can easily distinguish whether the operation mode is the emulation mode or the debug mode simply by looking at the video output screen, and the convenience of handling for the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a content emulation apparatus and a content emulation method that can improve the content.

  That is, the content emulation apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires content, an emulation unit that emulates the operation of the content acquired by the acquisition unit, and a video that displays the content emulated by the emulation unit. Therefore, the video output means for outputting to the outside, the tracing means for tracing the operation of the content acquired by the acquisition means, the switching means for selectively switching the tracing means between enabled and disabled, and the tracing means enabled by the switching means When set, the trace information acquisition and display means for acquiring and displaying the trace information of the content operation for debugging, and information indicating that when the trace means is enabled by the switching means Create and display video with content by video output means It is obtained so as to include a trace state display means for external output.

  The content emulation method according to the present invention is emulated in a first step of acquiring content, a second step of emulating the operation of the content acquired in the first step, and a second step. A third step of outputting the content to the outside for video display, a fourth step of tracing the operation of the content acquired in the first step, and enabling and disabling the trace operation by the fourth step A fifth step of selectively switching, a sixth step of acquiring and displaying trace information of the operation of the content and debugging when the trace operation is enabled by the fifth step, and a fifth step When the trace operation is enabled by the process, information to that effect is created and output externally so that it can be displayed together with the content in the third process. It is obtained by so and a seventh step.

  According to the above-described invention, there is a switching unit that selectively switches the tracing unit that traces the operation of the acquired content between valid and invalid, and when the tracing unit is set to be valid by the switching unit, the fact is displayed. Since the information shown is created and output externally so that it can be displayed together with the content, the user can easily identify whether the operation mode is emulation mode or debug mode by simply looking at the video output screen. The convenience of handling can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a content emulation system described in this embodiment. This content emulation system includes a content emulation device 11 at the center thereof.

  The content emulation apparatus 11 has a function of inputting content 12 from the outside and emulating the operation of the input content 12 and a function of debugging. In this case, the content emulation apparatus 11 acquires necessary content 12 from an optical disc such as a DVD (including an HD DVD), an HDD (hard disk drive), a network, or the like.

  A video display device 13 such as a television broadcast receiving device is connected to the content emulation device 11 in a form compliant with the HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) standard. As a result, the video of the emulated content 12 can be displayed.

  In addition, a debug terminal 14 such as a PC (personal computer) browser is connected to the content emulation apparatus 11 in a network conforming to the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard. As a result, the operation of the content 12 being reproduced can be traced and debugged.

  FIG. 2 shows details of the content emulation apparatus 11. That is, the content emulation apparatus 11 includes a network connection unit 15. The network connection unit 15 is communicably connected to an external network via a network connection terminal 16.

  Further, the content acquisition unit 17 acquires the necessary content 12 from the outside via the content input terminal 18. Note that, when the content 12 to be acquired exists on the network, the content acquisition unit 17 acquires the content 12 from an external network using the network connection unit 15.

  Then, the content 12 acquired by the content acquisition unit 17 is supplied to the emulation unit 19 and subjected to a predetermined emulation processing operation, and then the video display device 13 through the video output terminal 21 by the video output unit 20. To be displayed for video display.

  On the other hand, the content emulation apparatus 11 includes a content trace unit 22. The content trace unit 22 traces the operation of XML or script included in the content 12 when the content 12 is played back. The trace switching unit 23 can switch the validation and invalidation of the trace operation.

  When the operation of the content trace unit 22 is set to be valid, the trace information acquisition unit 24 acquires trace information of the operation of the content 12 by accessing a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) server from a PC through a browser. Can be displayed and debugged.

  The trace information acquisition unit 24 includes an HTTP server used to display trace information on a browser from a PC connected to the network, and a servlet operating on the server.

  When the operation of the content trace unit 22 is set to be valid, the trace state display unit 25 creates display information indicating that the operation of the content trace unit 22 is valid, and displays it as a video output unit. 20 and the video output terminal 21 to be supplied to the video display device 13 for display.

  FIG. 3 shows a state where information 26 indicating that the operation of the content trace unit 22 is valid, that is, the trace function of the content emulation device 11 is valid, is displayed on the display screen of the video display device 13. ing. When the operation of the content trace unit 22 is set to invalid, the trace state display unit 25 does not create display information in particular, and the fact that it is invalid is not displayed on the display screen of the video display device 13.

  FIG. 4 shows a flowchart summarizing the processing operation for displaying on the display screen of the video display device 13 that the trace function of the content emulation device 11 is valid. That is, when the process is started (step S1), the trace state display unit 25 determines whether or not the trace function is set to be valid by the trace switching unit 23 in step S2.

  If it is determined that the trace function is not enabled (NO), the trace state display unit 25 ends the process as it is (step S5). If it is determined that the trace function is set to be valid (YES), the trace status display unit 25 creates information 26 indicating that the trace function is valid in step S3, and in step S4, The information 26 is output and displayed on the video display device 13, and the process is terminated (step S5).

  According to the embodiment described above, when the trace function of the content emulation apparatus 11 is valid, the content producer displays the fact on the display screen of the video display apparatus 13 and the content emulation apparatus 11 Whether it is currently operating in emulation mode or debug mode can be easily identified by simply looking at the emulation video display screen.

  As a result, the content producer can use the debug mode for program development such as event processing and the emulation mode closer to the actual machine for the quality evaluation of video and audio, etc. It is possible to easily and clearly distinguish the current mode simply by looking at the content, and as a result, the content creator can switch to the operation mode of the emulator according to their purpose without error, and the user can The convenience of handling can be improved.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by variously modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements according to different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an outline of a content emulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The block block diagram shown in order to demonstrate the detail of the content emulation apparatus of the content emulation system in the embodiment. The figure shown in order to demonstrate an example of the display form by the content emulation apparatus in the embodiment. The flowchart shown in order to demonstrate the processing operation by the content emulation apparatus in the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Content emulation apparatus, 12 ... Content, 13 ... Video display apparatus, 14 ... Debug terminal, 15 ... Network connection part, 16 ... Network connection terminal, 17 ... Content acquisition part, 18 ... Content input terminal, 19 ... Emulation part 20 ... Video output unit, 21 ... Video output terminal, 22 ... Content trace unit, 23 ... Trace switching unit, 24 ... Trace information acquisition unit, 25 ... Trace information display unit, 26 ... Information.

Claims (5)

Acquisition means for acquiring content;
An emulation means for emulating the operation of the content acquired by the acquisition means;
Video output means for outputting the content emulated by the emulation means to the outside for video display;
Trace means for tracing the operation of the content acquired by the acquisition means;
Switching means for selectively switching the trace means between valid and invalid;
Trace information acquisition and display means for acquiring and displaying trace information of content operations when the trace means is enabled by the switching means, and debugging,
And a trace state display unit that creates information indicating that when the trace unit is enabled by the switching unit and outputs the information to be externally displayed so as to be displayed together with the content by the video output unit. A content emulation device.   2. The content emulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the trace unit is set to be invalid by the switching unit, the trace state display unit does not create information indicating that fact.   The content emulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires content via an information recording medium or a network. A first step of acquiring content;
A second step of emulating the operation of the content acquired in the first step;
A third step of outputting the content emulated in the second step to the outside for video display;
A fourth step of tracing the operation of the content acquired in the first step;
A fifth step of selectively switching the trace operation according to the fourth step between valid and invalid;
When the trace operation is enabled by the fifth step, a sixth step of acquiring and displaying trace information of the content operation and debugging;
A seventh step of creating information indicating that when the trace operation is set to be effective in the fifth step and outputting the information to be displayed together with the content in the third step; A content emulation method comprising:   5. The content emulation method according to claim 4, wherein when the trace operation is set to be invalid in the fifth step, the seventh step does not create information indicating that fact.

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